Knowledge of The 5 Races

i’m standing in front of a giant door, approximately 30 feet width and 50 feet height. there were engraving at the door, and i recognized one language, Latin. i assume that whatever behind this door, it’s must be really important cause besides human language, there also 4 others engraved there. i read what carved in human language…

it says “human stays in the land where sun can shine on them, elf lives in the oldest forest, nymph lives in the furthest sea, dwarf lives in the deepest cave, and orc lives in the highest mountain. behind this door you will find them.”

i found it. i found the long lost “The Library”. there’s been a tale, that inside the library, all knowledge, from since the beginning of life, from all race that ever lived, from stories to the oldest magic, resides there. my heart pounding so hard, i can hear it clearly. blood pumping all over my body, filled it with adrenaline. can’t stand still, i walk closer to open the door.

the door looks like will fall-off even with the slightest touch… but i was wrong… i’ve been trying to push the door, kick it, and even smash it with an iron stick, but there’s no sign the door move an inch. it’s like the door standing there, just staring at me, and i can’t land a hit that will damaged the door, moreover to open it.

after several minutes trying to open the door, i’m exhausted and feel frustrated. i stare at the door, hope that my stare will made the door tremble in fear n opened itself. so much for daydream. then, i look that there’s something odd with the engraving. i don’t realize this the first time. but after i stare at the whole door, i found that all the writing placed in pentagram formation, and at the center of the pentagram, there is a small hole that looks like a keyhole. and it’s shape, i vaguely try to remember where i’ve seen this shape. as fast as someone turn on the light, i remember where i’ve seen this shape. i always carried it in my body. the shape as same as the pendant necklace that my mother gave to me before she went on journey. then, i took out the pendant, and try to put it on the hole. after i put it in, for several moment, nothing happened. then, from afar, i heard a small clog start turning. then, the, continued by larger clog. mixed with the large clog sound, chain sound also participated like don’t want left behind.

this mechanism sound last for 10 minutes. after then, slowly but sure, the door open little by little. i stand there, too fear made a sound, and waiting if something come out from inside. after the door open as wide as i can slip in, while beaming my flashlight inside. then i walked in. the room inside was huge, no, enormous. from where i stand, as far as i could see, there’s bookshelf everywhere. i walk slowly to one of the shelf. there’s nothing there. no book, no paper, nothing. then i directing my flashlight around. it’s the same, all there were bookshelf, but nothing in sight except bookshelf. then i walk deeper inside. after walking 900 feet, i almost fell off. there was a giant hole in front of me. but the shelf still standing there. later i know that the shelf were not standing, but hanging in line like the shelf that were standing behind me. dead end.

i tried to circling the hole by walking to the right and left, hoping there were some kind of bridge to cross the hole. but as far as i walked, there’s no bridge. i’m even not found the end side of the hole. after back to the first place, my flashlight loose it’s power. the only light in the room reduce to nothing. then, i unpack my backpack to look for spare batteries. at that moment, i saw a dim light. it’s come from above far in front of me. the light really dim. but there it is, there’s a light at the ceiling. it came out from a hole. from where i stand, the hole look like only will fit for mouse, but after i’ve been calculated the distance from the light and the size of the hole, i’m pretty sure that a person will fit in there. but, the next problem is how can i across to reach that place. the only thing that available towards the hole are the bookshelves.

foolishness mixed with frustration then stirred in the adrenaline made me a fool, fool but brave. then, i walked to the nearest hanging shelf and tried it strength. the first one creaking so loud after i climbed it. as fast as i climbed, i jump off the shelf. i think the this shelf and another won’t be able to hold my weight and my backpack. i drop my backpack and left them behind. then i tried again. this time, the shelf only creak when i move, but not showing any sign to fall.

i tried the same way on the others, try the strength, then jump on. the closer i’m with the ceiling hole, the bigger the size of the hole. after almost under the ceiling hole, i saw a ladder, in one side of the hole. only one hope i pray in me, hoping the ladder still intact so my effort not wasted. looks like God hearing my prayer. after i climbed up the bookshelf, i’m reaching the ladder. same as the shelf, the ladder is creaking but still in place. then i climbed up.

i enter what looks like a ventilation system. i must crawling to move, but my hope light up when i see the light far ahead. it must’ve been several hundred feet ahead because i’m crawling so long, my hand and feet ache in every place. the light become brighter and brighter. that’s mean i’m closer and closer to the end. then, i arrived.

what amaze me at first is the ladder down. the ladder made from rope, that’s so soft and looks like brand new. the next thing i saw made me can’t move, speak, or even breathing (literally). in front of me, there’s a room, that’s completely different from the room before this. this room is not so large but so bright. the tiles shining as if someone always polish it. the bookshelves filled with books and the room is clean. no dust, no spider nest, and most important, no endless hole. after stunned for a moment, i climbed down. when i reach the door, i’m hearing something. it’s getting closer and closer. i reach for my backpack and swear to myself because left it behind. now, i’m standing here, defenseless. suddenly, a shadow appear behind me, and instinctively i turn around and jump back.

i cannot believe my eyes. in front of me, standing a girl, and by the looks, she’s not more than 30 years old. she is bowing at me, then smiling. i asked who is she and she’s just keep smiling, not saying a word. i ignored her and start walking around. among books around me, i took one and read the title “Ancient weapons used by elves”. i opened it, jumping from one pages to another. after that i took another book. amazing. none of this books would have been found at outside world. the girl following me wherever i go. then i talked to her. i asked if there’s another way to get out of here. she understood what i’m saying to her. she point at a ladder.

it’s different from the one i used to get in. i steal one of the books then climbed up the ladder to get out. when i got out of the room, the book turn into ashes. then, i realized, it was magic that protecting the room, made the room unraveled by time. and this time, the tunnel do not shine at the end, rather covered by darkness. there i goes again, crawling to reach what seem like endless tunnel. after several minutes crawling, i meet the end. there was a door above my head. i opened it and found rather gloomy room. the size of the room is normal, and not like another room i’ve visited. it’s decorated like a bedroom. there were a bed, and a drawer. at one corner, a standing lamp illuminate the room with gloomy light. at another corner, there was an antique sewing machine. and beside the machine, a door that lead to next room was standing there. i’m wondering how many rooms under here. without wasting time anymore, i walk to the door and open it. a shadow run through me, and i mean it, it run through me. then i turned around and saw a spirit laughing cause he thinks he scared me. and he’s right, i’m scared outta hell. after laughing for a moments, he stare at me and say that someone i knew waiting for me in the next room. i’m confused. who’s the people i knew that waiting for me several miles underground. i wanna asked who, but the spirit has gone.

curiosity kills the cat. that’s what i thought when i’m walking through the door to the next room. i’m so curious that i’m not realize walking through a hallway filled with pictures of every races and have engraving in languages i don’t know like at the door. i’m just focused to find out who is it, the person that the spirit talking about. i opened the door but it locked. the i saw the keyhole like before, and i insert the pendant. the door opened. i thought i would find something extraordinary. the room i entered bigger that the previous. at the center were a box above a small table. i walked to it. inside the box there were a book. the cover made from leather and no title written on it. i opened the box. when i’m touch it, i heard a voice. i look around but there’s no one around. then again, i heard that voice again. this time nearer and louder. i’m still looking around, looking where the sound come from. then the voice says that i’m must close my eyes to see it. i’m closing my eyes. it took the form one of my lover. she says she’d borrowed it while talking to me. now i understand why the spirit says someone that i knew. staring at her, i feel uncomfortable, talking to something that borrowed form from my mind. then she start talking. she asked why am i here. i reply that i’m here just to satisfy my hunger for knowledge. after that, i asked her if i could see the 4 other races. then she reply that even she show me the other races, how would i believe that’s just some sort of trick of image that she put in my mind. i’m stunned. i never thought that. then she continued, she asked what would i sacrificed to see the existence of other races. i reply that i would give everything if i could achieve that. she laugh. she asked one more time if i’m serious about my answer. yes. i reply yes, i’m sure. then she stared at me, for a while. then she talking again, she says that she wants my time. i could see the other races by myself, in return of my time. she says that time is the most powerful magic that exist and time is the only thing that have been protecting the library from destruction. i must came back here and stay here forever until another person take my place. i will stay young as same as the library. she ended the conversation by saying that i’ll show the way by the book that i’m holding. and if i ever broke my promises, i’ll cursed by staying young forever but cannot remember anything for more than a day. after the sun goes down, i’ll forget what happened that day. and so on.

i still agree after hearing all that. what a crazy man. then she says “take this book and start your journey to the unveiled world of ancient races”. a door opened in front of me and i walked through it while saying “i’m coming”…