The Vision Of The Bird

The library was alive. That was the only way Elena could describe it. The faint glow of the books pulsed like a heartbeat, their light casting shifting shadows on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and something metallic, like the tang of blood or iron. She could still feel the echo of the vision in her mind, the image of the man from the café transforming into a bird burned into her thoughts.

"Elena," Marcus said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

She shook her head, trying to clear the lingering fog of the vision. "I'm fine. It's just… it felt so real. Like I was there."

Jaya stepped closer, her flashlight illuminating Elena's pale face. "What did you see? You said something about a bird."

Elena took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she recounted the vision. "It was the man from the café. The one we met this morning. He was standing by the fountain, and then… he changed. His body twisted, his arms turned into wings, and he became this… this bird. But it wasn't an ordinary bird. Its feathers were shimmering, like they were made of light. Colors I've never seen before."

Marcus frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. "A bird? What does that even mean? Was it some kind of metaphor? Or… I don't know, a hallucination?"

"It wasn't a hallucination," Elena said firmly. "It was real. I don't know how, but it was real."

Jaya crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "Maybe it's a memory. Or a prophecy. This place… it's not normal. The books, the symbols, the way the air feels—it's like we're standing in the middle of something ancient. Something powerful."

"Or something dangerous," Marcus muttered. He glanced around the library, his flashlight sweeping over the endless rows of glowing books. "We don't even know what these books are. For all we know, they could be cursed."

Elena shook her head. "They're not cursed. They're… alive. I can feel it. Like they're trying to tell us something."

Jaya nodded slowly. "Maybe they are. Maybe this library isn't just a collection of books. Maybe it's a repository of forgotten histories. Or alternate realities. What if the vision you saw was a glimpse into another world? A world where that man isn't just a man, but something more?"

Marcus groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Alternate realities? Seriously? This is getting way too weird."

"Weirder than glowing books and underground libraries?" Jaya shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"Fair point," Marcus conceded. "But that doesn't mean we should just start touching things. For all we know, that vision could have been a warning."

Elena hesitated, her gaze drifting back to the book that had triggered the vision. It was still glowing faintly, its light pulsing in time with the others. "What if it wasn't a warning? What if it was a clue? The man in the vision—he's connected to this place. I can feel it."

Jaya stepped closer to the book, her flashlight illuminating its spine. The symbols etched into the cover shimmered in the light, their patterns shifting and changing as if they were alive. "If this book showed you a vision of him, maybe there are others that can show us more. About him, about this place, about… everything."

Marcus shook his head. "This is a bad idea. We don't know what we're dealing with. What if the next vision is worse? What if it's dangerous?"

"We don't have a choice," Elena said, her voice firm. "We've come this far. We can't just turn back now."

Marcus sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine. But if this goes sideways, I'm saying I told you so."

---

The three of them moved deeper into the library, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. The shelves seemed to stretch on forever, their contents glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. Elena could feel the energy of the place growing stronger, the hum of the books resonating in her chest.

"What are we even looking for?" Marcus asked, his voice tinged with frustration. "There are thousands of books here. We could be searching for days."

"We're looking for answers," Jaya said, her tone calm but determined. "And we'll know them when we find them."

Elena nodded, her eyes scanning the shelves. She could feel a pull, a strange sense of direction that she couldn't explain. It was as if the library itself was guiding her, leading her to the books that held the answers she sought.

And then she saw it.

The book was different from the others. Its glow was brighter, more intense, and the symbols on its cover seemed to shift and change as she approached. She reached out, her fingers brushing against the spine, and the moment she made contact, the room seemed to dissolve around her.

---

The vision hit her like a tidal wave.

She was standing in the town square again, but it was different. The clock tower was whole, its face gleaming in the sunlight, but the people around her were… wrong. Their faces were blurred, their movements jerky and unnatural. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and decay, and the sky above was a sickly green.

And then she saw him.

The man from the café. He was standing by the fountain, his face calm and serene, but his eyes… his eyes were filled with a deep, ancient sadness. As she watched, his body began to change. His arms elongated, his fingers turning into feathers. His face stretched and twisted, forming a beak. And then, with a sound like the rustling of leaves, he transformed into a bird—a magnificent creature with shimmering, iridescent feathers.

The bird spread its wings and took flight, soaring into the sky until it was nothing more than a speck against the sun. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the vision ended.

---

Elena gasped, stumbling backward. Marcus caught her before she could fall, his grip firm but gentle.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. "You just… froze."

Elena shook her head, trying to make sense of what she had seen. "I… I had another vision. Of the man from the café. He… he turned into a bird again."

Jaya's eyes widened. "The same vision? Or something different?"

"It was… similar," Elena said, her voice trembling. "But not the same. The town was different. Wrong. And the man… he looked sad. Like he knew something terrible was going to happen."

Marcus frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. "This place… it's not just showing us random visions. It's trying to tell us something. But what?"

Jaya stepped closer, her expression serious. "We need to figure it out. If these visions are connected to the man from the café, then he's the key. We need to find him. Talk to him."

Elena nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "But what if he doesn't want to talk? What if he's… I don't know, dangerous?"

"Then we'll deal with it," Jaya said firmly. "But we can't just ignore this. Not after what we've seen."

Marcus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. But if this goes sideways, I'm saying I told you so."

---

The three of them turned back to the shelves, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. The library seemed to stretch on forever, its secrets waiting to be uncovered. But as they ventured deeper, the air grew heavier, the hum of the books growing louder. And somewhere, in the shadows, something stirred.