The silence in the classroom felt heavy. The recruits sat frozen, the weight of Gabriel’s final words pressing down on them.
Carter’s heart pounded in his chest, a frantic beat against the sudden quiet.
He looked at the faces around him—pale, terrified, their minds clearly reeling from the impossible choice they’d just been given.
Leave and become a ticking time bomb, a puppet for a mad king. Stay and fight in a six-thousand-year-old war against an enemy that controlled the entire planet.
It wasn’t a choice. It was a death sentence, offered two different ways.
“If you wish to return to the normal world,” Gabriel said, his voice now a low, solemn command that echoed in the silent room, “step outside.”
For a long moment, no one moved.
Then, with a slow, scraping sound of a chair against the marble floor, a young man near the back got to his feet.
His face was ashen, his body trembling. He didn’t look at anyone, his gaze fixed on the floor as he made his way to the aisle.
A young woman, the one who had been sitting next to him, followed a second later, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. They were the two Carter remembered seeing in the lounge the night before, sitting by themselves, their faces etched with a deep, inconsolable sadness.
They walked towards the door, their footsteps the only sound in the cavernous room.
Gabriel watched them go, his expression a mask of profound, ancient sorrow.
“I am sorry we could not convince you to stay,” he said, his voice a soft, regretful murmur. “Just know that we are fighting to end all of this.”
He turned to Seraphina.
“Please wait in the hallway for us. Seraphina will assist you when we are done here.”
The doors closed behind them, and the number of recruits shrank to seven.
Carter, Yulian, Paige, Nico, Keyona, Amy, and Akira. They had all stayed.
Gabriel turned his attention back to those who remained, his golden eyes sweeping across their faces.
“Now, for those of you who have stayed, you must be wondering how we actually plan to fight this war.” His voice was firm now, the sorrow replaced by a steely resolve.
“The Library’s headquarters is split into three branches. The Combat branch, which General Wulan runs, focuses on field missions and actively fighting against the Order. The Infirmary, which Lady Seraphina is in charge of, tends to our wounded and researches the effects of magic on the body. And our core branch of scholars and researchers in the Great Archive, which Sir Agamor runs, preserves the knowledge of the old world and seeks new ways to use it.”
“If you have the capacity for it, we will teach you to harness magic and become a member of the Library.” He looked directly at Carter, then at Akira.
“Some of you already have experience using magic. But for those who haven’t, you will first need to open your Gate.”
A gate? Carter thought, a fresh wave of confusion washing over him. Like a garden fence? Or one for your dogs?
As if reading his mind, Gabriel continued.
“The Gate is a subconscious doorway deep inside your mind. It is a barrier that separates your soul from the raw power of magic.”
“To use magic, you must first open that Gate.”
“Then, you will be able to do things like this.”
He raised his open palm, and for the second time, the recruits saw a display of impossible power.
Particles of golden light gathered in the air above his hand, swirling and coming together into the shape of a magnificent, long-bladed sword.
It hung in the air, humming with a power that made the hair on Carter’s arms stand on end.
The reaction from the new recruits was instant.
“WOAH!” Nico yelled, his earlier fear completely gone, replaced by a wide-eyed, childish awe.
“T-that’s… impossible!”
“Magic… it really is real,” Amy whispered, her usual mask of cool detachment completely gone, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and wonder.
Keyona leaned forward, a slow, predatory grin spreading across her face.
“Okay, that’s sooo cool. I want to learn how to do that.”
Nico raised his hand, a look of sudden, serious concern on his face.
“Yes, go ahead,” Gabriel said, dismissing the sword with a wave of his hand.
“Excuse me, sir,” Nico said, his voice a mixture of awe and anxiety. “That was extremely cool and all, and I definitely want to know how the hell you did that.”
“But… what about our lives? Our families? I thank you guys for saving us from that nightmare, the Safeguard thing, but you can’t expect us to stay here forever and never see our families again.”
“I understand that there are all these languages we’ve never heard of, and that everyone is under this spell… but what you’re asking us to leave behind is a lot.”
“Then leave, dumbass,” Akira sneered from his seat, his voice dripping with contempt. “He told you the reality of the situation.”
“He asked you before if you wanted to walk out, and you stayed. That was YOUR choice.”
He stood up, his red eyes blazing with a righteous fury.
“And honestly, I think you’re ungrateful. You were one of the lucky ones who managed to get saved by the Library before the people under the Unity spell could kill you.”
“This has been going on for twenty-six years. How many people do you think have broken free and been killed by their own families?”
“Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? No, MILLIONS!”
“And you’re over here whining about missing your mommy?”
“I-I-I didn’t mean to…” Nico stammered, shrinking back from the sheer venom in Akira’s voice.
“That is enough, Akira,” Gabriel said, his voice a low, commanding rumble that instantly silenced the room. “Give them time.”
He turned his gaze back to Nico, his expression softening.
“As young Akira has so… passionately stated, we are not holding you against your will. You can leave this room now and join the others in the hallway.”
“We will wipe your memory, and you can go back to your normal life. But let me make something clear.”
“The Unity spell is an extremely powerful form of mind control. It is rare to break free from it, but once the mind does, it does not like to go back.”
“If you return to your normal life, you will most likely break free from the spell again. And the next time you do, there is no guarantee our agents will be there to protect you.”
“They could be off helping others, or on missions. Our resources are already split thin.”
Nico stayed silent, the grim reality of Gabriel’s words sinking in.
“If you choose to stay,” Gabriel continued, “we will teach you to harness magic. We will train you in the basics.”
“Then, we will give you an aptitude test.”
Depending on how you perform, you will be placed in one of our three branches. You could become a scholar in the Great Archive, a researcher, a healer, or a combat specialist.
Once you have passed and been given a position, you will officially be a member of the Library of Solomon. You will be able to come and go as you please and see your family as you like.”
He turned his gaze to Carter.
“Carter, what about you? Do you wish to stay or leave?”
Carter stayed quiet for a moment, the faces of his parents—their eyes black and empty, their hands reaching for him with a murderous intent—flashing in his mind.
“I’m staying,” he said, his voice firm and clear. “I need to learn everything I can about this power and what I can do to save them.”
“Good,” Gabriel replied with a nod.
Amy raised her hand.
“You said we can visit home if we become an official member, but wouldn’t that just trigger the safe-thingy again?”
Yeah, that’s actually a good point, Carter thought.
“Oh, I was getting to that,” Gabriel said, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips. He turned his gaze to the massive, leonine figure standing beside him.
“The answer to that question, and many others, falls under the purview of our Head Scholar.”
Seraphina gave the recruits a final, reassuring smile before turning and leaving the room to tend to the others in the hallway, her departure as quiet and graceful as her arrival.
Paige leaned forward in her seat, her gaze locked on Agamor, her expression one of pure, unadulterated admiration, like a child at a toy store who had just found the one toy they’d always dreamed of.
Agamor stepped forward, his presence commanding the attention of the entire room.
“Thank you, Director,” he said, his voice a deep, resonant baritone that seemed to vibrate in Carter’s bones. “My name is Agamor.”
Yula, never one to hold back a thought, spoke up, his curiosity overriding his caution.
“Excuse me, sir… but why did the Director call you Sir Agamor? That name… it sounds like a knight from the old stories.”
Agamor turned his wise, golden eyes toward Yula, a hint of a smile touching his lips.
“A perceptive question. It is because in a past lifetime, I was a knight.”
“A real knight?” Yula blurted out, his eyes wide with excitement. “Like, a Crusader? That is so cool!”
Paige was practically vibrating with googly-eyed admiration.
“Yes, you could say that,” Agamor replied, the corner of his mouth twitching under his golden mane. “But that was a very long time ago.”
“Let us stay on topic.” He cleared his throat, his expression becoming more serious.
“Starting today, you will begin a formal introduction to and practical training in magic. Once you have become proficient enough, we will hold an aptitude test.”
“This is not a simple pass-or-fail examination. It is a comprehensive assessment to determine your grasp on the fundamentals, your natural inclinations, and where your unique skills would be best utilized within our organization.”
“Then, you will be formally inducted into the Library as an official member.”
One of the recruits, a young man with a nervous energy, raised his hand.
“What if we… don’t do well?”
“You cannot truly fail,” Agamor replied, his voice patient and steady. “This is not the world you left behind.”
“We do not discard those who struggle. If your results are poor, you can choose to continue your practice and retake the test at a later date.”
“There is no shame in needing more time to grasp the complexities of magic. Alternatively, you can take a position as a branch worker, assisting with the maintenance of our facilities here.”
“Every role is vital to our survival.”
He paused, letting the reassurance settle over them.
“When you become an official member of the Library, you will be equipped with a standard set of tools essential for any mage. The first is a grimoire.”
He let the word hang in the air, a term of power and mystery.
“A grimoire is not necessarily a book, as your old stories might suggest. It is anything upon which you inscribe spells to give them stable, repeatable forms.
“It can be a weapon, like General Wulan’s staff or a warrior’s katana.”
At the mention of his name, General Wulan stepped forward, a bored, almost disdainful expression on his face.
“Maybe they’d like a demonstration…”
He raised a single, fur-covered hand.
“SUMMON! Jingu Bang!”
He said, his voice a low, commanding growl.
A vortex of golden light swirled in his hand, and from it emerged a simple, iron-banded staff. He twirled it with a speed that defied its solid appearance, the weapon whistling through the air with a sound like a contained hurricane before he slammed the butt of it onto the marble floor.
“THUD“
The impact sent a deep, resonant sound through the room that vibrated in the recruits’ chests.
The display was brief, brutal, and undeniably powerful.
“You’re like… Wukong!” Nico blurted out, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and star-struck awe.
“My family… they used to read me stories about the Monkey King.”
“You look just like him!”
Wulan rested the staff on his shoulder, a slow, arrogant smirk spreading across his face. It was the first real expression any of them had seen from him besides irritation.
“That’s because I’m a direct descendant of the first of my kind,” he said, his voice a low, prideful growl.
“Sun Wukong was my ancestor.”
“This grimoire, Jingu Bang, has been passed down through my bloodline for two thousand years. It answers to no one but us.”
The group was shocked into silence, the weight of his lineage settling over them.
“I run the Combat Branch,” Wulan continued, his gaze sweeping over the recruits with a critical, appraising eye. “If you have what it takes, if you survive the training, you’ll answer to me.”
“We are the tip of the spear, the ones who go into the dark and face the Order head-on. It’s not a place for whiners or children.”
His eyes landed on Akira, a flicker of genuine interest in their depths. He noted the katana hanging at the prodigy’s hip.
“I look forward to seeing if the rumors are true, Kendo. My Branch Assistant, Gendric, has heard many good things about your sword skills.”
“We’ll see if you can back them up.”
Wulan dissolved his staff.
“SEAL! Jingu Bang!”
That’s what Killian did when he pulled out his gun. He said “summon” and it appeared from his ring, and then he made it disappear when he said “seal”… Carter thought.
Agamor waited for the stunned silence to settle before continuing.
“Thank you for that demonstration, General.”
“Now, as well as a weapon engraved with written spells, a grimoire can be a traditional book of incantations, filled with the knowledge you gather. Or, for those who prefer a more… intimate connection to their magic, it can be the very tattoos on your skin.”
“The second, and most important item,” Agamor continued, his voice growing more serious, is the Lotus Ring.”
“This ring has three critical functions, each one essential for your survival in the world outside these walls.”
He raised his own large, powerful hand, displaying a simple gold signet ring engraved with the now-familiar flower emblem.
That’s what Killian had as well… Carter thought.
“First, it is your key. It allows you to access our hidden sanctuaries all across the globe. Second, it is your armory. It allows you to store and summon your grimoire using the simple spells ‘Summon’ or ‘Seal,’ followed by your grimoire’s chosen name, as you just witnessed.”
“And third, and most importantly, it is your shield. It conceals the use of true languages from those under the Unity’s spell, translating your words into the sterile script they understand, and their words into the language of your affinity.“
“It is what will allow you to walk among them without triggering the Safeguard.”
So that’s how he was able to walk around! Carter thought.
That ring is seriously useful!
“Lastly,” he said, his gaze sweeping across their faces, a solemn weight in his voice, “Every mage must carry a handful of emergency runes.”
He reached into a fold of his robe and produced a small, rectangular piece of parchment, no larger than his thumb. A single, intricate sentence was written upon it in black ink.
“These are not your primary weapons. They are your last resort.”
“Small, single-use, direct-effect spells for a moment when you have no other options, when summoning your grimoire or speaking a full incantation is a luxury you cannot afford.”
He held the small piece of paper between his thumb and forefinger.
“They are simple, but effective. And they all contain an activation word to prevent accidental discharge.”
He looked directly at the recruits, his golden eyes intense.
“Ignis.”
The moment the word left his lips, the rune burst into a brilliant, clean flame, consuming the parchment in a flash of heat and light before vanishing into a wisp of smoke, leaving no ash behind.
“Understand that this institution is a meritocracy. Your worth is not determined by your past, but by your dedication to our cause.”
“Whether you become a combat specialist, a scholar, or a healer, your contributions are vital. Every role offers a path to becoming a leader in this war.”
Gabriel spoke again.
“We have given you a lot of information. For now, we will take a quick break while you think about things.”
“When we return, if you have changed your mind and wish to go back to the normal world, we will begin the process.”
Agamor added, “For the rest of the day, you will be working with my branch assistant, Damien. He will be the one helping you learn the fundamentals of magic and, for most of you, opening your Gate.”
Gabriel, Agamor, and Wulan turned and walked out of the room, their departure as impactful as their arrival.
The new recruits were left alone in the sudden, echoing silence.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Then, out of nowhere, Yulian stood up and slammed his hands on his desk and shot to his feet.
“THIS… IS… SO… COOL!!” he bellowed, his heavy Russian accent making the words a booming declaration of pure joy.
You could hear Agamor & Wulan’s amusement as they walked away from the room.
“This is like a dream come true! Magic is real, and they are going to show us how to use it!”
His excitement was a spark that ignited the room. Paige and Keyona joined in, their earlier fear forgotten.
“I know!”
“Did you see the lion man?” Paige said, her eyes sparkling. “He was adorable! Like a big, fluffy house cat!”
“Are you a furry or something?” Nico muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Carter to hear.
Keyona added, a confident smirk on her face, “I always had a feeling magic was real. I’ve had friends who claimed to be witches, but they could never actually do anything.”
“They are going to be so jealous.”
“No, they won’t,” Akira said, his voice a cold splash of reality. “Because if you become a member, you can’t just reveal magic to those under the Unity’s spell.”
“The Safeguard isn’t just triggered by language; it’s also triggered by large amounts of magical energy.”
“Aww, man!” Keyona groaned, slumping back in her chair. “They were going to be so jealous!”
Amy Soo-young, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, spoke up, her voice soft but her question sharp.
“But wait… how do you know so much? Aren’t you a new recruit, too?”
Akira leaned back in his chair, a look of bored superiority on his face.
“Technically, I am joining the Library officially as a new recruit. But my family have been members of this organization for generations.”
Ruby, who had been quietly watching them talk, chimed in.
“It’s true. Akira’s father is the regional director for Japan. He’s considered a magic prodigy.”
Carter looked at Akira with a new understanding.
No wonder he was so arrogant, he thought.
“So yes, I already know how to use magic,” Akira continued with a sigh. “But my father still makes me sit through these bullshit introductions.”
“Like, damn, I met Gabriel when I was a kid. Why do I have to be here?”
Keyona, Yulian, and Paige immediately started begging him to show them some magic.
He refused at first, but their persistent pleading eventually wore him down.
With an annoyed sigh, he raised his hand and spoke a sentence in a language they didn’t recognize—German.
A small, intricate toy robot, perfect in every detail, materialized on his desk and began to walk around.
The group was shocked and immediately begged him to do more, but Akira dismissed the robot with another word and refused to do anything else.
They then turned their attention to Carter.
“You can use magic too, right?” Yula asked, his eyes wide with excitement.
Akira’s expression visibly soured.
“I… uh… don’t really have control over it like he does,” Carter said.
“You just need to practice,” Ruby said with an encouraging smile.
They all started asking him to do the same thing, to create a toy robot.
Carter finally agreed, a sense of pressure building in his chest.
He closed his eyes and focused, the image of the toy robot clear in his mind.
Robot. Robot. Robot… ROBOT!
Particles of light began to gather on his desk, and the group let out a collective gasp of excitement.
The light began to form into a recognizable shape, but just as it was about to solidify, it sputtered and died, collapsing into a shower of harmless sparks.
“Aww, man,” the group said in unison.
“I told you I couldn’t control it,” Carter said, a flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck.
“That’s not it,” Akira said, his voice laced with an academic tone. “You used the wrong language.”
“The language you speak is English, which is used for creating simple, basic objects. You tried to make a complex machine with intricate, moving parts.”
“You would need a language like German for that.”
“And on top of that, you would actually have to understand the mechanics of the complex thing you’re trying to create. Something you’re probably too stupid to do.”
“Woah dude… That was kinda mean,” says Nico.
Ruby chimes in, “Akira, you need to chill.”
“Yeah, what’s your problem with me?” Carter says, his anger finally boiling over. “You’ve been a dick ever since I got here.”
Akira sighed…
“People have been training to be a part of this organization since they were children,” Akira said, his voice a low, intense growl. “They have given their lives to fight this war.”
“And for some reason, the universe decided to give an ability like thought-based casting to an idiot like you, an undeserving moron who doesn’t know the first thing about anything.”
The words bounced off of Carter, and he decided to push back.
“Oh, so that’s it,” Carter said, a smug, irritating grin spreading across his face.
“You’re jealous.”
Akira’s face contorted with rage, and he looked like he was about to blow a fuse.
Ruby quickly stepped between them, trying to de-escalate the situation, while Keyona and Yula started chanting, “Fight! Fight, Fight!”
Just as their argument reached a fever pitch, a man walked in with Agamor.
He was tall, well-dressed, and impeccably groomed, wearing an all-black suit, a black collared shirt, and a black tie.
He had black, slicked-back hair and gold-framed glasses.
He radiated an aura of pure, no-nonsense professionalism.
He was all business, no play.
The room instantly fell silent.
“This,” Agamor said, his voice a low rumble, “is my branch assistant, Damien Crowley. He will be your instructor.”
Amy looked at Damien, her jaw slightly open, a look of pure, adoration on her face.
Agamor looked around the room.
“Has anyone else changed their mind?”
Everyone stayed quiet.
“Good,” Agamor said, before turning and leaving Damien to conduct his class.
