Chapter 5: Stubborn Memories From A Past Life
Zane ran his hands across the spines of the books on the shelves as he walked past.
“I have no idea where to start. Why did I even agree to this in the first place?” Zane asked.
He crossed his arms and heard a little jingle come from his waist.
“Oh. Right. I actually am curious as to what could be in the forbidden sections of the library.” Zane said, holding the pendant up.
“Let’s check the forbidden section out first, then,” Zane said.
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“This is, admittedly, not as exciting as I thought it would be.” Zane sighed.
Zane walked down aisle after aisle, vacantly running his hand across the books as he went.
“What’s this book? It looks… Familiar.” Zane asked, his hand running across a book that felt very different from the rest.
He took the book from the shelf and studied the cover.
Immediately, his eyes went blank and became unfocused.
A small black glow surrounded him as he passed out.
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The sun shone in the blue sky above, blinding Zane for a second.
“There’s too many of them! Sir Zane, what shall we do?” A knight asked.
“What? What are you talking about? Where am I?” Zane asked.
“Sir? We’re at the east gate. And I’m talking about those. Are you alright?” The knight asked.
He pointed to an army of goblins and other monsters.
Zane’s eyes widened and he shook his head.
“No, sorry. It’s nothing. Probably just fatigue. I’m fine now. Tell the other knights to guard the southern gate. Assign Elizabeth to the northern gate and ___ to the western gate. I can take care of a few monsters myself. But I can’t be in multiple places at once.” Zane said.
“Yes sir!” The knight said.
“Wait. Leave two knights here to guard the gate. Just in case some of these bastards manage to get away.” Zane said.
The knight nodded and ran off.
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Zane unsheathed his sword.
“Time to show these bastards why the Hero always has a sword. It isn’t for decoration.” Zane said, grinning.
He jumped into the middle of all of the monsters and began to carve a path, leaving only bodies in his wake. His movements held both experience and practice, refined beyond what would normally be possible. He hacked and slashed at the creatures for hours, the grin on his face growing even bigger. He seemed more demonic than even the demons he was fighting.
Eventually, Zane alone was left standing. He sighed.
Drenched in blood and exhausted, he carried himself to the gates.
“Good work, Zane,” Liz said.
Zane smiled and collapsed into Liz’s arms.
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Zane shook his head, snapping out of his trance. He was back in the library.
He was breathing heavily, caked in dried blood and dirt.
“Wh-what just happened? Was that… Me?” Zane asked.
He looked at his hands. They were caked in mud and dried blood.
“How am I covered in blood?! Wasn’t that just a daydream?!” Zane asked.
Zane looked around him.
In front of him was the book. It had transformed, now a clean black and white color with golden adornments. To the side of it was a sheathed sword.
He reached out to pick them up, but the moment he touched them, they vanished, reappearing next to his waist.
“What? What are these? They’re floating? Seriously?” Zane asked, moving around.
The sword and book seemed as though they were attached to him by an invisible force.
He took the book from his waist.
“So it’s called Elizabeth's Grimoire? Interesting title, but what kind of story is this? It’s… locked. I can’t open it. What’s the point of this thing, then?” Zane asked.
He placed the book on the shelf to his side, and it immediately reappeared at his waist the moment his hands left it.
“Wait, so… It reappears whenever it leaves my hands?” Zane said, attempting to chuck the book. It dissolved into golden particles midair and reappeared on his waist.
“Well, I can’t lose it. That’s for sure. But how do I get rid of them? I don’t really want a hovering sword or its sheath always stuck to my sides. Or a hovering book.” Zane said.
The book and sword faded into nothingness.
“Oh, great. Nevermind. Now they don’t exist anymore. Where the heck did they go?” Zane asked.
The items reappeared at his side.
“Well… That answers that question. I get it. I can make them disappear or reappear at will. That’s actually pretty cool. I’m not sure what use a sword and a locked book would be for me, but it’s better than nothing I guess.” Zane said.
“Zane, why are you covered with mud?” Silk asked.
“Oh, Silk. Um. I wish I could answer that.” Zane said.
“Well, did you find anything out at least? My brother just kept the conversations going in circles, so no luck on my end.” Silk asked.
“I’ve been in the library for maybe 15 minutes, of course I haven’t found anything,” Zane said.
“What have you been doing all day, then? If you weren't in the library, where were you?” Silk asked.
Zane looked out of a dusty window. The sky was orange.
"Oh," Zane said.
“You had another daydream, didn’t you?” Silk asked.
“...I think so. I’m not sure, though. It felt different from every other one.” Zane said.
“Well… No, you know what? Go clean up. We can talk tomorrow.” Silk said.
“That’s probably a good idea, I feel too gross to think. And I'm kinda tired.” Zane said.
"Five AM. You know where to meet. I'll see you then." Silk said.
"Good night, Silk," Zane said.