"Young Master Theo! Please slow down!"
In a vast corridor of a grand castle, a young woman could be seen running at full pace, trying to catch a little boy.
"Clara, just leave alone!" the boy shouted as he ran. He appeared no older than eight.
Before the woman could catch him, Theo quickly turned right and disappeared behind a large door.
The woman was about to follow but halted abruptly, realizing the significance of the room. Panic-stricken, she fell onto her bottom.
"I'll be back in a few hours, Clara! You can go back!" Theo shouted as he dashed into one of the corridors of the massive library, where each book seed to be twice the normal size.
"I'm going to get scolded again," Clara muttered, defeated, as she left the entrance gate.
Catching Theo would have been easier if he hadn't entered the royal library, where only the royals were permitted.
Theo ran past the corridors until he stopped at a desk.
He was wearing a light green shirt with subtle leaf patterns, buttoned neatly at the collar. Dark green shorts with pockets and gold buttons matched his polished brown leather shoes with brass buckles. A silk cravat in deep forest green was tied loosely around his neck.
"The usual, young master Theo?" an old man asked, puffing his pipe casually.
"Yes, Old Man Bernard."
"Alright," the old man said as he slowly rose from his chair and made his way toward an aisle of the vast library.
The old man was wearing a long, forest-green robe tied with a braided cord. Subtle runic embroidery was all around it. Underneath, he wore a simple tunic and trousers in muted tones. His rolled-up sleeves revealed aged hands, and he carried a leather satchel with parchnt. He smoked an intricately carved pipe.
"Young Master Theo, why do you tornt your attendant so much?"
"What, tornt? I do no such thing. It's not my fault she can't enter the library," Theo responded with a smug expression.
The old man chuckled before pausing in front of a section of books. "Do you want to hear the usual?" he asked, and Theo nodded eagerly.
"Alright," Bernard took a book from the shelf and walked to a table, with Theo following closely.
"Yesterday, I told you about the famous types of monsters that are commonly tad. Today, I will tell you the history of our world. Listen carefully, and as always, no questions. Our ti is limited,"
Bernard said as he flipped through the pages.
Theo's heart pounded with excitent. The day he had been waiting for had finally arrived; he was about to learn the true history of the world he now inhabited.
"It all started 1,000 years ago when an artifact entered our world and fused with its very center," Bernard began in his storyteller's voice.
"Animals that were once harmless began evolving into dangerous creatures, and soon, they beca capable of killing humans within seconds. The artifact accelerated their progress rapidly."
"But the artifact was not unfair to humans; it granted us status screens that allowed us ta these dangerous monsters."
"The world advanced, with tad beasts at its core. Everything now functions with the aid of tars and their beasts. The monsters are ranked by grades that indicate their strength: Ordinary, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and lastly, Legendary."
"When a tad monster reaches a new grade, the tar also gains strength. To this day, humanity has only managed to reach the Legendary grade, and it is unknown if anything exists beyond it. However..." Bernard paused and locked eyes with Theo.
"It is said that going beyond the Legendary grade is nearly impossible. Only a handful of tars have reached the Legendary level in the past 1,000 years, and they are now the holders of the World Leader titles."
"With the advent of beast taming ca a societal shift; tars gained fa and were granted titles for their strength. The Lord is one of them."
"But just when we thought life had settled, our world was thrown into chaos once more. One hundred years ago, the Outer Devils began their invasion. They ca in tal ships that could fly without wings and wore full tal suits that enabled them to fly and launch projectiles so destructive they could annihilate entire cities."
"The most terrifying and baffling discovery was when we defeated those tallic devils," Bernard's expression turned grave as he looked into Theo's eyes. Theo already knew what was coming.
"When we opened their tal suits, we found humans inside. Humans not from this world—humans who ca from beyond, the devils."
"To this day, the war between us and them rages on. They have attacked us many tis, but now, we know how to fight back with our tad beasts. It's as if the artifact was preparing us for this mont, to withstand these devils' actions." Bernard resisted the urge to spit in frustration, rembering where he was.
"It is believed that these Outer Devils co to steal the artifact from us. But we will never let them take it!" Bernard shouted passionately.
Theo flinched at the sudden outburst, jolting out of his thoughts.
'tal ships sound almost like spaceships, and tal suits...' Theo didn't want to believe it.
Advanced humans from another world attacking those still in a dieval state—it was clear to him that without the power of the tad beasts, survival would be impossible.
"That's enough for today, Bernard," a voice with regal authority interrupted from the side.
Theo turned and smiled genuinely. It was the Baroness of rrick, his mother.
"Mother! Good morning!" Theo called out, running to her.
"You little rascal, how many tis must I tell you? No visiting the royal library in the morning," the Lady said.
The Baroness wore a deep sapphire blue gown with silvery embroidery at the hems and bodice, featuring delicate floral patterns. The dress had fitted sleeves that flared at the wrists, showing pearl-studded cuffs. A silver belt with a glowing opal cinched her waist. Her hair was styled in an elegant updo, held by a silver circlet with tiny sapphires. A velvet cloak trimd with white fur draped over her shoulders.
"Good morning, Lady Seraphina," Bernard said as he rose and bowed slightly in respect.
"You spoil him too much, Bernard. His awakening ceremony is just a week away. He will learn all of this then. Why rush?" Seraphina asked, a concerned look crossing her face.
Seeing her son so eager for knowledge made her proud, yet his neglect of food and daily duties worried her.
"I can't help it, Mother. When I wake up, I crave stories, and Old Man Bernard is the best, isn't he?" Theo said, grinning mischievously.
"We all grew up with his stories, but there is a ti for everything. Now, co. We shall have breakfast with the family."
User Comments
0 comments from readers