SURREAL MYSTERY

The flickering lamplight of their inn room cast long, dancing shadows as Canary meticulously sorted through her creations. The air crackled with residual magic, a testament to her efforts. 

Piles of elemental shards lay scattered across the wooden table – fiery reds, brilliant whites, watery blues, frosty silvers, crackling yellows, and shadowy blacks. Each shard hummed with a latent power, a testament to Canary's skill. 

"Tweety, you're a marvel," Sparrow murmured, leaning against the doorframe, his single visible eye watching her with a quiet affection. His black eyepatch concealed the artificial purple eye, a stark contrast to his tanned skin.

Canary beamed, a bright spot in the dimly lit room. Her small beauty mark, just below her green eye, seemed to twinkle. "Thanks, Birdbro! It took a while, but I think I got the hang of it." 

She picked up a water shard, turning it into a small orb of water form in her palm before she tossed it playfully at Sparrow. It splashed harmlessly against his chest. "See? Perfect for a quick clean-up."

Sparrow chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "Indeed. Although, I suspect you'll find far more creative uses for them."

Canary giggled, grabbing a fire shard. She focused, and a tiny ball of fire blazed to life in her hand. "Fireball! The size and magnitude depend on the user's focus... within reasonable range obviously. We can't expect a tiny shard able to crate a building sized fireball, can we?" She made the fire disappear.

Then, she carefully picked a lightning shard. "This one's interesting. It doesn't unleash a thunderbolt." She glanced at her brother. "Instead, it imbues. It turns you into a walking lightning rod… in a way."

Sparrow raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement tugging at his lips. "A walking lightning rod, you say? Intriguing." He was already envisioning the combat potential of such an effect. "And the shadow shards?"

Canary held up a black shard, its surface seeming to absorb the surrounding light. "This one lets you melt into shadow. Ideal for stalking or... well, hiding if things get too loud." 

"Very useful," Sparrow commented dryly.

"Unfortunately, they were single-use disposable objects. And it was not a hundred percent guaranteed that a shard could be transformed. These..." She pointed to a pile of black dust. "These results of the failures were just nothing but useless dust." She sighed theatrically.

Sparrow also sighed in response, not because of the limitation, but because of his sister obvious, gloating face. Her sister's mystery talent, despite its limitation, was indeed a kind of cheat.

The night passed with the siblings discussing strategies, pondering potential uses for the shards. Sparrow, despite his quiet nature, offered insightful observations, his martial arts training giving him a unique perspective on combat. Canary, ever the optimist, infused their planning with her boundless enthusiasm.

The next morning dawned bright and the city was bustling with life. As Sparrow and Canary stepped out of the inn, the vibrant chaos of realmgate enveloped them.

Merchants hawked their wares, knights paraded on their steeds, and the air was thick with the scent of spices and freshly baked bread. They started navigating the crowded streets, their eyes scanning for any clue that might lead them to their last mission, the 'Secret of the Sage King.'

"Birdbro," Canary called as she walk. "Why don't we go to the North Library again? We should find something there this time, shouldn't we? With your evolved {Eye of Wisdom}?"

"Perhaps," Sparrow replied, his voice low, his gaze fixed on the teeming crowds. "Though, the king's palace might also be reasonable. The Sage King might be a real king after all."

Suddenly, Canary gasped, her hand tugged her brother's tunic. "Look! Isn't that… Leon?"

Across the street, Leon Hunt, the monster hunter they had left in the dungeon, stood looking dazed. His normally sharp eyes were unfocused and confused, a stark contrast to the confident swagger he displayed the day before.

Canary was about to call out to him when Sparrow suddenly blocked her path with his muscular arm. "Wait, Tweety," he murmured, his tone urgent. His single visible eye was sparkling metallic green, as he used his [Appraisal skill]. Information flooded his mind. A curse. 'Documented!' A strange debuff, with what appeared to be an amnesia-like effect.

"Birdbro?" Canary asked, her green eyes widening with alarm. "What's wrong?"

He lowered his arm and opened his eye. "He's cursed. It's called 'Documented'. It seems… he's lost parts of his memory. He doesn't recognize us."

Canary stared at Leon, her cheerful face clouded with concern. "But… what happened? Did that dungeon do this to him?"

"It's likely tied to his time in the capital, and the Malkavean's dungeon might not have reset it. Remember the curse that takes 7 days to complete?" Sparrow's brow furrowed in thought. "We need to be careful. We don't know what else he might have forgotten."

Leon suddenly turned and wandered away, his gait unsteady. Sparrow watched him go, his mind racing as various questions flashed within.

"What do we do, Birdbro?" Canary asked, her voice filled with a mix of worry and curiosity.

Sparrow met her gaze with his tranquil right eye. His calm demeanor was reassuring, even to her. "We continue our search. North Library would be our first target. This 'Documented' curse… it might be related to the Sage King's secret somehow."

With a nod, Canary straightened her shoulders, her own optimism returning. They weaved through the boisterous streets, no longer as carefree. Leon's plight had added another layer of mystery to their journey, a new twist in the mysterious riddle of the Sage King. 

---ooo---ooo---ooo---

The aroma of grilling lamb hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the rising unease in Sparrow's gut. He gnawed on a skewer, the seasoned meat doing little to soothe his restless spirit. 

The sun dipped below the realmgate's skyline, painting the already vibrant sky in hues of fiery orange and deep purple. Sparrow's [Greater Appraisal] showed that was their last day, their last hour in this fantastical world, and the final quest 'Secret of the Sage King' remained elusive.

"Another skewer, Birdbro?" Canary's cheerful voice cut through his thoughts, and he looked up to see her beaming, her long black braid swinging playfully. She was a whirlwind of energy, as always, a hummingbird compared to his lumbering bear.

"Thanks, Tweety," he mumbled, accepting the offered skewer. He appreciated her attempt to lighten the mood, but the weight of their unfulfilled mission pressed down on him. He ran a hand over his short, black hair, the scar on his left cheek twitching slightly.

"You're still thinking about the library, aren't you?" she asked, her smile softening with concern. 

Sparrow grunted in affirmation. He was. The North Library, with its spookiness and mystery, still irked him. His [Greater Appraisal] had given him the barest hints – spatial chamber, ritualistic layout – but nothing concrete. It was like trying to grasp smoke, a frustrating exercise in futility. 

Their attempts to read books in that public library were also futile efforts. The written language in this world was simply incomprehensible. Not even his evolved appraisal could help him understand the texts.

He still didn't understand why the differences in the spoken languages of this world did not affect their communication, but the written one does. It was very unreasonable.

Canary sip the fruit milk on her wooden cup. "Well, the library is indeed the most suspicious place." She agreed.

"What else? The palace is a dead end." Sparrow grumbled. "The king is just a child, a seven-year-old. It's practically impossible for him to be a 'sage'. The Dowager Queen and Prime Minister are the ones in control," he said, saying way too much compared to his usual calm, silent attitude. 

Canary, perched on a stool across from him, popped a piece of lamb into her mouth. "My part is also a dud. The story teller is just as hopeless. I heard so many stories, Birdbro, so many, but none of them mentioned anything useful about the Sage King's secret. There were tales about a wise king who could talk to animals, another about a king who could turn water into wine, and even a king who could fly… but not our Sage King." She sighed, her usual cheer momentarily dimmed.

Just then, a flash of polished wood and gleaming metal caught their eyes. A royal carriage, emblazoned with the kingdom's crest, rumbled down the street, its destination clearly the North Library. 

Sparrow's single deep green eye flickered to life. His {Eye of Wisdom} talent informed him that this was it, their last chance.

"Tweety, now." He rose, placing several copper coins on the food-stall wooden table, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the dying light.

"Right on it, Birdbro!" Canary practically bounced off her stool, her eyes sparkling with renewed determination.

They moved with practiced efficiency. Sparrow's augmented physique allowed him to effortlessly keep pace with the carriage, his [Greater Body Enhancement] making his strides longer and faster than normal. 

Canary, nimble and quick, darted through the crowd, weaving her way around the onlookers. They did not speak on the way, their unspoken understanding a silent language woven through years of shared experiences.

The carriage pulled up before the North Library, and a liveried footman leapt down to open the door. A woman, cloaked and veiled, emerged, her movements regal even in the dim light. Sparrow's mind raced, his instincts screaming that this was not a coincidence.

"We have to get inside," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a piece of shadowy black crystal shard from his leather pouch. Beside him, Canary nodded and did the same.

As they crushed the black shards, the siblings retreated into the shadows, their bodies melting into the deep dark silhouettes of the trees. Under the cover of the trees, they moved like wraiths, slithering into the narrow gaps of the library's door and window.

Once they were inside, Sparrow immediately felt it. The air inside the library was heavy, a strange mixture of old paper and something else, something almost metallic that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He gave a simple signal to the shadow-form of Canary nearby and followed the faint, rhythmic sound of chanting that emanated from the main hall, and soon they reached the large hall. 

The veiled woman stood in the center of the hall, now uncovered, her face revealed to be the Dowager Queen. Her eyes, usually kind in public, were now cold and calculating.

She was surrounded by robed figures, their voices rising in the strange, haunting chant. They chanted in a low, rhythmic drone, their voices weaving together a spell that made the very air crackle.

Sparrow's [Greater Appraisal] instantly identified the nature of the ritual: a summoning ritual. But of what?

He felt a tug on his mind, a familiar warmth that was unmistakably Canary's telepathic touch, 'Birdbro, are they planning to use the library's spatial magic to open some kind of gate?'

That's it, Sparrow thought. The library wasn't just a library. It was connected to a spatial chamber. His previous appraisal had already given this information.

He scanned the room, his enhanced vision taking in every detail. His {Eye of Wisdom} pierced through the illusions that cloaked the room.

He saw the intricate markings on the floor, the arcane symbols carved into the walls, all converging towards a single point that had just appeared... a hidden doorway shimmering with barely contained energy.

This must have been the key to the Sage King's secret. But what waited beyond?

'Tweety, get ready!' he sent a telepathic message back, his voice clear in her mind. He was ready to go and face whatever awaited on the other side of the gate. Time was running out. Their deadline was almost there.

However... they did not even need to do anything.

The hidden doorway suddenly broke apart like a piece of glass hammered by an iron mace. The whole library hall-room shimmered, and the very fabric of reality seemed to tear open. 

The walls of the chamber stretched and warped, transforming into something vast and alien. It was no longer the gloomy yet common North Library. It was now a colossal space of dreamlike library, lined with towering bookshelves that reached for an unseen ceiling. 

The hall-room seemed boundless, with foggy mist limiting the space. This was a dreamscape library, a dimension hidden within a dimension.

And in the middle of the room, chained to the floor, was… a familiar man. Both Sparrow and Canary recognized him immediately as his statue stood proudly in the center of the capital city.

It was King Theron, the father of the current king... the former King Theron, thought lost to the ravages of disease. The one in the room though... was not the decaying husk they'd expected, but a man, pale and gaunt, but with a spark of defiance in his eyes. 

The Dowager Queen's voice, sharp and grating, sliced through the silence. "Look at you, old fool," she sneered, her eyes glittering with triumph. "What a pitiful sight."

The former king looked at her in a strange expression, but said nothing.

"While you buried yourself in dusty books, I have led Prosperous Kingdom to true glory." Her face twisted with disdain. "You, with your head always in the clouds of unnecessary knowledge, were never fit to rule."

The chained man still said nothing.

The Dowager Queen sighed and growled full of frustation, "What the rotten idea were you thinking, Theron? Making a deal with the devil? Really?" She lost her composure, her cold mask of disdain broke apart into angry rants. "Where did that lead you now? Here, locked in stupid chains. What did you even get for doing that?"

To their surprise, Theron let out a low chuckle, a sound that sent shivers down Sparrow's spine despite being still hidden in the shadow. 

"Oh, Lyrianne," the chained king said, his voice now deep and creepily resonant. "I've got plenty, and will get even more. I've gained enough knowledge, enough memory from the pitiful souls of this city. The harvest... is about to begin."

The chains holding him suddenly shattered, as if made of brittle glass. The king's body began to contort, twisting and reforming. His flesh seemed to burn away, revealing skin the color of rough, grey stone.

Golden runes, intricate and powerful, sprang to life on his body. His hair, once thinning and dull, cascaded down his back, a river of gleaming gold. And his brown eyes now became glowing eerily green, like poisonous emerald. 

The Queen Dowager and the robed figures around the hall seemed to be paralyzed with shock when it happened. None of them tried anything to stop the transformation.

Sparrow's [Greater Appraisal] pulsed in his vision, painting a horrifying sketch of data in his mind. 'Devil Sage of Knowledge', a Sentient Green entity.

The words appeared in his mind when he focused at the transformed figure, and the knowledge of what that meant was nothing short of terrifying. This was no longer the fallen king, but some terrifying, demonic surreal entity.

"With the knowledge you and my people have gifted me, I have ascended," the Devil Sage gloated, his voice a symphony of chaotic power. "I have become invincible."

He moved with terrifying speed, launching spears of black crystal that pierced both the queen and her robed followers. They collapsed, their bodies still. 

Then, the Devil Sage flicked his wrist. The corpses rose into the air, their flesh rippling with golden light as the runes upon them glowed. Streams of raw energy flowed into the Devil Sage, powering his transformation, feeding his hunger.

'Our time in the realmgate is running out, Birdbro,' Canary's thought vibrated in Sparrow's mind, urgency laced within. 'My summons are still in cooldown. But that doesn't matter. We have the elemental shards. Let's just go crazy and fight this creepy guy.'

Sparrow's [Greater Appraisal] pinged again, highlighting the weaknesses of the demonic entity: lightning and water. Lucky for them. They held pouches with plenty of lightning and water shards, ready to be unleashed.

'Alright, lightning and water are our friends here. Let's shock and soak this bastard,' Sparrow thought back to Canary.

Immediately, the siblings burst forth from the shadows, lightning shard crackling in Sparrow's hand, water shard swirling like miniature tornadoes at Canary's clutch. Both crushed the shards exactly at the same time and charged forward.

Sparrow, a whirlwind of controlled fury, was coated in a crackling web of lightning, each muscle corded and ready to strike. Canary, perched precariously on a half-toppled bookshelf, manipulated water balls floating around her with the focus of a master artisan.

They were a symphony of elements, playing a deadly tune against their final formidable enemy in the realmgate, the Devil Sage.

Sparrow unleashed a palm strike covered by pure electricity, the air singing with raw power as it slammed into the Devil Sage.

The Devil Sage roared, the sound echoing through the endless library, the very air around them crackled with his fury. The electricity rippled across his skin, seeming to cause him visible pain. A smirk bloomed on his face.

"More prey?" He chuckled, the sound unnerving. He swung his arm, throwing Sparrow to crash against wooden bookracks, breaking and toppling them down like dominos.

However, right away, water balls crashed against the devilish creature body. Canary had joined in the fight, sending waves of compressed water crashing against the demonic entity.

The Devil Sage roared once more and sent a couple of black crystal spears to Canary. But she had already jumped sideway and rolled away to avoid them.

The library, usually a beacon of quiet study, now echoed with the roar of battle.

Sparrow, already recovered from the crash, jumped back into action, moving with unsettling speed. He was a human blur, his body still crackling with the throbbing lightning from Canary's shards. Each muscle pulsed with raw power as he charged forward, a living thunderbolt aimed directly at the Devil Sage. 

He launched a punch, the crackling energy surging, but the devilish monster was already gone, a flicker of shadow that deposited him a meter away, floating just above the ground. Short distance teleportation. And, levitation. This was not a good news for the siblings.

The Devil Sage, a gaunt figure with venomous eyes that burned like greenish dying embers, hovered just above the cracked floor, a constant hum of dark energy emanating from him.

His smooth, almost serpentine movements made him a difficult target, and the crystal spears he conjured from thin air struck with terrifying precision. They were a nightmare in motion, a barrage of targetted, deadly projectiles that forced the siblings to rely on their agility for evasion.

Sparrow, changing direction abruptly, dashed to the current position of his opponent. He was a blur, his body a conduit of raw elemental power, each punch imbued with the force of a thunderclap.

The library's ancient tomes were demolished by his furious charge. The book shelves were broken into pieces of useless wood. 

But the Devil Sage was elusive, teleporting away just before Sparrow's fist connected, reappearing nearby with a mocking laugh.

The oppressive aura, thick and suffocating, that emanated from the creature, made every breath Sparrow took feel like wading through treacle, his usual speed slowed considerably near the monster. That was the main reasons this opponent could repeatedly escape the young pugilist's assaults.

Dark crystal spears erupted from the Devil Sage's hands, lancing forward with lethal speed. Sparrow, reacting on instinct, twisted away, the spears narrowly missing. One grazed his arm, leaving a searing trail of pain.

Canary, ever the reliable ranged assistant, responded instantly. Her water energy spun, coalescing mid-air into balls of rapidly expanding water that she hurled with precise force.

They thudded against the devil, drenching him, the water beading around the golden runes that pulsed on his flesh. Each impact was a temporary victory, the shadowy aura around him visibly dimming, but the effect was fleeting as he teleported away again.

Sparrow, gritting his teeth, adjusted his tactics. He moved with a newfound ferocity, using the lightning coating on objects as throwing weapons to target the annoying, teleporting devil.

Broken chairs, table legs, pieces of wood, books, candle holders... electrically charged objects, no matter how effective they were, flew around the room, targeting the teleporting devil. The library was transformed into an arena of destruction.

Canary was no less ferocious. She channeled her water shards into shimmering spheres, launching them at the Devil Sage with relentless accuracy.

Each impact caused the devil to hiss in frustration, the fresh water temporarily dissolving the arcane runes that flowed along his skin, a visible drain on his power. The devilish creature was visibly annoyed, his attacks becoming more frantic and less precise when faced with the constant barrage of water balls.

The siblings kept on assaulting their opponent with rapid attack. It was not as efficient and effective as they hoped, but they were on a tight time constraint. They were betting on a good luck. But, as expected, the fight would not be so easily completed.

The Devil Sage's counter came swift. A wave of his hand in his new position and the air shimmered. Demonic soldiers burst into existence. Hulking figures, with obsidian skin and fiery red eyes burning with malevolent intent, charged with staggering force. Vicious Red creatures.

Sparrow, without hesitation, dove into the horde, his lightning-charged fists shattering bones with each impact. The demons turned their attacks on him, but their blows were heavy and telegraphed, and Sparrow effortlessly dodged each strike, leaving a trail of shattered figures behind him.

Canary danced between the demons too, her hands darting to retrieve a lightning shard and flying knives, imbuing the latter blades with electricity before hurling them with with deadly accuracy. 

Her previous water balls had turned the library floor and fallen bookshelves into a treacherous network of puddles, making every step treacherous for the demon. She sent out a volley of her imbued flying knives, each one a miniature lightning bolt that ripped through the demons.

It was a dangerous dance, a ballet of carnage where every misstep could mean a devastating blow.

The library became a chaotic mix of water, lightning, and splintered wood. Books tumbled from shelves as the fight raged, ink bleeding into the puddles. Sparrow and Canary used the water to their advantage, turning the puddles into lightning-infused traps. The demons, lumbering through the electrified water, shrieked as jolts of energy ripped through them.

The fight raged on. It was a cacophony of shattering wood, crackling lightning, and the Devil Sage's enraged screams. Books were shredded, shelves collapsed, chairs and tables became kindling for the electric inferno. 

The siblings moved in perfect, if frantic, synchronicity, their attacks complementing and supporting each other. They had used all of their water and lightning shards, and they were winning. But still, the fight hadn't ended yet.

The Devil Sage grew desperate, his attacks becoming more frantic. More crystal spears, more bursts of dark energy fired off in haphazard directions. 

Sparrow and Canary moved as one unit, a whirlwind of coordinated chaos. Sparrow lunged forward, his fists blurring into a series of rapid-fire lightning-imbued blows. The devil tried to escape with his teleportation again. 

But, a lightning imbued knife pierced his thigh, destroying his focus. Being caught off guard, the devil received a solid electrifying punch on his face. He stumbled back, his form flickering as the electricity finally started to take its toll.

Canary, meanwhile, paid a large price for her ambush. A dark crystal spear pierced her stomach. She, teeth gritted with pain and fury, ignored it and imbued another pair of knives with lightning instead. 

The tiny marksman didn't seem to be affected by her injury as she hurled the pair lightning knives with lethal efficiency, piercing the devil's stomach and a summoned demon's eye with effortless grace. 

The air crackled, water steaming from the electric shocks. The room was in utter disarray, the library a battlefield of destruction and water.

Sparrow knew this was the chance. Ignoring the pain and the oppressive aura, he launched a final, desperate attack. He dove in with an overwhelming ferocity.

The Devil Sage launched another black crystal spear to stop him but Sparrow did not even think of evading it. He used his left arm to smash the crystal spear away and kept delivering his final blow. His lightning fist connecting with the Sage's skull with a sickening crack.

The Sage collapsed, his form dissolving into a dark mist. The demonic soldiers vanished with a series of pops. The battle had ended.

Sparrow, chest heaving, looked down at his left arm; It was a mangled mess. Canary, her left leg twisted at an unnatural angle, coughed, a dark stain blossoming on her vest as she struggled to breathe. A dark crystal spear was still planted in her stomach.

The battle was won, but the price had been high. 

"Birdbro! Tt... time!" Canary reminded as she struggled to stand.

"Just wait there, Tweety!" With a grimace that showed the pain and tiredness, Sparrow moved quickly.

They knew the rules of the realmgate well. Their aunt had told them very clearly. Their injuries, horrific as they were, would heal the moment they were transported back to their home world. But any items they had not used would vanish into the ether unless they were lucky enough to reclaim them in the reward stage.

With grim determination, Sparrow began to scavenge. Ignoring the bloody mess of his left hand, he started to loot anything that could be taken. He retrieved any useful looking item he saw, his single good hand searching among the wreckage of books and furniture. 

Every bit of time was precious; each second brought them closer to the closing of the realmgate. Sparrow knew he had to make the most of this, even as his body screamed in protest.