A dark mass of clouds drifted slowly, following the worn suitcase that was being dragged aimlessly. This hardship befell an orphaned girl who had just been evicted for being two months overdue on rent. Perhaps tonight, she would be forced to sleep on the side of the road on a piece of cardboard like a vagrant.
All this time, her life had been like a game of fate, amid suffering she had endured. She was completely desperate in the face of these difficulties. Every step seemed to be weighed down by a heavy burden that made her feel suffocated.
Her body, forced to keep walking, was now trembling weakly. She decided to take a brief rest in front of the old library while drinking a bottle of mineral water that was almost empty. Afterward, as she was about to sit down, her eyes accidentally fell on a job vacancy notice posted on the bulletin board.Coincidentally, the library was looking for a librarian.
"It definitely seems like this job is suited for me," she murmured.
Moments later, she gently pulled open the wooden door of the library. Fragrances of dust and old books greeted her.
"Forgive me!"
The voice echoed in the ears of an old man who was busy arranging some books on the back shelf. An old man, who happened to be the owner, turned his head towards the source of the voice and hurried over.
The old man had a wrinkled smile. "Oh, sorry, I was tucked away at the back shelf. What can I get for you, miss? Were you hoping to find a book today?" the man asked.
She waggled her head and replied, "No, I'm not borrowing a book, sir. I'm asking if there's still a vacancy?"
"Oh yes, still there. Do you have a resume?" The old man looked at her seriously.
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't have time to prepare one. But I urgently seek this employment to secure a residence again ," she said.
The old man felt a twinge of pity and invited her to sit down at his desk. "What's your name?"
"My name is Arabelle Kellan. Just call me Belle."
"All right, let's just pretend that luck is on your side. You can start working right away, and I happen to have a meeting this afternoon. And if you want, you can stay on the second floor," explained the old man.
Unbelievably lucky, Arabelle got a job and a temporary place to stay. Her mind, which had been resigned to her sudden misfortune, was now filled with gratitude and excitement.
"Thank you, sir." Suddenly, her stomach, which had been growling with hunger, made a loud noise. "Ahh..." she whispered in embarrassment.
The old man beamed at Arabelle as he took a loaf of bread from the desk drawer. "Take this and eat. After this, you'll have to work hard."
Surely enough, Arabelle took the bread and ate it heartily. She felt comforted that there were still compassionate people around her. After her hunger eased, she immediately carried out her duties as a new employee there.
Arabelle began to inspect several stacks of books that had just been returned by members. She also tidied up books that were out of place, one by one, then cleaned the dusty shelves and cobwebs. While she was busy with her work, she heard the soft chime of the bell from the front door. She turned and saw a mature woman stepping inside a book tucked under her arm.
"Can I be of assistance?" Arabelle approached the woman with a gracious smile.
"Yes, I would like to bring this book back to Mr. Jade." The mature woman handed her a jet-black book with a silver moon emblem.
Arabelle gratefully accepted the book and then made her way to the desk. She brought the computer screen to life to enter the book's data. However, when she opened it and tried to find the author's name, everything she was looking for was missing.
"Madame, it seems that the book you are carrying isn't from our library," she remarked, then shifted her glance to the mature woman.
Still, there was no one there except herself.
She froze in place, staring in bewilderment. Unsure of what was actually happening, she slapped her cheeks, trying to snap herself out of the sudden confusion that had overtaken her.
She paced around the room, hoping her assumption had been wrong. But, much to her dismay, no one was there. Then who was that mature woman?
She was still holding the book, staring at the cover without blinking. Curiosity gradually prompted her to read every page. Her brow furrowed when she noticed the title on the book's cover.
"The Alpha of Dominion," she muttered curiously. "This looks really exciting."
From the very first title, Arabelle could tell that the book in her hands was about werewolves. As a devoted fan of supernatural tales, she at once began reading it.
Suddenly, she found herself completely engrossed in the story, reading intently until she reached the halfway point. She had forgotten that Mr. Jade had gone back to the library.
"Belle..." called Mr. Jade.
Arabelle jumped up. "Ah, I see you're back, sir," she remarked, closing her book.
"Yes, I just wanted to pick up some documents I left on my desk. After this, I'll be heading home. Don't forget to lock up the library, okay?" Mr. Jade told her.
"Yes, sir," replied Belle.
Once Mr. Jade had taken the file and left the library, Arabelle suddenly remembered something—the book that the mature woman had left behind. She felt a little guilty for opening it without Mr. Jade's permission.
Arabelle rushed outside, trying to catch up with Mr. Jade before her boss got too far away. From a distance, she spotted him crossing the highway.
"Sir!" she shouted above the noise of the street.
Regrettably, Mr. Jade hadn't heard Arabelle's voice from in the distance. She was running, trying to catch up, and forgot to pay attention to the traffic light that had turned green.
Coming from the right, a white car sped out of control. The loud honking of the horn made Arabelle turn her head, her eyes wide. There was a loud crash, her body thrown to the side of the road. Blood flowed freely from her temple and the top of her head.
Rain began to fall, dripping onto the pages of a book that had fallen open. The letters began to fade as they were touched by the raindrops.
Even as Arabelle still seemed to be breathing, a blinding white light emanated from the open pages of a book nearby. The glare grew brighter, until her eyes could no longer stay open.
Silence.
Unexpectedly her hearing picked up a faint whisper, causing her heart rate to slow down.
"Be alive as an Irish Winter."
All of them were dark, Arabelle couldn't open her eyes; her body felt like it was being dragged into an endless swirl.
She wanted to scream but her lips were stiff, as if something was lodged in her throat. Then, the heaviness in her body disappeared. She was breathing again. Trembling, Arabelle tried to get up, regulating her irregular breathing.
A second later, she blinked her eyes open in a blurred haze, then looked around.
Arabelle knew right away that she was now in a lavish room with tall silk drapes on the windows. The walls were embellished with gold carvings and white marble.
The disoriented girl stared at her reflection in the large mirror beside the bed. She was wearing an elegant dress with gleaming jewels around her neck. Her skin looked paler, softer, and the face staring back at her from the mirror was utterly unfamiliar.
Her breath hitched because it wasn't her.
"You're finally awake, Irish." An icy baritone voice was heard from the other end of the room.
A tall man walked toward the bed, his footsteps echoing through the room as his shoes scraped against the marble floor.
Arabelle froze in place as if her blood had stopped flowing. Her heart beat irregularly, while her breathing was labored.
"Who is he?" she thought.
She was startled as the man got closer, until she fell to the floor. Despite grimacing in pain, she dragged her body backward while trembling.
"Don't! Don't get even closer! Please!"