Behind The Pages

Chapter Five: The Glowing Book

“Child?”

I looked in the direction of the voice, staring at my bedroom door.

“Yuri!” The door slammed open, revealing Granny’s furious face.

“Granny?” I stammered.

“Oh, you’re here. What are you doing?” The fury on her face vanished in an instant.

I looked around, unable to believe my eyes. I was suddenly back in my room, lying on my bed.

“I… fell asleep,” I said, trying my best not to stutter.

“Alright. I’ll be outside knitting in case you need something.” She gave a simple nod and left without another word.

I sat upright and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. Standing up, I scanned the space. No towering shelves, no ancient books, and no strange, predatory animal-man staring at me. Still, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I remembered the cold gaze of those crimson eyes.

I stepped toward the door, hesitantly reached for the knob, and pulled it open. There was nothing out there except Granny’s room across the hall. I closed and opened the door multiple times, but nothing changed. Desperate, I tried one more thing—

“What are you doing?”

I jumped, whipping around to face her. Her brows were knitted together, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her aura was terrifyingly dark.

“Nothing! Just... checking the door hinges.” I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.

“Here.” She handed me a plate of warm cookies. “I know you slept through lunch.”

I looked down at the plate, my eyes welling up. No stranger had ever been this kind to me. By the time I lifted my chin to thank her, Granny’s back was already disappearing around the corner of the hallway.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

I took the plate inside and ate in silence, feeling a sudden pang of guilt for lying to her. After finishing the last bite, I looked around the tiny room once more. Thinking about it now, there was no way that a massive hidden library could ever fit inside this small cabin.

Maybe it really was just a dream.

I breathed out equal parts of disappointment and relief—disappointed that I wouldn’t get to read those extraordinary stories again, but relieved that I hadn’t actually lied to Granny.

Once finished, I went to the kitchen to help her sort through a fresh harvest of herbs. As we worked, she explained their names and properties. After we finished the first batch, she brought out a very different set of plants.

“These are Stardusts,” she said, pointing to fluffy white buds that resembled dandelions, except for the faint, starlight-like sparkles dancing across their petals. “They are exceedingly rare, found only deep inside caves rich with pure spiritual energy. They bloom once a millennium, or when touched by a pure bringer of light. They can heal minor demon injuries and repel dark spirits.”

I listened quietly. She sounded so dead serious that I didn’t have the heart to burst her bubble.

“And these are Morning Dews.” She picked up a delicate fiddle head whose unfurling tip held a dewdrop shaped like a snowflake. “They grow everywhere. Harvested at the very first light of dawn, they can awaken anyone from a deep sleep—even a slumber lasting thousands of years, so long as their soul remains intact.”

The names were unfamiliar, and their effects sounded far too magical to be real, but I kept quiet as she walked me through several more herbs, quizzing me on their uses and where to harvest them while she prepped dinner.

After eating, I washed the dishes while Granny carefully transferred the herbs into glass storage jars. Once the sink was clear, I sat down across from her to lend a hand.

“Go rest, child. You have quite the adventure ahead of you,” she said, stopping me.

I wasn’t sure what she meant by that. I wanted to help so she could turn in early, but her tone left no room for argument. I simply nodded and headed back to my room.

“You can still escape fate, child. Never open the glowing book,” a voice whispered.

I froze and looked back. Granny was still at the table, busy sealing glass jars. I was certain it was her voice, but it seemed impossible—she was across the room, yet the words had felt like a breath directly against my ear.

Brushing the eerie feeling of exhaustion, I closed my door and flopped onto the mattress. But no matter how much I tossed and turned, sleep wouldn’t come. I glanced toward the threshold. Granny was already asleep; no golden light from her oil lamp flickered in the gap beneath the door.

The room was swallowed by darkness. I was just about to close my eyes when I caught a faint, rhythmic glow emanating from under my bed. Crouching down, my eyes widened.

It was the black book from my dream.

Heart pounding, I pulled it out and darted beneath my blanket, hiding in the dark with the object.

“It wasn’t a dream?” I muttered under my breath, terrified of waking Granny.

I couldn’t take my eyes off its heavy golden borders and the radiant red gems embedded in its leather. The pages inside were emitting a soft, ethereal light. I tried to pry the cover open, but it wouldn't budge.

“What’s wrong with this thing? Is there a latch or something?” I ran my fingers along the binding, searching for a release until my thumb brushed against the large central gem.

With a soft click, the cover flipped open. The radiant glow instantly vanished, revealing a plain, light-brown page.

“Blank?” The surge of excitement inside me deflated.

The moment my fingertips grazed the parchment, a golden light burst from the paper. Words began writing themselves across the surface in brilliant, luminous ink, as if guided by an invisible hand.

The opening line hooked me instantly. It told a brutal, epic history—a world consumed by war where mortals slaughtered one another for land and power, until the sheer volume of bloodshed seeped deep into the earth, awakening demons that had slumbered in the abyss for millions of years.

The creatures crawled up from the dark in endless torment, only to be scorched by the surface sun. Adapting, the smartest among them began hunting under the cover of night, preying upon the flesh and blood of mortals—from hardened criminals to innocent children.

Desperate, humanity prayed to the heavens until the sky split open and celestial beings descended to intervene. The war between celestials and demons raged for ten thousand years before the celestials finally sealed the abyssal portal, granting the mortal realm a million years of peace.

The text concluded with an ancient prophecy: the birth of a celestial wielder of pure light, destined to burn away all darkness in the world—regardless of whether it resided in mortals, demons, magical beasts, or celestials themselves.

“This is incredible,” I breathed, flipping toward the end of the written section—only to slice my finger sharply against the edge of the page. “Ow! What the—”

I pulled my bleeding hand to my mouth.

A sudden, freezing gust of wind swept through the room. I glanced up and noticed the wooden window had blown open. Stepping over to close it, I froze. The night sky was filled with streaks of light—countless stars were falling, their reflections shimmering across the distant, calm ocean. My eyes wide with wonder, I watched the breathtaking meteor shower until the last light faded.

Strangely, when it was over, not a single star remained in the night sky.

I pulled the window shut and turned back to my bed, only to gasp. The book was floating in midair, glowing intensely. At the center of its cover, a spiral of blue-white light was spinning, growing larger and brighter by the second. The air in the room thickened, whipping into a violent gale that sent my blankets, pillows, and clothes spinning wildly through the air.

I planted my feet, fighting the pull of the wind, and squeezed my eyes shut.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the wind died down.

When I opened my eyes, my breath caught. Everything in the room—clothes, papers, pillows—was frozen suspended in midair. I looked back at the floating book; the spinning light on its cover had expanded into a breathtaking, miniature galaxy.

It was hypnotic. I felt like I was standing in the middle of deep space. Unbidden, my feet began moving toward the vortex on their own.

“Yuri!”

The door slammed open behind me. I spun around to find Granny standing in the doorway, pure terror etched into her face.

“Yuri, stay away from that thing!” she yelled, pointing frantically at the galaxy behind me.

“Why, Granny?” I asked, confused by her sudden panic.

“Just do as I say—” She swallowed hard, taking a slow breath as she extended a trembling hand toward me. “Child, come here. Take my hand.”

Her tone had completely shifted—it was unnaturally soft, soothing, and gentle. I took a step toward her, reaching out.

“Yuri...” I muttered softly.

Then, a cold realization struck me. I instantly jerked my hand back.

“What’s wrong, child?” she coaxed gently.

“I never told you my name,” I said, taking a cautious step backward. “And you never asked, either. How do you know who I am?”

The soothing calm in her eyes shattered, replaced by sheer panic.

“I’ll explain everything! Just take my hand—” She lunged forward, reaching for me.

Panicking, I scrambled backward to avoid her—

“Yuri, stop!”

I caught my balance just in time, coming to a halt a single inch from the edge of the galaxy. Granny clutched her chest, letting out a ragged sigh of relief.

Before I could breathe, a pale hand erupted from the center of the vortex and clamped around my wrist. Long, dark claws dug into my skin. I screamed and pulled with all my strength, but the creature’s grip was absolute. Granny darted forward, grabbing my other arm, and together we pulled with everything we had until the grip slipped.

A pair of white, cat-like ears slowly poked through the center ring of the galaxy, followed by a mane of long silver hair as a man stepped out of the light. He wore an old-fashioned white outer garment with wide sleeves over a dark, V-necked tunic.

A sharp, devilish smirk curled on his lips.

With his eyes closed, his ear twitched. He extended his arm once more, his slender fingers wrapping around my wrist with blinding speed. Sharp black nails bit into my flesh. He opened his eyes—revealing glowing, fiery red orbs—and violently yanked me backward.

“Yuri!” Granny screamed, throwing herself forward, but her fingers only managed to graze mine.

The galaxy swallowed me whole.

I screamed as I fell into a lightless void surrounded by a kaleidoscope of distant stars. Then, a freezing mist slammed into me, wrapping around my body and cutting off my breath. I closed my eyes against the suffocating cold.

The moment the biting cold faded, I opened my eyes—only to see massive clouds rushing past me as I plummeted through the open sky. My heart hammered against my ribs as sheer terror took over.

“Ahhhhh!”

I was falling, helpless.

Suddenly, a shadow broke through the cloud cover above, diving straight toward me. In a blur, strong, slender arms wrapped firmly around my waist, catching me in midair.

He pulled me flush against his chest, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck, and whispered against my skin.

“Mate.”