Chapter 163: Before the Hunger — The Lord of Depths (Part IV: The Library Beneath the World)
Eight Days Until Arrival
"Every civilization leaves behind ruins.
Only the greatest leave behind warnings."
— The Third Chronicle of the Eshkarai
Night settled over the eastern desert.
The stars above Ilys-Kareth were impossibly clear, scattered across the heavens like rivers of silver dust.
Around the expedition's camp, small lanterns burned with pale blue Aether flames, their light barely disturbing the vast darkness stretching beyond the dunes.No one truly slept.Every scholar lay awake, listening.
The great stone door did not make a sound.
Yet all of them felt as though it were...
Waiting.
The Door Opens
Just before dawn, the desert became unnaturally still.The wind vanished.
The shifting dunes froze in place.
Even insects disappeared into the sand.
Then...A deep rumble echoed beneath their feet.The enormous stone door slowly moved.
It did not swing open.
Instead, the countless stone blocks composing it folded inward, rotating with impossible precision. Ancient mechanisms hidden beneath the desert awakened after thousands of years, each movement accompanied by a low metallic resonance that vibrated through the earth itself.
Dust poured from the seams like waterfalls.
A current of cold air rushed upward from the darkness below.
It smelled of old parchment.Rain and stone untouched by sunlight since before recorded history.The entrance revealed a staircase descending into blackness.
No crimson light.
No monsters.
Only silence.
The First Rule
The twelve scholars stood frozen.
No one dared take the first step.
Finally, Seraphel spoke.
"Remember why we are here."
He looked at each of them in turn.
"We are not conquerors."
"We are guests."
He removed his sandals before stepping onto the ancient stairs.
The others followed.
Thalenna understood immediately.
In Eshkarai tradition.One entered sacred places barefoot.Not to show humility before God's but before knowledge.
The Hall of Echoing Pages
The staircase continued downward for what felt like hours.
Eventually...The darkness gave way to soft silver light.Before them stretched a chamber so vast that its ceiling disappeared into shadow.Bookshelves taller than castle towers lined the hall.
Stone bridges connected distant balconies.
Rivers flowed through channels carved into the floor, their waters glowing faintly with blue Aether.Floating crystals illuminated countless rows of manuscripts.
The air carried the scent of cedar wood, ink, and ancient leather.
No dust covered the shelves.
No cobwebs hung from the ceiling.
It was as though someone had left only yesterday.One scholar whispered,
"This place is older than the Eshkarai..."
Seraphel slowly nodded.
"No."He corrected.
"I believe..." "The Eshkarai were built because of this place."
The Silent Librarians
As they ventured deeper...
Thalenna noticed figures standing between the shelves.At first, she thought they were statues.Then one moved.Slowly.Gracefully.
They resembled humans carved from pale stone.
Their eyes glowed softly with blue light.
Each carried stacks of books, carefully returning them to their proper shelves.
They paid no attention to the intruders.
One passed directly beside Thalenna.
Its movements were gentle.
Deliberate.It paused before a damaged scroll, carefully repaired the torn edge with threads of shimmering light...Then continued walking.It doesn't see