The scenery before the three of them suddenly twisted and distorted.
When their vision stabilized again, the thing that appeared before them…
was an exposed toilet sitting alone in the middle of empty space.
Lam Huy Trường recognized this place instantly.
During the prophetic dream transfers, he had seen it before.
This was the final stop.
After this…
he would be lured in front of that cocoon.
And then die horribly.
The moment he lifted a foot to step forward—
An overwhelming pressure suddenly crashed down onto his body.
No.
It wasn't ordinary heaviness.
It felt more like an entire thousand-ton wall had collapsed onto him.
A panicked scream rang out behind him.
LHT completely lost his balance and slammed face-first onto the freezing ground.
From inside his pocket, the White Stone rolled forward with several clacking sounds.
LHT gritted his teeth and cursed.
"Damn it… have I hit the limit already…?"
He tried to move.
But it was useless.
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
The scenery before him gradually blurred. Not because of rain…
but because his consciousness was sinking away.
He desperately reached forward, as if trying to tear apart the darkness swallowing him whole.
Then his fingertips touched something.
Instinctively, he grabbed it tightly.
Like a drowning man clutching his final straw.
In the final moment before his eyes completely closed…
he saw the White Stone resting in his palm.
A flash of light erupted.
—
LHT opened his eyes.
Before him stood a silent tower floating within endless emptiness.
He blinked several times.
"Ah… back here again?"
The tower doors slowly opened.
LHT subconsciously reached toward them.
Instantly, a powerful force dragged him inside.
Space warped.
Twisted.
Then he was thrown onto the floor of the familiar library.
Fatigue crashed over him like a tidal wave.
He lay motionless on the ground, wanting nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep forever.
LHT let out a tired laugh.
"Never thought I'd end up sleeping inside a library…"
His left hand rested across his forehead.
His eyes slowly drifted half-shut again.
But right at that moment—
A very soft singing voice echoed beside his ear.
Low.
Warm.
Gentle enough to feel like warm water flowing through his mind.
LHT slowly opened his eyes.
Tiny particles of light were drifting down around him.
Sparkling like dew in the night.
They touched his body and dissolved into light.
The exhaustion gradually faded away.
Even the dizziness in his head was disappearing little by little.
LHT pushed himself upright and tested his arms and legs.
Good.
At least he was still alive for now.
He pinched his own cheek hard.
Pain.
Not a dream.
Only then did he finally look around the library.
And remember that little librarian girl.
Just then—
A tiny sound echoed from somewhere far away.
His gaze instantly swept toward it.
The little girl was standing there.
Still looking like a tiny princess.
Her hair was neatly tied with two symmetrical ribbons.
She still held that familiar book tightly in her arms.
The thin layers of her dress swayed gently with each step.
The girl stepped out from the darkness.
Those deep eyes silently observed him.
LHT had just opened his mouth to greet her—
when he noticed her fingers tightening around the book little by little.
"…?"
Countless chaotic thoughts immediately exploded inside his head.
What the hell.
What did I even do?
Did this professor-looking face really piss her off that much?
Or should I explain with something like, "I just accidentally wandered in here"?
Or maybe ask if she could make me a library card?
While he was still panicking internally—
the girl's gaze suddenly trembled.
Then her eyes gradually turned red.
She lowered her head behind the book pressed against her chest.
As though trying to hide her expression.
Soft choking sobs slowly escaped.
"Hic…"
"Hic…"
LHT froze.
For some reason…
a sharp sorrow suddenly pierced through his chest.
Then his legs began walking toward her on their own.
Within the silent library, he heard her broken, trembling voice.
"I waited for you… for a very… very long time…"
"Why didn't you come back…?"
"You liar…"
"You broke your promise…"
The crying abruptly stopped.
LHT's hand, still reaching out in midair, froze as well.
Not because he didn't want to touch her.
But because something invisible was restraining his entire body.
Every muscle locked solid.
Just like being hit with an immobilization technique in martial arts movies.
LHT could only stand there stiffly like a statue.
The girl slowly raised her head from behind the book.
Her reddened eyes appeared.
That gaze was so cold it sent chills crawling down his spine.
Those eyes…
really looked like they wanted to kill someone.
LHT instantly felt the urge to turn around and run as far away as possible.
Unfortunately—
his body couldn't move at all.
"Wait…"
LHT forced the words out with difficulty.
But the girl had already reached out her hand.
Her tiny fingers touched his face.
Then pinched hard.
"OW, FUCK!"
Pain shot straight into his brain.
LHT stared at the girl with wide eyes.
Her own eyes were trembling now.
As though light itself shimmered within them.
Yet tears continued falling.
Her small lips quivered slightly.
"It's not…"
"It's not him…"
"He really… really…"
BOOM.
The entire library suddenly trembled faintly.
The massive bookshelves emitted heavy creaking sounds.
The surrounding air became unstable.
As if the entire library itself were reacting to her emotions.
LHT gritted his teeth.
He knew he had to do something immediately.
Otherwise…
he had a feeling this entire place would truly go insane along with the girl.
The problem was—
his body was completely immobilized right now.
Only his head and mouth could still move.
Which meant…
he only had one option left.
LHT suddenly jerked his head forward.
Opened his mouth as wide as possible.
Then—
CHOMP.
A direct, perfectly accurate bite onto the girl's finger.
"…!"
Shock instantly appeared on the girl's face.
The crying stopped.
At the same time, the entire library stopped shaking.
The books flying chaotically through the air froze in place as well.
LHT sighed inwardly in relief.
Success.
At least he wasn't dead yet.
But in the very next second—
SMACK.
A book smashed straight into his head.
Then a second one.
A third.
The girl's face turned red as she shouted,
"Let go!"
"Let go right now!"
LHT could only grit his teeth and endure it.
But he truly didn't dare let go.
What if the moment he released her, the girl went crazy again?
SMACK.
SMACK.
SMACK.
One hit.
Two hits.
Ten hits.
Then fifty.
In the end, LHT finally released his bite in despair.
Goddamn it.
Who the hell said getting hit in the head with books didn't hurt?
What kind of librarian uses books as weapons?!
His body flopped back onto the floor once more.
LHT looked up.
The girl was standing in front of him.
Small.
Yet the pressure she gave off was terrifying, like heavenly lightning about to descend.
LHT swallowed hard.
Right now, he felt exactly like a cockroach flattened under a slipper.
Even if he wanted to run, he couldn't.
But then—
the girl looked at him.
Her eyes were still wet with tears.
Her tiny face remained tense with anger.
Under that murderous gaze, LHT forced out the friendliest smile he could manage.
Meanwhile, his thoughts had already descended into complete chaos.
Who would've thought that during their second meeting…
the two of them would already have direct physical contact.
And he was the one who started it by biting her hand.
What a ridiculously twisted fate.
If a god of destiny really existed…
LHT felt like he really wanted to wreck that bastard's ass.
Then the girl slowly raised her hand.
Instantly, every book inside the library trembled.
One after another, they floated off the shelves.
Suspended midair among the swirling particles of light.
LHT's scalp instantly went numb.
"Wait… are you seriously trying to crush me to death with books?!"
His eyes darted around wildly while his brain worked at full speed.
This girl was obviously the master of this place.
If she wanted to kill him…
it would probably take nothing more than a wave of her hand.
Then he remembered the things she had said earlier.
"You broke your promise…"
"I waited for a very long time…"
"Come back…"
Someone.
Someone she knew.
Someone who had promised her something… but never returned.
Wait.
That person…
could it be the professor?
LHT's brain felt like countless pieces of data were being forcefully crammed into it all at once.
Thoughts collided chaotically like electric currents surging through his mind.
Then he suddenly shouted,
"I came here to fulfill my promise to you!"
The moment the words left his mouth, even he had no idea whether they would work.
But right now, "promise" was the only keyword he could think of that might affect her.
All he could do was gamble.
A long silence followed.
The entire library fell quiet.
The books floating in midair stopped only centimeters away from his face.
Cold sweat slid down his spine.
At this moment, only one thought remained in LHT's mind.
Holy shit, I survived.
But outwardly, he still forced himself to maintain the calmest smile possible.
Even though the smile looked so fake that he himself felt uncomfortable looking at it.
Looks like he picked the right card.
Next…
he probably needed to slowly untie the knot in this girl's heart.
But before that—
the most important thing was still comforting the child first.
LHT took a deep breath and slowly reached his hand toward her.
Then lowered himself onto one knee.
A posture that conveyed nearly all the goodwill he could think of at the moment.
The girl remained standing there, staring at him.
Without blinking.
A strange thought suddenly surfaced in LHT's mind.
Am I actually an idiot?
The girl continued staring at him.
Without blinking x2.
The smile on LHT's face gradually stiffened.
He held the pose so long that his entire body began going numb.
Finally—
the girl lifted her book to cover half her face, then turned around and walked away.
Without looking back once.
Cold sweat instantly poured down LHT's back.
"…That's it?"
---
From deep within the library, a small voice softly echoed back toward him.
"You're not…"
"You're not the professor…"
BOOM.
It felt like a thunderclap had exploded directly beside LHT's ears.
He froze completely.
His mind went blank for several seconds.
Plan destroyed.
Persona collapsed.
Most importantly—
how the hell did she know he was a fake?!
LHT instantly sprang up to chase after her.
But at that exact moment—
Flick.
A familiar forehead flick appeared out of nowhere.
"AGH!"
His vision spun violently.
The library space distorted.
The tower warped.
Then the entire world was violently pulled away like water spiraling inside a whirlpool.
LHT was dragged out of that place instantly.
The next second—
his eyes snapped open in the real world.
The first thing he saw…
was a face slowly moving closer to him.
So close he could feel the other person's breathing.
Familiar hair.
Familiar face.
Kai.
And those lips…
were descending toward his face.
LHT's pupils shrank.
A miserable scream echoed everywhere.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"