Chương 42: Ch.41— Perfect Fantasy.

Why were there trials to enter the Library, and what was the Library in the first place? The short answer was that Quest for Avalon was a manga, and obviously, it had a plot that needed problems to keep it interesting. The Library inside the Nightmare was just one of the numerous arcs to keep the story engaging. But what about the long answer, the one that the characters inside the story got? Well, that one was a lot more convoluted and would mostly be answered once they actually got there.

The essential part was that there was a reason why things were as they were, even without the Goddess's intervention. That was why the scenery in front of Amy didn't make any sense. Asphalt. It didn't exist in this world, yet here it was. A road in the middle of a meadow of tall yellow grass, with what looked to be a familiar small village far in the distance. She shouldn't be surprised.

Libris had hinted as much during Vanheim's special lecture, back when they were talking about how this nightmare was only supposed to be psychological and having these trials that were mostly illusions, and how there was no chance anybody would die. Back then, she had thought it would end with her manufactured backstory being revealed in the manga, but after the Goddess told her about the supposed surprise at her trial, she realized it wouldn't end there.

Libris and the Goddess had gone out of their way to make sure no meta discussions or events were shown to the readers, so Amy was pretty sure this would either not be shown in the manga or would be heavily edited. Which meant it was specifically created just for her. Amy took a deep breath, then steeled her resolve and entered through the yellow door connecting the Academy's hallway and the trial. As she stepped fully onto the asphalt, the door behind her vanished. She didn't bother looking back.

Forward was the only direction that mattered now. The scent of the meadow now hit her in full force. It smelled good—more than good actually. It was relaxing; the scent of nature made her heartbeat instinctively slower. As she took in the landscape before her, for a moment—just a moment—a wild thought crossed her mind: what if the Goddess had actually sent her back? What if this wasn't a trial at all, but some small respite? A chance to— She cut the thought off with a sharp shake of her head and a toothless smile.

No. This is an illusion. Has to be. The reasoning was simple: this place was too pretty. Amy's memories of her childhood village weren't exactly objective, considering how much she used to hate it, but she liked to think they were mostly correct. The roads had been cracked and uneven, the paint on most houses peeling, the grass more brown than yellow. If she had to be objective, it had been... adequate. But this? This was the kind of village you'd see in a painting or in a travel magazine.

A village surrounded by yellow grass swaying in perfect waves, with houses in the distance looking freshly painted with brown colors contrasting against the clear blue sky. Even the clouds were positioned just right—fluffy white things scattered across the sky like someone had placed them there for aesthetic effect. It all looked so... fake. It reminded her of that manga chapter about her backstory, but even that hadn't been quite this manufactured. This was deliberate.

Amy wondered how much the Goddess had a hand in this. The trials weren't done by her after all; they were constructed by a being who had been with them for most of the story, and they would formally meet at the Library. Could the Goddess have told them about Amy, or was it something like they instinctively knew? Hard to say. Another thing to ponder about later. First things first, she needed a clue as to what was being tested. This was a trial after all, one that she suspected would be very easy for her.

It wasn't out of overconfidence. Amy legitimately thought there was no way an illusion could hurt her anymore, at least not today. She was just that exhausted. Maybe after a nap, they would manage. Amy's smile widened slightly, though there was no humor in it. The numbness settled over her like a comfortable blanket, and Amy found herself almost grateful for it. It was like a passive superpower. Maybe the readers had implemented it on her somehow, the ability to look at her shitty condition and feel... nothing.

Just a vague acknowledgment that yes, that happened, and yes, it sucked, but also "it is what it is." She either died or continued, and she wasn't really in the mood for dying. Is this healthy? Probably not. Did she care? Nope, she really couldn't give any fucks, not when it was keeping her active. And speaking of activity, it was time to get moving. With her fatigue at a maximum, she doubted using her ability to get out of here would be a good idea, so she would have to do it the conventional way.

With a sigh, she began walking towards the village. The sun beat down on her neck, warm and somehow calming. Amy would have probably enjoyed it if it weren't for how exhausted she was. Her legs felt like lead. Her lungs still burned from the sprint through the corridors filled with chaos bugs. Her mana reserves were practically nonexistent. The adrenaline that had carried her through the whole ordeal before entering the trial had mostly faded, leaving a weak body behind.

Each step took a massive amount of effort, and she could feel her whole body burning. Water. I could really use some water. Looking at the way she was sweating, it wouldn't be surprising if she collapsed in— Amy's brows furrowed as her gaze fell down to her body. She hadn't realized it earlier, but her outfit had changed. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Gone were the fitted black pants and sleek tunic with gold detailing that Libris had created for her. Instead, she wore what looked like a school uniform consisting of a simple navy skirt and white blouse. The satchel was still there—thank god—with Libris sleeping safely inside. But everything else was different. Even her boots had been replaced with plain sneakers. Amy stared at her new appearance for a short moment, then let out a soft, tired laugh.

"Fuck me, not school again..." she muttered darkly, then adjusted the satchel's strap on her shoulder and kept walking. The village grew slowly larger as she approached, and the details became clearer with each step. She could now see people—or rather illusions—not many, but enough to give the place life. A few adults walking between buildings, carrying baskets or tools. Children were playing in what looked like a small courtyard. The scene was so normal, so mundane, that it almost hurt in its own way. Almost.

As she got closer, Amy spotted what she'd been unconsciously navigating towards using her faint memories: a water tap, one of those public ones that small villages sometimes had, usually near the center of town for communal use. This one was positioned kind of on the outside of the village, with a metal basin beneath it to catch overflow. Amy's pace quickened slightly, and soon, she reached the tap and grabbed the handle, cranking it open. Water poured out.

She cupped her hands under the stream and drank a moderate quantity, consciously controlling herself; the last thing she wanted was to fall ill. The coolness was soothing as it ran down her throat. She was just about to take another handful when a voice called out from behind her.

"Um, excuse me? Are you going to be long there?" Amy paused, water dripping between her fingers. The voice was young, feminine, and slightly breathless—like someone who'd been running.

"I'm really sorry to bother you," the voice continued, words tumbling out quickly, "but I'm already super late for school and I just need to fill my water bottle real quick and—oh god, Madam Chen is going to kill me. She already warned me last week about punctuality, and I promised I'd do better, but then this morning I overslept and—" Amy straightened up slowly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before turning around. A girl stood a few feet away.

She was young, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with curly black hair and thick glasses. She wore the same exact uniform Amy had. The girl's eyes widened the moment Amy's face came into view, her mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise. Amy studied her for a moment, her exhausted mind taking a second to process what she was seeing.

"Go ahead," she said finally, her voice coming out rougher than she intended.

"I'm almost done." She turned back toward the tap, ready to dismiss the interruption entirely. But then—"Amy?" Amy froze. Her chest constricted. She squinted at the girl, her exhausted mind struggling to process what she was seeing. The curly hair. The glasses. Could it—"Mira?" The name escaped before she could even process it.

"Oh my god, I didn't recognize you from behind!" The girl stepped closer, her expression shifting from surprise to confusion to delight in rapid succession.

"How was summer vacation? Did you enjoy the city? Did you let your hair grow? It looks so different! I mean, it's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but wow, you really changed, something about your gaze—wait, why aren't you at school already? I thought you left early today?" Amy's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"Mira?" She repeated.

"Yes? Amy, are you okay? You look kind of..." Mira tilted her head, her brow crinkling with concern behind her glasses.

"Actually, you look really pale. Have you been drinking enough water? Actually, never mind, you were just drinking. Don't blame you, girl, the weather's been crazy hot lately and—oh god, oh god, we're so late!" The girl—Mira—seemed to suddenly remember why she'd come to the tap in the first place. She practically lunged forward towards the stream, making sure to not touch the fountain directly wiith her lips.

"I seriously thought you were already at school," Mira babbled after taking a few seconds to breath.

"You always leave so early, and I was like 'okay, at least Amy won't get in trouble even if I do,' but now we're both late and Madam Chen is going to make us do those awful reading assignments in front of the whole class and—" She grabbed Amy's wrist without warning, yanking her forward with surprising strength for someone so small. Amy stumbled, still dazed, her mind struggling to process what was happening.

"Come on, come on!" Mira tugged harder, but Amy's feet barely moved. Her whole body felt like it was made of lead. Mira looked back, saw Amy's dazed expression and slow movements, and made a decision.

"Okay, new plan," she announced, spinning around and crouching down.

"Get on."

"What—""Piggyback! Hurry up!" Mira gestured impatiently at her back.

"The sun is terrible, you look like you're about to pass out, and we can't both get detention for being late AND you collapsing in the middle of the road. Your mom would never let me hear the end of it. Come on!" Amy stared at the girl's back. Then took a deep breath, trying to get herself together. This isn't real. This is an illusion. The sudden thought broke her out of the trance. Once her mind became a little clearer, she had time to look at the situation she was in.

Mira's eyes rested on her, urging her to mount onto her back. Seeing the gaze of the girl, Amy's muscles twitched, forcing her to make a decision. Eventually, after some hesitation, she stepped forward and awkwardly climbed onto Mira's back. The girl was smaller than her, and Amy could feel her straining slightly under the weight.

"Okay, got you!" Mira adjusted her grip on Amy's legs and started moving, half-running, half-jogging down the dirt path toward the village proper.

"Hold on tight! And don't worry, I'm stronger than I look. My dad makes me help carry rice sacks at the store, so this is nothing!" Amy's arms wrapped loosely around Mira's shoulders, her mind still reeling, her gaze examining the girl's every detail.

"Madam Chen is probably already marking us absent," Mira continued her rambling, apparently unbothered by Amy's behavior.

"But maybe if we run really fast, we can sneak in during the morning announcements? She always gets distracted during those. Remember last month when you—" The words washed over Amy. She wasn't really listening; her mind had gone somewhere else. The initial shock of seeing Mira—the girl whom she had tormented to the very limit—had hit her harder than she could have ever imagined. For a single moment, all of Amy's composure had cracked. But then the familiar feeling had crept back in, wrapping around her like armor.

Amy found herself chuckling softly, the sound almost getting lost in the rhythm of Mira's footsteps and continued chatter. This place is not real. She's not real, and they aren't even trying to hide it. But even as she thought about this, she could feel Mira's warmth through the fabric of their clothes. Could smell the faint scent of earth that always clung to her from helping at her parents' farm. Could hear the slightly wheezy quality of the girl's breathing—Mira had always had mild asthma, Amy remembered.

Details. So many tiny, specific details that Amy had forgotten she even remembered. Amy's chuckle stuck in her throat, and she began sounding more like a whimper than a laugh. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe some things can still get under my skin after all.

"—and then my mom said that if I was late one more time, she'd make me wake up at dawn every day for a month, can you believe that? Dawn! Do you know what time dawn is, Amy? It's way too early, that's what time it is!" Amy closed her eyes and let herself be carried forward. She already wore the school uniform, so this was probably where the trial wanted to take her. Moreover, she really didn't have the strength to resist. At least I'm not walking anymore. Small mercies.