January 17, 1522
STF Facility, Ashenreach District
Specialists were often the busiest division in STF, even the interns were expected to pull the weight of operational staff. But ever since I'd been posted to Carynthos, things had been unusually quiet. Then again, I'm only here for a month… and after that, chaos will follow unless STF and the Abyssal Chain are stopped.
Kite sat in his office, gazing out the window, lost in thought.
A knock, then a smirk entered the room. The man had wavy brown hair, sharp green eyes, and a sealed package in hand.
Ethan Grayson.
"Morning, Lighthart," he winked.
Kite shuddered a little.
"Good morning, Ethan."
"I'm heading to the library for an errand. Figured it'd be boring to go alone. Want to tag along—unless you're busy?"
Kite nodded. "Sure, I'll come."
Ethan grinned. "Great. Follow me—no time to waste."
---
Hermes Library, Route 4
The two chose to walk rather than take a carriage. Ethan carried his usual twin slim daggers… and his lethal charm.
"What's in the package?" Kite asked.
"A secret. Maybe she'll show us—maybe not. Even I don't know."
Kite raised an eyebrow but shifted gears.
"How long have you been in STF?"
"This is my fifth year. Two as an intern, sixteen in Fortfront Academy back in Mantorszag."
"I figured your accent wasn't local, but didn't expect that kingdom."
"Hey now, it's not all bad—if you're a noble," he said, his tone suddenly bitter.
Kite noted the change.
"Why's that?"
"There's no middle class. Just rich and poor, cities and slums. It's a place of rot and despair."
"…."
"My own parents sold me to slave traders. Did everything a kid shouldn't—slavery, begging… at night, a target for some old man's lust."
"…."
"Sorry, I shouldn't dump that on a kid."
"No—it's alright. That's what friends are for."
"…Right. Friends."
---
Hermes Library
They arrived at the massive structure. Carved stone, crafted walls—it was clearly built with care. A nearby pillar read:
Established — 578 AEW
By Hermes
"Built during the Broken Throne War," Kite muttered.
Art back then makes modern design look like a joke.
(AEW = After the Eons War / BEW = Before the Eons War)
Inside, the librarian scribbled at her register. Young, but gave off an old-school grandmother energy.
Ethan leaned in. "Hey, no need to be so hostile, sweety."
"For the thousandth time, it's Nikita, Mr. Grayson."
"I love it when you play hard to get."
Nikita ignored him, looking at Kite instead.
"Do you have official business?"
"Uh, yes. We're here to deliver this package."
Ethan dropped the parcel beside a platinum watch. Nikita studied them both, then stood.
"Follow me."
They followed her into a small room. She pulled a blue book, then red, then black. The bookshelf slid away, revealing a stone passage.
The passage led to an underground archive. Books stretched endlessly.
Nikita opened the package, revealing a black book with strange markings. She nodded, returned the watch, and said flatly:
"You can leave."
"Can we know what—"
"No."
Denied. They exited without a word.
---
Back at STF Facility
"She was really rude," Ethan huffed.
Kite shrugged. "Can't help it."
"I thought the Hermes Library was public?"
"It is—but the government is under STF. We can't let people know everything."
Kite nodded.
They stepped back into the facility—and what Kite saw next made his heart stop.