I Am the Librarian of the Shinbi Library
I am the Librarian of the Shinbi Library. This library is special. You can tell at a glance from the way the books fly around on their own whims, manage themselves, and even pick fights with each other. But aside from that, the library itself had all sorts of peculiarities. For one thing, the exterior and the interior space were vastly different. There was definitely an end to it, but from where I stood, I couldn't see the library's boundary. Even though it looked like an ordinary library or maybe a bookstore café from the outside.
It seemed some mystical force was at work on the space itself.
'Maybe it just feels bigger now that my body's smaller.'
I hadn't become a girl my age—I'd gotten much smaller. A lot smaller, really. Around 150cm, I'd say. Standing on tiptoes confirmed it: 150cm. Anyway, 150cm it was. It wasn't just my height that had shrunk; my stride and weight had diminished too, so navigating this vast library was no small task.
I'd once resolved to reach the very end. I made it to the final bookshelf somehow, but coming back was so exhausting I had to sleep midway.
"Even the shelves require ladders or stepping on books to reach..."
Each shelf was enormously tall, making management impossible without a ladder. If I forgot one? I'd enlist nearby books to form makeshift stairs, slot the book in place. Of course, that meant delicately tending to the books I'd stepped on later, doubling my workload.
The mysteries weren't limited to the library. Those self-moving books were plenty enigmatic too. Most covered complex topics like the universe, Earth, the solar system, space, dimensions, time... you get the idea. The contents were... too difficult; I'd given up trying to understand. Some books, sensing my defeat, kindly rewrote passages like a children's program, but it was still overwhelming.
"I can read it, but... it's just too hard..."
Still, my relationship with the books was amicable enough. I didn't know much about their true nature, though.
So why was I managing books in this mystical library? It was thanks to a certain grandmother, the savior of my life. She'd rescued me and transformed me into a little girl, then appointed me librarian before vanishing.
Shinbi Library Librarian: ■■■
It might seem forced, but surprisingly, I was content with the job. I'd always loved books, especially since my dream was to write novels. This Shinbi Library was like my dream workplace.
"Even in this body, you can't abandon your dreams."
Flutter.
Flutter flutter!
In response to my resolve, a book scraping its cover against its first page nearby cheered me on.
"In that spirit, Swamp Zone, I've got a new draft—want to take a look...?"
Flutterflutter!
"..."
My hand froze mid-air, clutching the manuscript. I barely held back tears watching the fleeing book, thinking,
'You're off the management roster next time.'
Were my novels really that bad? Sighing, I erased the draft with my eraser. It'd be nice if someone came to talk to. This vast library was great, but I was the only person here. Patrons... hardly ever came.
With no windows in the library, gauging the outside time was impossible. But enough time had passed to call it 'evening' or 'night.' Around the hour when the library's sole librarian—a girl—dozed off mid-manuscript edit.
Creeeak...
The library entrance swung open.
Groooan...
Squelch. Squelch.
Something entered, phlegm rattling in its throat, leaving sticky footprints. A monster mimicking a human corpse prowled with half-melted eyes, hunting prey.
Passing the antique brown door led to the lobby, where one rule was posted: the library's strict regulations.
But lacking reason, it ignored them and pressed on.
Groooan...
Black foam and steam erupted in its wake. Dark red liquid dripped from shattered teeth as it neared the stacks where books and the girl slept.
Shrrrip!
Groooaaar!!
The monster's right arm vanished without trace. Realizing too late, it roared in rage—only for something thick to seal its maw. Paper tentacles.
Shrrrip shrrrip!
The paper tendrils pierced its body, shredding it to pieces.
Plop. Plop.
Dark red liquid sprayed, but halted mid-air in a transparent cube, as if blocked by invisible walls.
Even mangled, the monster clung to life. Before its murky eyes appeared a memo scrawled with text.
Holding the memo? A book, of course. Three books floated before the monster. The paper tendrils speared from one; the bloody cube morphed into another's illustration. The last shoved the memo down its throat.
Then, reason flickered in the monster's eyes.
Grk!
Grkkk!!
Terror seized it. Like a beast gaining sentience for the first time, it thrashed. One book had forcibly granted it intelligence.
The newly sapient monster mechanically absorbed its plight and the books' knowledge—then its brain burst from horror. Splattered remnants and blood were sucked into the cube's illustration.
Surrounding books swarmed the remains, devouring them.
Flutter.
Flutter flutter.
Sated, they nearly dozed off but remembered something, fetching mop and bucket. Careful not to wet their pages, they cleaned the trail.
Post-cleanup, they encircled the soundly sleeping girl, draping her chair-hung beige cardigan over her like a blanket. Each rustled a page over her head in a gentle stroke before returning to their spots.
...Just an ordinary day at the library.
"Yaaawn..."
The library was great, but one downside: no natural light. I knew sunlight harmed books, but still... being human, I occasionally missed bright rays. Just three minutes' exposure sustained me a month.
That monthly stroll ended quickly. Another oddity: the entrance was any door. Each exit revealed different scenery—which was usually the same: a gray city. It couldn't freely warp space; it used disguised entrances like bookstores or cafés.
"Really drives home how little modern people read..."
Given that, humans should frequent it, yet since becoming librarian, not one had entered. As a book lover, I enjoyed seeing others read—those who followed rules and etiquette, that is. Ideally, any patron would heed the lobby rules.
A few hours later.
The door burst open violently. Startled awake, I wiped drool and looked: three bloodied people in suits staggered in.