Clara sat by the wooden window of her room, letting the cold night breeze caress her face. Her heart felt heavy since the incident at the old library, where she discovered something she never expected—the Gate of 1000 Worlds. Even though days had passed, Clara's mind was still haunted by what she had done. She wasn't sure, but something about that gate had changed the world around her, even though everything still seemed normal.
Clara rose from her seat and gazed at the shadows of the night outside the window. The small town where she lived remained peaceful, illuminated only by the faint glow of the moon. Yet, deep in her heart, she felt an unexplainable unease. The portal she had accidentally opened left her questioning and, at the same time, trembling in fear.
"What have I done? What will happen next?" Clara murmured to herself, feeling lost and guilty.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Maybe I should go inside the Gate and see what's in there," an idea crossed her mind. She then stepped toward the window, gazing at the night sky adorned with countless tiny stars.
"Yes, I have to make sure what's inside." Clara then walked to her wooden wardrobe, old yet sturdy enough for use.
Creak! The wardrobe door opened slowly. Her eyes scanned the inside carefully, searching for something. "Ah!" Clara exclaimed as she grabbed an old piece of parchment with ancient writings.
"I can use this just in case," she said while closing the wardrobe door cautiously.
After that, Clara headed to the storage room behind her house. It looked somewhat messy, as it hadn't been cleaned or maintained for a long time. Besides, she never had any reason to explore it. The last time she set foot in the storage room was last year.
"Hmm…" Clara rummaged through the items, shifting things around. There were many objects she rarely saw, but not the one she was looking for.
After three minutes of searching, she finally found a wooden chest—unlocked. "This is it!" Clara felt a bit excited. She then carried the chest inside, leaving the scattered items behind.
Placing the wooden chest on the table, she opened it carefully. "Wow, still in perfect condition!" Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
Inside the chest lay a pair of twin daggers, neatly arranged. They rested on animal hide, with their sheaths placed separately.
Clara picked up the daggers, examining their surface and texture to ensure they were still sharp and well-maintained. "These are definitely still in excellent shape."
She still remembered when she first saw the daggers' abilities, capturing the interest of many—especially assassins and mercenaries who desperately wanted them.
Because of that, the daggers were hidden away. However, the wooden chest used to store them was left outside, in the storage room.
This was because most people targeted her father's house instead of hers. So, the chest was kept at Clara's house, and no one knew she lived elsewhere.
Clara lit a lantern, preparing to leave. She strapped the twin daggers to her waist and donned a hooded coat made of stitched animal hide.
She extinguished the lanterns illuminating her home, letting the darkness of the night take over.
On her way to the library, she tried to recall any knowledge she might have learned about the Gate she had opened.
"What is the Gate of 1000 Worlds?" The night was not silent, as the sound of crickets echoed from all directions, accompanied by the rustling wind, the crunching leaves beneath her steps, and the snapping twigs—keeping Clara company.
Clara had heard of the Gate of 1000 Worlds from her grandmother when she was five years old.
According to her grandmother, when someone unseals the Gate of 1000 Worlds, that person is chosen as the legacy of the Wise Sage. Two hundred years ago, someone was selected and successfully maintained the balance between the worlds within the Gate.
His presence was well-known, as he was kind and possessed wisdom nearly equal to the Wise Sage.
However, in one battle inside the Gate, he suffered a devastating defeat. Many of his comrades who followed him into the Gate perished.
In an overwhelmingly emotional state, he decided to unleash his full power, causing the fabric of space and time within the Gate to rupture. This led to an unstable environment, as if the entire dimension was on the verge of collapse.
Realizing the fate of everyone inside, he made the ultimate sacrifice by sealing the Gate of 1000 Worlds with his own soul. As a result, he was forever trapped inside.
His remaining comrades were sent out before the Gate was sealed.
That was what Clara had heard from her grandmother. She then murmured to herself, "Did I release the seal of that person? He was a good person, right? Should I be afraid?" she whispered softly. She glanced out the window, looking at the small town below, where the glow of torches and lanterns flickered. Her house was on a hill, right between the town districts, giving her a clear view of the beautiful night scenery.
Under the white moonlight, accompanied by the tiny shimmering stars scattered across the sky, Clara took a step forward. She had to return to the old library—to find the truth behind her grandmother's words. Tonight, everything would be revealed, whether it was good or bad. That possibility was undeniable. She had to gather her courage and take responsibility for what she had 'disturbed.'
The night air was fresh and cold, biting at Clara's skin. The swaying trees seemed to beckon her forward as the sounds of nocturnal creatures filled the air, joined by the distant howls of stray dogs—a familiar sound to Clara. She was no longer afraid of walking alone at night, though she still had some doubts.
The distance between the Old Library and her house wasn't far; it only took about 30 minutes on foot. However, having lived in the area for a long time, Clara knew of an alternative route to reach the library faster.
That route led through the riverbank on the northern side of town. There, large stones emerged from the water, forming a safe and non-slippery crossing.
Beyond that, a narrow path made of clay led through the woods. Following this trail, she soon caught sight of the Old Library—aged and covered in moss on its quartz walls. Though ancient in appearance, it remained sturdy due to a magical barrier. Unless the magic faded, the building would never collapse.
Seeing how vast and tall the library was, Clara assumed it was much larger than she had expected. The proof? The Gate of 1000 Worlds was built within this library.
Truthfully, Clara had no idea about the Gate's existence inside the library. In the ten years she had explored it, she had never noticed the Gate of 1000 Worlds at the library's center. Not a single book within the library mentioned the "Location of the Gate of 1000 Worlds." The only thing she ever felt was a faint unsettling aura whenever she stayed there for too long.
For her, the purpose of her research wasn't to uncover the library's mysteries—it was simply because she wanted to read every book there. This earned her the nickname "bookworm" from her classmates during school.
After all, Clara would read books wherever she went, finishing nearly every book in her school library within two weeks.
However, despite being a bookworm, Clara never mastered offensive magic. If she did, it was only on a small scale and often unstable. Because of that, she was frequently mocked by her schoolmates.
"Clara, the genius of theory but useless in battle magic," one boy had sneered when she tripped during a magic training session.
"Why not just write books instead? You're not skilled in magic anyway."
"Yeah, you should be in a low-grade school outside the district."
"Hahaha!"
Despite the insults, Clara never let them affect her. She remained rational, always looking at things logically. Though the words wounded her, she knew there was no point in arguing with fools. So, she merely smiled—a smile that loneliness often accompanied.
A flashback she wished to forget, yet it remained fresh in her mind. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Alright, this is it!" Clara whispered to herself. She stepped into the Old Library, passing rows of fragile, dust-covered bookshelves.
"There's no point stopping here! I have to move forward!" Clara resolved in her heart.
She was sure there was a reason behind everything.
Step by step, Clara finally stood before the Gate, which now emitted a faint dark glow.
"Is that the portal?"
Clara took a hesitant step forward, her body trembling yet driven by determination and curiosity.
Swallowing hard, she felt the mysterious, ominous pull of the Gate, as if it was calling to her. According to old tales, the Gate of 1000 Worlds was an infinite realm, connecting a thousand worlds in a dimension of emptiness. But the truth would soon be revealed.
The first step toward the Gate felt heavy, as if something was trying to hold her back. But with a strong resolve and a willingness to face any possibility, Clara pressed on.
The closer she got, the more the oppressive aura weighed down on her. She nearly faltered—but her spirit burned strong.
Suddenly, the locket hanging around Clara's neck began to glow, as if reacting to something.
"Oh no, I have to do something!" Clara exclaimed. She glanced around, searching for something to grab onto. Unfortunately, there was nothing—no pillars, no handholds.
"Tch, am I just out of luck today!?"
The pull grew stronger, and the pressure around the gate intensified. Loose pages and books were swept into the air, caught in the whirlwind within the library.
In the end, Clara was sucked into the Gate of a Thousand Worlds.
Silence fell over the library. Books and scattered pages lay strewn across the floor, and the aura that had surrounded the gate had vanished. Everything returned to normal.
The sound of crickets and night creatures echoed through the quiet night.