Prologue: The Story Outside the Narrative
The Land of Flowers, Alpenrose. Moonflower Forest in the northeast.
Rumor had it that an ancient library lay hidden somewhere within that forest.
A place where the stories of every living thing in the world were gathered.
“Have you lost your mind? Do you have a death wish?”
A young man stared down at me like I was a lunatic.
“Turn back! No one who enters that purple forest has ever come out alive!”
An old man trembled as he begged me not to go.
I couldn’t blame them.
A forest overgrown with ominous purple plants. A cursed place said to devour anyone who stepped inside.
None of that mattered.
There was something I had to find there. The only place I could possibly find it…
…information about her.
The forest entrance practically screamed do not enter.
The trees grew so thick that vines choked every gap, blocking out nearly all sunlight.
Only deep, saturated purple remained.
“Hmm…?”
That was when something changed at my feet.
Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.
With the sound of brushing leaves, flowers began to bloom.
One by one they opened, glowing softly.
White, somehow lonely moonflowers.
They arranged themselves into the shape of a path.
Almost as if they were saying, follow us.
A trap?
But from the beginning I had never planned on leaving this place alive.
If it was for her sake, I was willing to pay any price.
Step. Step.
I walked where the flowers guided me.
……
It was strange.
The forest itself seemed to be pulling me deeper.
Slither—crack! Creeeeak!
Vines and ancient trees shifted aside, opening a path.
Were they welcoming me?
Or were they simply waiting for prey to walk willingly into their maw?
Like a fly approaching a Venus flytrap, lured by sweet nectar only to become nutrients.
“Heh…”
A chill ran down my spine.
Was this really the right choice?
Had I made a terrible mistake?
Whether this was the gateway to the afterlife or not…
…I wouldn’t know unless I kept moving forward.
I pushed down the anxiety clouding my mind and continued deeper into the woods.
Flap. Flap.
“What’s that?”
A swarm of butterflies.
Suddenly a cloud of them appeared before me.
Tiny butterflies with pure white wings.
They were clearly leading me somewhere.
There was an old belief that butterflies guided the dead to the afterlife.
Psychopomps that escorted lost souls to the underworld.
The people who had entered this forest before me must have followed these same butterflies.
And the place they were led to was…
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart felt like it would explode.
Fear.
Sheer terror was tearing through my skull.
“Hah… hah…”
My breathing grew ragged.
My legs felt heavy.
If I went any farther, I might really die.
……
Her face rose in my mind.
The face that had smiled at me.
That awkward but warm smile.
And then…
that same face growing cold atop burning earth.
Just one more time…
Even once…
I wanted to see her again.
That was why I had come this far.
I couldn’t give up here. I wouldn’t!
The moment that thought crystallized—
Shaaaa—
“The light… changed?”
The butterflies’ aura had shifted.
No longer the chill of death, but the warm pulse of life.
As if answering my longing, they opened a new path in a different direction.
They were telling me to follow…
“There it is!”
Where the butterflies had led me, a small building stood in a hidden clearing deep within the forest.
“That’s… the ancient library!”
I had found it.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I threw open the library door.
In that instant—
Thud!
“Ah!”
I hit something.
What the…?
I turned and saw—
“……”
A librarian with round glasses and hollow, tired eyes was staring down at me.
“…How rude.”
Her voice dripped with irritation.
Ah.
I had forgotten to knock.
“Um… I’m sorry.”
I bowed deeply in apology.
“…Hmph.”
She planted a hand on her hip and looked away.
I was doomed.
I still needed to find what I came for…
“I know I was rude just now and that you’re upset, but—” “I know.” “…Pardon?” “You’re looking for something, right? I’ve been watching you the whole time.”
So it had been a test.
Click, click.
She walked over to a blank wall and stopped.
Completely empty. Nothing there.
Yet when she ran her finger across it—
Sluuuuurp—fwip!
A single book slid out from beyond the wall.
What kind of magic was that? I had never seen anything like it.
“Not bad. You look surprised.”
…She really was reading my mind.
“You catch on quick.”
……
“This magic no longer exists in the world.”
No longer exists…? Something from the age of myths?
“Well, it’s none of your business.”
She approached me.
“This is what you’re looking for, isn’t it?”
Nibelungenlied
The Lament of the Nibelungs
“The story of that woman. Here.” “Whoa…”
She thrust the book right in front of my face.
I nearly jumped.
This was her story.
I accepted the book and was about to open the cover when—
Slap!
The librarian smacked my hand away.
“Someone’s impatient.”
She twirled a finger through her messy hair and continued.
“It’s a pain, but I have to do my job. There are precautions you need to know.”
It clearly wasn’t an ordinary book.
Some kind of magic tool?
“Close enough.”
Thump.
She perched on the edge of a desk and went on.
“If you open that book, you’ll be sucked into the narrative itself.”
She pointed at me.
“There, you’ll witness the story of the person you’re looking for.”
Then she touched a finger to her lips and tilted her head slightly.
“Whether that woman survives or dies… you’ll find out at the end of the tale.”
I would become her?
But… the person I knew was already…
She was already dead.
I had come here to find a way to save her.
If the story was already fixed, then changing anything would be—
“Ah, that’s not quite right.”
The librarian cut off my thoughts.
“Yes?” “That book is linked to the spacetime of this world.”
The lenses of her glasses glinted.
“If you rewrite something within the story… it will happen in reality.”
For the first time, a spark of life entered the librarian’s eyes.
Her lips curved in a faint smile.
…Had she wanted to explain this?
Whatever the case, her meaning was clear.
There was a chance to save her.
If I followed her footsteps and altered events so she could live, then surely…
“However.”
The librarian interrupted my racing thoughts.
“You won’t be able to move freely.” “What??” “Did you really think changing fate would be easy? Who knows what chaos you might cause by acting however you please.”
Then…
“Then what’s the point of any of this…?” “Hm?” “Even if I enter the book, it sounds like I won’t be able to do anything at all!”
Bang!
I slammed my fist on the desk, unable to contain my frustration.
“Even if I try to save her… I won’t be able to act as I wish!!”
I shouted at her as if demanding answers.
Was she toying with me?
After everything I had gone through to reach this place…
The librarian pressed her temple and rubbed it in clear annoyance.
“Too loud… speak more quietly. And stop cutting me off.”
Sigh…
She let out a long breath and continued.
“If you truly desire it with all your heart, it may still come true.” “…What do you mean?” “You want to save her, don’t you? That girl. If your wish is sincere enough, it might be granted.”
She lifted her head and paused, as if recalling something.
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to do something after all. Perhaps someone who hears your earnest plea will lend you a hand.”
Did she mean there was another ally waiting inside the book?
…That was enough.
That was more than enough.
If there was even the slightest chance to set things right, it was worth trying.
I would save her no matter what…!!
Gulp.
I swallowed dryly.
The time had come to decide.
“…I’ve made my decision.” “Took you long enough.”
Ignoring her remark, I opened the book’s cover.
In that instant—
Shwaaaaa—
“Ugh!”
Countless shadows poured from the pages and swallowed me.
“Oh. You finally opened it.”
She turned to me with an intrigued expression.
“Well then, do your best, dear visitor.”
The last thing I saw was the librarian’s mischievous smile.
Then my consciousness began to fade.
Darkness spread like spilled ink.
I could no longer see anything.
I could no longer hear anything.
The only thing that remained, faint in my mind, was—
the smiling blonde girl.
And the small pebble I had never been able to give her.
…I’m heading… that way. Please… live… [Name]…
After the visitor disappeared, the ancient library fell silent once more.
“Hmm…”
The librarian examined the book left on the desk.
Flip. Flip.
“Let’s see, where did they go…? The starting point?”
She studied the page depicting a village at the foot of a snowy mountain.
“Hm? That’s not it. Where did they end up?”
Flip. Flip. Flip.
After turning many pages she stopped at one particular spot.
On that page was an illustration of a single sword.
Legendary Magic Sword
Reacts to the user’s anger and thirst for vengeance
Attributes: Wind, Dark/Void
“Gram… I see.”
She closed her eyes, tilting her head in thought.
“If it’s that person… well, things should work out somehow.”
Glug. Clink.
A teacup and teapot floated into the air and gently poured a cup for her.
“It really is amusing… that they didn’t take that tiny pebble with them.”
Glup.
She took a sip and continued.
“Who could have guessed that land would turn out the way it did?”
Sigh…
“I suppose I’ll just have to watch… and see how it all changes.”