FIRST ACCESS TO THE SECRET LIBRARY

The moon hung low in the velvet sky, casting its silvery glow on the tranquil Soragant town below. It was Monday night, a day after Sparrow and Canary went with their aunt to Little Canvas settlement to complete the 'Suicide Ghost' mission.

Within that calm blanket of the night, Sparrow lay asleep, his muscular body anchored by dreams shaped by the echoes of his past. The orphan who bore scars both visible and hidden had found solace in the magical realm he would soon enter: the Secret Library, where mind and spirit roamed free among the empty shelves waiting to be filled with tomes of knowledge and memories. 

In the other bedroom, his sister, Canary Night, a tiny teenager with huge burden of destiny, also drifted between reality and wonder.

In the depths of slumber, Sparrow and Canary's consciousness awakened in the library—a colossal expanse of infinite bookshelves that seemed to stretch into eternity. 

The library stretched beyond comprehension, a cathedral of potential, humming with silent anticipation. Its sheer scale defied logic, the vaulted ceiling lost in a haze of soft, ethereal light that seemed to emanate from the very stones. 

Row upon row, rank upon rank, stretched endless shelves, a vast, empty grid waiting to be populated. The wood, a pale, unvarnished timber, was smooth and cool to the touch, whispering promises of future stories.

In the heart of this silent ocean of emptiness, a deliberate island of functionality had been carved out. A long, imposing conference table, crafted from a dark, polished wood that reflected the ambient light, dominated the space. 

Around it, a fleet of plush, comfortable chairs, upholstered in a muted, inviting fabric, stood ready to welcome minds which are also ready to discuss... well, anything, really. The contrast between the ordered, human-scaled meeting space and the limitless void of waiting knowledge amplified the surreal atmosphere.

But what struck Sparrow and Canary the most was the absolute absence of books. Not a single volume adorned the shelves, not a single spine broke the monotony of the empty rows. 

It was a library on the cusp of existence, a potential universe of knowledge existing only as a framework, a waiting canvas, a silent plea for stories to be told and ideas to be born. It was still a blank slate promising infinite possibilities.

Another thing that struck them greatly was the fact that... although the atmosphere was crisp and vivid, the clarity of their own forms remained an elusive haze. They could feel the essence of who they were, yet their features appeared blurred, diluted and unreachable. 

Yet, cutting through the murk with startling clarity, hung an identity card for each of them, suspended by thick, silvery lanyards around their necks. The contrast was really baffling: the sharp, defined cards drawing the eye while the figures themselves remained stubbornly undefined, lost in the ethereal fog.

There was something magical about their identity cards. Sparrow's bore the emblem of an owl in flight, its wings outstretched against the backdrop of stars emblazoned with the word 'Wisdom' in fanciful script above it. 

Canary's card glimmered with the symbol of a delicate dove nestled among blooming petals, the word 'Hope' etched below it.

"What do you think it means, Birdbro?" Canary asked, her voice echoing through the library's vastness. She gazed at her own card, curiosity glimmering in her green eyes.

Sparrow shrugged, amidst his blurred figure, his right eye glinting like polished dark jade. "Perhaps our purposes here are tied to these symbols. Wisdom for knowledge understanding, and Hope for learning optimism. We are supposed to be the librarians here after all."

Canary tilted her head, hazy and strange in her now-unclear form. Yet, Sparrow could vision very clearly her usual cheerful face. 

"Each of us can invite a library guest per week, right? We should invite Li'l Aunt! I'll use my quota."

"Good idea," Sparrow agreed. The decision was not hard, and for once, the silence of the library buzzed with anticipation.

Canary instinctively focused her mind and magically a translucent screen materialized in front of her, shimmering with golden light. An image of their aunt's face was in the screen, along with some of her information... name: Autumn Stellarine Elheart, age: 25, etc.

"Invite!" Canary shouted as she moved her blurry hand to touch the screen theatrically.

The screen blazed in throbbing glow and exploded into a blinding burst of light. And when it subsided, the hazy figure of their aunt appeared not far from them. 

"What's up with that unnecessary shout and touch? That looked silly." Sparrow commented idly.

"Shut up, Birdbro!" Canary replied in fake anger. "That was style. Style!"

Autumn appeared startled, her blurry head turned to look at the two, and her green eyes widened with amazement. "Sparrow? Canary? Where am I?" Her voice was a mix of awe and intrigue.

"This is the [Secret Library], Little Aunt!" Canary responded in excited voice. "We've told you about that, haven't we? The reward we got from the realmgate..."

"Oh, is this it? This is way bigger that I expected..." Autumn's eyes roamed over the towering shelves, each filled with glowing texts stacked infinitely. "How is it that I am here?"

Sparrow shared a glance with Canary, and then explained, in a tone that was much calmer than his sister's: "It's one of our privileges here. Canary could invite you because we both have become… this place's Secret Librarians."

"Secret Librarians? Privileges?" Autumn echoed, a grin stretching across her face. "Tell me everything!"

Canary beamed, rapidly explaining the nature of the [Secret Library], its complicated rules, and their roles in that place, adding colors to the detailed description with exaggerated movements... which looked really strange in her hazy form. 

"So... to make you retain your memory after we leave later, I've put you in the list of permanent membership! Look!" She gestured proudly toward a new identity card that appeared around Autumn's neck. The crispy clear card shimmered with the symbol of a jumping dolphin, the word 'Friendship' engraved elegantly above it.

Autumn placed her hand over her new ID like a cherished treasure. Her obscure face seemed glowing with warmth. "Without this I won't remember anything that happens here? This is incredible."

And then... the siblings continued talking to their aunt about the library, its secrets and treasures unfolded like the petals of a blooming flower.

"So, only awakened minds can become members?" Autumn asked, her brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Yeah!" replied Sparrow, nodding. "If that is not the case, I would have invited Aunt Raven, Jasmine, or Uncle Jack already."

"The Hallows?" A moment of silence fell over them as Autumn's expression shifted. "Well... Sister Raven is an awakened. She used to be an active agent like me, but she has been retired. For about eight years, I think. She left the field when she became pregnant with Jasmine."

Canary, amazed to hear this information, clasped her hands. "She is a mystery agent too? Really? Then what are we waiting? Let's invite her, Birdbro!"

Sparrow, also shocked with the information, looked from different perspective. "But, she is retired now. Is it alright to involve her in this?"

"Why do we need to think about that?" Canary easily responded. "Just invite her and ask. If she didn't want to get involved, just... don't give her the permanent membership."

There was a spark of something bright in Sparrow's heart. That was right. They just needed to invite and ask her.

With a deep breath, Sparrow nodded. "Okay. Let's invite her."

"You do it, Birdbro. I'm out of quota for this week."

Without any word, Sparrow gathered his concentration and called out the translucent screen in golden light once more. Again, an image of a woman's face could be seen in the screen, along with some of her information... name: Raven Zephyra Night-Hallow, age: 34, etc.

Still wordlessly, Sparrow's obscured hand touched the screen, sending out a mental call to Raven Hallow, yearning for a response. For a few seconds nothing happened, but then... the golden light of the screen glowed stronger until a blinding light covered the whole space.

The light disappeared and the hazy form of Raven materialized. A hauntingly familiar aura enveloped her, strikingly similar to their own. She stood there, with an air of quiet strength, and sparkles of uncertainty in her dark brown eyes.

"Where am I?" she called out, her gaze darting between Autumn and her two young relatives. "What is this place?"

"It's the [Secret Library], Big Aunt!" Canary answered in her rapid-fire cheerful tone. "And we've invited you here. This is the dreamscape world that we acquired in our adventure. This place is amazing, really. It is still empty though."

"Canary?" Raven blinked, absorbing the gravity of their statement. "Dreamworld? What's this?"

From there, introductions ensued. Sparrow and Canary conveyed their journey in vivid detail, while Autumn provided some inputs to ease out the older woman's comprehension. 

The spark of worry and uneasiness ignited within Raven as they told her that they had awakened and had jumped into several adventures. She had guessed it when she visited Sparrow in the hospital. But receiving confirmation did not make her feel better. Being active awakened power holders meant being in danger after all.

However, as they described the [Secret Library], the identity cards, the features of the library, and the potential of the knowledge within, she realized that this might not be all bad.

With every word spoken, the connection between them deepened. Raven's reservations began to melt away like morning mist in the light of their enthusiasm. 

"Well then," she said, in motherly tone, "if I'm here, it means there's work to be done."

"So, you're in, Big Aunt?" Canary cheered, bouncing on her feet.

"Obviously," she answered in a helpless, yet logical tone. "Just leave one spot for membership to Jasmine. Our family seems to be cursed with the mystery power. I won't be surprised if she woke up 'awakened' one day. This place might just give her much higher chance to survive."

"Superpowered Jasmine," Sparrow wondered mischievously. "Won't that be like ten times more chaotic than the already super chaotic Tweety here?"

"What the hell do you mean, Birdbro?" Canary protested.

Sparrow just chuckled at that and made a simple gesture to Raven. A new identity card immediately appeared around her neck. The crispy clear card shimmered with the symbol of a swan on a rippling water, the word 'Loyalty' engraved in archaic fonts below the symbol.

"Alright," Sparrow said, turning into serious mode. "Big Aunt is now a permanent member. What now?"

Canary, her blurred figure already perched on the edge of the long conference table, made an initiative to share her idea. "Yo, Birdbro! We are supposed to be able to share our knowledge right? Why don't we do it?"

Sparrow looked at her and nodded. "Alright. I'll start!"

The air in the Secret Library hummed with quiet anticipation. Sparrow Night, his muscular form a hazy outline against the towering bookshelves, held aloft a blank book that he summoned with simply a focused imagination. His one visible eye was closed in concentration. 

On the long conference table, Canary sat restlessly and swayed her legs, excitement practically radiating off her equally indistinct figure. Their aunts, Autumn and Raven, watched with varying degrees of amusement and curiosity.

"Come on, Birdbro, show us the magic," Canary chirped in radiant voice.

Sparrow remained silent for a moment longer, then opened his eye. The blank book in his hand was transformed, turning into a brown leather bound tome. The cover was a vintage illustration of a clock tower in embossed golden lines, the title emblazoned across the top: 'The Craftsman Apprentice Chronicles, Book 1: Guardian Clock Tower'.

A gasp escaped Canary's lips. "No way! Birdbro, you actually did it. That's your novel, right? But the cover is not the same. This one is cooler though, more classic looking." 

Sparrow placed the book on the table, a small, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. "It's amazing, actually. I definitely remember the setting of the story, the characters, the main plot points. It's my story after all. But the fine details? The dialogues, description, and narration within? No way I can remember that. Yet…" He gestured to the book. "…the library filled in the gaps. It's all there, complete and coherent."

"That's incredible!" Autumn exclaimed, her voice laced with genuine surprise. "So, it essentially retrieves knowledge from your subconscious and… refines it?"

Raven, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward. "And if you don't know anything about it in the first place? Will it be a blank page?"

"I suspect so," Sparrow replied, his voice calm and philosophical as always. "The library can only work with what's already there, even if it remains hidden."

Canary, never one to be left out, snatched up another summoned blank book from the air. "My turn! Let's see if this works with my super duper amazing knowledge about music!" 

She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. A few seconds later, a new book materialized in her hands. This one was smaller, bound in a rich blue leather, and embossed silver title on the cover, 'Lyric and Music'.

"Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh!" Canary squealed, flipping through the pages. "It's amazing! It's like… a summarized compilation of everything I've ever learned about music theory!" 

Sparrow mischievously grinned. "That won't help anyone if only you understand it. I've seen your essays, Tweety. They are... well..."

"Come on, Birdbro. You don't need to rub it on my face," Canary grunted. "I know my written essays were not for common people like you. It's not my mistake to have such an amazing yet unappreciated mind."

"Well...," Raven, who had taken over and read a few lines of Canary's book commented. "This one is understandable though. So unlike her usual essays." 

"Yes, yes, yes! This library is amazing. All the complex words and sentence structures I always struggled to grasp, all the writing composition headaches… gone! It wrote it all out perfectly!"

"See, Row?" Autumn nudged Sparrow playfully. "Your little sister can be a great maestro in writing. She just need a little help."

"Of course!" Canary claimed proudly. "I'm the great Canary after all."

"Yep," Sparrow grinned. "Now, she can write her own lyrics, can't she? I can focus on my novel then."

Canary's proud demeanor immediately changed. "No, no, no! Lyrics are different, Birdbro." She complained, "Come on! There are rhymes, meters, dictions, and other complicated things for making lyrics. Besides, you should be proud to be the lyric writer of the songs dominating the chart this month."

"Why don't you try it first?"

"Nope." Canary quickly refused. "I don't even have any idea about how to start. Come on, Birdbro! I'm the composer. You're the lyric writer. That's already a perfect job division."

Sparrow raised his eyebrows, even when it was not that visible with his hazy image. "Perfect?"

"Alright," Autumn quickly cut their banter. "Enough about that. Let's start working, Kids! Summon some blank books for me and Sis Raven. We'll try to pour our knowledge on it."

...

And so, the four of them began their task. Sparrow, deciding to start from his most accomplished achievement, focused on his novels. He channeled his published works, the stories whispering in his mind, and watched as eighteen books materialized, filling the desolate library with myriad tales of adventures bound in vintage covers. 

There were the other books from the Craftsman Apprentice Chronicles, and entirely new series: tales of mages, warriors, and mythical creatures battling dark forces in fantastical landscapes. Most of them had already been published, but surprisingly, Sparrow also managed to jot down some new, unpublished scripts.

Canary, fueled by her initial success and boundless energy, threw herself into documenting her musical knowledge. Twelve books appeared, filled with lyrics and music scores. Some were her own compositions paired with Sparrow's lyrics... bubbly pop tunes and melancholic ballads that captured the angst and joy of adolescence. 

Others were transcriptions of famous songs, meticulously notated and analyzed. Within those pages, she was able to convey the deep emotions and stories that she had always experienced in her music.

Autumn, ever the agent, was more methodical in her approach. Eight books were created under her purview. Three detailed the profiles of awakened individuals, a comprehensive database of allies and potential threats. 

Five others documented the supernatural cases she had learned from other agents or investigated personally throughout her career. These cases offered insights into the patterns and dangers of the soul invasion. Each entry was a cautionary tale, a reminder of the hidden war raging beneath the surface of their world.

Raven, a lawyer and a mother, approached the task with a sense of civic duty. She condensed her years of legal experience into three thick volumes on criminal and civil law, ensuring that the fundamental principles of justice were preserved within the library's walls. 

Nine more volumes detailed the law cases she had witnessed or handled, offering a glimpse into the complexities of human behavior and the consequences of breaking the law. And finally, two more books documented law cases that involved the awakened, a chilling reminder of the intersection between the natural and supernatural worlds.

Time seemed to warp and bend within the Secret Library. Hours melted away as they poured their knowledge into the waiting books, their minds racing with ideas and memories. When they paused to rest, they picked up each other's books, eager to learn from one another.

As the hours drew to a close, the Secret Library was no longer a completely desolate space. A small part of the bookshelves that once stood empty were now filled with knowledge, wisdom, and creativity. It was still only a tiny speck in the humongous size of the library, but it was a start.

The blurred figures of Sparrow, Canary, Autumn, and Raven stood amidst the towering bookshelves, their forms still indistinct but their presence undeniable.

"Twelve hours," Autumn announced, checking her non-existent watch. "About time to head back."

Canary stretched her arms above her head. "That was… strange. It should be boring and exhausting. But I feel so fresh. So worth it! I feel like my brain just leveled up."

"Indeed," Sparrow said, his one visible eye on his blurred visage gleaming with satisfaction. "This would be much more impressive once we invite some more 'expert' guests to share their knowledge."

Autumn added, "We have laid the foundation for something truly remarkable. A repository of knowledge, a sanctuary of ideas. The surreal invasions may find us seemingly unprepared in the real world, but within this dreamscape world, we are building our defenses."

Raven nodded, her expression serious. "This library… it's not just a collection of books. It's a strategic weapon. We've armed ourselves with knowledge, and that's the most powerful weapon of all."

As they prepared to leave the Secret Library, Sparrow paused, gazing at the filled bookshelves. He knew that this was just the beginning. There was much more to learn, much more to document. And as long as they had the library, they had a chance to fight back against the darkness that threatened their world.