PRINCESS ANARCHY | DSMP

34. The Man Who Fell in Love With Death

   MONTHS HAVE PASSED.

   Nia, Sara and Stela have spent months in the Trix stronghold, reading through hundreds of books, trying to find something — anything, really — that would tell them what the Revival Book is. The book that is very much missing, yet seems to be the most important book of the entire library.

   It isn't hard to guess what the book can possibly do. But it would still be nice to know where it comes from, how it was made, how old it is, and possibly — how long it has been gone.

   The trio have also recently been going through quite an amount of dreams in the stronghold, remembering the many things they forgot from before they became goddesses. For Nia specifically, it was the trials she had to go through to become one.

   There are five trials in total. Strength, intelligence, patience, loyalty and dutifulness. Each important for their own reason. And something tells Nia that they have something to do with the Revival Book that they know nothing about.

   Nia brushes her fingers against the spines of the hardcover books in the library, walking around and reading at the titles, thinking that she might find something without having to open said books and read their full contents.

   She comes across one titled Angel of Death eventually, the leather body of the book colored in green, her brow arching in curiosity. She pulls the book out, noticing that it's quite heavy.

   She opens the book on the title page, looking at a drawing of majestic black wings. Ones that resemble those of the man she's seen at the Dream SMP — Philza.

   Angel of Death: The Legend of a Man Who Fell in Love With Death.

   "What did you find?"

   Nia startles when Stela comes around the section of books, seeing Nia turning a page of the book. Stela's eyebrow is raised, and she approaches Nia with slight hope glazed over her eyes.

   "I don't know," Nia sighs with a shrug. "I just liked the title," she admits.

   Though as she continues to browse through the book and its chapter names, she comes across an intriguing one. Death and Her Book of Resurrection.

   Stela is looking through more books in Nia's section, her eyebrows knitted in concentration. Nia makes a sound to get the tall woman's attention. Nia turns the book toward Stela, when her head spins to face Nia.

   "Book of Resurrection," Stela reads aloud, humming. "Revival Book . . ."

   "Exactly."

   Stela snatches the book out of Nia's hands, her eyes fleeting over the text as she absorbs its contents at nearly the speed of light.

   Nia's attention is caught by something sparkly at the back of the bookcase, which is only visible when the book about the Angel of Death is taken out. She approaches the small gap, finding a redstone torch and a lever hiding behind. With a raised brow, she pulls at it.

   The bookcase creaks, making Stela look up from the book. The two women watch as the bookcase slowly caves in, revealing an entirely new room, filled with not books, but diaries.

   There's at least a hundred of them, all sorted in three sections, color-coded and with three names above. Ohana, Ionia and Enderia. It isn't hard to guess those names belong to the goddesses to which the Trix are vessels.

   "What the hell?" Nia questions, her eyes wide. She gapes at the room in awe. "Why the fuck aren't there any guidelines for what we're supposed to do in here?"

   "I wish I knew," Stela shakes her head. She still holds onto the book about the Angel of Death. "But I found out that whatever this Book of Resurrection from this book is, it's connected to a god called DreamXD, though it belongs to Death herself — Philza's wife . . . actually, did you know that man is immortal and the first person to ever live on this world?"

   "Philza?" Nia arches her eyebrow at Stela, who nods. "Wilbur's father?"

   Stela nods again.

   "Wilbur is Death's son?" Sara appears from behind the corner of the library, her mouth agape. "He told me his mother is a fucking Samsung Smart Refrigerator . . ." She shakes her head. "I knew that idiot was lying."

   "To be fair, he had a son with a salmon, so it's not that improbable."

   "Why is that so cursed?" Nia questions under her breath.

   "It's Wilbur," says Sara, shrugging. A small, rueful smile appears on her lips as she reminisces of the man she used to love and care about profoundly before he lost everything. Even himself in the midst of all the chaos that Dream and Schlatt have caused.

   "I'm surprised we're not talking about the fact there is a god with the name of DreamXD," Stela throws in. "I think he's the one who realizes these resurrections."

   "Wouldn't it be ironic if it was Dream, who was in possession of the Revival Book?" Sara remarks, a light-hearted laugh leaving her chest.

   "For all we know, he might be." Nia presses her lips together.

   "Let's just find out what we are supposed to do with the Revival Book." Stela shakes her head. She puts the book about the Angel of Death onto the nearest shelf, making her way into the secret room filled with leather-bound diaries.

   "You reckon these diaries will tell us anything?" questions Sara.

   "I think it might tell us everything."