Elara, Part 1

Chapter 23: Elara, Part 1

After resting for a bit and regaining some of my energy, I rose from the plush sofa and approached the floating book, my steps heavy with trepidation. As I drew closer, the ornate design on the cover became more apparent – intricate swirls and patterns etched into the leather binding, intricate yet beautiful.

The book itself had no title, its cover completely blank save for the mesmerizing artwork. This anonymity only added to the aura of mystery surrounding the book, sending a shiver down my spine. Despite my apprehension, the pull I felt towards it was undeniable, as if it contained secrets that called out to the very depths of my soul.

This was it – the moment of truth. Was this book a trap, or something else? My heart raced as I extended a trembling hand. Yet, I couldn't hold back my curiosity.

I had always dismissed the saying "curiosity killed the cat," but now I could understand it a bit better. If not for human curiosity, we would have stagnated, still living in caves. Eve wouldn't have eaten the forbidden fruit. Humanity's progress stems from our relentless pursuit of curiosity, leading us to modern society. And that's why - screw it.

I touched the cover of the mysterious book with my hand, yet despite this, I didn't enter into the vivid state even after a couple of minutes had passed. Confused, I took the book instead and opened it. It was blank - not a single word or image graced its pages as I flipped through them.

As I continued turning the pages, I saw a small cut on my finger and a drop of blood by the pages of the book. Suddenly, the book began to radiate a warm golden light, bathing the space around me in its ethereal glow. From the open pages, shimmering particles emerged, swirling and dancing in intricate patterns. The book then started to float away from my hand, hovering in front of me.

My eyes widened as tiny, sparkling lights began swirling and coming together in front of me. These glowing particles twisted and turned, forming a giant double helix that looked like a huge, neon DNA strand. But this wasn't a small model; this massive spiral seemed to be made of pure energy, shining with a mesmerizing glow.

Golden strands of light intertwined with deep, vibrant violet, weaving together like an endless braid. The two colors created a shifting pattern that dazzled my eyes. 

I watched in awe and disbelief as the glowing double helixes continued to rise into the sky, seemingly defying the laws of physics.

My heart pounded, and my mind raced to understand what I was seeing. The universe itself seemed to bend and shimmer around this bright vision. It was like being inside a disco ball that had just discovered it could twerk. As all this was happening, I realized I couldn't move my body at all which is sad cause I really wanted to twerk now. Not only that, but something was changing in me.

Snap!

A sound like a twig being stepped on by a particularly angry squirrel echoed around me, followed by a pain so intense it made stubbing your toe on a Lego feel like a gentle tickle. My body was undergoing a transformation, and with it came excruciating pain. I swear I could hear my bones continuously breaking and repairing themselves, each time with the sound effect of a cartoonish bone-crunch, but with every snap, crackle, and pop, I felt rejuvenated—as if I were experiencing death and rebirth over and over again.

"Great," I thought, "I'm becoming the world's most agonized breakfast cereal."

Endorphins flooded my system, mixing ecstasy with the torture. I was torn between bliss and agony, my mind nearly breaking from the intense sensations. Part of me never wanted this painful transformation to end, while another part begged for the suffering to stop.

I felt this bizarre combination of emotions: Excited? Happy? Pisstified for a lack of a better word.

The convulsions were so intense that I could hear my organs shifting, my muscles tearing and reforming with wet crunches. The smell of burnt flesh and exposed bone filled my nose.

Each time my bones snapped and reassembled, it was like getting hit by a truck driven by a cheerful clown who wanted to isekai me but failed to do so, then offered me a balloon animal as an apology. My muscles spasmed, doing a dance that could only be described as the Macarena performed by a zombie on roller skates.

"Wow, this hurts like a—ouch! Hey, that's not so bad. Wait, no, it's definitely bad."

At one point, I could swear I heard my spleen make a noise like a squeaky toy, and I briefly wondered if I was turning into some sort of horrifyingly cheerful Frankenstein's monster.

"How long is this gonna last?" I thought as my vision blurred, and I was pretty sure one of my eyeballs had decided to take a quick vacation before popping back into place.

By the end of it, I was lying in a puddle of my own sweat (and possibly a few other bodily fluids I didn't want to think too hard about), feeling like I'd just been through a blender set to "liquefy." . 

In the meantime, I decided it was best to just lie there and laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all. The image of my own flesh and bones exposed was still vivid, making me shiver. Another trauma to add to the ever-growing list —gotta catch 'em all, right? Things couldn't possibly get any worse, could they?

As if on cue, a voice broke through the haze. It was casual, dripping with sarcasm, making light of my horrifying ordeal.

"Well, well, if it isn't the human piñata! Things were getting pretty noisy in here. How was your little party?" the voice quipped.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Oh, just peachy. Always dreamed of feeling my bones play musical chairs."

The voice chuckled. "Sounds like a real crack-up! Literally."

"Har har, very funny," I muttered, still trying to piece myself together—both literally and figuratively.

 "Look on the bright side," the voice continued, "at least you got to see what's under your birthday suit. Not many people have seen what's inside of them!"

"Yeah, because internal organs are all the rage these days," I shot back, trying to ignore the throbbing pain.

The figure finally emerged from the shadows, a smirk plastered on her face. She exuded a mix of grace and irreverence, with eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"Well, Noel," she said, hands on her hips, "looks like you've had quite the enlightening experience."

I took a deep breath, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. "Who are you?"

She grinned, clearly enjoying my confusion. "I'm the accumulation of experience, knowledge, and memory from the library of your mind. You can call me Elara."