"The Paradox of Record"
Chapter 3— The Book That Should Not Be Read
There was no light.
No sound.
No world.
There was only—
a page.
"…What… is this…?"
In the middle of the void—
a book floated.
Thick.
Wrapped in worn black leather.
Its surface was cracked, as if it had been forgotten by time itself.
At its center—
a symbol was engraved.
An eye.
---
But it was not a normal eye.
---
It was—
staring back.
---
"…A book…?"
---
I wasn't moving.
I wasn't breathing.
Yet I was there.
And so was it.
---
Slowly—
the book opened.
---
No hands touched it.
No wind stirred.
---
Its pages turned on their own.
---
One.
Two.
Three.
---
Until—
it stopped.
---
On a single page.
---
And there—
were words.
---
But I couldn't understand them.
---
Symbols.
Lines.
Things that were never meant to be seen by human eyes.
---
"I… can't read it…"
---
At that moment—
the ink moved.
---
Like something alive.
---
Slowly—
the symbols shifted.
---
Until—
they became words I could understand.
[Subject Detected]
[Compatibility: Unknown]
[Condition: Unstable]
---
My thoughts froze.
---
"…What is this…?"
---
The page continued.
---
[Foreign Soul Confirmed]
[Body Ownership: Incomplete]
[Risk: High]
---
A cold sensation spread through me.
---
"…It knows…"
---
It knew what I was.
What had happened.
What should never have happened.
---
Suddenly—
the page changed.
---
The ink split into two.
---
One side—
blue.
---
The other—
red.
---
And for the first time—
a voice emerged.
---
Not from the surroundings—
---
But from the—
book.
---
"Balance."
---
Soft.
Cold.
---
Then—
---
"Chaos."
---
Hot.
Rough.
---
I recoiled.
---
"…You… can speak…?"
---
Silence.
---
Then—
new words appeared.
---
[Dual Concept Detected]
[Status: Conflict]
---
"Dual…?"
---
"You are not one."
---
The blue ink.
---
"And you are not complete."
---
The red.
---
My mind trembled.
---
"…What am I…?"
---
The page paused.
---
As if thinking.
---
Then—
slowly wrote:
---
[Designation Pending]
---
[Pathway: Unknown]
---
[Recommendation: Survive]
---
"…Survive…?"
---
Suddenly—
the entire void trembled.
---
The book—
moved closer.
---
"…Wait—"
---
Too late.
---
It opened—
completely.
---
And inside—
there were no pages.
---
Only—
an abyss.
---
"AHHH—!!"
---
I was pulled inside.
---
It wasn't movement—
it was sinking.
---
Within the book—
there were images.
---
Creatures.
Shadows.
Things that should not exist.
---
And all of them—
were staring at me.
---
[Knowledge Transfer Initiated]
---
"ARGHHH—!!"
---
Knowledge flooded my mind.
---
Concepts I couldn't understand—
yet somehow knew were real.
---
Truths that should never be learned—
now forced into me.
---
"STOP—!!"
---
Suddenly—
it stopped.
---
A page closed.
---
And the pain—
vanished.
---
Silence.
Stillness.
Breathless calm.
---
"…What was that…?"
---
Words appeared again.
---
[Limit Applied]
---
[Mind Capacity: Low]
---
"…You're… holding it back…?"
---
[Correction: Protecting]
---
I went quiet.
---
For the first time—
I wasn't afraid.
---
Instead—
I felt something else.
---
Something was guiding me.
---
But—
it wasn't good.
---
And it wasn't evil.
---
It was—
dangerous.
---
"…What are you…?"
---
A long silence followed.
---
Then—
a line appeared.
---
Slowly.
---
[I am the Record.]
---
[I am the Guide.]
---
[I am… what remains.]
---
Everything shattered.
---
CRACK.
---
---
I WOKE.
---
"GHH—!!"
---
I shot upright.
---
I was still inside the church.
---
Cold floor.
The smell of blood.
---
But—
something had changed.
---
In my hand—
I felt weight.
---
Slowly—
I looked down.
---
And there—
---
A book.
---
Black.
---
With the symbol of an eye.
---
The moment I touched it—
---
A page appeared.
---
[Status]
[Condition: Alive]
[Stability: 32%]
---
I froze.
---
"…This is real…"
---
This wasn't a dream.
---
This wasn't an illusion.
---
It was—
with me.
---
And deep within my mind—
a cold realization formed.
---
If I had a guide—
---
Then that meant—
---
I had a path to follow.
---
And if that guide—
was something that should not exist—
---
A faint smile appeared on my lips.
---
"…Looks like…"
---
I whispered.
---
"…there's no turning back."
---
Inside the book—
the ink moved.
---
And formed a final word.
---
[Proceed.]
---
To be continued…