Later that day, Alex arrived at the place where he was supposed to meet Sofia. He looked around, but there was no sign of her. Instead, he sensed the presence of an arterial line emitting a strange and intense energy. Since he still hadn't fully grasped Kaizen's travel system, he cautiously approached the line. Suddenly, a hand emerged from within the artery and pulled him inside, abruptly beginning his journey.
As Alex approached the library through a secret underground artery opened by Sofia, he couldn't believe his eyes. Standing before him were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Still unable to shake off the awe of seeing one of the Seven Wonders of the World, he stared at the mesmerizing scene in amazement.
This place, named La biblioteca de Babel, took its name from the Babylonian library. With the collection of all books, it had become Kaizen's depository of knowledge. Perhaps, the secrets of the entire universe now resided within this library.
The area that led to the library was surrounded by colossal stone structures; each wall was adorned with intricate carvings and columns bearing the traces of ancient civilizations, as if preserving the silence of centuries. The library, as if carefully nestled within nature, rose in harmony with the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The exterior of the structure radiated an ancient yet mystical atmosphere. Fine ivy had wound itself upward between the stone blocks, becoming part of the structure. The air was filled with a heavy silence; only the faint whispers of a distant breeze could be heard.
What stood out the most was the enormous door at the heart of the architecture. It seemed to have stood there for centuries. Inscribed upon it were ancient scripts and symbols. In the center of the door was a stone face resembling that of an old man. His face was full of wisdom; deep wrinkles and the weariness collected at the corners of his eyes spoke of time passed. As Alex approached, the face turned its eyes toward him as if alive, and its lips began to move slowly.
"Ah, another stranger. Speak the password and pass the gate," said the cold, echoing voice from the stone lips of the old face. The sudden animation of this seemingly lifeless figure filled Alex with an uneasy chill. The door's face seemed impatient, as if it hadn't heard a password in centuries. Alex knew how dangerous what he was about to do was; knowing Kai wouldn't forgive even the slightest mistake, he became even more cautious.
He hesitated for a moment and leaned toward the door. He slowly touched the deep wrinkles of the stone face. He focused his mind and gathered his energy. He remembered how carefully he had transferred energy to Basiliske before; but this time, he had to be even more precise. Within him was a power that could access traces of the past, and he began channeling that energy into the stone face of the door. Slowly, meticulously, he aimed to return only to the moment the password was spoken.
Gripping the flow of time, he sent his energy into the door. For a moment, the stone face stopped moving. Alex focused his eyes on the door; he felt a change, a stir beneath the stone surface.
"Welcome home, Jessy Brown."
The door had opened, but Alex was more focused on the words he'd just heard. Jessy Brown… That wasn't Jessy's surname. Why had it spoken that name?
"Hey, why did you say Brown?"
The door responded as if Jessy herself were standing in front of it instead of Alex.
"Be silent, stranger. You have no say here. Speak the password and pass the gate."
Alex frowned but, without questioning further, set his thoughts aside and walked inside. Now wasn't the time to dwell on this mystery. His priority was clear: to find Jessy and retrieve the book Sofia had mentioned.
As he stepped into the library, the grandeur of bookshelves stretching across massive ground levels captivated his eyes. The shelves rose to the ceilings, each holding what seemed to be countless mysterious secrets. Alex struggled to resist the allure of this mesmerizing scene and continued down the corridors.
Eventually, he reached the middle levels and found the book he was searching for. The shimmering name "Kai" engraved in golden letters on the cover made it easy to identify. The moment Alex carefully pulled the book from the shelf, a crimson light suddenly burst through the corridor. As the blinding flash faded, Alex's vision returned, and he noticed the figure standing before him.
This stranger was wrapped in bandages from head to toe; every part of him concealed. The crimson glow in his eyes alone lit the entire corridor. A brief silence followed, the atmosphere becoming almost tangible. Then, the stranger broke the silence, reaching toward his katana. Alex's eyes widened—there was no escaping a fight.
Alex turned and started running, but the strange being's ability to split into flying bandages and then reassemble mid-air made escaping much harder. Realizing he couldn't outrun it, he decided to use the library's corners to his advantage. Though they didn't shake the pursuit, they helped ease his flight.
As the samurai launched another attack, swinging his sword toward Alex, Alex swiftly grabbed a book from the ground. As the blade came down, he blocked it with all his strength using the book. The force of the attack split the book in two, but it gave Alex a few precious seconds. He took a deep breath and immediately reached for another shelf.
Instead of attacking Alex directly this time, the samurai struck one of the bookshelves, causing them to fall like dominoes. Alex knew that if he got trapped under them, he wouldn't even have the chance to fight. When the collapsing shelves reached his spot, he managed to jump out just in time. He was about to stand up and catch his breath when a slash to his knees brought him down again.
The samurai stood before him. His bandages had reformed his body once more, and soullessly, he raised his blade for the final blow. Just as Alex was bracing himself for the end, a stream of green light caused the samurai to retreat. Still, the wound on his knees had struck an artery—if he didn't act quickly, he would either bleed to death or be permanently injured.
Struggling on the ground, an idea suddenly struck Alex. It might deplete him, or even kill him by some other means—but it was worth a try. He placed his hands on his knees and began to concentrate the energy of time within his legs. Just five minutes into the past would be enough…
When he opened his eyes, he could move his leg again.
"Why would anyone stay in the academy when you can learn like this out here?"
Grinning as if he hadn't just been on the verge of death, Alex turned toward the green light, eager to find out who his rescuer was.