CHAPTER 10:ECHOES OF THE PAST

Maya's fingers lingered on the page where her story paused. The sentence glowed faintly—"What comes next, you must choose." It echoed in her mind long after the light faded.

She looked up at the chamber once more. The floating orbs around her pulsed gently, and some began to drift lower, closer to where she stood. One hovered just above her shoulder, casting a warm amber light. Inside, a book rotated slowly, its pages fluttering despite the stillness in the air.

Drawn by instinct, Maya reached up and touched the orb.

A rush of sound and color exploded in her mind.

She was no longer standing in the chamber. For a split second, she was somewhere else entirely—a memory not her own.

A young woman ran through a forest of golden leaves, clutching a scroll to her chest. Behind her, shadowy figures gave chase, whispering threats that curled like smoke. The woman stumbled, blood on her sleeve, determination in her eyes. As she reached a clearing, a door appeared in the air—a door made of light, leading into… the library.

Then, just like that, it vanished.

Maya staggered back, gasping for breath. The orb floated upward again, calm as if nothing had happened.

"What was that?" she whispered.

The Memory Book flipped open again and a new line appeared:

"Every book remembers a soul."

Maya's gaze moved to the other orbs. Each must have contained a story—a person's memory, a life lived and preserved within the heart of the library. They weren't just books. They were echoes. Souls etched into pages, voices that would never fade.

She touched another orb.

This time, she saw a boy sitting beneath a tree of silver leaves, whispering secrets to a shadow creature that curled beside him like a pet. The boy's voice trembled, but the creature listened patiently, then faded into mist. The boy opened a book in his lap—and inside it, his own face stared back.

Maya blinked and withdrew her hand, the memory already slipping like mist between her fingers.

Each story was a puzzle piece, a fragment of the library's greater purpose.

But why was she seeing them?

Why had the library chosen her?

Suddenly, the pedestal beneath the Memory Book lit up, revealing a second slot. A place for another book.

A new one.

Something clicked inside her.

The first book had recorded her past. But the second—her future—was yet to be written. The Keeper wasn't just showing her stories… it was inviting her to create one.

Her story wasn't just being remembered.

It was being shaped.

And every step forward would be her choice alone.

With trembling hands, Maya stepped back from the pedestal and turned to the glowing orbs once more.

Somewhere among these memories was a path—a message—a key to the next part of her journey.

And she intended to find it.