Beyond The Shelves

There were ineffable Wills beyond the worlds, in an abyss where neither where nor when held dominion. These Wills wove the thread of our stories, etched the contours of our souls, and inscribed the course of our destinies. […] They murmured beyond all realms and dominions, and the gods themselves bent in utter obedience to their decree. No name bears true meaning before them, for none may grasp the depth of their intent, nor define the essence they conceal. There exists no word, no thought, that may encompass the truth—save for the secret that dwells in the abyss above all things, above all beings, above even the shelves and winding corridors of this very library. […] Yet, though the veiled mysteries are forbidden from full unveiling within these tomes, scattered glimpses have risen through the folds of the hidden—and unto us, a single word was granted: PENUMBRA. […] PENUMBRA is the reshaping of the dwellings, the key to damnation beyond eternity—or salvation beyond the same. PENUMBRA is the sacred dilemma, the equilibrium forged between the radiant and the shadowed. We dare not pierce the veil of its image, only abide in silence and await its will made manifest.

Excerpts taken from the Kahish'kës heud'Nam-Eetnëh (or Letter from Our Great Itna of Carris), recited in the Third Canon of Arthan. Erikeshian Writings Rediscovered: The Mysteries of the Great Civilization of the Magicians, Vol. VII. Hensonn, et al. 1974.

Then you wake up.

There was complete silence in the reading room, along with a static, empty air. Partial darkness hung over the larger space, while a slight dizziness shook your vision. Your heavy head causes the first glimpse you catch to be a sepia-toned page from one of the countless books that are expected to be at your disposal in that place. Although the situation seems unpredictable and sudden, despite a slight hint of familiarity, your memory is clearly consumed, but a symbol remains. You can't remember what happened before you lifted your eyelids, but one word is in your mind. The contrast between the shadow cast by your head on the table and the light from a glowing stone lamp about ten meters above you already offers a hint of what's bubbling in your intellect. When you look at the book, the first word your brain processes is "penumbra."

(WIP)