The school of Wimbledon High was an ordinary school, raising upcoming pre-adults to become upstanding citizens of a functional society. For some, that would be college. For others, a job. However, for a particular group, it was of another matter entirely. One of which studied in the library, preparing for their finals before moving on college.  

Especially for Elias, a unique, but ordinary student among the seniors. Like others, his results last year didn't fulfill the minimum criteria. Thus, to ensure his success, he secluded himself in the school library's corner, drowning in books and silence by the table.

“Alright, Physics… why is Physics so needlessly difficult?” Elias complained, reading the page on the application of force and gravity on a kicked soccer ball, as well as how the angle factors into it. Fortunately, the required answer excluded wind resistance from the calculations in the instructions.

At first glance, Elias held no differences from his many peers, all except one. Unlike most, he was cursed with heart cancer since birth, impeding his life far more arduously than most could handle. His history one of constant check-ups and medication, barring Elias from any strenuous activities or else death will follow and catch up with his fragile heart. Despite his ailment, however, he resolved to live his life to the fullest, braving any hardship no matter how arduous to live a fulfilling life without regret.

“Ugh, I hate Physics. Why can't Physics make sense for once?” He continued murmuring to himself while flipping through his book, skimming page after page to alleviate his mind of the stress. However, regardless of how many times he repeated his studies, he could not acclimate the encumbering strain. Not only that, for the past hour or two Elias has been feeling a slight burning in his chest. He was somewhat prone to this, so he often carries heartburn medicine around, and though it helped a bit, this time it seems to have been rather persistent in making him suffer.

Tired of the tedious practice and the constant discomfort from his chest, Elias sighed and dropped his head on the books, groaning his frustrations into the papers.

“Someone kill me now…” The boy begged for a reprieve, any opportunity to escape his studies. The mind-gnawing silence, the tedious strain of overflowing knowledge digging into the back of his skull, knowing his suffering was beyond just insufferable.

Suddenly, Elias heard a voice speak up from behind him.

“Hahaha! Don’t say that, Ellie. Don't you always say you'll 'live life to the fullest?' How can you give up over a couple of silly books?”

A girl had shown up behind him, her face entering the side of his view. She had black hair with blue eyes and fair skin color. She was about five foot six in height with long eyelashes, a dainty nose, and a charming smile that warm the hearts of all. 

Turning around and looking at this girl leaned forward with hands held behind, only to be reminded of her beauty and the fact she was his sister.

“But they're feeding on my soul to bits…” He felt as if termites infested the bark of his spirit, eating him inside out. 

“Hee Hee. Stop overreacting. Nothing's wrong with your soul, so you’ll be fine. So suck it up.” She reprimanded her younger brother with a dazzling smile, not in the least fazed by his complaining suffering. 

“Ugh, just help me with this.”

Elias brushed off her ‘encouragement’ and demanded her assistance. 

“Hmmm, alright, let me take a look see.” She leaned over her brother's shoulder to peek at his textbook. Once she saw which topic hounded him, she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Aww, you’re stuck on Kinematics? And you want my help? Well, you should know the usual. What're the magic words?” She told Elias with a teasing grin on her face.

“Please help me O great and benevolent big sister, Selena. Help this weak pleb survive the torture known as physics,” Elias begged with absolutely no hesitation, almost as if he shamelessly sold his dignity before. 

“Well, since you asked so nicely I guess I can help. Let’s see. Okay, for this equation you’re trying to find out how long the ball was in the air. You have both the initial and final velocity as well as the distance so you’ll need this formula here…” 

Time slowly passed as Selena gently taught her younger brother the concept of Kinematics, building a warm familial scene in the library born from sibling kinship, comically submerging the younger brother's internal suffering. 

After wrestling his way through the final equation, Elias shot both his arms up in a big stretch, almost as if cheering in his victory while thinking ‘Yes! FREEEDDDOOOOMMM!’ 

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Expiring a big sigh and his arms dropped down, Elias turned to his sister seated beside him. 

“That should be enough for today. I’m starting to get a bit hungry, and it should be getting close to dinner by the time we get home.”

Selena pulled out her phone and checked the time. To her surprise, it showed 5:12 pm. 

“Huh, I guess you’re right, and I am feeling a little peckish myself. I guess it’s time to go.” Selena started to clean up her books and papers strewed across the table in agreement. 

While internally celebrating, Elias cleaned his disordered belongings as well. Once packed up and ready for departure, they stood up to leave, but upon standing on his feet, Elias’ vision blurred and scattered. Pain echoed his heart, his pulse rapidly escalating, Elias urgently clutched his chest, almost doubling over the table as he supported himself with his other hand, as his heartbeat slowly drowned out the sounds of the library, benumbing even the voice of his sister, until his heart suddenly arrived at an absolute pause. 

All strength escaping his body, and his sense of balance disappearing, Elias barely took one step back before his body gave in to gravity, falling back with both arms spread apart with a suspenseful thud. 

“Elias?” Selena crouched down, concern swelling up his heart. 

“Sel… en… en… a…”

Running on fumes, Elias tried to speak, but could barely finish her name before his voice gave out as all sounds slowly faded out, muffled further and further as if he was sinking in a bottomless abyss.

“Elias? Elias!? Come on, speak to me!” Selena was starting to panic now. She had tried calling Elias’ name but still elicited nary a response. As her panic rose, panic engulfed her mind, unable to decide her next course of action, her incautious calls inciting a vociferous tumult in the once quiet library, catching the bystanders' attention. 

Attracted by the loud noises, one by one, a crowd slowly rallied around the siblings, confusion and worry etching their faces. 

“Hey, what’s wrong with him? What’s going on?” A young man stepped forward and asked; one possessing fair skin, shoulder-length, dark-brown hair and grey-blue eyes, and a cleanly shaven face. 

“I-I don’t know. He just suddenly collapsed.”

Her tumultuous mind slowly tranquilized after answering, Selena tried reaching her conclusion on Elias' condition, the worst of which being his heart cancer acting up. If his heart finally gave out in a heart attack, Elias' fate was sealed, his only chance of salvation being a miracle from God himself.

The same young man rested a finger on his neck, scrying for Elias’ pulse, then rested his ear on his chest in listening for his beating heart. Upon finding none, he placed his hands on Elias’ chest and performed toot sweet CPR while shouting.

“Someone call for an ambulance! He has a heart attack!” 

Startled out of their stupor, one person yelled out “Right! On it!” and immediately pulled out his phone and dialed, but before the call could get through, an incredible event took place, severing all ties from the world outside the library. 

Below the feet, an incandescent, circular radiance appeared under each of every inhabitant of the library, each illuming contour so brilliantly bright to the point of blinding the occupants to the arcane symbols etched in the center. 

Each arcane sigil bore complex geometric patterns, bestowing an enigmatic ambiance to the air, but not without a difference, each set of sigils uniquely distinct, almost as if tailor-made for each specific group in the room. Some were surrounded by the same types, while others were standing in an incoherent ocean of random patterns, not one the same as the other. 

Their sudden illuminating appearance confused everyone and uneased their hearts, startling them so much that they even dismissed Elias on the ground in dying before them, let alone the phone call that, for some mysterious reason, was cut off. 

Feeling uneasy at this bizarre turn of events, one person at the edge of the group tried to sneak away but ran into an alarming obstruction barring him inside behind the boundary of the circular sigil. 

“What!? I can’t get out! What is this?!” He cried, running his hand across the surface of the unseeable barrier, the wall smooth as glass yet repelling to the touch.

His panicking words incited others to move, only for them to find themselves trapped in the circular field as well, bound to their respective point. 

“Hey! Let me out!’ 

“What’s going on!?” 

“What’s happening to us!?” 

Panic ensued, the combination of a student on the verge of death, strange lights appearing from nowhere, and an invisible barrier entrapping them consuming their minds with fear.

And in the center of all this was Elias and Selena.

With his consciousness faded, his body losing warmth, his eyes now opaque, his vision a blur and all sounds almost completely suffocated, Elias watched his sister crying to him, unable to hear her voice as the darkness slowly consumes his vision.  

“Elias! Don’t go! Just stay with me, and you’ll be fine!” Selena clutched his hand while tears streamed her sorrowful features, scared that he will leave her. 

Looking at Selena, her face blurred in his dying eyes, Elias could only utter a final farewell. 

“I'm sorry…”

Departing his last message, Elias gave her a sad smile before he succumbed to the engulfing darkness. 

“No! Elias! Elia…” Selena tried to call out for him one last time, trying to tell him to hold on, but before she could the circles under their feet set off a blinding flash, forcing everyone's eyes shut, and by the time the light was gone, so were they.