Sharlotte knew that gaining their trust would be but a folly as they were adamantly affixed to their denial at cooperation. Quite natural actually. She did foresee this happening. I will let time turn the dial, she thought.
Time. It was linear in their universe, but here it was just an illusion. Well, for them alone. Beings coming from other 'verses experienced their accustomed ways of time and space. Afterlife was really just a large space where illusions controlled the sheltered souls.
She put her thoughts aside and attended her food. Peeking at the others, she could see mixed emotions: happiness coming from luxurious delicacies and sadness coming from the question of mortality.
After a while, Saaret came to the table and spoke with condolence, "I know it's hard for everybody to accept this change. All that you knew, loved and 'lived' for, is gone now. But ostensibly, if you can observe, it isn't so. Afterlife is the grandeur treatment that you are recieving for everything you ever did! It is the fruit that you have reaped for each action committed in your mortality! And as you can see it is nowhere near hell! All of you will experience everything here according to what you had ever done. The judgement has ended! This is the prize and this is the punishment. There's no turning back. I will inform you of your expiry times once I receive them. I will meanwhile kindly request you to follow me to the library. It has tons of information about Afterlife written by some of the resided souls. Over time, if you feel like, you can write your experiences too. It serves as a great form of entertainment for the newly come, like you."
His words really left an impact on each of them. Though the devilish smile was still there, the eulogy did provide some sort of revelation. The inconsistency of life itself. The existence of a life beyond their birthplace.
As they walked down the stairs, Saaret continued to be the main speaker, "I'm glad that none of you have resolved to catharsis. It's really tedious to control souls in that condition. In the countless iterations of myself, I have had enough of that."
"Saaret, the Gods. Do they ever come here?" Lily questioned, somewhat depressed by all that had befallen.
"Oh! It would have been great indeed if I could witness their presence from time to time, but sadly I get that pleasure only once in a while."
"That's how often?" Markus tweaked.
Saaret stopped and slowly turned to him, replying rather coldly, "More than you can ever witness in a thousand life cycles."
__________
The library, encased by white branches, seemed to be like a physical recreation of something out of a fantasy tale to the IMG. Sierra brushed her hands past the branches as she gazed at the books galore, feeling every indentation of the seemingly 'living' wood. Afterlife really seemed to be the best deceiver. Yet one could only admire it's naturalness.
"As you go higher up the rack you get older books. There are generations of experience stored inside this library," Saaret spoke with admiration in his eyes. "Personally, I like to check some of them time to time myself," he smiled.
"Are there other real books here? I mean other than diaries," Sierra asked.
"Well, you wouldn't like the sight of a physical infinity in a finite space so, if you ask me, I can get you whatever book you want. It's in a room nearby. Your choice is all that's required."
Sierra, at first got tentative but then thinking that everything that had been happening to her was no less awry, she stated her requirement.
"I would be right back to you with it. Anybody needs anything else?"
"Yes," Sharlotte stepped forward. She spoke to Saaret in private.
"Absolutely," he then looked at the others for additional items but they all shook their heads negative.
"I think diaries would do for me," spoke Sanduo. Nothing could compare his emotional state. Reading others' experience would grant him satisfaction. He needed nothing else.
Sierra looked sad. A moment later tears ran down her cheeks. "I promised my parents I would return soon to meet my baby brother. Guess it won't happen. Ever," she broke into choking sobs, her knees giving out as she fell to the floor.
"Hey," Jayden lifted her up. It hurt him to watch his best friend cry. Rubbing her shoulder warm he whispered to her, "Hope is not yet lost. Even though there is probabilistically next to none chances this is going to happen, but Sharlotte did say she would hand our normal lives back to us." Taking a peek at the aforesaid person, he returned his attention back at Sierra, "There's much out here that we don't understand-"
"Almost nothing," Drio cut in.
"Right. So there can definitely be some way out. So don't lose hope right away."
"But Saaret said-"
"Sierra please! Even if there is a way, he wouldn't let us know it, right? Think rationally."
She rubbed her tears away and looked up, "Okay. I believe in you. But don't let me or any of us down this time," Sierra said boldly to the multiversal criminal.
She smiled. "I won't, Sierra."
__________
After a moment the books arrived. Sierra was somewhat happy to see hers and the eyes of Sharlotte seemed to reflect a glimmer of hope.
"What is it?" Markus enquired.
"This is it", Sharlotte said smiling. She turned to the others, "Everybody, let's go to my room."
"Anything you need up there?"
"We'll be fine, Mr. Senceptian. We just had a grandiose meal," Sierra said.
"Okay then, enjoy your time!"
__________
Sharlotte's room was alike the others. Nothing different. She sat on her bed and opened her book.
"A guide to the library? What do you need it for? Didn't he say the actual storage was a physical infinity? How can a book give a guide to it in, um, this number of pages?" Markus awed in the peculiarity of the fact.
"It doesn't state where every book is. It has got rules how to state what you desire when you don't exactly know it yourself. Happens right? It also has some facts about this building we are in," Sharlotte said, devoid of expression.
"Well, then what do you need it for?" Lily asked, her eyebrows set in interrogation.
Sharlotte smiled, taking a quick peek at the contents, she started flapping by the pages until she found what she was looking for. An impish look highlighted her features. She turned the book towards them.
"The Book Of Gods?" Jayden read aloud.
"A copy of this book is situated in every habitation in Afterlife. It contains the rules and hymns the Gods require to perform in any celestial operation. Though it is not needed for most of the time, as the Gods have one in their planet, it is kept everywhere so that if during an emergency they need to come to any place of Afterlife, they can perform everything from there only. But that doesn't interest me;" a smile appeared on her face and she continued, "there is a rumour that it contains the information of how to get back to one's universe of origin! That and the previous reason is exactly why it is kept locked at all times. The key is lost. Why need a key to start with? They are Gods! They can do almost anything at their will!"
"So, now we set forth to find and open this book up? It's not going to be easy, is it?" Sir Sanduo said solemnly. He still didn't trust Sharlotte completely. But he had nothing more to lose.
"No sir, it isn't and that's exactly why I require each of your cooperation," Sharlotte said.
She closed the book and walked to a corner, sighing for a bit. If I succeed, they will all get back their normal lives. But there's still more.
"We are in, Sharlotte," said Sanduo, "We have nothing more to lose... but what good will it do? I mean you first get us killed on purpose and then find a way at resurrection. What's the point of doing all this?"
She turned towards him. "I need you all to read further, that page. I bookmarked it."
Everybody frowned. Drio opened it up and they took a look inside. Reading the full thing, their faces reflected bewilderment at first but then the realisation struck them all.
The story stated that the key to the book was lost at some place in a planet called Drelary which was 11.2 light seconds from their planet Zyphon. A raid was carried out there destroying everything to find that key. The raid was carried out by Juvo.
"That psycho!" Markus exclaimed, transforming his palm into fists. "How did he get here!" He looked uneasily at the others, "Oh yeah, death of course, but see! He doesn't even rest here! He is always at something!"
"That 'something' is far more greater than anything any of you can begin to imagine." She stopped and inhaled deeply. "According to my source- he is after the Gods."
Silence.
"What??" Drio sounded perplexed.
"He is after the information in the book and he wants to become a God himself. He dislikes and condemns our present Multiverse;" she turned to Markus, "indeed a psycho."
The repercussions were seemingly diabolical. They stopped at that.
"But he didn't find the key right?" Sierra squeaked.
"When it comes to him, we can't be sure of anything!"
"Do you mean we go after him?" Jayden said, clearly he regarded this to be a maddening step. In the middle of Nowhere, this was a step towards oblivion itself.
Sharlotte painfully replied, "Unfortunately, yes."
They knew nothing could be done otherwise. If they could stop him, this might be their only chance at ever getting their life back.
"So are you all with me?" Tears were forming in her eyes.
This time their was truth in her eyes and form. They studied her. Then smiling, they unanimously declared their answer. "YES!"