The Chronicle of the Beginning and Climax

Chapter 23 – Echoes of the Unwritten

The flickering lights above cast long, wavering shadows on the cold marble floor. Yoo Jihwan stood in the center of the grand library, its towering shelves stretching far beyond what the eye could perceive. The scent of old parchment and ink clung to the air, mixing with something else—an eerie stillness, as if the very pages around him whispered secrets.

The book in his hands hummed faintly, its golden cover glowing with a pulse that matched his heartbeat.

Sohyun glanced at him, concern flickering in her eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

Jihwan exhaled, his grip tightening on the book. "Not really. But I don't have a choice, do I?"

A single step forward, and the entire world trembled.

The book opened on its own, flipping pages at an impossible speed, the ink shifting as if it were alive. Then, a voice—low and ancient—resonated from its depths.

"The Reader has found the path. But is he ready to walk it?"

A sudden gust of wind erupted from the book, forcing Jihwan to dig his heels in. The walls of the library fractured like glass, revealing a vast, endless void beyond them. One by one, the books were vanishing, dissolving into streams of golden light.

"The path of the Beginning leads only to the Climax."

Jihwan felt his stomach drop. A familiar dread seeped into his bones. He had heard those words before. Somewhere, sometime.

Sohyun's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Jihwan! Look!"

A figure emerged from the collapsing shelves. Cloaked in shadows, its presence twisted the air around it. But what made Jihwan's breath hitch was the sight of its face.

It was his own.

A perfect mirror, but hollow—its expression devoid of warmth, of hesitation. The figure lifted a hand, and a crimson glow crackled at its fingertips.

"The Reader of the Beginning does not belong in the Middle."

Jihwan barely had time to react before the world around him shattered, and the battle began.