I’m attempting to break into this library.

You see, the type of library I'm trying to access requires a special monthly membership to access. Me, being an orphan at 17 years in age, has no way to make money in an efficient way, or in any way for that matter.

That brings us back to why I’m trying to get into this library. You see, ever since I found this one book in a dumpster by the side of this small residential home, I’ve been addicted. The sensation of feeling yourself inside the book, seeing what the characters see. You could call it a sweet release for me, a release for my pitiful existence. The book was called ‘The Knight’, detailing the story of a commoner child becoming a brave hero there to save and assist all with any problems.

He is who I look up to. I want to be a hero like him someday…

But for now I’m going to satisfy my reading addiction and break in. Truly it isn't very difficult to get into the library undetected, the entrance is a pair of fairly large oak doors with nobody guarding them, only a person behind the front desk which is also right next to the entrance.

I slowly edge my way to the left door and wait until the clerk leaves.

Soon he gets a call and walks away. I take this chance to swiftly make my way into the main reading section.

I washed my clothes in a nearby pond earlier in the day so as to not draw attention to my normally extremely dirty clothes. Making my way over to the fantasy section, I flip through some of the first novels I get my hands on, lately I find myself with a particular taste, so I quickly put these away.

I prefer action novels with a large ‘hint’ of romance… Although I hate to admit it, I am lonely, so very lonely…

Anyways these romance books serve to temporarily seal my loneliness behind closed doors. I Lay my eyes on a thick, dark green hard cover book, labeled: “A Hero’s Advance”. I read the summary with interest and it seems to be just my type of book!

Still not satisfied, I tuck the book away in my worn backpack and continue searching for interesting novels.

I turn around a corner and lay my eyes on an extremely ornate rich velvet book with golden embroidery on the spine. I’m surprised, I’ve never seen anything such high quality in my many trips to this corner of the library.

I decide to take a closer look and discover that the title is ‘Viraeah’. Now extremely interested I flip open the book…

Suddenly my eyes water shut, a bright flash of light ensues and blinds me.

I get up off the floor and wonder, What the fuck just happened?

What was I holding in my hands? Why am I on the floor? I suddenly remember the ornate book I was attempting to open and quickly search around for it, Huh? Where did it go?

I hear shuffling behind me and quickly turn to see two of the security guards heading my way. Dammit!! I forgot about the flash of light, surely the security would be wondering what had happened.

It seems they have already spotted me, so I deem it best to stay here and hope that they don't ask for my subscription card.

“Hey, kid, what was that flash before?” exclaims one of the security guards.

“Uhm I-It uh-” I stutter out.

The guard looks at me suspiciously “Wait a minute, show me your subscription card kid”

“Uh s-see you see I, uh left i-it at home!”

The security guards look at me with obvious distaste and it seems like they have already guessed how I got in here.

“Alright sure kid, if you don't have your card then leave.”

I dejectedly reply “Yes sir” and hope that they don’t notice the multitude of books I have kept in my worn bag.

I quickly rush out and make my way to my ‘home’, in actuality it's basically some thin and moldy blankets made in a makeshift tent in the roof alcove of a random shop building. Not exactly comfortable, but the best I could do to make sure I don't get robbed by the many other orphans littering the streets at night.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I unload the slightly heavy books in my bag into my collection, I have so far amassed what seems to be around 40 books. These are my most prized possessions, I’d only sell these if my life depended on it.

Laying down in my extremely uncomfortable bed that ‘surprisingly’ is also made of thin and rotten blankets, I easily fall asleep.

I wake up the next morning and prepare to head to the nearby highschool, as they offer a sort of soup kitchen some days for the homeless and as I don't want to starve to death, I hastily make my way over.

Upon reaching there I grab my soup and sit myself down at an empty table, looking around while waiting for the soup to cool, I make eye contact with a familiar girl, she turns my way and starts heading over with some of her friends. I let her approach instead of walking away because she has treated me like a normal person in the not-so-short while I’ve known her.

When she reaches a closer distance, she calls out to me.

“Hey Sirus!”

Her friends snicker at the odd name I’ve given myself, I’d thought it up when I was around 10 and it just stuck around, But anyways, I greet her back.

“Hey Sarah.”

She frowns at my monotone reply, but continues to seat herself in front of me anyways. Her friends also sit next to her, and stare at me with obvious annoyance.

I continue to awkwardly sip on my soup while she just sits there, unlike me Sarah and her friends aren’t homeless, but they like to help out at the soup kitchen, or Sarah does anyways, I’m pretty sure the others tag along for no reason.

Sarah attempts to strike up a conversation.

“So… How’s life?”

“Alright” I reply

“Anything fun happen?”

“Not really”

“Mmm… any special people?”

Again I reply “Not really”.

She frowns at me again, and I wonder at what wrong I’ve committed this time, I try to ask but she starts talking again.

“Hey, d’ya want to come to one of my classes? They’re kinda really boring and I’d appreciate the company”

“Why not take any of your other friends with you?” I reply while looking around at the suddenly hostile faces around me.

“Oh, they all have their own classes to get to, and besides, it's just a lecture sort of thing, c’mon it’ll be fun!”

I look around at her friends who look like they are going to attack me if I don't accept, fearing I don't really have a choice in the matter, I reluctantly agree.

“Yeah sure I guess” I say.

Grinning suspiciously widely at my markedly unenthusiastic reply she looks to be about to say something but then the school bell rings.

“Oh it’s about that time now, alright bye guys” she says to her friends.

She grabs my hand and pulls me along with her to her next class, Somewhat curious now that I’m practically being forced to come.

I inquire, “So, what class are we going to?”, she looks back at me and replies,

“Oh it’s Human Psychology”, Now genuinely interested, I follow up “So what do you guys get taught over there?”.

“I dunno, it's my first time going to it as well.”

I recall that this would be about the time that school first starts and nod my head.

“Here we go, Room 178-E”

We head inside and I look around to find myself in a lecture room, kind of like the sort you would find at a college except it’s a bit smaller.

“Damn, this is a nice class” I point out.

“Yeah, but make sure to stay quiet, technically you're not supposed to be here” She whispers to me with a mischievous smile.

I narrow my eyes at her, but decide to stay anyway since I’m already here. She gives me another brief smile and then motions for me to sit down next to her in one of the seating rows.

We make small talk while waiting for the professor to come to class. Eventually the entire class fills up and the professor finally arrives.

He starts lecturing about sensory memory and drive theory, obviously I have no idea what the fuck he’s talking about but Sarah seems to be nodding her head at it, so I pretend to pay attention.

But after a while I can’t handle it anymore and spout out, “This is really boring”.

Sarah looks at me and lets out a small giggle and starts trying to explain some of the concepts to me.

“So sensory memory is basically a really short term memory that stays around for a very very short amount of time after you receive it, kinda like burning your hand in hot water, the burn that you feel after your hand touches the water or the pain that you feel could be described as sensory memory”

She stares at me after she finishes explaining and I realize that I completely zoned out, when I tell her as much she giggles again and goes back to watching the professor.

Soon the professor gets a call on his phone and pauses the lecture for a bit while exiting the classroom, I find this somewhat irresponsible but right when I was on the verge of commenting so to Sarah I find myself looking at a familiar velvet red book, the only odd thing is that… The book is flying in the middle of the classroom.

Someone in front of us comments, “What the Hell?”.

The book starts to open while in midair, It continues to open, and continues, and continues, and soon the front and back covers start to touch, but then something odd happens. The front and back covers disappear so now it looks to be a cylinder composed of sheets of paper with a gold rod going down the center.

Sarah exclaims, “What the hell is happening!?”.

I open my mouth to respond but then everything goes black.