Reinbach #Wattys16

Prologue; Once Upon a War

You sighed as you checked the time on your phone.
"11:30? It's been 30 minutes, she'd never be late to our bonding sessions." You grumbled under your breath. Not a few seconds later, your phone buzzed from a text.
"Speak of the devil...." You said as you leaned against the brick wall of the city's public library. Your eyes skimmed over the text she had just sent you.

[Hey, um, sorry kiddo. I'm running late due to traffic. Stick around in the library near the theatre for now. I'm sure you're bound to find something interesting to read. Love from your Auntie ♡]

Pushing yourself off the wall lightly, you exhaled as you glanced at the gleaming sign of the library. You trudged slowly through the crowd of people on the bustling sidewalks and skipped up the stone steps of the library. As you opened the oak doors to the library, you were greeted by a faint smell of old books and dust. Slowly closing the door with a small shut, you scanned the book filled area.
"Hmm, only 10 people in here. I guess it's better than 20." You thought silently as you walked slowly past the front desk of the library before a voice startled you. As you turned around abruptly, you were greeted by a smiling lady with frayed hair kept in an untidy bun.

"How can I help ye m'darlin'?" She asked quietly, leaning over her desk in the process.
"I uh, um..." You trailed off not knowing what to say. The woman, which according to the plaque read Jacqueline, studied you earnestly with her eyes.
"Her eyes..."You trailed of slowly under your breath, but with your luck, she had heard you crystal clear.
"My eyes?" She questioned quietly. You shook your head, muttering an apology as you walked away from her desk.

"Azure, emerald, silver and lilac colors all mixed in her eyes with white specks, it couldn't have been contacts. They were old as time, Hell, they look like they've seen fairies from the books here." You thought as you ran your fingers along the worn covers of the books of the Fantasy section.
Midway through the back of the first shelf, a book suddenly fell from the shelf and landed behind you with a thump. You froze and darted your eyes up to Jacqueline who appeared to be chuckling under her breath. A few moments later, you decided to inspect what had fallen. You ruled out physical contact as you gingerly picked up the book. Ghosts? Nope, pretty sure Jacq's eyes would intimidate the Hell out of them.
Walking over to a nook in the far corner of the library, you flipped the book over, only realizing that there were no words written on it.

"How peculiar, no title, author, description, all of it is gone.." You thought as you furrowed your eyebrows nearly running into a manga stand. You found your way into a comfy beanbag and flipped through the pages before being met with an old, knowing voice accompanied by a powerful celtic tune.
"The world of-" it, well, he began. You shut the book abruptly darting your eyes around like lasers as your face began to heat up. "No one...heard that? Not even the librarian?" You mumbled slowly as you reopened the book.

"The world of Luparia, a magical realm with the innovative culture and mind of modern society yet still dwell in the times of warlocks and sorcerers." The old man narrated. You gasp loudly as the pictures began to move in their frames, showing blasts of colours being shot from a person's hands. The scene transitioned to a ball of some sort where people were wearing dresses and suits that seemed too fashionable for that time period. As the narration continued, you emersed yourself even more into the book.
"What was once a barren landscape that beasts of all sizes lurked in evolved into the Seven Great Nations."

A scene swirled to life as a time lapse like frame burst into life twisting and molding into seven large landmasses in a cerulean ocean.

"These magical lands housed Opherio, Saphitrite, Lenmia, Yewna, Erentham, Azurfell, and Ravenhart. Each held it's own unique charm that no other Nation could replicate."
"However, nothing can be peaceful forever. Trouble began to arise as a rising Nation sprung from the depths of Elhe."
"This Nation was known as Kuromi. A dark civilization which housed 'defects' known as the Shadows, humanoid beasts tainted by a plague that had once ran rampant in Elhe known as the Scarlet Trickle."
Your eyes began to widen slowly as a mob of human-looking beings clawed their way out of an abyss fearing for their lives. The scene glitched for a few moments before going completely black. You sat there idly, confused for a moment before looking back into the book where it had jump cut to horned humans with irregular eyes and snake like tongues.