As Rey and the trio fully stepped into the space, the white room revealed its true scale.
Nine flawless walls.
No doors. No seams.
Only silence.
Then Veylen lifted his hand and pointed upward.
"Look."
They did.
And for a moment, none of them breathed.
Above their heads was a vastness that crushed thought itself. Endless layers stacked upon layers, stretching beyond perception. Shelves upon shelves, spiralling into infinity, perfectly ordered, impossibly precise.
Books.
Scrolls.
Tablets.
Codices forged from unknown materials.
Some glowed faintly. Others pulsed as if alive. A few radiated pressure so heavy that Rey's chest tightened just from glancing at them.
It was not merely a library.
It was history itself.
Aiden's hand trembled.
His pupils shook as if staring at divinity.
"W-where are we…" he muttered. "And what… what is all of that?"
Rey blinked a few times.
From his perspective, it was massive. Overwhelming, sure.
But still… books.
"Okay," Rey said slowly, "either my brain finally broke, or this is just the biggest library I've ever seen."
He turned to Veylen.
"And why is this inside my body?"
Veylen nodded calmly.
"You are inside your body," he said. "And also not."
Rey frowned.
"This place exists within the Law residing in you. A space folded into an origin layer."
He spread his hand toward the endless shelves.
"This is a sanctuary accumulated across eras. Knowledge, arts, techniques, forbidden skills, lost paths, extinct civilisations. Everything gathered by our Ancestor, by the family, and by the Will itself."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"How large is it?"
Veylen answered without hesitation.
"Large enough to house millions of clusters worth of civilisations."
Rey sucked in a breath.
"And it would still not be full."
Aiden looked like he was about to cry.
"…This is heaven."
Veylen glanced at him.
"For those who seek knowledge, yes."
He turned back to Rey.
"But this place is unreachable to nearly all existence. Even beings who claim omnipotence have searched for it for ages and failed."
Rey raised an eyebrow.
"Then how often do you come here?"
Veylen shook his head.
"Twice."
Rey froze.
"Twice?"
"Once when I was alive," Veylen said. "And once now."
He paused.
"And even that was only because the Will allowed it."
Rey slowly processed that.
"So… I can't just come here whenever I want?"
"No," Veylen replied flatly. "Access is not yours to command."
Then his eyes shifted slightly.
"…And it seems the caretaker is late."
The atmosphere changed.
Something vast stirred.
Veylen straightened.
"He's arriving."
Rey felt nothing.
But Aiden stiffened.
Victor's gaze sharpened.
Zero's presence shrank inward.
Then—
A presence descended.
Not from above.
But from everywhere.
Rey followed the others' gazes downward.
And saw him.
A short figure stood calmly before them.
Dwarf-sized.
Broad-shouldered.
Skin the colour of deep, frozen blue.
His eyes were sharp, ancient, and oppressive. The kind that felt like they could pin souls in place.
The old man smiled faintly.
"Hoh… so guests have entered the Archive without notifying this old caretaker."
Rey squatted instantly, leaned forward, and pointed.
"Hey, Veylen," he grinned, "where did this little blue grandpa pop out from—"
Before he could finish, Veylen grabbed him and yanked him back.
"Idiot," Veylen hissed. "Another word, and even I won't save you."
The old man chuckled softly.
"Hoho… you're fortunate, boy."
His gaze locked onto Rey.
"Control that tongue. Or I may shorten it for your own good."
Rey nodded so fast his neck hurt.
"Yes, sir."
"Good."
The old man turned to Veylen.
"So," he said casually, "second visit. Interesting. I don't recall granting you another chance while you were alive."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Did you die?"
Veylen bowed his head a fraction.
"My lifespan ended naturally," he said. "I spent it seeking a successor. This form exists only by the Will's grace."
He gestured toward Rey.
The old man followed the motion and stared.
Long.
Uncomfortably long.
"…This?" he said flatly. "This is the new member?"
Rey felt exposed.
"Which number is he?" the old man muttered. "Twenty-two? Twenty-five?"
He sighed.
"Trash," he said plainly. "Above trash."
Rey flinched.
"This soul would shatter under a basic strike. The body is barely functional. Without those three relics propping him up, he wouldn't even be standing here."
Veylen didn't argue.
"Yes," he said calmly. "You are correct."
The old man frowned slightly.
"Then why choose him?"
"Because destiny is already set," Veylen replied. "And he may be the only key capable of freeing us."
Something flickered in the old man's eyes.
Briefly.
Then vanished.
"You still believe her words," he muttered. "That foolish woman."
He shook his head.
"You should have waited. Found someone with a proper vessel."
Veylen's gaze hardened.
"You will understand," he said. "When you see it."
The old man snorted.
"Tch."
Rey took this moment to whisper to Veylen.
"Hey… who is this guy? You're acting weirdly respectful."
The old man smiled.
"Oh? Curious, are we?"
Veylen sighed.
"I suppose it's time."
He turned to Rey.
"This is Xelth'Ruun."
Rey straightened.
"Also known as the Abyssal Archivist."
Xelth'Ruun's eyes gleamed faintly.
"He is an Eclipsed Spirit Sovereign God. His exact power is unknown."
Rey swallowed.
"He is the caretaker of this entire place."
Veylen gestured upward.
"The Umbraveth Archive."
He continued evenly.
"Everything lost to time, erased by eras, devoured by collapse… appears here."
Rey's breath hitched.
"Only a handful of beings have ever taken something from this place," Veylen added. "All of them are now untouchable existences."
Ruun waved his hand dismissively.
"Enough praise."
He looked at Rey.
"Call me Mr. Ruun. I dislike formality."
Then he began to float upward.
Veylen followed.
The trio moved after him.
Rey remained on the ground.
"…Oi."
They stopped.
Rey waved.
"You guys forgetting something?"
Everyone looked down.
Rey pointed at himself.
"Me."
A collective sigh echoed through the Archive.
—