"What do you refer to yourself as, old man"
Satta said with a broken smile.
"Twilight...."
The old man said, looking at Satya's brown eyes losing their color.
........
The second Satya realized it was not his body, but his soul was damaged, a sense of despair, resided in him.
But this time he didn't cry.
For his tears had already dried, so he smiled a broken smile.
The reason wasn't the damage, but what that damage had taken from him.
It had cost him his memories.
He could no longer remember his friend's face.
He remembered her touch, her comforting presence, yet he couldn't remember her face.
It was broken from his being.
"Brace yourself, traveller. For this is only the start."
Twilight said offering a hand of comfort on Satya's shoulder.
"You must also lose your memories. "
Satya was startled by the accuracy of Twilight's words.
"How.... How do you know? "
Satya asked with his mouth agape.
"I too had lost them once."
Twilight said offering a sad smile.
"But now... I can't even remember what I lost. "
"Does this mean...."
"Yes, this does mean.....I too was once a traveller such as yourself"
Twilight said while watching the endless mist.
"Then.... How... "
"Enough knowledge is a virtue, but too much knowledge is a sin.... Always remember this traveller."
Satya opened his mouth, yet in the end, he was left speechless.
[Keep moving, traveller]
[The Shadow] subtly moved Satya's body.
[Or you may forever remain still in this world]
[What about this "Twilight" Shadow]
Satya stood up.
[Too much knowledge is a sin.]
The Shadow repeated Twilight's words.
Even though many questions were making me restless, I stood up without asking a single one.
"Traveller, though you may have a peculiar shadow"
Twilight said while looking at Satya's shadow.
"You are not ready enough to face [Them]."
Satya narrowed his eyes.
"So what if I am not strong enough to face them,"
Satya clenched his hands.
"Do I look like I have a choice?"
"Nobody has a choice in this place traveller"
Twilight said, taking a few steps forward.
"But you... I can make you strong enough to have a choice"
Twilight stood in front of Satya, looking him straight in the eyes.
"So perhaps maybe a human can finally escape this accursed place."
Twilight looked at his hands.
"Even if I didn't"
Satya was speechless.
Because in Twilight he saw a possibility of his future,
Yet at the same time a broken man.
"How..... How do you plan on making me stronger? "
Satya asked keeping his head down.
"Through.....
Through not knowledge, but understanding....
Through not innovation but experience..."
Twilight uttered broken sentences yet Satya understood them all too well.
"Though I may not be able to impart to your knowledge, I can give you my experience"
Twilight opened his clenched hands.
"... "
Satya looked at Twilight giving him a silent nod.
"So first, you have to get knowledge yourself."
Twilight looked in one direction as if looking at something only visible to him.
"To get that knowledge, you have to go to [The Library]."
"Where is this library you speak of?"
Satya tried looking where Twilight was looking, but all he saw was the endless white fog.
"Just follow me."
.......
They took cuts and turns inside the town, going into passages that Satya would never have found.
In one of such tunnels.
"Why are we taking such a big detour?"
Satya asked while feeling the wall's engraving with his hand.
"Danger lurks at every corner in the inner city, traveller."
"Fascinating architecture."
Satya's full focus was on the architecture.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"Yeah, fascinating use of magic."
Twilight looked at the ingravings on the wall.
"But as I said..... DANGER LURKS AT EVERY CORNER."
"Quiet down... Geez I am not deaf."
Satya looked back at Twilight with an irritated expression.
"Oh it's nothing"
Twilight approached the wall.
"But the walls are covered in hypnotic magic that assimilates anyone who touches them for too long."
Satya, startled, quickly pulls his hand back, almost falling due to the imbalance, but quickly straightens himself.
"...."
Satya, embarrassed, keeps his head down and follows Twilight all the way without talking.
........
Soon they reach the library.
Twilight stops at the Library's gate.
"From now on you have to go alone, I will wait for you here."
Twilight says, his leg stopped in midair.
"Beware of the librarian and follow all the library rules. The librarian may be blind, but he hears everything."
"Hmm, any more advice?"
"..."
Twilight remains silent.
"It was nice meeting you Twilight."
Satya says while standing beside Twilight.
"It was nice for me too, to finally meet a person with a heart after so long."
"Go ahead, traveller. I pray for your safe return."
Twilight says, stepping back.
"Farewell."
Satya says stepping inside the Libra boundary.
Something almost audible could be heard behind him.
As soon as Satya steps foot inside the library.
He sees an astonishing view.
The fog outside the Library is very thin, one could almost see the sky through it.
But the boundary wall is covered by a thick almost solid white fog.
The contrast is incredible.
Above the large Library gate, written in large words, are the words.
"The Tomb of Forbidden Knowledge".
......
Satya opens the large wooden gates and steps inside.
The inside of the library is almost infinitely vast.
Bookshelves cover every corner of the library.
A stark contrast of shadows and white fog highlights the book.
Satya sees a board to his side.
It's highlighted.
[Library Rules]
Keep silent.
Don't drop books.
Place the books back after reading them.
You can't take the books outside the gallery.
Satya walks forward reading the rules.
But unbeknownst to him a box container containing coins is placed in front of his leg.
The box is turned over by Satya's leg.
The clear ringing of coins spreads throughout the entire Library.
As the ringing of the coins quieted down.
An eerie voice starts ringing in his head.
"Shhhhhhhh".
{Meeting a stranger,
To become a friend.
It only takes a few seconds.
But farewell comes,
Just as fast as well.}