[???]

The air was stale, a thick layer of dust coating the shelves of the archives. Mirai covered his face with a cloth, blocking out the tiny particles. It didn’t seem to help, however, as he struggled to draw breath, panting as he paced slowly around the worn-down building, searching for the documents that Jìguāng had asked him to retrieve. He stopped for a moment, catching his breath. What was going on? Were his respiratory problems really just because of the dust, or was something else causing them? He shook his head, dismissing the thought. What else could it be?

Why not add this task to my mission brief? What was Jìguāng thinking? I’m supposed to be signaling those two by now. They’re going to think I got caught again. Shit. Indra’s going to kill me if I don’t hurry up. What the hell does Jìguāng want with a book on Soul Binding anyway? And why would he think it’s here in Filoc Valley, inside this musty-ass library of all places? If it's as important as Jìguāng described it to be, then wouldn’t they keep it in a more secure location? He grimaced. Maybe Jìguāng’s finally becoming senile.

He scoured the shelves, tracing his fingers lightly over brittle books that looked as if they would crumble under the slightest pressure. Plumes of dust were unsettled as Mirai delved deeper into the archives, muttering words of indignation until something caught his eye. Lodged under a stack of books, he pulled out a voluminous tome. He brushed off the dust, wincing as it dispersed. Eyes red and watery, he stared at a language he could not read, although, he recognized the runes from Vivian’s lectures. Uturian Cuniform? What’s a book like this doing here?

His thoughts were interrupted by a commotion coming from outside of the archives. Sounds of a struggle could be heard as muffled screams reached Mirai’s ears. He looked around apprehensively. The thrashing from outside became more violent as the splintering of wood and the crushing of stone steadily grew louder. The shelves lurched with each seismic strike, the force seemingly shaking the very foundation of the building. A writhing mass suddenly emerged through the walls of the archives. Its maw dripped with blood, piercing white eyes burning with malice against pitch black body. What the fuck.

It lunged at Mirai with outstretched arms, narrowly missing as the Homunculus quickly ducked underneath its razor-sharp talons. He nearly wretched as an overwhelmingly pungent miasma entered his nose, the cloth doing nothing to keep the smell at bay. He took off running, escaping deeper into the cavernous system of the archives.

The creature followed at a frightening pace, tearing through dense rows of bookshelves like they were nothing more than paper. It roared ferociously, a ravenous scream brimming with bloodlust. It barrelled through the maze of ornate wood shelves on all fours, forcing its way through each room, using its sheer size and speed to close the gap between them.

A sudden swipe from the creature’s outstretched wing sent Mirai into the nearest wall, knocking the air out of him. As he crumpled to the floor, the tome that he had been clutching tightly to his chest, slid out from under his grasp. The creature moved swiftly; Mirai held up his arms weakly in a vain attempt to protect himself. But it was not him that the creature was interested in. The beast deftly snatched the book from off the floor before Mirai could even blink.

It snarled excitedly, opening the book with surprising delicacy. A twisted grin spread across its face as it pored over the manuscript, drinking deeply from the wealth of knowledge it contained.

Mirai slowly inched away, careful not to make any sudden movements, praying that the beast's attention would linger on the volume for just a little longer. He forced himself to stay conscious through the nauseating atmosphere that seemed to sap his very essence of all energy. His will to move grew ever weaker.

The creature suddenly snapped the book shut with thundering force, burning it to ash with black flame. Its gaze fell on Mirai, who tripped over himself, scrambling frantically to escape its clutches. It closed the distance between them in a single bound, looming over the Homunculus as he fought nausea and delirium, slowly slipping into a state of semi-consciousness. The creature extended an enormous hand towards him, closing its palm around his thin frame. He tried to fight it to no avail as the last of his strength left him. His eyelids grew heavy until they finally gave in to darkness.

“AGGGH!!” Mirai screamed, stumbling out of bed. He fell to the floor from the top bunk, landing heavily on his stomach.

“What the fuck? What was that? Mirai, you okay?” Akula mumbled drowsily.

Mirai sucked in shallow breaths, wheezing as he rolled over in pain. He gathered his bearings as he sat upright, looking around the room, rubbing his eyes for clarity. They were in their designated room: room 503. He checked his Nerve Cord: [July 27, 4021 23:01] [Matriarch 03 AB Side- Deployment Bay 06].

Akula looked at him inquisitively. “You sure you’re okay, dude? That looked like a nasty fall.”

Mirai steadied himself. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. I just…it was just a nightmare,” he said, reassuring Akula.

“Oh, okay then. You gotta be more careful. I can switch with you if you want.”

“No! Uh, I mean, no. It’s okay, really. I’m fine, just a little shaken up from the fall, that’s all.”

Akula raised an eyebrow. “Well, alright then. But I’m switching with you if it happens again.”

Mirai nodded hastily.

“Okay, goodnight,” Akula said, yawning widely before falling back asleep.

“Goodnight,” Mirai replied, breathing a sigh of relief. He steadied his beating heart as it thumped against his chest rapidly. He climbed back into bed, shaken. What had he just seen? Surely, it was all just a horrible dream, right? Yet he couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling of familiarity. What was that thing? Why did it want that book? Why was Jìguāng after the book? Mirai clasped his face, shaking away the thoughts that clouded his mind. It doesn’t matter anyway. It was all just a bad dream. Yeah, that’s all it was. he reassured himself, drifting off to sleep once more…