this is a shorter chapter but it gets the message across.
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A few hours had passed since I finished reading my final book.
I'd spent most of that time sitting in one of the Library's reading nooks, pretending I wasn't watching the light shift through the endless skylight above us, pretending I wasn't counting down the minutes until I had to say goodbye. My bags—or rather, the books bound to my soul—were ready. My soul was fortified. My mind was prepped to be sealed. Everything was done.
And yet I wasn't moving.
Brakos, ever patient, simply waited nearby. He wasn't pushing. He wasn't rushing. But I could feel his gaze from across the room.
Eventually, I stood up and walked over to him, hands in my pockets, trying to look casual and failing miserably.
"So," I said. "Looks like it's time."
Brakos nodded once, his expression unreadable. "Yes. The final preparations are complete. All that's left is to open the portal and begin the process."
I nodded, hesitating again. "Before we start, I wanted to say… thanks. For everything."
He smiled faintly. "You've said that many times already."
"I know. But I mean it every time."
We stood there in silence for a moment longer before Brakos raised his hand. A shimmering portal of silvery-blue light appeared before us, swirling gently, like a pool of stars turned vertical.
"Your body will be born on the outskirts of Darnmere, just as planned," he said. "I've spoken with your parents. They've accepted the idea of you being 'spirit-blessed.' It'll give them a reason to explain anything... unusual about you without fear."
"And the sealing?"
"Already in place. Once you pass through, your soul will anchor to your new body. Your memories will fade, your maturity will reset, and you'll live the life of a child. Until the day the seal lifts."
"Right," I muttered. "No pressure."
"You'll be fine," Brakos said, his voice gentle. "I've chosen the safest time for your arrival. The world is quiet—for now."
"For now," I echoed. "That 'new era' thing still hanging over me like a bad weather report?"
Brakos chuckled. "A poetic way to phrase it, but yes."
I stepped closer to the portal but paused. "So, how often can I expect to see you again?"
"You'll receive quests. Some will come from me directly. When you complete them, you'll be able to summon me—or visit the Library again, briefly."
I nodded. "And if I mess up?"
"You won't."
"Optimistic."
"Accurate."
I glanced back at him one last time, feeling something tighten in my chest. He looked calm. Peaceful, even. But his eyes…
"Brakos," I said softly. "I'll miss you."
He smiled gently, and this time it reached his eyes. "I'll miss you too, Jack."
I turned toward the portal again. It shimmered like moonlight on water.
"Don't forget to visit," I said over my shoulder.
"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied. "Goodbye… my friend."
"…Bye."
And with that, I stepped into the light.
It was warm. Weightless. It wrapped around me like a soft current, tugging gently on my soul. I felt my thoughts slow, my mind fog, the seal beginning to activate.
As the Library vanished behind me, my last conscious thought was simple.
'See you soon, Brakos.' I thought to myself before my mind started to fade into black.
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~ Brakos's POV ~
The portal sealed itself with a whisper of air, like a page turning in an infinite book.
Silence returned to the Library.
Brakos remained where he stood, unmoving, hand still partially extended in farewell.
He lowered it slowly and let out a long breath, one that trembled just slightly at the end.
The ritual platform dimmed. The bookshelves around him resumed their soft humming. Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed a soft, mournful note.
"He's gone," Brakos said aloud to no one.
And yet, even as he said it, he didn't quite believe it.
There was a weight missing from the Library now. An echo no longer bouncing in its timeless halls. For the first time in centuries, the space felt… quieter.
Not empty. But changed.
Brakos walked over to the chair where Jack had sat just hours before, the cushion still faintly indented. He reached down and plucked a stray pastry crumb from the armrest, brushing it away with an odd fondness.
He sank into the seat and stared at the fire. It crackled on, unaware or uncaring that the boy who had laughed in front of it was now far, far away.
"I wasn't supposed to get attached," Brakos murmured.
He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.
"You'll be a storm in that world, Jack. One way or another. I just hope you don't burn too brightly before you're ready."
There were too many variables. Too many pieces already in motion.
Even now, he could feel time folding and unfolding around Primus like a river curling over itself. A great change was coming, just as he'd said. And Jack… Jack would be at the heart of it.
He always had a way of picking the interesting ones.
Brakos reached into the air and summoned a blank journal—thick and leather-bound, the kind that would outlast empires.
On the first page, he wrote one line in elegant, silver ink.
And so began the life of a child born beneath no sun, carrying a spark older than the stars.
He smiled.
Then closed the book.