Like a moth to a flame, I keep thinking of that smell, it's almost like the smell of balsamic vinegar. But not exactly, there's a little smell of something woody in there. I've never smelt anything like it! I feel it again! Yes! That feeling of something new, it's amazing!
Not just that, but also the feel, the leather on the outside is almost skin like, and cold to the touch even though the room is around 73, how strange… Not to mention the pure amount of pages! There are at least 1000! "Wait… what?" I said, almost uncontrollably.
Some of the brownish-red pages are different. Not only are there some that are exuding different temperatures, about ten, some being cold and some being hot, but also the condition of the pages, most of them have corners that are bent, or look like they were ripped from some other paper, but the pages in the very front look brand new, just standard white composition paper. What an interesting book! How do pages with no electronics or source produce such heat? Why are there papers that look so beat up compared to the neat papers in the front?
But suddenly, a thought popped into my head, Wait, didn't I grab this from the shelf of books that Rylrith wrote? As I frantically tried to turn the book around to look at the front instead of the side of pages, I see his name, "Rylrith the Frail" and above, in Neat but overpowering letters "TRUE FREEDOM"
"True freedom? But he lived here also, shouldn't he be calling this warehouse true freedom? I'm able to do whatever I want here…"
"Whatever…but why are the only papers with writing composition paper? And still why are the old-looking papers exuding that heat…"
As I began opening the book I saw the first page, an entire page with only a sentence. "WARNING, once you say it, your not able to come back"
"What a strange warning… how is saying words something that's going to impact me?"
I flip the page again
"Hello, whoever I gave this to. Me letting you get this training room is the right of passage, but the right of entering is something you can only get yourself, to be someone who has true independence"
After reading, I can't help but think. 'hmm, this guy really likes the word true' Before i continue reading the last few sentences on the page "By saying the words, you will begin the entrance process. If you don't meet the entering requirements, you won't be able to try again."
After reading these words, I began to think, much more than I had in the last few years combined, it was the first time since moving in the warehouse that I encountered something unexpected, it was a nice refresher. His main thought was 'what's true independence? What's the requirements for being truly independent?'
I had 3 main theories, first was that it meant to be self-sufficient, but remembering that the person who wrote this was Rylrith, he didn't see this to be likely.
The second one was that it was a continuation of being free, being not impacted by others. I thought this was possible, but I don't think I knew the full story. If there isn't a supporting piece of evidence on the next page, I'll give this idea up.
The third, and most likely, was that I had to be completely unique. In the sense I have my own ideas and opinions. To oversimplify, to have a unique world view; I thought this was most likely since in the collection of other books he wrote, he had one about "common worldviews"
'I never thought I would use context clues in this day and age…'
At this point, my nerves are racing! Something unique, something I've never seen before! And you're saying that if I meet the requirement, I could maybe see more unique things!? I've realized one main thing, I've gotten bored, I've learned basically everything I could, and how to apply it, I mean I've literally built steam engines by scratch before! But there was still one lingering thought 'What if this is all fake?I mean, how can I trust Rylrith when I haven't even met him?'
But I already knew the answer, since Rylrith is already dead, there's no one I can ask for clarification, the only way I can know is by saying whatever words are on the next page…
I begin to flip the page. I stare at the three sentences on the page, before beginning to read them.
The first sentence says "By saying the words below while holding this book, you will begin the entering process. Note that saying these words lock you from saying them in the future, even if you pass inspection, in other words, once you say them, you can't come back to this place"
'Well, if that place has things I haven't learned yet, then why would I want to leave? I have no one to come back to anyway…'
As I began looking down, I saw a standard sentence, one sentence with quotations around it, and a sentence below that shows pronunciation. I made sure to say it in my mind before saying it aloud, to make sure I said it right.
"By the breath of the First-Born and the light of beginning, I rend the veil of the seen to tread the path of the Unwritten"