Valen led Auriella through the narrow, dimly lit corridor, his steps echoing softly off the stone walls. 

The further they walked, the more isolated she felt from the bustling arena they left behind. 

Finally, they reached an ancient wooden door at the end of the passageway. Valen paused, his hand resting on the cold iron handle, and glanced at her with a serious expression. 

“Why are we here?” Auriella asked, her voice barely above a whisper.  “You’ll see soon enough,” Valen replied, pushing open the heavy door. 

They entered a large, well-lit chamber that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Auriella quickly realized they were in a library - one unlike any she had ever seen before. 

The shelves in the center of the room were filled with times of varying sizes, their spines weathered and cracked with age. 

Gargoyle statues loomed between the shelves that adorned the walls as well, their stone eyes watching as if guarding secrets long forgotten. 

At the far end of the room stood an ornate fountain, its design so intricate that it seemed out of place in the austere surroundings. 

The base of the fountain was inlaid with a short line of shimmering gems, each catching the light that filtered through from high above. 

“Why are we in a library?” Auriella asked, her curiosity piqued but tinged with apprehension. Valen closed the door quietly behind them, then motioned for her to follow him deeper into the room. 

“Because what I’m about to show you can only be found here,” he said, his voice low and urgent, as if they were on the verge of uncovering a monumental secret. 

They walked in silence toward the fountain, Auriella’s eyes darting between the towering shelves and the peculiar gargoyles. 

When they finally reached the fountain, Valen hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat awkwardly.  

“If you would be so kind as to turn away, please,” he said, diverting his attention away from the fountain briefly to look at her. Auriella raised an eyebrow but complied, turning her back to him. 

She took the opportunity to inspect the books on the nearest shelf. Titles such as ‘History of Naverra’, ‘The First Demon’, and ‘Biology of Humans’ caught her eye, their mysterious contents tempting her to open them. 

But before she could reach for one, she heard a dull click behind her, followed by the faint sound of gears turning. 

“Is it okay to turn around now?” She asked. 

“I suppose so,” Valen replied, his voice strained. When Auriella turned, her breath caught in her throat. 

The fountain had stopped flowing with water, and in the center of its now dry basin, the stone seemed to shimmer before dissolving into nothingness, revealing a dark void beneath. 

As she stepped closer, she saw a narrow spiral staircase leading down into the depths of the fountain, the stairs slowly descending into darkness. 

‘Who knew this was here the whole time?’ She thought as she stared into the black abyss. Valen climbed up the edge of the fountain and began the descent. 

“Come along,” he called, his voice echoing eerily as he gained a considerable lead. Auriella hesitated, then followed him down the dimly lit staircase, her hand brushing against the cold stone wall as she followed him down. 

The air grew colder the deeper they went, the faint light from above growing dimmer until only the soft glow from the mana stones embedded in the walls illuminated the way. The stairs were narrow and steep, with no railings to prevent a fall into the inky blackness below. 

“Hurry along now,” Valen urged, his voice faintly coming from further below. “I’m coming!” Auriella replied, quickening her pace despite the precarious descent. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she reached the bottom of the winding staircase. There was only a single door, which Valen opened with a key hidden around his neck. 

Once inside, Auriella realized the space was vastly different from the library above. It was a small room, bathed in an eerie purple light that seemed to emanate from nowhere in particular. 

Papers were scattered across the floor, and ancient books were stacked haphazardly on tables, their covers thick with dust. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and old parchment. 

In the center of the room was a glass container draped in a thick black cloth, the purple light seeping through small holes in the fabric. The sight of it sent a strange chill down Auriella’s spine. 

“What’s beneath that cloth?” She asked, her voice trembling as she moved closer, her heart sinking with every step. Valen hesitated before answering, his tone apologetic. 

“You know what it is.” 

With a heavy sigh, he reached out and pulled the cloth aside, revealing the truth beneath. Auriella gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she took a surprised step back. 

Encased in glass, suspended in a thick, viscous fluid, was the corpse of a Voidkin. 

The creature’s pale, twisted form was eerily preserved, its empty eyes staring out into nothingness. 

“How…how is this here?” Auriella’s voice trembled as she reached out, her fingertips brushing against the cold glass. 

“This…this can’t be…” Valen sighed heavily, the sound filled with a sorrow that made Auriella’s heart shake in fright for what he was about to say. 

“The creatures from your time…weren’t the first of their kind that we have seen,” he said, his voice hollow. He then turned away, moving to a nearby table where he began searching through the clutter. 

After a moment, he returned with a small, leather-bound journal in hand. The cover was worn, the title barely legible: Discovery of a New Species. 

“What is this?” Auriella asked, her finger trembling slightly as she took the journal from him. 

“Just read it and you’ll understand,” Valen urged, his eyes reflecting the purple light from the glass case as he watched her. 

Auriella hesitated but then opened the journal. 

The first page contained a detailed drawing of a Voidkin, its features meticulously sketched in black ink. Her heart raced as she began to read the entries that followed. 

Day 1: 

We’ve set foot on this unknown land, a place untouched by humans and demons alike. The forest is dense, its trees towering like ancient sentinels. 

There’s an eerie calm here- no birdsong, no rustle of small creatures in the underbrush and the lack of insects is most of all suspicious. 

The silence is unsettling, but we press on. The others are eager, curious. 

I share in their excitement, though something about this island gnaws at the edges of my mind. 

Day 4: 

It’s been three days since we began our exploration of this strange island, and already we’ve lost two men. The duo left the group to fetch drinking water from the nearby stream and never returned. 

We searched for hours, calling their names until our voices grew hoarse, but there was no sign of them. 

It’s as if the forest swallowed them whole. The men are on edge, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is watching us from the shadows. 

Day 5: 

We found them today- what’s left of them, at the very least. Their bodies were laid against a tree, dead seemingly from a single wound to the head. 

The wound is strange, unlike anything I’ve ever seen, as if some otherworldly magic had been at work. 

The others are frightened, and I can’t blame them. I’ve ordered the others to pack up and return to camp. Whatever did this, I have no intention of meeting it. 

Day 7: 

I find myself alone. The remaining members of the team have vanished without a trace. 

There are no signs of a struggle, no footprints leading away from camp. It’s as if they simply ceased to exist. 

The silence that once intrigued me now feels oppressive, as if the very forest conspires against me. I am left with only my notes and a growing sense of dread. 

I must search for my comrades and return to Naverra at once to report these heavy losses, though I fear I may not survive long enough to do so. 

Day 8: 

I encountered a creature of a nature that I cannot possibly describe, something unknown previously to our world. 

Scattered around it lie the dead bodies of the rest of my team, seemingly making it the source of their demise. 

In a fit of rage, I managed to subdue the creature, though at great personal risk. The specimen is now preserved in ice for transport and further examination. I will set out for Naverra at once. 

Day 9: 

This will be my last entry. 

I am unable to sleep, haunted by the reminder that I am the only survivor of this strange creature beside me. 

I can no longer deny the truth: we have trespassed upon a land that did not welcome us, a land that harbors entities beyond our comprehension. 

Let this journal serve as a warning- Naverra must remain vigilant. 

We have stirred something potentially ancient and malevolent, and so I fear it will not be satisfied with the lives it has claimed already. 

Auriella’s hands shook as she closed the journal, her mind spinning with the implications of what she had just read. 

“What…what does this mean?” She asked, her voice barely audible. Valen sat in a nearby chair, rubbing his temples as if trying to stave off a headache. 

“It means that these creatures you know as the Voidkin…they are a species of Paxana, just as you and I are.” 

“No…no, that’s not possible,” Auriella whispered, backing away from the encased Voidkin. “That can’t be true…it can’t…” 

“I wish it weren’t as well,” Valen said, his voice filled with regret. “But you’ve seen the evidence. They’ve been here, long before you were brought back.” 

Auriella sank to the floor, her head spinning. ‘We were brought back to eradicate a fellow species of Paxana?’ She thought. 

But one question hung over her head, still unanswered. 

“Why…after all this time? This journal is at least 200 years old,” she muttered softly. 

It didn’t seem right to say revenge, so what was their true purpose?