After giving us a standing ovation, he snapped his fingers twice, triggering Bach’s “Cum Sancto Spiritu, Mass in B Minor” to fill the Library. The drums, trumpets and voices in perfect unison resonated all around us, relaying jubilant triumph in the purest of song forms. I looked at Sir Vellichor next. His head was tilted back, with his face towards the dark abyss above the Library. His eyes were closed, and with each thump of the drums in the song, he pumped his fist on rhythm and shook his head, as if he were in a trance. Then, he slowly tilted his head to gaze upon Tectonica once more and then offered us champagne to celebrate. Naturally, we refused. Instead, I demanded Sir Vellichor cease with the charades and release everyone he had kidnapped immediately.

His answer was in the form of laughter. He promptly told me to quit being ridiculous, close my mouth, and enjoy the first victory achieved in the Library in 100 years. I was enraged. His arrogance, rudeness, whimsical nature and utter disregard for anything or anyone but himself pushed me beyond my boiling point. Not only was I still reeling from the events which took place in the book, but immediately after I was forced to endure Sir Vellichor and his madness. I snapped and launched myself across the Library at him. Tectonica followed suit and moved to stomp on his associates. However, before we could even get close to him, Binder pulled a number of energy sticks from his jacket and tossed them at us! The sticks morphed and grew into energy force fields, that wrapped us both up and froze us in our tracks. The music stopped and the air grew tense. We were at their mercy once again.

Sir Vellichor pointed at us and laughed hysterically. Not even for a fraction of a second was he worried or affected by our advance. He did not even break stride. The master of the Library continued towards Cliché, who brought the champagne. He grabbed two flutes, sipped from the first one, then came over to me and poured the contents of the second one over my head. The drink rolled off the energy shield around me, but the mere fact he tried to pour it on me only enraged me further.

Staring at us, Sir Vellichor told Tectonica and I that all he had hoped for was capturing a giant. He discovered her existence and could not wait to play with her in his books. I, however, was a complete surprise. He always knew who I was, but said he never dreamed he would have the opportunity to insert me into one of his books. So, when he saw I had arrived along with Tectonica and Cliché, he immediately became overjoyed. Sir Vellichor continued by saying, our performance in the novel “Blood Moon of England” was the best to date. His praise was only met with unwavering contempt from me and Tectonica.

This annoyed him and he proceeded to tell us he would not tolerate his kindness being unappreciated in his Library. He motioned to Binder who made a squeezing motion with his hand, collapsing the energy fields around us, compressing our bodies even more. The Master of the Library then turned his back to us and walked away. When he reached his throne, he turned slowly, sat down, and continued to sip his champagne as Tectonica and I grimaced in pain. He peered at us with his cold, dead eyes for a moment, satisfying his displeasure with the visibly agonizing moments we endured. Finally, in a nonchalant manner, Sir Vellichor waved to Binder again, who released us from his energy shield completely, which also resumed the music.

Tectonica dropped to a knee, shaking the entire Library and knocking hundreds of books off the shelves. However, as soon as they hit the floor, somehow they were immediately, and magically, placed back on the shelves. Sir Vellichor looked at our shocked expressions amidst the wincing in pain, and remarked that the Library is a completely self-contained environment. He likened it to a masterful ecosystem created in his image, then likening himself to God.

He must have caught me rolling my eyes, because he suddenly felt the need to justify himself. He told us as a child he loved reading. There were not enough books in all the world to quench his thirst for perusing pages filled with anything and everything, from history to fantastical stories of otherworldly adventures. Then, as he grew older, Sir Vellichor realized he possessed a unique gift: his brain operated at the speed of light and retained everything. As soon as light entered his pupils, whatever he saw, he instantly memorized and stored in his memory forever. Whether it was images, words, real life occurrences, sights, all are held tight within his brain. He also learned he had the ability to manipulate anything stored in his brain and make it come to life within a book.

Soon after, the master of the Library recounted, he was reshaping classic novels with his mind right before his own eyes, creating tangible alternate universes he was able to live within, through a form of astral projection. Over the years, he mastered his abilities and eventually decided to build the Grand Library. But it couldn’t exist in the natural world. Instead he created an existential literary realm, where his powers are increased tenfold.

Once he had constructed his new home, he tirelessly worked to access the knowledge of the universe and recreated every single book ever written, housing the copies in his Library. Not only was he able to duplicate the books from the past and present, but he also has been able to copy books that have not even been written yet. Sir Vellichor explained, time is circular, not linear, and once he learned to navigate the space-time continuum, he gained all the knowledge of future literary and non-fiction works as well. Any book that would ever be produced, anywhere in the universe, is present in that Library.

Regardless of my hate for the man, I could not help but be awed by his story. Sir Vellichor wields incredible power that could easily destroy reality as we know it, which would normally be alarming. However, I also realized that he only has one desire: to be entertained. It is why he is beyond obsessed with reading. It is why he toiled for centuries, creating an alternate universe to call home inside a library, filled with magical books. Sir Vellichor has no interest in universal domination or unraveling the fabric of reality as it exists. He merely wishes to live an eternity being entertained by his books. Nevertheless, that has evolved into kidnapping people and subjecting them to misery, enslavement and even death. That is something I absolutely cannot tolerate. Yet, there was nothing I could do in that moment. Tectonica and I were completely helpless against him in his world.

After Sir Vellichor finished his story, he snapped his fingers and Cliché approached him. He placed his empty champagne flute on the silver tray she was holding and then adjusted his collar slightly. From his throne he decreed that though he was disappointed in our attempt to attack him, he could not deny Tectonica and I had provided him with an utterly riveting story. We were the best additions to the Library he could ever remember recruiting, and promised that he would be sending Cliché for us in the future.

I replied that if I ever saw him again, I would not hesitate to destroy him and everything in that Library. However, before I could finish my sentence, Sir Vellichor motioned to Cliché. I locked eyes with the Master of the Library, as a flash of light burst around me and Tectonica. Immediately, we were teleported back to the giant’s abode in Mt. Logan.

We gathered ourselves and both sighed in relief of having made it out of Sir Vellichor’s Grand Library. However, we both knew that at any moment we could be nabbed by Cliché and sent back there. I urged Tectonica to come with me to Washington, so we could develop a strategy with the world governments to stop Sir Vellichor once and for all. I confessed also that I believed she could make a great addition to the team of heroes I am trying to form.

Tectonica, however, told me she would not be returning with me. She was dedicated to protecting the people living around the mountain, and she refused to leave them, especially with the knowledge that Sir Vellichor could be returning to kidnap more of them. I nodded in understanding and bid her farewell, telling her if she ever needed anything, I would be there without hesitation to help her. With that, I flew back to where the CIA agents and I had established our base camp nearby.

‍