CHAPTER 5: SOME INSIGHT REQUIRED

Agatha departed from the Mandroff Laboratory and arrived at the desolated forest, the very same woodland that had guided her to the lab. She settled herself upon the charred stump of a tree and commenced reading a colossal, highly classical book. The book featured detailed illustrations portraying numerous experiments and satirical renditions of various inventions. It consisted of thousands upon thousands of chapters, yet Agatha's interest lay predominantly in the chapter her grandfather had mentioned earlier: "Universe on the Edge." As she turned the pages, however, she was taken aback to discover that they were all devoid of content.

Persistently flipping through the pages, Agatha persisted until she reached the conclusion, where she encountered a message stating that the revelations within would not come easily to anyone and required a certain level of INSIGHT to be unveiled. This revelation filled Agatha with anger, prompting her to angrily hurl the book aside. Overwhelmed by frustration and a sense of helplessness, she found herself succumbing to tears. In the midst of her emotional turmoil, her peripheral vision caught sight of an extraordinary sight—a radiant glow emanating from the book. Confused, she approached it, only to discover that a pool of water had permeated the book's empty pages, casting a luminous glow throughout the surroundings.

Night had nearly fallen, and this illumination captivated Agatha with its breathtaking beauty. For a brief moment, she was transported into a surreal realm, forgetting all her troubles and yearning to dwell in that very moment. However, Agatha snapped back to reality as thoughts of the time machine, known as LEPER, resurfaced in her mind. Collecting herself, she retrieved the partially soaked book, yet to her surprise, the empty pages continued to emit their radiant glow, assisting her in finding a path toward the time machine. As she approached the designated location, the pages abruptly turned pitch black and ignited into flames. Agatha instinctively dropped the book and began to scream, desperately pleading for the pages not to burn. Regrettably, the empty pages were reduced to ashes, leaving the rest of the book's chapters unscathed.

Determined to find answers, Agatha gathered the ashes and carefully wrapped them in a handkerchief she had tucked away in her pocket. She clung to the hope that these remnants would provide the answers she sought. With her resolve unwavering, Agatha returned to her time machine and set her course back home