After Anastasia's question, Levi couldn't answer right away—momentarily thrown off by her presence. Still, he quickly collected himself.
"I was wondering if you've seen three people pass by here," he said, voice uneasy. "A tall woman and man, with a younger girl… they're my family. They disappeared from our home without a trace…"
Anastasia listened quietly. When he finished, she closed her eyes. "I see," she said softly—then opened them again, her gaze now more focused.
"This situation of yours… it sounds connected to the recent news about mysterious disappearances. I'm sure you've already heard about them—that's likely why you came here. To the Grim Archives."
Her tone shifted, calm but heavy, especially when she spoke the name of the library. It carried weight. Purpose. "W-What? What do you mean, 'that's why I came here'?" Levi asked, confused.
Anastasia's lips curved into a playful smirk.
"Heh. I'm glad you asked…" She straightened up and spread her arms dramatically.
"Welcome to the Grim Archives! A library specializing in the mysterious and the mystical! Our shelves are filled with rare tomes—books containing exclusive knowledge on all things supernatural!" She suddenly grabbed a thick volume from the nearby shelf, holding it up with flair.
"Tada! This one's all about cosmic anomalies—including a legendary whale that devours worlds! Sounds exciting, right? You and your friends could learn so much about the real secrets of this universe!" She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with theatrical pride.
"So what are you waiting for?! Start your journey into the unknown—purchase our books and discover the wonders beyond reality! Only here, at the Grim Archives!"
Then, with perfect timing, she whipped out a small wooden sign and held it right in Levi's face.
"Exclusive offer: 30% off today only!" she beamed.
Levi stood there—completely still. His expression blank, face pale, eyes devoid of emotion. Like his soul briefly left his body.
"…She's just advertising her business," he thought numbly, overwhelmed by the sudden shift in tone.
Grim Archives, Chapter 3: The Trial Awaits.
As Anastasia continued her enthusiastic pitch, Levi's vision began to blur. His breathing slowed.
His eyes blinked sluggish, unfocused.
His balance wavered.
Then, without warning—his body gave out.
Thud! He collapsed to the floor.
"Ahh! Are you okay, boy?!" Anastasia yelped, flinching back in surprise.
"Whoa! What just happened?!" Evangeline shouted, springing up from her seat behind the counter.
Anastasia rushed toward him, crouching beside his slumped body. "A-Are you alright, little boy?! Do you need something to eat, newcomer boy?! Speak to me!"
Levi, barely conscious, could only think through fragments. "It feels like… the emotional and mental toll… finally caught up to me…"
Even his inner thoughts were disjointed. Words blurred together. "Evangeline! Get this down-to-earth boy some medicine!"
"What even are these names you're giving him?" Evangeline replied, grabbing a small first-aid kit in a hurry. As Levi's vision darkened further, their voices echoed faintly in the distance muffled, fading.
"What… is even happening…"
That final thought slipped through his mind— before everything went black.
"Levi…"
His name was called, gently.
He opened his eyes quickly and found his father sitting in front of him in a couch.
The room was familiar. Their living room. But… different.
Everything was bathed in soft light. Like they were suspended in the sky. A heavenly stillness.
His father smiled, his voice calm and comforting.
"Always remember—don't let our absence hold you back in life. You're capable, Levi. Far more than you think. Don't let anything stop you. Not even us."
Levi looked at him, eyes filled with worry.
"Where… where did all of you go?" he asked.
"Dad—" He didn't finish the word. The moment he spoke it
—he woke up.
His eyes opened slowly.
A faint glow from a white chandelier cast soft light across the ceiling above. The room was calm. Silent. He was lying in a bed.
Staring blankly at the ceiling, he tried to process the dream. Then, he shed a single tear. It slid down his cheek and soaked quietly into the pillow.
Just then—
"I'm assuming you had a dream," said a voice beside him. "If so, do you mind telling me what it was?"
Levi turned his head, and there sat Anastasia.
Legs crossed, posture elegant, one hand resting on her knee as the other held a book. She was reading calmly, not even looking at him.
"I didn't even notice her presence…" Levi thought, quietly surprised.
"Uh… it was nothing. Just a sad nightmare," he replied softly.
"Mhm…" Anastasia hummed, still reading. "You know, that doesn't sound like 'nothing' to me. Still, I appreciate the honesty. I can tell you're not lying—your life and spiritual wave both show it."
"Spiritual wave?"
Levi blinked. "What is she even talking about?"
Anastasia gently closed the book and placed it on the nearby table. This time, she looked directly at him.
"If it's okay… can I ask you something?"
"Alright," Levi replied, still trying to follow her.
She leaned slightly forward, voice calm but deliberate. "A wave of light can travel through almost anything. Fast, radiant, unhindered. It can reach faraway places in an instant.
But even that light… can't cross something endless."
She paused. "That wave of light? It's your desire. And your choice. Together.
And the vast, endless space it travels through… that's your Will." Levi stared, silent.
"It may sound impossible. But impossibility is something only the manifestor decides.
Devotion can carry that light farther. Passion. Heart. All of it.
And one day, if you truly accept things as they are—it can break through anything."
Sitting upright, her eyes now locked onto him, Anastasia said softly,
"Now, Levi... are you willing to accept your future… without them?"
The room went quiet again.
Before answering, Levi turned his head back toward the ceiling.
He stared in silence for a moment, reflecting on the words of both his mother and father, echoes still lingering in his mind.
"…Yeah," he finally said. "I'm ready to face that future.
I don't really know what's happening… but no matter what lies ahead, I want to be ready to face it." His expression was serious.
But his tone—carried a quiet strain. A heaviness, just beneath the surface.
Anastasia closed her eyes briefly, acknowledging his resolve. Then, with a gentle motion, she rose from her seat and walked toward the door.
Before stepping out, she paused—glancing over her shoulder with a faint smile.
"I'll see you downstairs, then," she said.
"Let's get your family back."
With that, she exited the room, her footsteps soft as she made her way down the stairs.
Levi remained seated for a while, zoned out in quiet thought. Then, slowly, he sat up on the edge of the bed. His eyes drifted to the table beside him.
There, resting where Anastashia had left it, was her book.
"The All Devourer"
He stared at the title but didn't touch it. Instead, he looked away—steadying himself.
Focusing inward. Trying to keep it together.
Downstairs, Anastasia arrived to find Evangeline absorbed in a book of her own.
Without looking up, Evangeline spoke.
"Do you think he'll pass the Zen Trial?"
Anastasia didn't answer right away.
Then—calmly, with certainty—she replied,
"I'd like to think so. He has the potential to become a great Harbinger.
His will is strong enough to spark the birth of a Zen'en Art."
She walked past the counter, hands behind her back. "I'll be taking this one into my hands—if you don't mind."
Evangeline paused briefly… then looked over the top of her book. "Sure. You're the boss, after all."
Anastasia smiled—small, but genuine.
"Thanks, Evangeline."
Meanwhile, upstairs, Levi stood at the door—his hand resting on the knob, ready to leave the room. But before he could open it, his body began to tremble.
Confused, he paused.
"W-What's happening…?
I don't feel scared exactly… so why am I shaking like this?"
He shut his eyes tightly, holding his breath, trying to force it out—whatever it was. A moment passed.
Then slowly, the shaking stopped.
But the unease remained. A strange sense of urgency hung in his chest, undefined and persistent.
Still, he gripped the knob firmly, opened the door, and stepped out.
"I want to succeed. I need to get them back.
No matter what happens… we will all return—"
The door clicked shut behind him.
"…home."
Descending the stairs, Levi found Evangeline sitting at the counter, reading—calm and composed, as always. Before he could even speak, she said plainly, "The boss is outside. She's waiting for you."
Surprised, Levi could only give a small, respectful nod. Then, without a word, he continued walking toward the door. Just before he reached it, Evangeline spoke again—her voice quiet, but firm.
"Before you go… trust yourself.
Don't doubt your choices. Be one with your will.
I bid you good luck."
Levi didn't look back. But after a pause, he finally answered:
"…Y-Yeah. Will do. Thanks."
The two were at opposite ends of the room Evangeline behind the counter, Levi at the door. Between them, a silent expanse. Not far physically, but the space carried weight—like something symbolic.
Then, Levi opened the door.
The bell above chimed softly.
From her place behind the counter, Evangeline glanced toward the door—for just a second.
Then she returned to her book, as if everything was as it should be.