Chapter One

The group of men cheered him on. “Drink! Drink Drink!” The middle aged man glanced at the shot glass, then placed his head back down on the bar counter. “I’m good,” he mumbled. The crowd booed. The man to his left waved them off, “Hey, he’s had enough. Lucas doesn’t come out to drink with us usually, so...” With his head still on the counter, he raised his hand as a gesture of thanks. The room spun around him. Everyone was too loud. “Why did I agree to come to the company party?” he wondered. The room was uncomfortably stuffy, and it didn’t particularly agree with his nausea. With a grunt, he spun around and stumbled off the barstool. He made his way across the room, he leaned up against the side door exit. The door popped open and he fell and rolled into the alleyway. Rising to his feet, he steadied himself against the wall of the building. Hit by a sudden wave of nausea, he hunched over and painted the wall with everything he ate in the last hour. He groaned and took a seat opposite to his wonderful vomit masterpiece, questioning his existence as he did. At least the nausea went away. With a sigh, he reached into his coat pocket and retrieved a cigarette. In a quick motion, he flipped open his lighter and took in a lungful of smoke. The dry, smoky flavor quickly replaced the taste of alcohol in his mouth. He sighed again, and tilted his head back. His eyes were greeted by a reddish-orange sky. The sun made its way across the horizon and disappeared, turning the sky into a grayish-blue color. He stared for a moment longer and then closed his eyes.

Life wasn’t particularly rough for Lucas. He had a job, an apartment, and a few friends from work. Life wasn’t particularly interesting for him either, though. It seemed as if time had slowed down to a standstill and he was merely repeating day after day. His neck cramped from staring upwards for too long. He reached his hand around and rubbed the back of his neck. His eyes stared uninterested at the bland door in front of him. “This is the last time I go to a party like this. I’ll be sure to-” he stopped mid sentence. Was that door there a minute ago? He distinctly remembered throwing up in that location. He stood up, brushed the ashes off his coat, and walked over to investigate. His eyes didn’t deceive him, the spot where he was a minute ago was replaced by the door. He placed his palm against the door. It made a clunking noise as he pressed against it. It certainly was real. Without thinking, he reached for the door handle and turned it. Creak. The grayish door opened with ease. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have considered trespassing, but the alcohol did wonders on his logic. He stood there and reasoned with his drunken self for a minute. With a shrug, he entered into the dark hallway. He felt along the wall for a light switch, but couldn’t seem to find one. Compromising, he reached for his lighter. With a flicker and a spark, a small flame illuminated the area. From what he could see, it wasn’t a room as much as it was a staircase heading downwards. He grit his teeth and reconsidered for a second. “Fuck it,” he declared, and he continued down.

Before long, the end of the stairway came into view. Bracing himself for the unknown, he slowly and carefully descended down the last few steps. He came face to face with a massive, intricately carved red double door. The design seemed to be way before his time. He ran his hands across the patterns engraved, which were foreign to him. He placed his hands on the two handles and pulled. The door surprisingly was light, and opened with ease. He was greeted by grinding gears, mechanical whirs, and a truly astonishing sight. There, inside, was a massive room filled with bookcases three stories tall. They were connected to an intricate conveyor system, which were organizing and reorganizing them constantly. There were several chandeliers hanging, dimly lighting up an enormous room. Lucas took a step forward and took in the sight before his eyes. There was an empty reception desk in front of him. It was fairly cluttered with pens, papers, books, and a laptop. He thought that it seemed out of place with the rest of the room. He made his way around the desk into one of the many aisles of bookshelves. His eyes scanned the selection of reading material. The conditions of the books varied. Some were decrepit and dusty, while others seemed to be the latest volume published. There was a rustle, and then the sound of books falling. Lucas froze. He walked to the end of the bookshelf and peered around the corner towards the sound.

“Hello?” he inquired.

“Shh.” came the response.

He emerged from behind the bookshelf to find a woman surrounded by books. She wore what seemed like an old fashioned uniform and sported a pair of under rimmed glasses. Her hair barely touched her shoulders. It looked like she made herself comfortable in a beanbag chair and built a fortress of books around her. She looked to be in her twenties. Lucas approached carefully.

“Uh…”

“Did you not hear me?” she glared at him, placing her book down. Her eyes were a beautiful hazel color. It matched her hair.

“What?”

“This is a library, please keep your voice down.”

Lucas, confused, took a seat next to the wall of books and observed the woman. Scowling, she turned her attention back to her novel and turned the page. They sat in silence for a few minutes, only interrupted by their faint breaths and the occasional page turn. He reached awkwardly for a book from the top of one of the many stacks.

"Reg's Theorems?" he read the title out loud.

"Oh! A classic." she replied enthusiastically in a hushed tone.

The pages made a satisfying sound as Lucas flipped through the book, skimming over the contents. Most of it involved complex mathematics and incomprehensible diagrams. It was way beyond his level. He looked at the woman questioningly. She looked up from her book and smiled.

"EM theory is fascinating on paper but difficult to implement in a real life situation. The amount of energy needed is beyond current technological standards. His quip on 11th space traversal was entertaining, though."

Lucas nodded, completely lost. The lady placed her book down and turned her attention to him.

"Well then. Let's get down to business. What do you want?"

"I... just kinda wandered in here. What is this place?"

"You are in one of the world's greatest wonders. My family's inheritance, and one of humanity's proudest creations. This is..." she paused for effect. "The Great Library."

"The Great Library?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?"

"The name isn't too grand for what it is."

"Tell that to my ancestors."

"I see..?"

Lucas looked around from his seat. The machinery was certainly advanced but had an old fashioned aesthetic to it. There could be merit behind her words. He turned back to face her.

"So what about you? Who are you?"

She leaned back in her bean bag chair.

"I am the librarian of course."

"Ah. Naturally the library has a librarian."

"A very educated observation," she replied sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I had too much to drink and now I'm in a big ass library with all of this crazy shit," he retorted.

"I could tell. You reek of alcohol and puke. I take it you're one of those useless drunkards? A wage slave who blows his paycheck on cheap liquor."

"I only went to the party because everyone at my department forced me to."

"I see. Not a social butterfly, are we?"

"Long story."

"We have all the time in the world."

"Whatever."

He relaxed and leaned back on the bookshelf. Countless questions ran through his mind. What really is this place? Why does this library exist here? How? Is any of this even real? He couldn't wrap his head around the situation at all. The woman picked up another book and opened it to a colorful bookmark. He turned his attention back to her.

"My name is Lucas by the way."

"Kathryn."

"Nice to meet you, I suppose."

"The pleasure is mine."

There was a buzzing sound. Kathryn reached into her pocket and retrieved a phone. She looked at it for a minute, and then placed it on top of one of the books. She frowned. With a sigh she stood up and brushed off her skirt. Her expression returned to her original stern and serious look.

"So... When did this all get built?" Lucas inquired. "Why is it here?"

"You will find the answers you're looking for to your left and down the hall. There is a door. She is waiting for you," she replied strictly.

"Who?"

"Hurry up. I have things to do. These books aren't going to archive themselves. Well... they will, but you get the point," she ordered.

Lucas stood up as well and gazed at her for a moment longer. She turned around and walked away without looking back.

"Hey!" he shouted after her.

"Shh!" she replied angrily.

She left Lucas standing where he was, silent and confused at the sudden turn of events. He stood up as well and gazed down the aisle to the left. It was a long walk to what seemed to be a golden door in the distance. It really wasn't his day. His steps echoed among the bookshelves. He quickly made his way across the aisle. Approaching the door, he placed both hands in the center and pushed. The door, which was surprisingly heavy, groaned and gave way to an opulent throne room. There sat a woman, ordained in gold, much like the rest of the room. Her dress flowed and reached the ground. She wore an amused expression on her face, as if she were excited for the events to follow. Her hair was jet black, and it ran to about her torso. She touted a brilliant steel sword which glimmered from the lanterns. Lucas stepped in and waved awkwardly.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Uh. Hey."

"I am Emily Alesti Rizena the Fourth. I am the Prince of Fingers. Welcome to my domain."

"Um... Hello Emily Alseti Ri...se? What was your name again-"

"Have you come to challenge the labyrinth?"

"Labyrinth?"

"For what other purpose would you have coming here then?"

Lucas scratched his head. This fantasy shit was way beyond him. Maybe it was a prank. He shrugged.

"I guess I'm here to challenge the labyrinth, then."

Her grin grew wider. Lucas winced.

"Excellent. Prepare yourself," she gestured towards the left. There, a fence gate made of iron bars, followed by what seemed to be an endless hallway stood. The woman motioned with her hand, and the gate creaked and rose. Elegantly she swung the sword about, and brought it to bear in front of Lucas' face. He instinctively dodged back. She motioned for him to come closer. Reluctantly, he obliged and inched forward. She tapped the sword on his shoulder.

"Go, my knight. Slay the Spirit of Fingers."

She turned the sword around and presented the hilt to Lucas. He hesitantly grabbed it by the handle and lifted it up, surprised by the weight. He looked at her again. She smiled sweetly and motioned for him to continue. Wielding the sword with both hands, he carefully approached the entrance.

"There's no way this is happening right now."

He stepped past the threshold. The gate rumbled and then slammed shut behind him. Shocked, he dropped the sword and banged on the gate.

"Wait! Let me out!"

"Good luck, my champion," came her sarcastic reply.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath.

Retrieving the sword again, he inched towards the darkened hallway. He could've sworn the shadows were moving. His eyes slowly adjusted and he took in his surroundings. The walls were made of stone bricks. There were no light sources as far as he could tell besides the ambient light bleeding through the gated iron bars from where he came from. The floor was smooth and stained with various fluids. He made a mental note to not to step in any of the puddles of mysterious liquids. He came to a stop in front of another gated door with a lever to the left. Lucas placed the sword on the ground for a minute and inspected the lever.

"This opens the gate, I suppose."

Gripping the lever's handle with both hands, he heaved and pulled it downwards from its neutral position. Nothing happened. Lucas sighed.

"What..."

Several seconds later, with a groan, the gate lifted an inch off the ground and halted.

"Oh, come on," Lucas complained.

The floor opened up and swallowed Lucas whole. He plummeted for a minute before hitting the bottom with a sickening crunch. His cries were probably heard throughout the library. The sword landed next to him with a clank.

"Oh fuck, oh shit-"

He gasped for air and looked down. The whites of his bones were showing.

"No... no no no," he begged.

Shaking his head, he began to go into shock. Saliva dripped down the corners of his mouth. His consciousness faded quickly, but not before he noticed the behemoth approaching him, fangs bared. It roared. He screamed.

---

The group of men cheered him on. “Drink! Drink Drink!” The middle aged man's eyes dilated and he screamed.

"SHIT!"

The bar grew quiet. Lucas spun around, taking in the environment. He lost his balance and reached for the table for support.

"You alright Lucas?" his coworker asked.

Breathing heavily, he regained his senses and straightened himself. He reached down and patted his legs. His coworkers eyed him cautiously.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. I think I had too much to drink."

With a murmur the crowd returned to their original festivities. Lucas stumbled out of the bar through the side exit and approached the wall in front of him. He ran his hand across it.

"It was here. The door was here," he mumbled to himself.

Of course, there was nothing there.

"I'm going fucking insane, I swear."

With a sigh he placed himself firmly on the opposite wall and drew out a cigarette. He flicked open his lighter and breathed in deeply.

"Maybe..." he pondered.

With his cigarette between his fingers, Lucas waved it in front of the wall. Nothing happened. He paced back and forth before pausing.

"There's no way the door is puke activated, that's stupid," he voiced his opinion with a chuckle.

He extended his finger and prepared to jam it down his throat. The alleyway grew dark as the sun fell behind the city skyline. He blinked. The door was there.

---

He reached for the door handle, hands shaking. He remembered the fall, the monster, and the unbearable pain he endured. The heavy wooden door creaked as he turned the handle.

"Come on, Lucas, it's all in your head..."

His eyes widened as the door opened a crack. The staircase was there. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Goosebumps formed on his arms. He tried to rationalize everything that had happened in his head.

"No, everything that happened was a dream. I'm drunk. There's no way I died down there..."

His hands continued to shake as he pushed the door open completely. He knew he wasn't courageous, he was afraid of the cockroaches in his apartment for God's sake. However, the memory of Kathryn and the woman clad in gold had entranced him. His curiosity overpowered his fear, and he took a step in. His silver stainless steel lighter flicked on with a spark. The crimson flame flickered and burnt brightly, filling the staircase with the smell of lighter fluid. Lucas wiped his brow. He focused on putting one foot in front of the other on the stone staircase.

"Okay..."

It took him significantly longer to traverse down the staircase this time. His body told him to turn around at every step, but his mind was made up, and he soldiered forwards. After twenty or so minutes, he finally reached the bottom. There before him stood the lumbering red doors. It was foolish to assume that everything he experienced was a dream now. Everything from the chipping paint to the intricate engravings was as he remembered it. He had to know the truth. The musty smell of The Great Library hit him like a ton of bricks as the doors opened. The librarian looked up from her desk and gave a slight smile.

"Welcome back."

Kathryn gave him a devilish grin. Her eyes pierced Lucas' skin, which sent shivers down his spine.

"H-how? What happened?" he stuttered. She closed her book and sighed.

"You died."

"I...I know... That... thing in labyrinth hit me, and then everything faded to black."

"Ah, you mean Stumpy? You mean to tell me you didn't even get past the first puzzle?"

Kathryn's smug face irritated Lucas. He clenched his fists in rage.

"Stop fucking around and tell me what's going on here!"

"Lower your voice or I'll have to ask you to leave."

Kathryn placed her book down and scowled. The mood quickly turned sour. Lucas grit his teeth.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry. Can you explain what happened?"

"I told you already, didn't I? You died. The game was reset."

"What game?"

"The Labyrinth kicked you out when you died. Game over."

"This whole thing is a game?"

"Well... No, but it's easier if you think of it like that. In any case, you have to be really brave or really stupid to come back here after what you experienced."

Lucas sighed and rubbed his forehead. He wasn't getting anywhere with this. The faint sound of a piano echoed throughout the hallways. Kathryn and Lucas stopped to look in the general direction from which it was originating from. It grew louder and louder, and soon it was accompanied by the rhythmic clicking of footsteps.

"Ah, here she is now," Kathryn shrugged.

A fair maiden appeared from behind the bookcases. She donned a baggy t-shirt, what looked like pajama bottoms, and a black mp3 player in her hands. Her face was familiar, but her long black hair was the definitive feature that gave away her identity.

"Are you talking to yourself again, Kathy?"

"We've got a visitor."

Emily Alesti Rizena the Fourth's eyes met with Lucas'. Her face immediately turned red and she quickly ducked behind the bookshelves. The piano music stopped as she fumbled with her music player.

"What are you doing back here! Did you not learn your lesson, you fool?"

Kathryn scoffed, "Yeah, he's the first to come back in years. Looks like he's got a screw loose."

"Go back to where you came from!"

"Hey, no shouting in the library."

A ball of black hair peeked out and muttered in a lower voice, "If you do not wish to challenge the Labyrinth again, then please leave."

Lucas walked over to the bookcase and stood in front of her. He glared at the princess's flustered face.

"I just want answers, and then I'll leave."

She frowned.

"You do not want to become entangled with the matters of The Great Library. Do not be tempted by the Forbidden Fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, you will regret it!"

He crossed his arms.

"Well I don't care. I want to know."

"I will ask you one more time, turn around and forget about this place."

"No."

"Do you not have a life outside you care about? Family? Friends?"

"...I want to know."

Emily Alesti Rizena the Fourth emerged from the behind the bookcase with a serious face. Her brows were furrowed in anger. Lucas, upon seeing her visage, began to regret his words.

"Then the Sin will be yours to bear as well."

She reached into her pajama pants pocket and retrieved a small leather sheath. In one quick motion, she unlatched the leather retaining strap, and revealed a golden dagger.

"On your knees, servant."

"Wait- I..."

Kathyrn kicked Lucas' knees from behind, causing him to fall to the ground. She grabbed his arms and propped him up.

"...Should've left," Kathryn whispered into his left ear. She ran her slender hands down his arm before violently grabbing his right hand. Lucas struggled and tried to break loose, but Kathryn responded with a sharp blow to his head. His vision grew blurry from the blunt force trauma and the alcohol he consumed earlier. The world began to spin. Kathryn held up Lucas' right hand, and presented his palm to the princess. She drove the dagger into the palm of his hand. The razor sharp edge sliced through his skin, easily bypassing his calloused palm and cut into several blood vessels. Blood slowly pooled in his hand. He cried out in pain. Tears formed at the edge of his eyes. Emily Alesti Rizena the Fourth twirled the dagger around and plunged it into her right hand. It cut a deep wound symmetrical to Lucas'. She placed her bloodied hand on top of his and pressed firmly. Their fingers intertwined. The red fluid mixed and oozed viscously out from around their palms. It dripped and stained the stone tiles beneath them and seeped through the cracks.

"You are now bound to this cursed place. Even if you escape to the edges of the Earth, your heart and your mind and your soul will belong here. You will always return to me until your duty is done."

She released his hand and stood back up on her feet. Her expression changed to one of sorrow.

"I wish you would have left instead."

---

"Gonna put you under the really stupid category."

"Shut up."

Kathryn took Lucas to the bathroom located near the entrance. The white tiling and sanitary appearance made it look as if it were some generic office bathroom. It heavily contrasted the ancient designs and machines on the other side of the door. Lucas winced in pain as Kathryn guided him to the sink.

"Hold your hand over the sink please. This will sting."

She retrieved a small first aid kit from one of the cabinets. Lucas let out a yelp as she wiped the open wound with disinfectant. He glared at her, still angry at the violence she subjected him to. She ignored his countenance and quickly unwrapped a large bandage. With a few wraps and a little medical tape, Kathryn took a step back to admire her handiwork.

"There."

Lucas looked down at his bandaged hand, then at the bloodied sink, then back at Kathryn.

"You still haven't explained anything to me."

"I told you already, didn't I? We have all the time in the world."

"I only have more questions now. Why did she stab me? What did she mean by not being able to leave?"

"Well, it's just as she said. You're bound to this place now. Just like me. Just like her."

"So I can't leave anymore?"

"You can, but you will always return."

"What does that mean!?"

"You will find out."

Lucas sighed and paced around the bathroom.

"Okay, so we just have to 'beat' the Labyrinth and we are done?"

"Yeah."

"It's not as simple as it seems right?"

"Nope."

"It's full of monsters and traps. Like the ones I saw?"

"Yep."

"How long have you two been trying to beat this Labyrinth for?"

"I can't speak for her highness, but I've been here for at least fifty years now."

The color drained from Lucas' face.

"F-fifty years, you're kidding right? You look twenty."

She nodded and looked down at her shoes. Lucas couldn't tell what she was thinking, but she wore a strange expression on her face. She noticed his stare and gave him a slight smile. She brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"I'm glad you're here to help us. I'd rather not be stuck here for another fifty."

The first aid kit let out a thunk as she tossed it back into the cabinet.

"Come on, you've got a lot to learn."

---