"Yamikuro!"
That was all that echoed in Yamikuro Asaki's mind.
But why did it ring in his mind? That wasn't his name.
In fact, he didn't have a name or a body; in that moment, he wasn't a physical being at all.
Yamikuro was the name given to his physical body, but even those memories slowly faded, staring at the everlasting darkness ahead of him that he chased.
The voice that echoed in his mind came from Isabella, but he didn't recognize her either.
Was he killed by Sphairos, who was a god? Or did Sphairos free him from that physical body, allowing him to traverse this comforting darkness?
For a second, nothing in Yamikuro's life felt real, and he felt like he had just been drifting in an endless space.
But he eventually woke up from what felt like a dream.
Yamikuro lay on the ancient wood floorboards, which were hundreds of years old. They creaked upon every floating dust that drifted across the still air.
Yamikuro's eyes had already opened wide, but his body refused to move, no matter how hard he forced it.
Staring straight above, Yamikuro just now realized there was no ceiling above him, but neither was there the usual sky with clouds. Whatever it was, it went on endlessly, as if there was no end to it.
The bookshelves towered over him, reaching as far as the eye could see, and surrounded him from all around. Some of them were overfilled with books, but none of the space was wasted.
Whatever this place Yamikuro woke up in wasn't a place he'd recognized: the endless bookshelves, covered with mist as they reached higher, the creaking floorboards, endless ceiling - none of it was familiar, yet he felt like he was where he was supposed to be.
This place felt like home, surrounding him with warmth, despite the clearly chilly air. It wasn't freezing cold, but he could feel the hair on his skin stand up.
In fact, coldness typically reminded Yamikuro of loneliness, tied to a past he wanted to forget.
Light bled through the air, but there was no clear source, no windows, no lights hanging from the ceiling. The light was just there, though it was dim, yet bright enough to see things clearly.
"Where am I...?" Yamikuro asked aloud.
Even Yamikuro himself was shocked at that; it was as if his mind and body weren't in sync. That was the question he had asked as soon as he woke up.
He lay there for another few minutes as his body caught up with his mind. Once his whole body flinched, sending uncomfortable chills down his spine and pinching his fingertips, he felt like he had finally woken up as himself.
"Yamikuro Asaki."
That was his name. That's who he was; it wasn't just a name given to his physical body, but that name defined him.
Yamikuro pushed himself up, his palms thrusted against the floorboards that could've cracked any moment.
His back felt weak, but thankfully, it was enough to support him without falling down back-first.
Once he was able to stand on his own feet without any external support, Yamikuro had to figure out where he was.
Slowly, Yamikuro's memories returned; he remembered Isabella, Sphairos, Elara, Lucian, and his parents.
Although there was one name that flashed through his mind. That name didn't match any of the faces he had seen, nor did that name ring any bells.
So why did he all of a sudden recall that name?
Takou Ayaru.
Yamikuro almost sat back down, trying his hardest to recognize the name.
"Is it someone I know?" He thought.
No. Even though he couldn't remember how he knew that name, he was sure he had never met Takou in person.
"...Might've been from a commercial." Yamikuro tried reassuring himself that he wasn't going crazy. Or maybe he just needed more time to regain his memories fully, because it did feel like a chunk of them was missing.
Yamikuro took a deep breath; the unique scent of old books, cold air, and fresh wood filled his lungs.
With that, he had to figure out where he was.
If he really did die in a fight against Sphairos, then he'd been in the afterlife, but this didn't feel like it at all.
Rather, this could've been created by Sphairos to trap him; if that were the case, then he had to hurry up and find a way out of here.
Yamikuro took a look to his right, and a bookshelf blocked his way. If he had to guess, this felt like a labyrinth, themed after a library.
Which could only mean that, upon looking to his left, there was a way to progress through it.
And so, that's where Yamikuro headed to, with nothing but hope that there was a way out.
The floorboards' creaks echoed in the endlessly large area with every step Yamikuro took.
The other end of the area was way longer than Yamikuro had expected. Not only did all this walking break a sweat out of him, but this was a labyrinth, meaning he had to start wandering around mindlessly.
Taking the turn, Yamikuro managed to see just how thick the bookshelves were. It took three of him to just cover the width; he couldn't even imagine how many of him it would've taken to reach all the way to the top, if it even existed.
But Yamikuro couldn't stop and think about stuff like this; he had to get back to where Isabella and Sphairos were.
Yamikuro was left with two choices: either keep going straight or take another right turn.
'Following the left side should eventually get me to the destination,' Yamikuro thought to himself.
But he still wavered on that thought, because one of those had to lead to what could be considered the beginning, and the other to the finish.
When it came to the decision, it didn't really matter, considering he woke up in the middle of nowhere.
However, a thought crossed Yamikuro's mind. He picked up one of the books from the shelf in the direction from where he came.
Despite being in a hurry, he couldn't come up with a decision. And that's why he decided to leave his fate in the hands of the book.
Yamikuro tossed the book in the air, and depending on which side it landed on, that's where he'd go. Were it to land on the cover, he'd go right, and on the back, he'd go straight.
The pages flipped as the book went high into the sky, and coming back down, the covers were shut closer together due to the force.
The book landed with a thump that slightly shook Yamikuro.
Nonetheless, he got his answer, the book landed on the back, and Yamikuro headed straight ahead.
However, it didn't take long for Yamikuro's legs to start cramping. It felt like he had made no progress at all, taking just a few turns. But he had been walking for about an hour without a doubt.
His mind couldn't wander to any thoughts apart from getting back to his world, even though deep down he wanted to stay and spend the rest of his days here, he couldn't.
By the next hour, Yamikuro had already taken two breaks to sit down and gather energy. Nothing much apart from just walking and marking the places he'd been to with books happened.
Yamikuro didn't want to give up, but due to the huge empty areas and thick bookshelves, he felt like just progressing through a small portion of the entire area.
"Isabella... Don't die." Yamikuro said, knowing very well she couldn't hear him.
He had grown numb to the air filling this library labyrinth, along with its eerie coldness.
And so the following hours followed, each being a replica of the others. Yamikuro was on the brink of collapsing from exhaustion.
But that's when he saw it.
Something glowed in front of him, coming from a bookshelf on his right, and it stood out immediately, considering how everything else had just been books in this place.
Upon reaching closer to it, Yamikuro felt his energy slowly surface again. Perhaps it was hope filling him, but what he saw was a large door.
The door had a lock, but no keyhole, and it surely wasn't for a human. More like it was built for a giant, and that worried Yamikuro.
What if giants roamed this place?
He let out a gulp, trying to surpass those stressful thoughts, and touched the door to see if it was even real. That had to be his way back.
However, as soon as he came in contact with the door, someone's voice echoed, bouncing against the bookshelves.
"Welcome, Asaki. I've been waiting for you."