The bloodbound Archivist
Chapter 1: Bloody Summon
PROLOGUE
Knowledge.
That invisible, intangible thing that separates us from beasts.
From stones to steel, humanity has always been alone in this world we call “Terra” — but it hasn’t always been that way…
— From Chronicles of Terra, Vol. I
I closed the book
“I’m so bored, reading all these books repeatedly won’t do any good anyway, I should probably open the library for the day”
The day started the way most do: with a dull ache in the back of my skull and the overwhelming regret of having stayed up reading until late… again.
“Ugh… I really need to get enough sleep or else I’ll end up looking like an undead in no time.”
My stomach grumbled.
“Maybe I should go get something to eat before that.”
I walked upstairs toward the kitchen and opened a few cabinets.
Empty.
“Nothing, huh… Time to go shopping, I guess.”
After making my way downstairs, I finally stepped outside.
The sun hit my eyes.
It seemed today would be a hot day.
The sound of kids laughing and adults chatting filled the air.
Just a normal day in Sol’s Village.
———
The wind carried the freshness of morning. The kids are darting through the muddy streets and pretending to be adventurers.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“What are you kids up to today?” I asked as I passed by.
“Big Bro Lucien!” a small one—Short Kid, I think his name is…actually, I don’t think I ever got it right—beamed at me.
“Hey Carol!” I said with a smile.
“It’s Harold!" He shouted while pouting
“I was just kidding”
“So, what are you guys up to?”
“We’re adventurers!” Harold said excitedly
“Yeah!” the taller one chimed in. “I’m a swordsman! They’re the strongest!”
“No way,” said the rounder boy, crossing his arms with authority. “A swordsman wouldn’t even get close. Archers and mages would wipe the floor with ‘em.”
The tall one puffed out his chest. “Hah?! Not only would a swordsman win, but he’d also obliterate them!”
I let out a small chuckle.
“How about summoners?” I asked.
Instantly, the energy dropped. They stared at me like I’d just suggested we all go read a history book for fun.
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“Summoners can’t even fight on their own, they're so lame” they all said, almost in unison.
“No offense, Big Bro Luciel,” the fat one added, “but you’re a summoner and you’re, like… only the village’s librarian.”
Ouch! I feel bad for the other summoners to be compared with me
Kids these days… really know how to stab a man right in the pride, huh?
Still, I couldn’t fault them. In their eyes, a real adventurer was someone with a blade, magic, or arrows—someone loud and flashy. Summoners? We depend totally on what our summons can do…and for me? Well, I don’t even have enough mana to summon a familiar.
I managed a smile. “None taken,” can’t let some brats ruin my day- OH YEAH SHOPPING!
———
After meeting with a few more villagers, I have known since I was little, I bought everything I needed for the day. The rest of the morning was uneventful. As I got to the library, I started sorting books. Cataloging. Arguing prices with annoying cunning customers such as him.
This guy comes here every other day to ask me for advice…ME OF ALL PEOPLE
“Lucien! My guy, how are you doing today?”
What a way to ruin my day I sighed
I looked at him with an annoyed expression
“So, Henry, what brings you here this time?”
“Well, you see I need a book about swordsmanship”
“You don’t say, wasn’t it archery last time, why do you even need them? It's not like you actually read them?”
I wouldn’t be so mad if he only were trying to learn a new skill for himself, but the reason is always the same…He wants to be popular with girls
“Archery is just not for me, besides girls like guys with big muscles and no offense but I don’t want to look like you”
“ha-ha…I see” I REALLY WANT TO PUNCH THIS GUY
“Come on, help me out”
“... Fine, one silver coin”
“Alright- wait ONE SILVER COIN?! Have you lost your mind”
“You haven’t even paid for the last time yet! So, pay for both now”
“Ugh…this kid, fine…anyway how are things going around here”
“Most of the same I suppose kids don’t read books and most of the ones around here are too difficult for them, anyway”
“Man, you really don’t want to become an adventurer like your gramps? He was the man-”
*I cut him off before he can finish*
“No way…besides adventurers aren’t all that great,” I say with a smirk
“Well, if you say so, see you around kiddo,” He waves before leaving with the books
“This guy…WAIT DID HE JUST LEAVE WITHOUT PAYING? I’ll make him pay twice the price next time”
After, that the day just proceeded as always. Like always huh… not that this is a problem, but since grandpa died and I took over the library everything seems so uneventful.
“It’s getting late, I should close the library for today-”
when I suddenly hear a loud noise coming from the back of the library
It’s so dark but I take a lamp and decide to proceed.
“Hm? This book wasn’t here before, right? The bare minimum they could do is put this in the right place”
I try to put the book back in the right section when suddenly.
Click.
The floor gave way.
“Eh?”
That’s all I could say before falling down
———
I fell.
Quite a distance, actually.
My body slammed into dust and cobwebs.
“Ugh... Where the hell am I?! This old place really has its secrets. Did grandpa know about this? I doubt it.”
As I pushed myself up, pain shot through my hand. I glanced down and saw a cut—thin, but bleeding freely. I must’ve hit something sharp during the fall.
“This is just great…How am I going to get back up there?”
I look up and that was quite a distance
“Why the hell would someone make a hole this deep here”
Luckily my glasses were fine.
Then I noticed it.
A small, strange box.
Black metal laced with what seemed to be gold.
It was pulsing—with energy. A purple aura was nauseating, I felt my heart beating faster, I was panicking at the mere sight of that box “why?” I wondered. It was like it didn’t belong in this world.
I reached my hand, but I couldn’t touch it.
Why would I even try? Well, why wouldn’t I, while yes, I am a genius (self-proclaimed) my curiosity got the best of me.
Even though I couldn’t touch it, my blood dripped onto the box’s surface.
As soon as my blood touched the atmosphere, it seemed to change, and the box started shaking, I could feel the entire room trembling.
A thin trail of powerful light came out from it enough to blind me. The light reflected through the walls…it was moving?
It had no eyes, no mouth, no limbs. Just a strong presence, it felt suffocating. A soul, raw and shapeless, like someone had ripped a being out of reality and forgotten to give it form.
It floated through the ruined room hitting each wall as if trying to escape. Ignored me entirely.
It stopped floating directly into the book I had in my hands.
A single, worn volume.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
A classic children’s story based on a heroine that separated the Angels and the demons from this world.
The moment it touched the cover, the book trembled, floating away. Pages flipped violently, as though wind was tearing through it. Light poured out from its spine—blinding and unnatural.
And then—
She stepped out.
A girl.
Pale skin.
Blonde hair with bangs.
A blue dress.
black and white patterns on her socks— Her eyes were empty. Too still. Almost like a doll, it creeped me out.
Not human, definitely human!
“Curious…It’s been a while since I’ve had a body,” she said, voice calm and musical, as if trying it for the first time.
I blinked. “Uh…”
Her gaze turned to me. A slow smile formed on her lips.
“This body… Yes. I like it.”
She had curtsied, eerie and elegant almost like royalty.
“I shall call myself Alice this time.”
I stared at her. My hand is still bleeding. I couldn’t speak out of fear and confusion.
She tilted her head her eyes turning towards me.
And with a simple smirk she said.
“I suppose you must be the one who awakened me?”.
