Actually, it's still early," Lucen said, his blue eyes sparkling, reflecting the silver glow of the hovering Seraph Cab nearby. "If you head back now, you'll be bored out of your mind. How about a little detour with me?"
Elior tilted his head. "A detour where?"
"To my workplace! It's just a small library, but trust me—you've never seen a library like this before."
Elior hesitated, then smiled. "A library sounds fine… I like books."
"Perfect!" Lucen cheered, grabbing Elior's hand and pulling him onto the cab. "Let's go before the cloud-level supervisors notice we parked illegally!"
The Seraph Cab hummed softly and shot into the sky. Its mechanical wings unfolded, the engine's light reflecting across the cloud layers like liquid moonlight. Below stretched the celestial city—countless crystal palaces, silver towers, and bridges of light spanning deep cloud chasms. Everything radiated a surreal grandeur, tinged with a hint of loneliness.
Lucen laughed, his voice light as the wind. "Beautiful, isn't it? But my workplace is even better. It doesn't just store books—it nurtures them."
✦
The library was tucked between two towers in the high cloud-center, a place rarely visited by novice angels. A shimmering glass sign proclaimed:
LUCENTIA LIBRARY – THE LIVING COLLECTION OF KNOWLEDGE
The moment Elior stepped through the door, he felt it—a strange, invigorating atmosphere, light and clear, as if the air itself was alive.
The interior was nothing like a terrestrial library. Towering shelves stretched toward the ceiling, connected by spiral staircases of silver and threads of light as delicate as silk. But the strangest thing of all—the books were flying.
They floated in midair, opening and closing like butterflies. Each glowed with a different hue: pale blue, golden, smoky purple, crimson. Looking closely, Elior noticed something remarkable—each book had a heartbeat.
"Don't worry," Lucen said, noticing Elior frozen in place. "They're friendly. Well… most of them."
Elior managed a smile. "This is your workplace?"
"Yeah, I'm just the daytime assistant," Lucen waved. "It gets boring. Having someone here today makes it fun."
He strolled down the aisle, brushing his fingers along the floating books. Each touch sparked a small gleam, and a faint, whispering voice seemed to rise from the covers, greeting him softly.
"You can ask for any book," Lucen explained. "The library has a sensory system. Just think of a topic, and the book will fly to you."
"Really?"
"Try it!"
Elior closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The history of the Celestial Realm…
Instantly, a thick, glowing tome descended from above, landing gently in his hands like a resting bird. Its cover shimmered with golden, swirling letters:
Chronica Caelestis – Celestial Yearbook
"See?" Lucen grinned. "As easy as calling a cat."
Elior laughed along, but the joy was cut short. From the corner came a rustling, stormy sound like a paper hurricane. Lucen turned—and nearly screamed.
A row of shelves shook violently. Books sprang out, whirling like panicked birds.
Elior stepped back, shielding his head. "What's happening?!"
"Uh… probably a sensor glitch!" Lucen shouted, rushing forward. "I forgot to turn off Soul Empathy Mode—it's reacting to both of us!"
Before he could finish, dozens of books shot out, flying wildly. Pages collided like gusts of wind. One thick volume slammed into a shelf, tipping it and causing a chain reaction of rattling crashes.
A cloud of sparkling dust swirled like a tiny tornado in the library.
"Lucen!" Elior shouted. "We have to do something!"
"Wait—I'm looking for the spell lock–"
Crash! A stack of books fell on Lucen's head, burying him in glittering papers. Elior dashed to pull him free, but magical energy from the flying pages began shooting streaks of light, shaking the room.
At that moment, a clear female voice rang from outside:
"Stay still! Frost Aegis Seal!"
A deep-blue beam streaked across the room. The air froze instantly. Cold waves spread like a winter sea, forming intricate icy patterns wherever they touched.
Within seconds, the rampaging books were frozen midair, their glow fading to white dust.
Elior opened his eyes. At the door stood a girl—hair white as fresh snow, cascading to her waist, eyes a deep, icy blue. Her dark blue dress was trimmed with silver, and she held a crystalline staff that radiated a cold, ethereal light.
Lucen, still buried under books, poked his head out. "ALICE! You almost froze me solid!"
The girl rested her staff on the floor and tilted her head with a faint smile. "Whose fault is it—yours or mine, letting the whole library explode like fireworks, Lucen Varell?"
Lucen scratched his head, forcing a smile. "Well… I wanted to show a new friend how to call books, didn't expect to call so many at once."
Her gaze turned to Elior. "A new friend?"
Lucen brushed Elior's shoulder and introduced him proudly:
"This is Elior, a rookie who just got his badge this morning. And this is Alice Frostborne, my childhood friend—nickname Alice Ice. Don't be fooled by her cold expression; she's actually quite sweet when she's not threatening to freeze people."
Alice raised an eyebrow, her staff glowing faintly. "Lucen, what are you talking about?"
Lucen quickly raised his hands. "No, no—it's a compliment!"
Elior smiled, feeling a little shy. "Nice to meet you, Alice."
She tilted her head, a crescent smile brushing her lips like moonlight. "Likewise, Elior. Your first impression—very… lively."
Lucen chuckled, then hurried to clean up the icy debris. "Alright, let's call this a special welcome. Alice, why are you here?"
"Oh, I need a few books for Astra's first-year studies."
She listed evenly, her voice soft as a winter breeze:
"Introductory Cosmology, Introductory Soul Studies, Basic Magic Skills, and Elementary Matter & Dark Energy."
Hearing this, Elior's heart sank. "I… also need those, but… I don't have any money."
Lucen spun around. "No Aurum Coins? Then forget about the first semester!"
Elior forced a smile. "I just arrived this morning… I don't know the currency yet."
Alice's gaze softened. "If you need, I can lend—"
"No need!" Lucen interrupted, dashing to the cashier and pulling out a small wooden box.
"I have some old copies I used myself. Not new, but the pages are still good, with all the notes intact."
He placed four well-kept, slightly worn books in front of Elior.
The spines gleamed with silver lettering:
Introductory Cosmology – The Celestial Layers and Structure of the Heavens
Introductory Soul Studies – Composition and Reincarnation Cycles of Beings
Basic Magic Skills – Foundations of Energy and Incantations
Elementary Matter & Dark Energy – Where Light Ends
Lucen pushed them toward Elior. "Consider this a welcome gift for a new Astra recruit. Free—no returns!"
Elior's eyes widened. "But… I can't accept—"
"No buts." Lucen laughed, his blue eyes sparkling. "I was gifted knowledge once; now I pass it on. At Astra, knowledge is meant to be shared, not kept."
Alice nodded lightly, her voice gentler than usual. "A beautiful sentiment. True to the spirit of the academy."
Elior placed his hand on the books. Warmth spread—not just from the magic in the pages, but from the hearts of his new friends.
He looked up, smiling. "Thank you, both of you. Truly."
Lucen whistled. "Great! Decision made—tomorrow we go to class together. I'll take you to meet the guardian teacher, and Alice will handle the paperwork. The Astra trio—officially formed!"
"The Astra trio?" Alice raised an eyebrow, a faint curve appearing on her lips. "Not a bad name."
Lucen raised his hand. "One, two, three—high five!"
Elior laughed, joining hands with his two new friends. When their palms touched, a soft, pure glow flickered—like a promise of something great yet to come.
Outside, the second sun of the Celestial Realm was rising.
Its light poured through the glass, illuminating the floating books, making them shine like a flock of birds ready to take flight.
Elior whispered, almost to himself:
"Maybe… this place isn't as scary as I thought."
Lucen laughed brightly. "Scary? Wait until your first class with Professor Solomon—you'll see real scary!"
Their laughter echoed through the library, mingling with the morning light, weaving between the shelves still dusted with frost.
A new chapter had begun—not just for Elior, but for three young souls stepping into the threshold of Astra Academy, where light and shadow learn to coexist.