Chronicles of the forgotten

The Watcher's words hung in the air, heavy and ominous.

*"Your soul."*

Mara stared at the figure, her heart pounding. The library around her seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly light, the shelves shifting and rearranging themselves like living things. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of desperation.

*"Find us…"*

*"Save us…"*

*"Before he does…"*

Eli stepped forward, his voice shaking but defiant. "We're not making any deals with you. Let us go."

The Watcher's glowing eyes fixed on Eli, its expression unreadable. *"You have no choice. The Library has claimed you. The only way out is through."*

Mara's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"

The Watcher tilted its head, its gaze shifting to her. *"The Library is not a place for the living. But since you are here… you may as well see what you have lost."*

Before Mara could respond, the Watcher raised a hand, and the world around them shifted.

---

Mara and Eli found themselves standing in a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of ink and decay. A woman sat at a desk, her face blurred and indistinct. She was writing in a book, her hand moving frantically.

*"Help me…"* the woman whispered, her voice barely audible.

Mara stepped closer, her heart pounding. "Who are you?"

The woman looked up, her eyes wide with fear. *"I'm Sarah. I… I don't know how I got here. I just… I just wanted to remember."*

Mara's breath caught in her throat. "Remember what?"

The woman opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak, the room began to dissolve. The walls crumbled, the air growing colder.

*"Find me…"* the woman whispered, her voice fading into the void.

Mara gasped, jolting back to the library.

Eli was shaking her, his face pale. "Mara! What the hell just happened?"

She blinked, disoriented. "I… I don't know. I saw someone. She was… she was trapped."

Eli's expression darkened. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But Mara wasn't ready to leave. Her eyes drifted to the book in her hands.

*Sarah Thompson.*

The name seemed to pulse with a faint light, the whispers growing louder.

*"Find us…"*

*"Save us…"*

*"Before he does…"*

---

Mara and Eli moved deeper into the library, the shelves shifting around them like a living maze. The whispers grew louder, more desperate, the books pulsing with a faint light.

Then, they reached the center of the library.

A single book lay on a pedestal, its cover black and cracked.

And across the front, in elegant silver lettering—

*Mara Ellison.*

Mara's breath caught in her throat. "Eli, look."

Eli's eyes widened. "What the hell is that?"

Mara reached for the book, her fingers trembling.

The moment she touched it, the world shifted.

She was no longer in the library. She stood in a vast, dark void, the air thick with the scent of ink and decay. The whispers returned, louder and more insistent.

*"Find us…"*

*"Save us…"*

*"Before he does…"*

Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.

It was the Watcher.

*"You have a choice,"* it said, its voice echoing as if from a great distance. *"You can leave now, and forget everything you have seen. Or you can stay, and uncover the truth. But beware—the truth comes at a price."*

Mara's heart pounded. "What price?"

The Watcher's glowing eyes fixed on her. *"Your soul."*

---

Mara stared at the Watcher, her mind racing. The library around her seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly light, the shelves shifting and rearranging themselves like living things. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of desperation.

*"Find us…"*

*"Save us…"*

*"Before he does…"*

Eli stepped forward, his voice shaking but defiant. "We're not making any deals with you. Let us go."

The Watcher's glowing eyes fixed on Eli, its expression unreadable. *"You have no choice. The Library has claimed you. The only way out is through."*

Mara's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"

The Watcher tilted its head, its gaze shifting to her. *"The Library is not a place for the living. But since you are here… you may as well see what you have lost."*

Before Mara could respond, the Watcher raised a hand, and the world around them shifted.

---

Mara and Eli found themselves standing in a dimly lit room, the air thick with the scent of ink and decay. A woman sat at a desk, her face blurred and indistinct. She was writing in a book, her hand moving frantically.

*"Help me…"* the woman whispered, her voice barely audible.

Mara stepped closer, her heart pounding. "Who are you?"

The woman looked up, her eyes wide with fear. *"I'm Sarah. I… I don't know how I got here. I just… I just wanted to remember."*

Mara's breath caught in her throat. "Remember what?"

The woman opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak, the room began to dissolve. The walls crumbled, the air growing colder.

*"Find me…"* the woman whispered, her voice fading into the void.

Mara gasped, jolting back to the library.

Eli was shaking her, his face pale. "Mara! What the hell just happened?"

She blinked, disoriented. "I… I don't know. I saw someone. She was… she was trapped."

Eli's expression darkened. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But Mara wasn't ready to leave. Her eyes drifted to the book in her hands.

*Sarah Thompson.*

The name seemed to pulse with a faint light, the whispers growing louder.

*"Find us…"*

*"Save us…"*

*"Before he does…"*

---

Mara and Eli moved deeper into the library, the shelves shifting around them like a living maze. The whispers grew louder, more desperate, the books pulsing with a faint light.

Then, they reached the center of the library.

A single book lay on a pedestal, its cover black and cracked.

And across the front, in elegant silver lettering—

*Mara Ellison.*

Mara's breath caught in her throat. "Eli, look."

Eli's eyes widened. "What the hell is that?"

Mara reached for the book, her fingers trembling.

The moment she touched it, the world shifted.

She was no longer in the library. She stood in a vast, dark void, the air thick with the scent of ink and decay. The whispers returned, louder and more insistent.

*"Find us…"*

*"Save us…"*

*"Before he does…"*

Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.

It was the Watcher.

*"You have a choice,"* it said, its voice echoing as if from a great distance. *"You can leave now, and forget everything you have seen. Or you can stay, and uncover the truth. But beware—the truth comes at a price."*

Mara's heart pounded. "What price?"

The Watcher's glowing eyes fixed on her. *"Your soul."*