As they descended the stairwell into the inky blackness beneath the library, William could feel the moist, humid air on his skin, like on a hot summer's day. A strange effect, considering it was currently winter, perhaps the earth provided good insulation from the cold.
Along the way, William would start bugging Kaelus with dumb, power-scaling debates to lighten the mood.
"So, do you think if Zeus and Sun Wukong fought, Sun Wukong would come out on top?"
"Well, that'd depend on a multitude of factors, like how Sun Wukong's many layers of immortality would translate into the Greek Mythos's power system. It's rather undefined how his immortality works, but if we assume that his wiping his name from the book of the dead means he can't die, then I'd say the win probably goes to the Monkey King due to his vast skill set."
"Well, the Greek Gods should also be similarly invincible then, right?"
"The Greek Gods can't 'Die', but they can be crippled forever, chopped into tiny pieces, or just fade. For example, when Kronos sliced Ouranus (Uranus) to death, Ouranus was never able to have a physical form again. I do suppose this also begs the question of whether Sun Wukong could also be defeated this way, though."
By this time, they had already reached the bottom of the stairwell, and what greeted William's eyes was astounding. A massive basement floor filled with all sorts of science equipment, supernatural-looking objects like a floating book, stacks of labeled journals on different aspects of the Library system, and more. The walls were lined with what seemed to be items involved in mysticism and rituals, and the air smelled of ink, paper, and various scented oils.
Kaelus would calmly walk in front of the marvelling William and turn towards him while introducing the place with his arms outstretched.
"Welcome to the place where I do all my studies, The Alexandria Institute. The place where my life's work lies, and the place where you'll learn the secrets of this world."
He would then toss over an empty journal and a pen to William.
"Take notes, you're about to get a crash course on the Library of Alexandria. First off, a brief history lesson. As you know, six years ago, the Library system appeared, something completely out of a typical power fantasy novel. You probably also know about the wars and carnage that came as a result of the Library as well. But do you know what happened to the first generation of verifiers, the first ones who were accidentally transmigrated into the books they were reading and made it out alive?"
William would scratch his head for a couple of moments, trying to remember whatever he could about that time period.
"Well, there hasn't been much publicized information on those in the first generation, but the most prominent of them was the Progenitor, right?"
Kaelus would drag over a spreadsheet.
"You see, this is the last time each of the first generation was seen."
He would then hand the spreadsheet over to William.
Progenitor: Sometime in 2025
No.2: August 6, 2026
No.3: June 19, 2026
No.4: February 2, 2027
No.5: April 6, 2027.
....
William would be confused, as the last time each of the first generation was seen was around when the Library was first seen.
"How come they all haven't been seen in years?"
"Here's the thing now, listen closely, for some reason or another.....their existence was siphoned out of this world."
"What?"
William was rather dumbfounded at what he just heard.
"You've heard of the first generation through me and the news, right? As well as the progenitor. But do you remember any of their names? Faces? Or anything about them? That's right, all knowledge of them gets consistently wiped, and if it weren't for existing records, then we wouldn't remember them at all. We've identified this phenomenon as 'The Erasure Effect'."
William couldn't help but feel like he had just been given a worldly secret, forbidden knowledge of sorts. It also explained why his right hand was starting to fade.
"How does that make any sense? Why would their existence be siphoned in the first place?"
"We still don't know for sure. But one thing was in common about the first generation: they hadn't adapted to the cruelty of this world like the majority of people today. They still tried to live normal lives in this cruel, cruel world. And that was what doomed them."
Kaelus would take a deep breath before continuing.
"We hypothesized that by living a normal life, they faded from the public's view, and therefore faded from people's reality. Which then caused them to be erased for good. But their sacrifices weren't for naught; they taught us a very important lesson. This world relies on belief and ingenuity to sustain itself. This also means that the way to get stronger in this world is to generate fame and notoriety, that's how most of us did it."
By this time, William had already scribbled down several pages worth of notes, and he would process this information the best he could. He would look at his mentor with empty eyes and ask him a crucial question.
"So, are you saying that a peaceful and unperturbed life is impossible?"
Kaelus would sigh calmly with a rather bizarre expression on his face, as if the answer to the question was rather two-faced.
"William, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this sooner. I wanted you to live a normal life, like it was before the Library appeared. Which is why I didn't stop, and even encouraged your procrastination of your first trial. But, after my recent missions and the most recent one, I've realized something, and because of that, I want you to be strong enough to survive in this forsaken world, William."
William would take in a couple of deep breaths. So that's how it was, huh? If this world is really controlled by belief, and people's belief in your existence is important for your survival, then his supposedly simple dream was now a Sisyphean task. Well, it always was. Maybe that's why it stayed a dream after all this time.
He would recall what he thought while bleeding out inside the Odyssey and chuckle solemnly. But he didn't give up fully. No, it was his life's purpose to struggle for his dreams.
'Even when fiction and reality intertwine, a happy life remains a fantasy.'
"If that's so, surely there's a way to gather enough fame and recognition and use it as a battery to live off of, right?"
"You catch on quickly, my star pupil. Since your existence is being washed away as we speak, siphoned off to who knows where. You're currently on a time limit. You see, new verifiers often go around flaunting powers to civilians or do enough missions to garner people's reverence. I've known you long enough to know that you don't enjoy the spotlight, but this world demands it. In fact, the idea you have, people have already thought of it. A way to increase fame on a mass scale, the most inhumane but effective and entertaining way to artificially hold the erasure at bay and make people stronger."
"A Fame Game."
"And the reason I'm telling this to you now...well, it's because this nation is about to be destroyed by the greatest fame game in history."
Kaelus would rub his temples with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Listen here, William, you have two options. First, you can flee this nation alongside me to avoid the repercussions of the battle that'll ensue shortly. Or face the wrath of the fame games, in which even a single mistake could end your life, I'm speaking from experience here."
"Of course, I'd much rather you pick the first one, as I'd be able to make sure of your safety. However, your life is yours to live, so don't let people sway your opinions as they please. If you think your decision is the right thing to do, you should do it."
Hearing these words reminded William of his younger years, before it all came down. The best of times, and the worst of times. A hazy scene would appear in his mind.
"You can choose this new school, or stay at your current one. The new school is much better, though!"
"I'll let you choose which."
"I'll let you choose which."
"I'll let you choose which."
"I'll let you choose which."
....
"But mom, why do I have to leave them behind!"
"You'll find new friends at your new school."
"Why can't we just stay here?"
"The new school is a more secure way of making sure you get into a top college."
The sounds of a child's hyperventilating and sobbing would play in his mind as he chuckled emptily.
The blurry figure of a child clawing at his own skin, leaving permanent scars, would appear.
'I want to stayI want to stayI want to stayI want to stayI want to stayI want to stayI want to stayI want to stay'
His thoughts started as a drizzle, then a storm, then a typhoon of emotions, that....simply ceased all of a sudden.
"Alright, I guess I'll choose to move schools then.'
'The physical scars I left on myself that day are about healed now, but those that were left in my psyche never truly faded.'
'I wonder if I should have fought more back then so I could have stayed, but it doesn't matter now, what's in the past is in the past, my regrets that remain as unhealable scars are the reason I exist today.'
William would smile softly, empowered by his past mistakes.
'I suppose...After all these years, I just wanted to protect those Sacred Times. This time, I won't let my guillibility sway me.'