Chapter 2: An Unconventional Proposition

Despite the questions that plagued my thoughts, fatigue won over me, and I fell into a deep slumber on the comfortable bed.

I have no idea of how i slept long I slept. There was no way of discerning whether it was day or night. The room had windows, but the curtains were eerily effective at blocking out any external light. I stood up walking towards the windows at the side of the bed. As I was about to draw open the curtains, I was startled by a voice that greeted me, "I see you're already awake, good morning, dear guest."

Suprised, I turned to see Whisper standing by the door. "A-ah, good morning," I stammered as my hand fell away from the curtains.

"I see that you're curious to see what's outside. Well, you can check, just don't expect too much," Whisper said, settling down by the door, waiting for my next action.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I approached the window facing the bed. As I pushed back the curtains, a sense of anticipation filled me. Yet, when the curtains revealed the other side, there was nothing but darkness—a void.

I turned back to Whisper. "I told you, didn't I? Don't expect too much," he said, joining me by the window to gaze at the inky abyss. "I guess we still have much to talk about. Let's go to the study."

The study, like the other areas, was filled with books. What set it apart was an enclosed book, still in its early stages of being written, at the center of the room.

We settled into comfortable chairs, and Whisper served tea before beginning a conversation.

"I know everything might be too much for you right now, but I have a proposition for you," Whisper said, his oceanic eyes locked onto mine.

He continued, "As I shared with you yesterday, you can think of each individual book as a different world. However, despite being a library, there aren't many visitors who come to read."

"Because this is not a place where visitors--or anyone could just come easily," he added, placing down his cup.

The revelation was not entirely unexpected, yet it still sent a shockwave through me.

 "Well not to say that there's no other existence here except for us, but rather your existence here is a mystery. In short you're not supposed to be here" He said as he stared back at me.

"There are only a few things I could think of why you came here. It could be that you are simply an anomaly, nothing more. Or maybe someone the owner sent here. But the most plausible explanation would be that you are a character in one of the books in this library."

"There's an owner?" I inquired.

"Yes, the library has an owner, but she has been away for so long after saying she would go and write her own adventure, leaving me to take care of this place," Whisper explained, a tinge of frustration in his voice.

He continued, "If you're from a book, there's a phenomenon occurring where voids are appearing in stories. For some reason, pages are being erased. It was one of the reasons why the owner left, and it's starting to threaten the existence of the library."

As he mentioned the threat, my eyes were drawn to the shelves that showed their age, displaying cracks and chips.

"Well, that's where the proposition comes in," Whisper said, and I listened intently. "You have to enter the books and try to fill in the void or the missing pages. This way, you might find the book where you belong and prevent the library from being destroyed."

"But what if I'm not from a book?" I asked.

"Then it might mean that you're an outsider, a potential threat, or perhaps the mastermind behind the void," Whisper explained, causing me to nearly spit out my tea.

"Hey! Careful! What if the books get wet?" Whisper comically patted the books as though he was saving them.

"Don't worry, I know you're not that kind of person," he reassured me, jumping onto my side, his soft fur brushing against my cheek. "But still, I'd have to chase you outside of the library for the safety of the place."

I let out a hesitant sigh, realizing the gravity of the situation. "So what do you think?"

"Well, I don't have much of a choice, do I?" I replied.

"Then I think we have a deal," Whisper said, extending his paw to me. As I took it, I couldn't help but notice how incredibly fluffy his paw was.

"First things first, what do we call you?" he pondered, studying me closely.

"Calliope, Calliope Fallacya," I muttered, recalling the name from the diary.

Whisper looked at me thoughtfully. "Hmm? Why that name?"

"I saw it in a diary in the guest room."

"Well, you must have a reason for choosing it," he remarked, leaning in closer. 

In a stamping motion, he placed his right paw on my forehead and i can feel it being marked although it was actually tingly instead of painful. 

"Now Calliope Fallacya, the Library considers you as an helper. You will be able to enter various books but there are still some that you won't be able to access, those would need permission from the owner"

I nodded, as I tried to show my determination to Whisper.

"Now shall we talk about the things you need to do?" Whisper said as he jumped down from the coaches and walked towards the enclosed book in the middle of the room.