''What is this place?"
That is her first question. Afterall, not everytime when someone wake up and all they see is white space and book. Thousands, no, probably millions of book. Usually, when she awake from her slumber, first she should see is Anne's face. Either that or her dorm ceiling. Not this... bookshelf filled white space. The amount of book in this place probably thousands, nay million with the amount of the bookshelf. Also, she quite hungry and craving some coo-
Suddenly, word Cookie in Japanese and Sorcier float in front of her. Many bookshelf started to flown backward, with some of it lurched forward. Some even flew sideways. Startled by sudden movement of the bookshelf, she fall to her bottom with terrified squeak.
"W-what just happened!?" She exclaimed with fear. Why the bookshelfs suddenly moved!?
"W-well I should try taking one of the book.." Not noticing word try floats, she rises from her undignified fall and try to take one of the book from remaining bookshelfs. Keyword being try. Once again, some bookshelf flown backward and sideways before disappeared again, leaving single bookshelf before her. This time she just merely startled by the sudden movement.
Gingerly, she takes one of the book from bookshelf. The remaining book and bookshelf disappeared into white abyss once she picked up her chosen book. The bold and cursive words of 'Time' appear at the brown cover.
"Hmm? Time?" Her brain still couldn't process all thing that happened. Once she turn the cover to see the content on the books. She feel amazed and shocked when once empty page started to filled itself with words in Sorcier language and other language. Not just any word. It's Japanese word!
"What the... aren't this all time when I eat new flavoured cookie in this world?!" She couldn't believe what she reading inside that book. How can this book even know when she eat all that?!
"Wait a minute, the bookshelfs flew and disappeared when I focused on certain word. And the word I focused on is [cookies] and [try]. I wonder.." she wondering about the bookshelf, white abyss and the possibility of what she can do here. She try to remember what the last she see when she fall asleep from what President do to her. Hmm..what last thing she remembered before she falling asleep? Ah! Last thing she remembered seeing are President crying... She also knew she should remembered something important...
"Well, for now I should try using this.. library." The once empty white space get filled with millions of bookshelf again, moving slowly. She begin to breathe slowly. "Alright, first is [Fortune Lover]." Still many bookshelf in circulation. "Second word is [sleep]." This time, more bookshelf disappeared. "Third is [Sirius Dieke]." This time only single book remaining, with word 'Secret Target'. She take the book and began to read it.
"Secret target... didn't Acchan say there secret target in Fortune Lover? So is President is the secret target?; Furthermore, he directly involved with death of all character, including herself in President's Bad Ending. What did Acchan said about President again? Something about dark magic killing everyone...
"Wait a minute, Dark Magic? Aren't they are only five element?" She confused. She pretty sure there only five magic element. "Time to use this library again. Okay, first is [Dark Magic]." This time every bookshelf instantly disappeared, with single black book hovering. "So the more precise the thing I want to search, the faster information appears." The word 'Dark Magic' in bold and ominous cursive appears once she touched the black book. She begin reading that book.
"What..what is this!? The game never mentioned something like this! And the way to get dark magic is through sacrifice and ritual?!" She couldn't believe what she reading! How can such ritual exist! Once she finished reading, she begin to search for another thing she want clarification for.
"Alright, first word is [Ritual]. The second one is [Dark Magic]. And lastly...[Tea]"
And once again, single bookshelf lurched forward. And then flown backward again, leaving few book floating in white space. The remaining book then also disappeared, leaving single book with 'Rafael Walt' as the book's title. She, no longer batted her eyes at bookshelfs or library's strangeness, take the single floating book and begin reading them.
"So it's true.." is all she uttered after she finished reading the book. So Rafael is definitely secret capture target and he likely the one who put me in sleep. But.. before he put me to sleep, he crying.." she muttered. She definitely will try to speak with him again! She need to find him ASAP!
"Then again, how can I leave this place?" As usual, when she nervous and anxious, she begin to talk with herself. Sometimes, she will speak to the Katarina Doom Committee, despite all of the Katarina in the committee is herself, or rather, aspects of herself.
Not noticing sound of footsteps echoing through the white space, she keeps muttering. Until a hand touched her shoulder.
"Kyaaa!" Startled by the touch, she falls again, this time face first to white...floor. After she noticed there are no pain at her face area, she turns her body toward that mysterious hand.
A man, no, a teenager, probably in his seventeen or eighteen stood, his right hand waved at her. He wearing red and yellow longsleeved stripted shirt, along with green hooded jacket and white short jean. He also wearing several hairclip and watch in his left wrist.
"Hello there" said the mysterious teenager in Japanese...in JAPANESE! When she look at him more carefully, he is rather handsome fellow, and more importantly, he looks like he from Japan.
"H-hello" she answered, still in shock in seeing another person in this place, and Japanese one at that.
"Excuse me for a moment.." he walked towards her in quick pace. And as he reached me, he begin checking her body, looking for something. "No Living Connector.." muttered the teenager. Still in shock, I don't do anything even when he lift up her skirt and feel up her bra-covered chest.
After he finishes his checkup, he got up and offered his hand to help me up. She take his hand, glad for any assistance she can get. "Who're you?" She ask the most important question first.
"Oh, my name is Sonozaki Raito, though you can call me Philip." Is he half foreigner?
"I'm Katarina Claes, Duchess of Claes Household." She introduced herself.
"Claes? I never heard household with that name. And your name sound like are from West."
"Nevermind that, do you know where is this place!? Why there are bookshelf flying around?"
"To answer your questions, this place's name is Gaia Library."
"Gaia...Library." she repeated. "Isn't Gaia is name for Earth in western mythology or something?" She asked Philip.
"Yes, this place named Gaia Library because this place contains every recorded knowledge in the Earth. This place can only accessed and used by me and Wakana-neesan." He explained. "Which bring this question, how did you entered this place?" He asked. He very curious on her sudden appearance in this place. Not everyday you saw someone in this Library, unless in few special occasion. Though, all the entrance is using him as conduit.
"Umm..last thing I remember, I get attacked by dark magic and be put under sleep." She answered. "Dark Magic?" He inquired. He never heard about this..dark magic. "Wait, I'm will look into this 'dark magic'. Alright, the keyword is [Dark Magic]." the bookshelfs flew as usual and single book remaining, though that book is not the same one she reads earlier. "Hmm..dark magic or black magic has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes. With respect to the left-hand path and right-hand path dichotomy, black magic is the malicious, left-hand counterpart of the benevolent white magic. In modern times, some find that the definition of black magic has been convoluted by people who define magic or ritualistic practices that they disapprove of as black magic." He recited what written on the book.
"Hm? The book I got has different thing written on it." She said.
"What do you mean different?" He asked, closing the book. He never know thing can have different information.
"Better I showed it to you," she answered. "[Dark Magic]." This time the book that remains is the same one she read earlier. "Here Philip-kun." She take the book and handed it to Philip.
"You can use Gaia Library as well? Interesting..." Is all he said as he going through the book at incredible pace. "So, in order to get dark magic, one need sacrifice."
"Why the book you and I got different? Even though we use same keyword?" She asked.
"I have a theory... But in order to confirm this theory, I will need to ask several question. Please answer it truthfully."
"Sure.. can I ask you questions too?"
"We'll take turn answering question, how that sounds?"
"Okay, ask me your first question."
"Did you ever died before?"
"H-how did you know?!" She panicked, one of her secret get unraveled so easily!
"Based on your reaction, I assumed you did died before, am I right?"
Y-y-yeah, I did died... Not only that, b-but I died for almost 2 times now!"
"Multiple times!? This is truly compelling!" He becomes really interested in girl in front of him. He calms himself. "Anyway, my second question is what is your country name?" He asked. Although her look and dress is from western culture, she speaks Japanese like she always know it.
"My country name is Sorcier. And I want to ask, is perhaps your theory involved me is from another world?" She not sure if she will be considered crazy if she asked him that.
"Not quite, though almost similar to what my theory are. My theory suggests you are from parallel world." he explained.
"Oh, I see. Is crossing into parallel world is common in your world?" Did traveling to parallel world is common in his world?
"Well, only few people has ability to cross to another world. And based on your question, you are not from parallel world, but instead from another world entirely. Truly compelling!" This is truly amazing discovery! He can't wait to tell Father and Mother about this! "But one thing I don't understand is how you can understand and speak Japanese, despite you is from another world?" That's the only part that make him perplexed.
"Truth is...I'm from Japanese as well. But then... I died from accident. A truck hit me and I-i.. died on the spot. And t-then I.." She tell him everything. From her death at her original world, her reincarnation as Katarina Claes and every event that lead her to her arrival at Gaia Library.
"Quite a event happened to you Miss Katarina or should I call you Miss Chiharu instead? And based on your information, your previous world is different then mine is." He said after hearing her story. To think you can get reincarnated after you died is truly a Godsend. And it's quite possible, after hearing her story, that after her death at her previous world, she obtained Fortune Lover version of Gaia Library when she get reincarnated as villainess at her current world. She just never access it because she doesn't know how to or she have access to Gaia Library.
"Well, I already accepted that I'm Katarina Claes now, daughter of Millidiana and Luigi Claes and older sister for my brother, Keith Clae-"
"He really handsome isn't he Chairina?"
"He really is Plotarina."
"What you think Cynicarina?"
"About what Bakarina?"
"Who's better looking, Jeord or Philip?"
"I'll choose anyone other than that bastard, so I'll definitely choose Philip."
"Don't even bother asking Cynicarina, she hated everything about Jeord. Instead, you should asking Katarina Prime." Says Chairina, diverting others Katarina's attention to original Katarina.
Philip and Katarina could only stare at sudden appearance of four Katarina.
"Eh!? Aren't you guys my Katarina's Council?!"
"You know who they are Katarina-san?" Asking Philip.
"Yeah! They're my Council for avoiding my Doom Flag. I thought they only exist in my mind!" She answered. Not everyday you can see your own mental avatars.
"You see, we did exist only on your mind, but due to your link to our world's True Gaia Memory has been awaken, we now can exist outside your mind as well. Just not in physical world. Just in this Gaia Library." Plotarina, the one with blue glasses answered. "And as my introduction, I'm Plotarina, smart part of you."
"I'm Chairina, I'm basically managing others Katarina in our meeting." Chairina, the one wearing judge clothes with fake mustache. Her appearance completed with wooden gavel.
"My name is Bakarina, idiot you!" says Bakarina, the only one in child form instead of adult form. "And this grumpy one is Cynicarina! She is your mental personafication for our anger and hatred for Doom Flag!" Bakarina pointed to another Katarina. This Katarina, she resembled Katarina in almost every ways, except in chest development. Her chest is huge compared to other Katarinas including the Prime Katarina.
"N-nice to meet you guys!" Katarina managed to speak with her mental avatars.
"Nice to meet you too Prime. And Philip too. Anyway we gotta go." Chairina said before she started disappearing into nothingness.
"Ehh, you guys going already?!"
"Yep, we got here just here to greet you properly." Said Plotarina, before she disappeared, followed by Bakarina who've waved at her and Philip. Cynicarina gave her one of the most terrifying glare she ever received, comparable to Mother when she angry before she sighed and disappeared too.
"Your mental avatars is really interesting Katarina-chan." Said Philip after few second of silence.
"Haha.." she could only laugh. "Do you think their explanation for their sudden appearance here is right, Philip-kun?" She asked Philip. Afterall, he more knowledgeable in this kind of matter between the two of them.
"Possibly. After all, anyone who've entered this place, could only be mental avatar of a person." Philip explained.
"I see... Philip-kun, do you know to exit this place?" She asked the most critical question.
"Oh, will you came back here, if you can access it at will?"
"Yeah, but how will I gonna know if you in Gaia Library?"
"For me, it's tingling feeling in the back on my mind. Maybe it's the same, maybe it's different."
"Oh.. by the way Philip-kun, d-did you get access to the Library in the same way I get Fortune Lover's GaiaMemory?" She hesitantly asked, afraid if her question may upset him.
"Ah... Our circumstances is the same unfortunately.."
"So that mean you died once too."
"Yeah, but my way of death is slightly more... complicated and less pain involved."
"Ahaha, I guess I get short end of stick, yeah? That's remind me Philip-kun, you still didn't tell me to exit and enter this place at will."
"Oh, the way you enter is-" Philip explanation cut short when a yell can be heard echoing in the Library, shouting his name. It likely Shoutarou or Wakana-neesan, seeing they are the one who can use forced exit on him when he spend too long in the Library. His body starts to glow and his body dissolved into particle of data, little by little.
She immediately touched his hand upon seeing his glowing state, while calling his name, not knowing this is normal when exiting the Library. Philip didn't notice her hand on his. Or her shouts.
She touched his hand, before she too, engulfed in same glow and disappeared along with Philip.
Once Philip came back to real world, he is met with confused stares of Shoutarou, Akiko, and Ryuu. He doesn't know why they giving him the confused stare until he noticed what he been holding. He sees blushing Katarina in his arm, carried in bridal style when he looked down.
"Well, this is compelling..."