“Eh… hunting an Unread!?”
Lucian felt his heart constrict as the word ‘Unread’ escaped his lips.
‘I barely survived last time. All I could do was run for my life.’
The dampness clinging to his scalp thickened as his heart rate spiked.
“D-Does this Unread also have a fire ability?”
“In the last three years, the world has changed more than it did in an entire century.”
As if he hadn’t heard Lucian at all, Kasturi continued speaking in his usual unhurried tone.
“Changes? What kind of changes?” Lucian asked.
Kasturi slowed the car, as though deliberately buying time to explain.
“After the fall of Lysander, a war broke out, one that lasted two years. It ended with unimaginable devastation and decisions that reshaped the world.”
“What happened to the North?” Lucian asked urgently.
“After the war ended,” Kasturi continued, once again ignoring Lucian’s question, “a puppet government rose to power. A new system was established to prevent such destruction in the future. By then, the common populace had learned far too much about the world of Liberation, so a major decision was made.”
‘A major decision… They didn’t erase everyone’s memories like they did mine, right?’ Lucian wondered.
“They erased all information regarding Librarians and Unread from the public.”
“…Eh?”
Lucian nearly choked on air as the words sank in.
“They did what?!”
“As I said,” Kasturi replied calmly, taking a sharp turn as he overtook a horse-drawn carriage, “they erased the memories of millions.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine the problems that must have caused,” Lucian said.
“It did cause problems,” Kasturi admitted. “Just not as many as you’d expect. How can someone feel outrage when they don’t even know what they’re missing?”
Lucian fell silent, which drew Kasturi’s gaze.
“Were you upset?” Kasturi asked.
“No,” Lucian replied, thinking, ‘But I felt empty. I wanted the world to end. I wonder what kind of psychological scars people like me were left with.’
“The prohibition of stories and truth…” Lucian murmured. “What a pathetic world we live in.”
“Indeed,” Kasturi said. “A pathetic world filled with pathetic people. But none as pathetic as us.”
For the first time, his voice carried something resembling anger.
Silence settled inside the car for a long while, granting Lucian space to breathe and to process everything he had learned.
‘So unlike before, only Librarians now know the raw truth of this world. What if it got leaked? They must have systems in place to preserve that secrecy. Still, I doubt the information was completely erased. Jack was an ordinary man, yet he knew about Liberation.’
As Lucian sank deeper into thought, a memory from the illusion resurfaced.
‘That radio… in the café. It clearly broadcasted information about Unread and Librarians. How did that illusion even function?’
After some reflection, Lucian arrived at a conclusion that unsettled him.
‘It responded to my own understanding of the world. That explains a lot, but the news that day was undeniably real. The fire Unread existed. Does that mean it was powerful enough to manifest my subconscious expectations as reality? Or did it draw on external information to stay up to date? After all, I was the only one trapped inside the illusion. Anyone else who entered the town remained unaffected.’
“Mr. Kasturi,” Lucian asked at last, unable to comprehend the phenomenon, “what kind of illusion was that?”
“No,” Kasturi replied quietly.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
“…What?”
“It doesn’t possess a fire-based ability,” Kasturi said. “If you had read the document in your hand, you would already know that.”
‘Eh? So he did hear my earlier question.’
He opened the document in his hand once more. At the top was an unfamiliar emblem, a pillar crowned by three lion heads, which he assumed to be the insignia of the new government, representing the three remaining great families.
He focused on the document and began reading with rapt attention.
*****
It was a detailed report on the Unread he was assigned to hunt. The author was listed as an agent of the Bureau of Sealed Records.
The document opened with the designation “Musician of Despair”, followed by its classification details.
Origin: Human-Born
Class: Loose Page
Description:
“Musician of Despair” manifests as an animate humanoid apparition of an adult female, approximately 170 cm in height. It possesses unnaturally golden hair that emits a faint photonic reflection even in complete darkness.
Facial features correspond to [Aurelia Weiis], a world-renowned concert violinist who vanished from public records ten years prior.
Historical investigation confirms that [Aurelia Weiis] committed suicide by hanging herself from the lighting rig of the Valenor Grand Auditorium, immediately following a solo performance attended by over 600 individuals.
Although the death was officially ruled a suicide, multiple witnesses reported that violin music continued for several minutes after the body was discovered.
The entity consistently appears dressed in a formal concert gown. Prominent ligature marks are visible around the neck; these marks deepen and darken during periods of anomalous activity.
Anomalous Properties:
In accordance with the traits of a Loose Page, “Musician of Despair” exhibits a single primary ability, designated “Music of Madness.” This ability manifests through musical output and produces severe auditory and cognitohazardous effects.
Ability-01: Compulsive Suicidal Induction
When the entity produces violin music, if audible, exposed individuals experience the following symptoms of overwhelming guilt, heightened self-loathing and vivid recollections of personal failures
Within 3–7 minutes, affected individuals develop an irresistible urge to end their own lives.
Notably, victims do not select painless methods.
Ability-02: Methodological Distortion
“Musician of Despair” is capable of influencing the method of suicide, compelling victims to choose approaches that are: Prolonged, extremely painful and psychologically symbolic to the victim’s personal history
Documented examples include:
Musicians severing their own fingers before bleeding out, Stagehands hanging themselves using instrument strings, Audience members destroying their own ears prior to jumping from elevated structures
Victims frequently report hearing “the most beautiful performance of my life” moments before death.
Ability-03: Post-Mortem Resonance
Following a suicide influenced by the entity, faint violin tones persist near the corpse for several hours.
Audio analysis indicates that these sounds do not originate from the Unread itself, but anomalously resonate from the deceased individual.
Loophole:
The anomalous effect only manifests through direct auditory exposure. Indirect hearing, such as recordings or transmitted sound, produces no observable effect.
*****
‘Eh… isn’t this far too powerful for a first hunt?
Or are all Unreads like this?’
Lucian reread the abilities, his expression tightening.
‘The loophole… So if I just cover my ears, that’s it?’
That suddenly sounds… manageable.
Then the memory of being chased by one not long ago surfaced uninvited.
‘Never mind. I’ll stay cautious.’
The following section detailed behavioral patterns, outlining the Unread’s reactions under various conditions. It remained entirely motionless and silent until an individual entered the auditorium, at which point the music would begin.
Afterward came the Discovery Log, documenting the entity’s initial encounter.
But what truly captured Lucian’s attention were the appended Incident Reports.
*****
Incident Reports:
Incident 06:
During an early capture attempt, a Reader was exposed to approximately 14 seconds of the entity’s music. The individual subsequently attempted to strangle himself using his own spine after forcibly breaking his neck against a concrete wall.
Incident 08:
A junior Bureau officer with a background in classical music bypassed containment protocols in an attempt to obtain the entity’s magical composition.
He was later found hanging inside his living room, his ears surgically removed and placed neatly beside the body.
Incident 26:
Following a subjugation mission, the entity emitted sound at a sub-auditory frequency.
Within a six-minute window, four Librarians committed suicide inside the auditorium.
During the incident, “Musician of Despair” was observed standing motionless, bow raised, despite the absence of any physical instrument.
*****
‘This is interesting… yet I can’t help imagining myself in their place. Or perhaps I’m already living the next entry in this document.’
The car soon came to a halt in front of an abandoned auditorium. Deep cracks split its outer walls, and marble that had once gleamed white had faded into a sickly yellow. Nature had begun reclaiming the grand structure, vines creeping across stone, roots splitting the pavement.
Still, Lucian could sense signs of human presence nearby, most likely officials assigned to monitor the Unread.
“So… how exactly am I supposed to hunt it?” Lucian asked.
“According to our agreement, I will provide you with all necessary information and tools,” Kasturi replied evenly.
“And if, somehow I succeed?” Lucian pressed.
“You will capture it inside your Codex,” Kasturi said. “That is how Librarians acquire supernatural authority.”
“And the method?”
“You already possess it,” Kasturi answered. “When a Librarian awakens their Codex, enhanced physical abilities are not the greatest gain. Instead, we receive knowledge, specifically, two techniques fundamental to our power.”
He continued, unhurried.
“The first is Reading, the very foundation of all Readers. Through it, you can perceive the story of an Unread that resides within your Codex. However, that is a technique for later.”
“The second is a Sealing technique, unique to your Codex alone.”
After finishing, Kasturi reached into the back of the car and retrieved two items, placing them into Lucian’s hands.
The first was a simple headband. The second… a rusted kitchen knife.
Lucian stared at the objects, then at Kasturi, then back at the objects again. After repeating this silent exchange a few times, he finally spoke.
“…Am I supposed to kill an Unread with an old kitchen knife?”
