"Predictions don't work how you think they should in the Eternal Library. Sure, we can see the future if we find the right book, but the act of viewing stops that future from occurring. It wipes it clean. I believe it's the opposite with the Fate Mechanism. The act of looking at a future locks it in but requires an immense amount of 'calculation'. I put that in quotes because the calculation is done through the Commandments."

Anna spoke to Nav from somewhere within the Eternal Library.

The fragrance of tea was especially strong today. Bookkeepers wearing cozy white-blue suits thoroughly combed through the shelves.

The retrieved books would then be neatly piled into a wheelless wagon. This heavily embellished wagon was a book cart designed to hold up to two tons worth of books.

If for any reason they had to move over two tons at a time, then one did not have to look any further than the book truck, which had a twenty-five-ton limit.

A ghost-like figure with a giant cap and glasses orbited the cart before suddenly disappearing into it. Then, the walnut cart began to glow with a faint ethereal light and hovered in place.

The cart moved on its own and traversed through the impossible layout of the Eternal Library. It defied gravity and rode on walls, the ceiling, and cut through spaces that could not be perceived in a Euclidian three-dimensional space.

Eventually, the cart reached a place that obeyed the laws of physics.

It was a secluded location with many pathways, but finding it would require one to navigate the aisles for decades if they were not experienced with the throes of the Library. The shelves parted and revealed a large space decorated with small shelves, floating safes, and a large ring-shaped desk.

Sitting in the center was a stoic grey-haired Bookkeeper. She did not look up when the cart arrived. But when it passed a certain threshold, she glanced up to acknowledge it out of formality.

"You're early. I heard the Archivist speak. I thought she was accompanying you. Ah, the Bookkeepers are working especially hard today."

She placed a quill into a tub of ink after she had finished writing the last page of a book. Then, a floating podium hovered close, and she placed the book on top. Jagged shards emerged around the podium like the thorns of a petal-less rose.

"Another incomplete tale. Pending for completion. I will make a request to the Archivist to complete this tale, where possible."

The podium then moved aside. Beside the short shelves littering the large space were books that were displayed on various themed podiums, much like the first.

For example, a book pertaining to a tale about love had red hearts jutting from it, and one depicting devastation had a crumbling podium. She adjusted her glasses, rolled her chair along the desk until she stopped at another splayed book.

"If you came here to deliver books pending completion, then please leave the cart here." Her cold demeanor was more of a formality as an Ex-Librarian.

She momentarily gave the living cart a small smile when the phantom unpossessed it.

"Aaaaannn!"

The phantom wore a 'U^U' expression and did somersaults in the air.

"Is there a single thought in that mind of yours?"

"Aaaaan!"

"To employ volatile Corrupted is new. But I do get to enjoy this kind of inspiration. Don't be early next time."

"Aaaaan!" It saluted before floating off.

This phantom was one of several Corrupted who worked for the Eternal Library. With the advent of the Light and now Incomplete Chapters and Pages of Books, it was possible to bring Archived Corrupted to life.

There were two types of non-humanoid workers in the Eternal Library. The first were ones that were Archived Corrupted who were brought in externally into the Eternal Library. These had to undergo a specialized selection process that identified whether a Corrupted had basic cognitive reasoning. Or were pliable at the very least.

The second came from tailoring books into living tales. These were not Corrupted per say but were closer to what the Librarians were – Impuritas.

However, the Light of the Nexus created Puritas variants of these tales. The closest comparison to them were the Magicalis.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

The only downside was that the Nexus could only produce a finite number of Light per day. 25 was the current limit, though this number was expected to increase when the Fragment of the Captured Star meets with the Archetype of Ego.

The Page of the Red Avenger for instance cost 5 Light to maintain. This did not include the Light required for her to use Corrupted Skills. It was the same for Archived Corrupted, although Main Sequence Corrupted did not require Light at all except when one borrowed their Skills.

That said, Scheherazade did not pay much attention to these limitations. She did not even think about the Light and its machinations at all. Her attention was drawn elsewhere as she parroted the words of the Archivist.

"The Scripts entail the calculations. Every act dictated by the Fate Mechanism is accounted for on the Strings. The difference between the Strings and the Books is that the ending of the latter does not hinge on the contents that come before it. The former, however, is purely determined by a sequence of actions."

"Adult books feel more like logical manuals than stories." Nav said as she entered Scheherazade's Nidus with the Archivist by her side. "Children books are whimsical in a pleasant way because there is a lack of strict coherency. But my favorite cupcakes aren't born from unmeasured scoops of sugar."

"How about we talk at a level we can all understand?" Anna beamed with a vibrant, cheerful smile. "Morning, Scheherazade. How are things looking?"

"Terrible." The woman said bluntly. "None of the Bookkeepers have found any books that reference the Advents aside from the ones already inside of the Nexus. At best we have historical records about events surrounding what we believe are Advents. Key word believe. And this this on top of my efforts to complete one thousand and one tales."

Scheherazade was the main coordinator of the Bookkeepers. If Anna was the Director, then Scheherazade was one of her Managers. Her responsibilities revolved around deciphering information from the books of the Eternal Library as well as filling in incomplete books.

This was her primary role as an Aspiring Author of the Nexus. Tales that did not have an ending were written to completion until they became a Derivative. These were a type of Book that contained unique Skills in the form of Chapters and Pages that could be used by the Bookkeepers.

"It's been quite useful for one of the Aspiring Moons and the Raven Sana. It empowers the more improbable Phantasia manifestations." Scheherazade noted. "The more improbable the Derivative is, the more Light is required and, quite frankly, my imagination. There are infinite possibilities. I appreciate you've taken the time to visit."

Scheherazade wasn't complaining. It was her informal way of relaying her thoughts. Her reports were quite detailed in contrast.

The mention of Derivatives caused Nav to contemplate momentarily.

"The Nexus' branding for Counterfeits."

"Precisely. Albeit to a significantly weaker degree. The Librarians and the Authors of Existentia are quite the plagiarists. But this research is still in its infancy. May I assume this is why you've come to visit my section?"

Anna placed down a cup of tea and a tray of biscuits on her desk before speaking.

"Frost recently gained a new Ability that has a unique interaction with the Gifts of Stars. I became curious if we could maybe create Derivatives from Gifts of Stars. Possible, because uh…"

Anna lowered her voice suddenly.

"Iscario. That monster had counterfeit versions of existing Gifts of Stars."

The Ability in question was [Nex Refinement], which been acquired from Luminal Synchrony's Nex Refinery. While they were not aware of the interaction between Frost's Specific Nex and an existing Star, Anna believed it would allow them to at least harness the power of that Star.

"Infusion S is what I'm eyeing." Anna's expression hardened as she went from podium to podium, admiring Scheherazade's efforts. "Books containing knowledge of a Technology don't return when a Beholder claims it. I'm hoping we can at least recover what we lost by creating a Derivative from the source."

Anna had one fatal flaw as the Archivist.

It was that she was only proficient at managing the Eternal Library, referencing material and noting down information. She couldn't write information that did not have a source, even if it could be acquired from the infinite possibilities of the Light.

She wasn't a creative person.

Not like an Author who desired to create rather than to archive.

"I see. Will I be called to the City of Strings? There is a White Light Apparatus located in the heart of Act X's territory."

"Oh! Yep! You can depart with Ber! She's gonna leave soon!" Anna wildly nodded in approval.

Scheherazade immediately rose to her feet. She was ready to depart, but only after she had finished her cup of tea, as it would be rude to leave even a single drop remaining. Her eyes moved to Anna, and her shoulders relaxed.

"The concept of Civilization is civility. Equity. Understanding. A utopia, for the optimists. But for us, it's to understand the past, and to build the future."

"Are you still feeling guilty after everything?" Anna softly spoke.

"Hundreds of years' worth of hatred extinguishing in a single meeting is bound to have one questioning their world." Scheherazade folded her arms. "Their purpose as well. Then again, it was my hatred that became my purpose… The Amalgam will not like what she'll find in the City of Strings."

"I hope it doesn't blow up into something bad." Anna frowned. "I might depart as well."

"You'll go too?" Nav was surprised, but she didn't try to convince Anna otherwise. "I shall take watch over the Eternal Library in your stead then."

"Thank you. It shouldn't be long if it's just a visit. I'll bring the Hired Arm and the Taleor just in case. See you later Nav!"

"I shall return with the Archivist. Thank you for taking over."

Anna and Scheherazade briskly departed, leaving Nav behind in total silence. Her hands hovered by her thighs as she stared at their backs.

She did not so much as wave goodbye.

* * *

"… 'Thank you'."

Static played in Nav's head.

Her gaze moved to Scheherazade's desk. It was the place where the Author had managed to create life.

Her hands tightened into balls, and she reached towards the desk where an open book containing the tale of a Construct withing to become human laid.

"I can rarely hear those words anymore, with the amount of distortion coming from the countless attuned to my frequency. In silence, when I read… all I hear are thoughts that are not mine."

The teacup clinked, and the tray of half-eaten biscuits rattled.

She picked it up and left, but not without taking a bite from a biscuit.

"Tasteless."

A rare scowl curved along her lips.

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