Hi! Um.. I'm relatively new to writing fanfics in general, but I'm not exactly a newbie to writing stories… Just don't be too harsh on me, yeah? :) The plot's mostly about 'The Crow of Destiny' quest; not a walkthrough of it, just related to it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ragnarok Online.


Of Memories

It's probably the sudden noise of people entering the library that wakes you up.

'Ah... damn. I must've fallen asleep while studying again', you think to yourself. Stretching your arms a bit, you look around. You've taken up a table at the second floor, giving you nearly a bird's eye view of the room below. Your gaze travels from the notes scattered and books that lay open in front of you, to the tables, chairs and books all over the library.

Finally, your eyes land on a worn-out hardback copy of 'The Trace of Fate' by Oliver Hilpert. It's on the first table to the left of the entrance, just like how you first found it years ago. In the back of your mind, you wonder if the first book, 'The Crow of Fate', was ever returned here.

In less than a second, a sad smile is on your face. 'It can't be helped', you reason with yourself. Sighing deeply, you bury your head in your arms on the table in front of you. 'If I hadn't agreed to help that man in Morroc, I could've avoided all of this.'

But Morroc is place far, far away from where you are now. That doesn't stop you from remembering though. Years ago, a man had asked for your help, and you agreed. It should've been simple: get him Oliver Hilpert's book from the Prontera Library and then get some reward for it. 'How naïve of me', you think, 'though many others would've done the same as I.' Prontera Library didn't have the book he asked you to find, 'The Crow of Fate'. Apparently, it could only be found in the Juno Library. It took so much effort, and even more zeny, just to finish his request. But by that time, you were too far-gone – captivated by the dreams, the pasts of others you never knew.

As you reflect on those strange events from years ago (since when has Rune Midgard experience anything not strange?), you wonder if anyone else knows. Oliver knows, yet he thinks of it as nothing more than dreams. Something from his past life, maybe? He'll probably never know. He won't ever know about the fact that they're real. He won't know that Zid, and all the other experiments… the ones who are mutated; he doesn't know that they still hide. Everyone knows of the books, of the pretty tales that Oliver wrote. Everyone knows, yet no one does. No one knows that it's real.

No one knows – except you, that is.

The stories, so tragic and yet still true, resonated in the pages of Oliver Hilpert's books. Novels of the tales of experiments gone wrong, of humans played upon at the hands of others that try to play god.

Their forms may be too grotesque for one to see a semblance of man, yet their hearts are the purest of all. They'll hide from society, and you know you probably won't ever see them again, yet their stories will live on. Even if it'll only ever be known as fiction.

A grim smile plays upon your lips, as your thoughts seemed to have gone beyond your control. You sigh, and start packing up your stuff before heading towards your dorm at the academy. It'll be best to continue with your work there, since the library will close in a couple of hours.

As you walk down the stairs from the second floor of the library, your gaze goes back to the book at the first table to the left of the entrance. Mulling over it for a second, you shrug to yourself and grab the copy of 'The Trace of Fate'.

Memories should be treasured, after all, especially memories of people that nearly no one knows of.


Yay~! My first fanfic that doesn't actually seem like a fic =)) It's pretty short, but school prevents me from writing stuff like this much. (… It wasn't that bad, was it? D: )

Reviews are appreciated! :)