Chapter Two

Lucas looked down at the crude map Kathryn drew for him. He was to report to the princess' planning room, but the towering bookshelves all looked the same to him. Faded reds, greens, and blues in leather bindings are all that he could see in every direction. The deafening silence was occasionally interrupted by the roar of machinery as the library reorganized its shelves. A maze of staircases towering into the darkened ceiling came into view. After twenty or so minutes of wandering, he finally set his eyes on a glass enclosed room. The princess, now in a more respectable dress, sat patiently inside. He knocked on the door.

"Come in, you're late."

The door clicked open, and Lucas entered. There was a large opulent wooden table surrounded by modern office chairs. Gentle piano melodies echoed from the princess' music player. Lucas picked a chair opposite from her and sat down.

"I take it Kathy drew a map for you?"

"...Yeah."

"I figured."

"Um..."

An awkward silence fell over the two of them.

"Right, let us introduce ourselves properly now. I am Emily Alesti Rizena the Fourth. I am the Prince... Princess of Fingers. The title is historically for Princes only but... Yes... Oh! But you may call me Emma if it is easier."

"Um... Nice to meet you Emma. I'm, uh, Lucas Ericson. I'm an accountant... was an accountant..."

Lucas' eyes were drawn to her right hand, which were bandaged in the same manner as his. His wound still stung. Emma nodded respectfully.

"Yes, well, you may still work your day job if you so wish, but you now have a duty to me as well. Funds are important, and Kathryn is usually the one providing for us."

"You said something about not being able to leave though?"

"Well... yes, if you leave, you will be drawn back eventually... Ah! I've got it," Emma smiled, "I have your first task."

"Yes?"

"Could you go to the nearest- what is it called- convenience store..? Please purchase some non-perishable foods. We only have about a week’s worth left. Oh, and maybe something delectable for me as well."

"...Okay? That's my job? To make grocery runs?"

Lucas scratched the back of his head. He didn't realize he'd be signing up to do mundane tasks. Emma gave him an awkward smile.

"You will see soon enough. This will be your first task of many."

"What do I get in return?"

"You misunderstand, this is your duty. You will not be compensated, monetarily or otherwise."

Emma's face grew serious.

"Please do as I ask, you will understand it all in due time."

Lucas nodded and stood up.

"Okay, I'll go and buy you dinner then."

"Oh, and please do return before sunrise. The doors will lock when the sun comes up."

"Sure, it'll only be thirty minutes or so."

"Take care, Lucas. I will pray for your success."

He left the room and sighed. He tossed the map in the nearest recycling bin and instead opted to try to get back from memory. He figured if he got lost, it would be quicker than trying to follow the map Kathryn drew up for him anyways. Sure enough, he retraced his steps back to the front desk of the library in five minutes. Kathryn gave a little wave as he walked by. He waved back awkwardly.

"Have a safe trip."

Going up the stairs seemed to take twice as much effort as going down them. Lucas' legs felt like lead. He couldn't wrap his head around anything that happened tonight. He reached the top, shoved the door open, and stumbled out onto the alleyway. Out of breath, he leaned against the wall and took in lungfuls of air. It felt as if the world was suffocating him. He took out a cigarette and hastily lit it. After a long draw from the tobacco, he felt a little better. He looked down at his right hand, at the only indication of what happened in the last hour was real. The bandage was stained slightly. It hurt to move his fingers. It was the only indication that he wasn't in a dream. It all had to be some sort of trick, an elaborate prank. He'd play their game a little longer. He took another puff of his cigarette and put the flame out against the brick wall.

"Okay. Let's go."

The streets were fairly deserted. He looked down at his phone. 12:47AM. The only people left were drunkards and night-shift wage slaves. He kept his head on a swivel and tried to avoid any undesirable encounters. There was a gas station a few minutes away. He recalled driving past it when he went to the bar with his coworkers. However, with every step he took, his heart grew heavier. There was a strange longing in his chest. He felt as if there was something missing. The streetlights dimly lit the small town's roads. His breath fogged up in front of him. It was getting colder.

"The pact..." he mumbled. This was what Emma meant by not being able to leave. His lungs burnt. His heartbeat quickened. This was no joke. He quickened his stride in order to finish his task faster. Finally, he reached the gas station. The doors swung open as he stumbled inside. The speaker above the door chimed. The attendant glanced over at him and then went back to playing a game on his phone. Lucas surveyed the store. Now his arms felt heavy as well. There was some invisible force pulling against his soul. He needed to get back to the library. Briskly walking through the aisle, Lucas grabbed as many microwaveable foods as he could and gathered it in his arms.

"...She said something for her as well..." He scanned the store for something interesting. There was a display of candies. He grabbed a bag of sweets that he personally liked and made his way to the register.

"Good evening sir, how are you doing?"

"Yeah, um, I'm good. How about you?"

"I'm good, thanks."

He eyed the stack of food Lucas dumped onto the counter but decided not to ask about it.

"That'll be $89.97."

"Okay."

Lucas handed him a wad of bills, bagged his items, and rushed out the door.

"Hey! You want your change?"

"Keep it!"

He started sprinting out of the parking lot. His body told him he needed to go back to the library. Strangers on the streets glanced at the man sprinting full speed down the sidewalk. Lucas reached the alleyway and collapsed against the wall. Even though he was out of breath, he could feel his strength coming back. It was as if he had drank an entire gallon of coffee, a common occurrence during his nights at the office. He reached into his pocket for his cigarettes again, but he stopped and shook his head. His lungs were already burning, he didn't need the extra irritation. He gathered some of the packaged meals that fell on the ground and stuffed them back into his grocery bag.

---

The library doors creaked and groaned open. Lucas, shoulders hunched, staggered to the front desk. He dropped the plastic bags on the wooden table in front of Kathryn.

"Welcome back."

Lucas propped himself up against the desk, huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his words.

"I-I get it now."

"Well I won't say I told you so, but..." Kathryn gave him a playful wink. Lucas clutched his chest. The inflammatory feeling had died down, but he was now out of breath from sprinting down several blocks.

"How did you guys do that?"

"...Do what?"

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"The trick. How did you pull it off? Did the knife have poison on it?"

"Ah, that's the Spirit of Fingers."

"Don't bullshit me."

"Your soul is bound to the library."

"Come on..."

Kathryn shrugged, "Believe what you want." Lucas shook his head. He stood back up and grabbed the bags.

"Where's the kitchen?"

"Here, let me help you."

In a quick and elegant motion, Kathryn closed her book and grabbed two of the plastic bags. She motioned for Lucas to follow. He complied and followed her, but he kept his distance behind her. Her attire was more modern than the princess'. One could even say it was trendy. However, his attention was drawn to the imprint of a knife in her back pocket. Her voice broke the silence.

"So, what did you buy?"

"Oh, uh, just whatever was on the shelves. Some microwavable stuff."

"Great, more tv dinners. Although I'm not complaining, it's not like any of us can cook."

"...Really?"

"What? You're some sort of master chef?"

"No, but I can handle some simple stuff from my college days. You two have been eating microwave dinners for fifty years?"

"Well... no. If I'm feeling up for it, I sometimes order takeout from the nearby restaurants," Kathryn explained, flashing him a slightly sarcastic grin.

They reached what seemed to be an ornate kitchen area. Most of it was unused and dusty. Kathryn maneuvered her foot against the refrigerator door and pulled it open with amazing dexterity. She propped it open with her leg and began unloading some of the drinks and frozen foods inside. Lucas placed the bags down on one of the countertops and helped her unload the goods into the fridge. They worked quickly and quietly. After a few short minutes, the task was completed. Lucas' first mission was accomplished. He hardly felt proud of his deeds. His mind was cluttered with the dread of having to live like this from now on. His parents would wonder where he had disappeared off to. He'd undoubtedly lose his job, and by extension, his career which he put the last four years into. To him, it seemed as if life had ended the very moment Emma plunged her knife into his hand. He turned his head to the left, only to see Kathryn staring intently at him.

"You okay there?"

"Woah, um... Yeah."

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

She had a juice box in her hand. She took a small sip and continued to stare at Lucas.

"...How do you deal with it?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

She continued to sip on her juice box until it was empty. She nonchalantly threw it at the trash can and missed.

"Deal with what?"

"Not being able to go outside. Not being able to talk to your family or your friends. Being stuck down here for fifty years. Hasn't anyone come looking for you yet?"

She looked away.

"Nah. No one remembers me anymore."

"But they did at one point, why didn't they come help you?"

"That's easy," she gestured, "On a certain snowy winter day, Kathryn Yun's car skidded off a bridge in the middle of the night. It crashed and burst into flames. The wreck was so bad that they never recovered her body."

"You faked your own death!?"

She nodded.

"I moved all my stuff here beforehand. Having to explain my situation would have been a liability. On the plus side, my life insurance paid out to my parents. They lived very comfortably without me."

"How can you say that? They must have been heartbroken!"

"Would you prefer the alternative. I could've told them the truth. They would've worried about me every day, or worse, gotten involved. Would you let your parents be bound to the library?"

"...Fine. I get it. I just... don't know what to do now. I don't think I can do what you did. I've got my little brother to take care of as well, and my job..."

"Forget about it. It's cruel, but that's the best you can do. You can't live two lives."

"..."

"Bring the princess something to eat, master chef."

She waved as she left the kitchen. Her silhouette disappeared behind the mountain of books. She was as mysterious as she was dangerous, he thought.

---

The spoon clattered against the porcelain bowl. All around were the sounds of grinding gears and ancient mechanisms. A low rumble echoed constantly throughout the library. Lucas had devised a strategy to follow the walls, instead of wandering through the aisles of the bookshelves. It would take longer to get to where he wanted to, but it also meant he wouldn't get lost. His shoes clacked against the wooden stairs as he climbed them. It creaked ominously. Lucas made a mental note to not put too much pressure on the stairs. He reached the second floor and quickly scanned the area. There was a faint glow coming from the corner. A familiar tune echoed quietly against the stone walls. With how dimly lit the library was, it was fairly simple to locate the individuals inside it. Anywhere there was light, there was life.

He approached the princess. She was back in her t-shirt and pajama attire. Her eyes were half closed. There was a piece of printer paper with a rough shape sketched on it. She rested her head against the palm of her hand. Lucas placed the tray down in front of her. She jumped.

"Oh! You scared me..."

"Sorry, my bad."

She eyed the bowl of soup, and then turned back to Lucas.

"You made this?"

"Well, it's canned soup, but I added some seasoning. It makes it a little more bearable."

"I see... Very well."

She raised the spoon to her lips and took a small sip and tasted it for a minute. With a nod, she took another, larger sip.

"It is... tolerable. I will accept it. Thank you, your task has been completed."

"Great."

Emma raised an eyebrow at his lack of enthusiasm. He shifted his weight from one leg to another and looked around uncomfortably. His eyes met hers.

"I-is there anything else?"

She took another spoonful of the soup.

"Take a seat, I will tell you what you need to know."

The wooden chair scraped against the stone floor as Lucas made himself comfortable across from the princess. He watched as she finished the rest of the soup, now conscious of the fact that he was hungry as well. Emma patted a white napkin against her lips and then set it aside.

"As you have experienced, we are cursed by some sort of demonic force. Its legions of monsters reside in the labyrinth below. There are... anomalies. Things that should not exist. Spaces that cannot be. We cannot leave until we have destroyed the evil below."

"What's stopping you from doing so? Why not ask for help?"

"Make no mistake, I have spent many lifetime's worth of effort in attempting to fulfill my duty. Were it so easy, I would have done it already. No, not even ten legions have been able to conquer the spirit. Instead, men have been driven to insanity. They desert their duty and break their bonds. Now it is just us."

She gave him a slight smile that made his heartbeat quicken.

"I think you have made a mistake in your pursuit of the truth, but I am glad that you are here now. You have unknowingly taken on an unfathomable burden, and in doing so, have lightened my load. I am thankful for that."

"Well, I usually avoid getting drunk because I make bad decisions like that."

She scoffed and held her hands up to her mouth. Then, as if a dam had burst open, she let out a great laugh.

"You- you are truly an interesting individual," she spoke in between fits of laughter, "I have not felt this way in a hundred years. Yes, you are right. You sold your soul to me because you were intoxicated. Ahh, how disgraceful."

"Hey, it's not that funny. How am I supposed to deal with all of this?"

She calmed down and cleared her throat.

"Do not worry, I will treat you kindly. I am not a master that treats her servants as a commodity. This library has persisted in the face of evil for a thousand years, and we will persist until our duty is finished."

"...Okay, fine. So you just want me to do chores for you?"

"In the past I would have you carry a blade with me into the depths of the labyrinth, but now we are naught but three. You have a duty as a holy crusader as well, but to throw you into the labyrinth over and over again by yourself would be a waste. An army cannot fight on an empty stomach, so we feed ourselves well for the upcoming battle."

She stopped to gather her thoughts.

"Yes, nowadays, it is all busywork. Kathryn, as lazy and disobedient as she is, has maintained this library for the past fifty years by herself."

"...You don't get along with her?"

"She is the worst kind of servant. She goes off and does whatever she wants without regard to rank or royalty."

Lucas nodded, "I get that feeling from her."

"But all the same, I am grateful for her service. You see, I cannot leave the library."

"Why not?"

"You experienced the pull of the spirit when you stepped outside, correct?"

"Yeah... I still don't think I buy all this evil spirit and monsters talk. Kathryn told me it was the Spirit of Fingers, or something like that."

She nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes, it is indeed the Spirit. Just as you are bound to me, I am bound to the library. If I leave, the bond will be severed."

"And then what?"

"Historically, it has meant widespread death and destruction."

"Historically? You mean it's happened before in the past?"

"...Yes, we are not the only ones burdened with a curse. There are many other labyrinths around the world. Many have been conquered, but many have also failed."

The atmosphere grew cold. Emma stared at her hands. She picked up her pen and continued to sketch on the piece of paper in front of her.

"Those who failed unleashed their curse upon the Earth. Plague, war, disaster. The men who deserted their duty brought with them great tragedies. You merely have to open a history book to any page to see their sin."

She crumpled the drawing and threw it into the bin next to the table. Her eyes were drawn to the small plastic bag on the tray.

"...This is?"

"Oh, you said to get something for you. It's candy."

She inspected the packaging.

"Sour worms? You expect me to eat worms? My respect for you has fallen."

"No no no, it's just candy, not real worms. Haven't you ever seen gummy worms before?"

She eyed him with suspicion.

"A commoner making royalty eat worms, these are the end times."

Lucas opened the bag for her and grabbed a red one. He threw it in his mouth and chewed.

"See? It's not real worms. It's good."

"Fine. I will have one."

He handed the bag back to her, and she retrieved a green worm. She bit off a small piece and chewed on it. Her face twisted in disgust.

"How sour! You call this candy? This is fit for the pigs!"

Lucas shrugged, "Sorry, I thought they were good."

She hesitated, and then threw the rest of the gummy worm into her mouth. They chewed in silence.

"If you don't like it I can get you something else..."

"No, that is fine. Please leave it on the tray."

He complied and placed the bag of worms back down. She kept chewing and nodded.

"You must be tired. It is fortunate that today is Saturday. You do not have work, correct?"

Lucas nodded.

"It would be wise to gather your things and make amends with your friends and family. You cannot endure in the outside world for long. You will live here starting tomorrow."

"There's no other way?"

"There is no other way."

Lucas sighed, "Okay, fine."

"For now, you may use a guest bedroom. There are hundreds, pick whichever one you like."

She pointed to one of the corners of the library. There was a long hallway with doors as far as the eye could see.

"It is late, let us rest for now. I may summon you again tomorrow."

---

He stopped at the first door he saw in the hallway. There was a sign that said "Do not disturb". Below it was "Kathryn" written in plain english. He decided to pick the room across the hall from her. The door creaked open, and his hand searched the wall for a light switch. He felt a bump on the wall and flipped it up, illuminating the room in a warm white-orange. It was fairly unremarkable. There was a white bed with white pillows and a white blanket. The walls were a solid discolored orange. A tall cabinet stood in the corner next to a simple wooden desk and chair.

Exhausted both mentally and physically, he took off his shoes and fell onto the sheets. He smelled of cigarettes, alcohol and sweat. He stared at the ceiling for a minute before sleep overtook him.

---