"This is so stressful..."
Kyara trudged through the bookstore door, the bell above ringing as Aunty Rina followed behind. The scent of old paper and wood polish greeted them like always, but today it only deepened Kyara's exhaustion.
"You said you'd quit, so why keep going back?" Rina chimed, closing the door behind her.
"Because! I'm about to get my paycheck. So until then, I'm still working," Kyara grumbled and slumped onto one of the beanbags Rina had bought for potential customers. It made a soft whoomp under her weight.
Rina chuckled. "Smart. Well, I'm off. The guild needs me again."
She stepped back toward the entrance and—just like that—vanished in a shimmer of light.
Kyara blinked. "Must be one of Aunty's skills..."
---
For the past few weeks, Kyara had spent her mornings working at her office job and her nights wandering the bookstore. During her short breaks, she'd explore a little more, her curiosity growing with each day.
She discovered a suspicious green vial tucked behind the counter with a tiny sign that read, Do Not Drink. There was also a cute mimic plush that somehow kept moving to different spots—despite her never touching it. When asked, Rina only said, "Oh, that old thing? Picked it up when I first opened the store."
The bookstore wasn't open to the public yet. The sign outside still said Closed, and Kyara wasn't ready to flip it just yet.
Wandering through the aisles, she ran her fingers across the worn spines. She recognized so many books—she used to spend hours here after school.
"It's been twelve years," she murmured.
Every day back then, instead of heading home, little Kyara would sneak into this shop. She was stubborn, smart, and curious—qualities that often got her into trouble.
"I should've listened to them..."
A soft glow caught her eye from one of the shelves. It flickered gently, almost like it was trying to comfort her. Curious, she stepped closer.
A book was glowing.
It was wedged between two heavy encyclopedias, pulsing with a soft golden light.
Kyara furrowed her brow. Something about it pulled her in. It felt... alive.
She reached out and carefully pulled the book free.
"'The Libram of Eternal Ink'? What a weird name," she said aloud.
As she opened the cover, black-and-white ink traced itself into an elegant pattern across the first page. A rectangular space appeared, like it was waiting for something to be written.
"Do I... write my name? I mean, I own the store now, right? That should count. Aunty Rina won't mind."
But before she could even find a pen, glowing letters etched themselves across the box:
Kyara
She jumped.
"Okay, that's not normal. Maybe I shouldn't mess with this..."
Ding!
A translucent screen popped up in front of her, startling her so badly she nearly dropped the book.
[You have awakened!]
"What the—"
[Skill acquired: Arcane Archive]
And just like that, the entire bookstore reacted.
Books flew off shelves and whirled around the room in chaotic loops. The lights flickered wildly. Potion vials lined up on the back shelf began to glow in sync with the golden book. Even the mimic plush yawned—Yawned—and stretched its limbs like a cat.
Then it spoke.
[Finally!]
[First owner!]
The text was yellow—distinctly different from the blue system messages from earlier.
Kyara screamed.
The mimic plush twisted and shimmered, transforming mid-air into a long, fluffy ferret with overly large ears and swirly gold markings.
[Owner! No scream!]
[Safe! Safe!]
It hovered mid-air, little paws curled in a floating loaf.
Kyara backed into a shelf. "What are you?!"
The yellow system messages continued to float beside the ferret as it bobbed up and down.
[Assistant! Familiar! Book-bound!]
[Talk through system! I'm learning word-shapes!]
Its speech was clumsy but oddly endearing—like a digital creature still learning how to communicate. Kyara stared, heart pounding but curiosity rising.
"So... you're my familiar now?"
The ferret spun in a circle.
[Yes! Yes! First in hundred years! You opened book! Book opened you!]
Then another screen appeared—blue this time.
[Lock in destination?]
"Huh? What destination?" Kyara asked aloud.
The yellow system responded first:
[Sanctuary Link! Anchor bookstore in other-realm!]
"I... I guess?"
As soon as the words left her lips, the bookstore pulsed with light. The shelves, floor, and ceiling glowed with runes. Then, like a copied layer peeling away from reality, a duplicate of the entire shop shimmered into existence.
A door appeared in front of her—flat black with silver vines etched into the frame.
The ferret nodded excitedly.
[Enter! See new-place! Same-place! Different-space!]
Heart hammering, Kyara reached out and pushed the door open.
On the other side was her bookstore.
But not quite.
There were no windows. The walls looked the same, but shadows clung to the corners. The lights were dimmer, but the books... the books seemed to hum with energy.
It was eerie, but not threatening.
She stepped through.
The door clicked shut behind her.
The ferret curled around her neck like a scarf and purred.
[Welcome, Archivist.]
Kyara took a shaky breath.
"Okay... so this is happening."