Merlin and the others were at the academy library, looking through books and trying to learn all they could about the abnormalities outside the walls of the Len division.
Merlin pulled a book from the shelf.
He looked at the cover.
It was covered in strange signs. The picture itself was nothing more than grey ink splattered randomly across the page in different shades.
Yet looking at it made him feel dizzy.
He turned the book over and read the title on the front.
Scrolls of Elden.
"I don't have time for literature," he sighed, dropping it back onto the shelf.
Indeed, there was no time.
According to Sera, in two days, they would be put in charge of guarding the eastern walls of the Len division.
And they would be spending three months doing it.
It was a job very few people were willing to do, Sera had told them. It was probably because of how long they'd have to spend outside the gates, Merlin said to himself, although he knew that wasn't it. He sighed.
Compared to taking on one task every two days or going from mission to mission week by week, this was far more rewarding.
At least, that's what Sera had told them.
So it should make up for the fact that they're spending a long time outside, Merlin frowned. Then does that mean this was a job that was avoided because of its difficulty?
Merlin turned to look at Sera, who was going through books to his right.
If so, then what on earth is she thinking? They barely knew how to survive or hold their own... I mean, I know a thing or two, Merlin flattered himself, but she doesn't know that.
He picked up a book about edible plants outside the walls. He smiled.
Finally, something useful.
He turned back to find a seat. He saw Nathan sitting at a desk, Edith sat next to him, and he was going through a huge pile of books.
I guess you actually can judge a book by its cover, Merlin said to himself.
He turned to his right. Duke sat close to a wall, with three books beside him. The books looked dusty and old.
He walked up to Duke and picked up one of the books before him.
Duke raised his head to look at Merlin, then continued reading the one he held.
The cover of the book read The 1999 Len Division.
Merlin paused.
That was about roughly eighty years ago.
What does Duke intend to learn from the Len's history? Merlin asked himself.
Merlin flipped through a few pages.
Most of them were filled with dates, names, and events he had never heard of. Some of the pages had old photographs attached to them, their edges faded with age.
He glanced at Duke.
"Why are you reading that?"
Duke didn't look up.
"Because I want to know what happened."
Merlin frowned.
"That was eighty years ago."
"I know that."
Duke turned another page.
Merlin stared at him for a moment.
He looked back at the book in his hands.
The page described one of the earliest expansions of the Len division, back when the people were frightened of abnormalities that started appearing outside the walls.
Merlin finally understood.
He leaned closer to the page.
Maybe this book wasn't as useless as he thought.
He looked at Duke.
"Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"
Duke finally looked at him.
"I'm not sure yet."
Merlin sighed as he walked over to an empty seat to read his book about plants.
After reading for a little while, Merlin started to feel a bit dizzy. It felt like he was sleepy, the only difference was that he couldn't prevent himself from dozing off.
He laid back and fell asleep.
As he did, he found himself in his infinite library.
But there was something different.
The shelves were no longer limitlessly tall. Everything also had a shade of green being cast over it.
Merlin looked to the sky.
There was a bright, speckling light shining over his library.
Merlin looked closer. He couldn't see what it was, but somehow he could feel it.
It was an eerie feeling, but there was no doubt in his mind.
That speckling was Leon's pendant.
He looked around him again.
This wasn't the layout of his library, he thought.
He took a few steps.
Then he heard something.
Someone was coming.
Merlin froze.
He didn't know how to react.
No one else was supposed to be here but him.
He finally saw the figure.
It was green, just like the light from Leon's pendant.
It was the image of a young girl.
She went through the books in the library.
Merlin only stood and watched.
For some reason, she couldn't see him.
He looked closer.
His eyes widened.
It wasn't the image of a random person.
It was that of Sera.
He walked between two shelves and saw the rest of the flock.
Tony was roaming around, and the others sat where they had been before he dozed off.
They were all green.
They must be projections, Merlin thought to himself. They're not really here. Maybe I imagined them.
But just before the thought settled, he looked down at himself.
His body was barely visible.
That's when he understood.
The layout wasn't different. It was the same as before.
This wasn't his library.
It was the same one he'd dozed off in, and the people walking around were very real.
He's the one who isn't real.
That was probably why they couldn't see him.
Merlin looked over to the place he'd sat before.
He saw something sitting there. It lay in the same position he had dozed off in, but it wasn't him.
He walked closer and closer.
The closer he got, the more he felt like walking away.
He let go of the breath he'd been holding.
He stared at the chair he'd fallen asleep on. The sight sent chills running down his spine.
Sitting on the chair and staring back at him was a half-rotting corpse. Though the corpse didn't have his face, it looked like him in terms of body.
He couldn't bring himself to look away. He was frozen as he stared at the corpse.
Suddenly, he felt someone behind him.
It was Sera.
He moved out of the way.
She stared at the corpse.
No, she was staring at him as he slept.
She had a sorry expression on her face.
This confused Merlin. He expected her to be more disappointed, but instead, she looked like she was going to apologize for something.
"Merlin," she said in a low voice the first time.
"Merlin! Wake up!"
Merlin's vision began to blur. The world around him started twisting like ink getting swirled by a brush.
He could barely stand straight.
Eventually, he woke up.
Sera stood in front of him.
"I didn't call you here to sleep."
She turned and walked away.
Her expression was way different than when he saw her earlier.
Wait.
Merlin looked down at himself.
He sighed.
I'm not a corpse... right?
He looked around.
Everyone else was where they were before he woke up.
What on earth was that? He asked himself.
He closed his book on edible plants and kept it on the side of the table.