Location: Home in Village Uri, South of Diptabhumi

Day: Sustainer of The Triad (Second Day of Triad)

Year: Nivam, 6878 AFG

The pungent odor reached Eka's senses before Hira's soft knock echoed through her bedroom door.

"Come in."

With the creaking of the door, Hira entered. "Good morning, Mimi."

"Who ordered breakfast so early today? Nesha, was it you?" Eka muttered groggily, her face buried in the plush pillow. "Goodness...where did this pillow come from? It's like heaven. And Nesha, if you're going to toss that food, give it to the children down the block."

"Mimi, wake up," Hira pounced on Eka.

"Huh? Who's Mimi?" Eka sat up abruptly.

The individual in question sat to the side, staring at Eka like a silent vengeful ghost, and Eka let out a small scream as she tumbled out of bed, tangled in the covers.

"Mimi, good morning," Hira greeted with a sweet smile.

Eka's world seemed to crumble. She frantically scanned the room, her eyes darting to the ceiling, the door, everywhere. But there was nothing familiar from her life on Earth. No Nesha, her loyal robot and friend. No stack of thick books that had been her bedmates all year long. Nothing that felt like her own.

"What's wrong, Mimi?" Hira's concerned eyes studied Eka for signs of distress.

"Nothing... I'm fine."

Despite a night of deep sleep, an intense headache pounded in Eka's temples. None of this made sense. Too many things were happening at once. She missed her family, her friends, and most of all, her life back on Earth. She wanted to cry, but she felt too numb, drained from sobbing all night. Her swollen eyes glared at the invisible force that had trapped her in this unfamiliar world.

"Mimi," Hira chuckled, "you're so cute."

It took a moment for Eka to comprehend Hira's toddler speech. Her heart warmed at the compliment. Up to this point, Hira had been her only solace. An unexpected character, intelligent and caring, Hira had done everything to comfort Eka since last night. It was as if she had known Eka would be miserable.

Hira hopped off the bed, tugged at Eka's sleeve, and led her to an adjoining bathroom where a tub of hot water steamed, enveloping the room in warmth. Soft towels were neatly folded next to glass jars of bathing essentials on a small table. Hira opened a jar of essential oil and added it to the water, filling the room with the soothing scent of lavender.

"Mimi, go and have a bath," Hira gently pushed the weary Eka towards the tub and left with a parting declaration of love, "Mimi, I love you."

Eka sighed. She shed her dirt-caked clothes and sank into the warm bath, her tense muscles gradually relaxing. Silent tears streamed down her face as she once again longed for her parents and two brothers. She hadn't expected to have any tears left after the night she'd spent sobbing. What had this child put in the bathtub to evoke such emotion? Was it her empathy or selfless love that brought solace to Eka? And since when did a three-year-old know the type of oil she preferred for a soothing bath?

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After an hour, Eka had mentally prepared herself to face the world. She opened the bathroom door to find Hira happily doodling on a sheet of paper, surrounded by scattered papers and writing materials on the carpeted floor. Eka picked up one of the papers covered in peculiar stick figures, and an idea struck her.

"Hira, where is the library?"

Hira pointed wordlessly to a direction within the room. On a nearby table, there was a steaming bowl of porridge waiting for Eka. Her stomach growled in response, and she gasped in astonishment. She was hungry. Eka silently finished her breakfast before following Hira out of the room and into a long, secluded hallway.

Together, they arrived at a set of imposing double doors made of blackwood, likely protected by some kind of divine magic, as Eka had surmised earlier. Eka's theory was confirmed as Hira touched the wood, and the doors effortlessly swung open, revealing a dark abyss beyond. Hesitating only for a moment, Eka followed Hira into the unknown.

As they ventured deeper into the darkness, an unsettling sensation, like a swarm of insects crawling over her skin, briefly overcame Eka. She cast a wary glance back at the doors, which had closed automatically. Up ahead, Hira paused in her steps.

"It was divine protection," Hira answered Eka's unspoken question.

Divine protection on library doors, and an exceptionally potent one at that. Why did the library, of all places, require such top-notch security?

Questions swirled in Eka's mind as she continued to follow Hira down a hallway that more closely resembled a dungeon than a library. The walls were made of massive blocks of narstone, towering up to a high ceiling. Torches cast a zigzagging pattern of light along the walls, illuminating mounted heads of legendary creatures whose names even Eka, as the creator of this world, couldn't quite place.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached another set of blackwood double doors. Just as before, Hira performed her ritual, and they stepped into a room where vast shelves of books stretched into the distance, making the far end appear as a mere blur in Eka's eyes.

Eka couldn't fathom the length of this room. Given its vastness, she doubted that this library existed within the confines of the real dimension. She had initially felt disappointment when she had first glimpsed the house from the forest's edge. At that moment, she had been relieved to have found a safe place. Now, she couldn't have been more wrong.

Eka found herself in an enchanting world within the library. As she walked among flickering torches, she couldn't help but notice the ethereal white orbs drifting through the air, accompanied by whimsical dust bunnies. It was a self-maintaining library, a marvel in itself.

A wide grin formed on Eka's face. With purpose, she strode towards a bookshelf, randomly selecting a book titled "How To Talk To People." After a glance, she returned it and moved on to the next shelf, only realizing the presence of another person in the room after exploring the entire section.

Clearing her throat, Eka approached Hira and asked, "Excuse me, where can I find the history section?"

Hira raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Don't you know, Mimi?"

Taken aback, Eka stammered, "Well, you see, I've recently Awakened, and I'm dealing with some memory issues. So, I'm starting from scratch. I'm sure someone as intelligent as you can understand, right?"

Hira snorted and nodded as if to say, "Sure, I believe you."

Eka, however, found Hira's reaction curious. She couldn't help but wonder if Hira was a unique character in this world, unlike typical NPCs. Hira displayed a wide range of expressions, far beyond what was expected. Could it be a glitch in the system?

Hira gestured to her wrist, summoning an orb that displayed a blue window. She demonstrated how to summon a book, and Eka followed suit, selecting a weighty tome from the History section, "Ira Of The Past" by Historian Aja Baga. The book practically knocked Eka over, but Hira's glowing orbs came to the rescue, steadying the hefty volume and helping Eka to a nearby reading couch.

Eka couldn't help but relish the luxurious comfort of the couch and wished she could bring this experience to the real world.

Hira joined her, opening the tome for Eka to read. The content surprised Eka, as it mentioned events thousands of years beyond her initial expectations. She asked Hira about "AFG."

Hira explained, "It stands for 'After the First God.'"

Eka probed further, "Who is the First God?"

Hira replied, "The First God is The Rover, the patron god of the Amera Isles, and also the god of thieves and assassins. Her name is never spoken."

Eka nodded and dived into the first chapter.

Suddenly, a chime echoed within the library. Hira muttered, "Bastad," and swiftly left the couch.

Eka scolded her, asking, "Hira, how did you know Jakal was at the door?"

Hira pointed to an orb displaying Jakal. Eka realized the orbs were intriguing but decided to focus on finding a way to log out of this mysterious world.

Together, Eka and Hira made their way to the drawing room, where Jakal was surrounded by glowing orbs. Instead of being fearful, Jakal seemed to be bonding with them. The orbs obediently responded to Hira as if she were their master.

Eka's encounter with the library and the world around her was becoming increasingly real, with sensations she hadn't expected.

Hira's behavior had taken on an unsettling authenticity. Her outbursts had felt unnervingly real. For so long, Eka had dismissed these occurrences as mere glitches causing their unfortunate situations. But now, they seemed far too genuine to be attributed to a single malfunction.

Eka raised a trembling hand to her forehead. The orbs responded, conjuring a chair beneath her, and she sank into it. Hira, the affectionate child, clung to Eka as if Eka were her entire world. Desiring comfort, Eka found herself clinging back to Hira.

Jakal, sensing the tension, awkwardly cleared his throat and remarked, "This isn't a good time. This person will return later." With a quick click, he logged out, leaving an air of mystery behind.

Hira summoned more orbs, which lifted Eka from the chair and carried her to the same room where she had slept the night before. Eka curled up against the wall, her gaze distant and empty. Hira sighed and arranged herself in a patient stance, waiting for Eka to emerge from her melancholy.