Ars Eternia

At that moment, everything was pitch black. Aria couldn't see his surroundings. He cautiously took a step forward, and suddenly, the sound of a bell echoed around him. The darkness dissipated, and the room was illuminated. Aria was startled and slightly confused—just a moment ago, he had been in an old bookstore, but now, he found himself in a grand and magnificent one.

"Ugh, where is this? It was completely dark just now, but after the bell rang, all the lights suddenly turned on."

"Hmph… This bookstore is bigger than I thought. It's like a grand library filled with the world's knowledge."

Aria, still in shock, looked around at the towering bookshelves neatly arranged, though covered in dust. At that moment, in a corner of the room behind an old wooden desk, an elderly man wearing a tattered robe and round glasses was deeply engrossed in a book, his eyes filled with concentration. He barely acknowledged Aria's presence.

Curious, Aria slowly stepped forward. His fingers brushed against the spines of the neatly arranged books, some of which had faded titles. Then, his gaze was drawn to a particular book tucked away in the bottom corner. It was an ancient tome bound in black leather, adorned with mysterious engravings unknown to him. There was no title or author's name—only an aura of mystery surrounding it.

As Aria reached for the book, dust scattered into the air. Its surface felt strange to the touch, as if it were alive.

"Hmph, an interesting choice, boy."

The elderly man's hoarse voice broke the silence.

Aria turned to see the old man now gazing at him sharply, as if assessing something.

"Do you know what book you're holding, young man?"

Aria continued staring at the book. Its worn cover and fragile pages suggested it had been here for a long time.

He lifted his head. "Do you know something about this book?"

The old man shrugged and replied,

"Not much. I only know that it is a storybook about something called 'Ars Eternia.'"

Leaning back in his chair, the old man took a sip of warm coffee before continuing.

"Legend has it that this book speaks of something unknown. No one truly knows what it is, as it is merely a fable."

Aria remained silent, his eyes scanning the first page.

Ars Eternia…

The words felt unfamiliar to him.

"Some believe it is a lost art, while others dismiss it as nothing more than an unproven myth," the old man continued.

"But if you ask me… I'd say it's just an old fairy tale—nothing more than a piece of entertainment."

Hearing this only deepened Aria's curiosity. If it was just a storybook, why did it feel so… alive?

The old man let out a sigh and said, "If you want the book, it's cheap—only twenty-five Argentum."

Aria was taken aback. "What? Only twenty-five Argentum?"

The old man chuckled at Aria's surprise. "That book has been sitting here for ages, and no one has ever been interested in buying it. Besides, it's just an old fairy tale with no real value."

Without hesitation, Aria bought the book, thanking the old man for selling it so cheaply. Once he had satisfied his curiosity, he turned toward the door to leave. However, just as he reached for the handle, his surroundings suddenly blurred and faded. Before he realized it, he was already standing outside the bookstore, back where he had first seen it.

"Ugh, what a strange bookstore…" Aria murmured, a slight shiver running down his spine.

As night fell, Aria returned to his dormitory, feeling exhausted from exploring the city. He placed the items he had purchased in his room, but his attention soon returned to the book. A book with no title and no author—only a single phrase written on the first page: Ars Eternia.

Without hesitation, Aria began reading. He carefully flipped through the first few pages until a particular sentence caught his attention.

"Ars Eternia, the Grand Art, is a knowledge that transcends the limits of human understanding. Those who comprehend its principles may obtain everything. Those who grasp its essence shall surpass the boundaries of the world."

Aria narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Obtain everything…?

Aria continued reading, flipping through page after page until he came across a passage that caught his attention.

"Long ago, this world was ruled by kings. They were not merely rulers but also the pillars of the world's balance. Each of them possessed power beyond human limits. However, when the 'Dimensional Rift' appeared and mysterious beings emerged from it, the kings fought with all their might to stop them."

Aria paused. Dimensional Rift?

"Isn't the dimensional rift in this story the same as what I'm thinking of?"

He connected it to his current world, where similar rifts, known as Gates, also existed.

It was a phenomenon frequently mentioned, even in academy lectures—mysterious gates appearing and unleashing terrifying creatures that nearly brought civilization to ruin.

However, what truly happened back then remained a mystery.