The Quiet Study
“To unleash the power of the words of creation...” My resolve echoed through the quiet study. The woman in the robe listened quietly to my words. Her eyes held not surprise or joy, but deep understanding and a hint of sorrow.
“You have made a wise decision,” she said softly. “But the path ahead is steep and fraught with danger. Are you prepared?”
“Yes,” I answered firmly. “For two thousand years, I have journeyed to unravel the mysteries of this world. And now, the answer lies before me. Whatever dangers await, I intend to proceed.”
She nodded. “Then let us begin. First, you must gain complete control over the power of this artifact. It is a fragment of the Word of Creation and possesses extraordinary power. But that power, if uncontrolled, will destroy you.”
She reached out to the artifact. In that instant, the entire study began to tremble faintly. The air warped, and a faint light began to emanate from the artifact.
“This artifact resonates with your power of immortality. But that resonance, if left unchecked, will cause it to run wild. You must harmonize your immortal power with the power of this artifact. To do that...” She paused, her gaze fixed on me.
“...you must be prepared to offer your soul to this artifact.”
Her words startled me slightly. Offer my soul... Did she mean it literally? Or was it a metaphor? Yet, the unwavering resolve in her eyes answered my unspoken question.
“Offer... my soul...?” I realized my own voice was trembling faintly.
"Yes. The power of this artifact only manifests its true strength when it resonates with your soul. And to fully control that power, your soul must become a part of the artifact itself." Her words resonated with a weight and mystery, like a passage from sacred scripture.
I stared at the Infinite Book and the artifact. For two thousand years, I had sought knowledge and journeyed onward. And now, the culmination of that quest lay before me in this very moment. To offer my soul... it was a choice fraught with great risk. Yet I was prepared to accept that risk. I was prepared to offer this life, this soul, to unravel the mysteries of this world.
In the silence, I took a deep breath and reached out to the relic. In that instant, my soul was overwhelmed by a sensation as if being sucked into the abyss of the universe.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
