Omniscient Readers Viewpoint Novel Illustrations Novels & Stories

I was sure. I sighed and flipped it open again, running my fingers across the stiff old pages. The writing inside was tiny, neat, and definitely older than anything I had ever seen in Father’s library. Each chapter had illustrations of different beasts, creatures I’d only heard whispers of. Gargoyles, gnomes that were alive, serpent women and even sirens. None of these existed though… or did they? I could feel my head throbbing from an oncoming headache so I just shut the book and stared at the ceiling of my room.

The Reader stumbled backward. Their faceless hood twisted violently, body bending in impossible angles. “You’re not supposed to hesitate!” they gasped. Liora clutched the book to her chest. “Then maybe this isn’t the final chapter.” “You can’t stop what’s been written,” the Reader hissed. “You can’t outrun the ending!” The floor cracked beneath them, Not ground, But text, Pages of her life peeling apart like skin, And rising from between them, Was a figure made entirely of titles. No face, No features.

Odessa was elated as she scanned the contents of the book, the ancient diagrams and foreign language. She sat down cross-legged on the dusty floor and began reading. The more she read, it felt like the words were coming to life, transporting her mind into ancient times. She felt compelled to read, to continue flipping through the pages. Odessa's eyes widened as shock registered on her face. The back cover of the book depicted a striking image of a wolf, its fur glowing with an otherworldly light. In the background, a starry sky shimmered with a full moon. As she turned the page, Odessa felt a chill run down her spine, and a sense of wonder filled her.

Now that I knew of the author, it was time to see the content. I pulled over off the road and stopped the car. The visibility of the storm had increased, making it impossible for me to continue driving safely. So, instead, I opened the journal and started reading. My eyes skimmed the words, keeping in mind that I was potentially reading from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. And soon enough, I found myself enraptured by the scenes they were depicting. Human on human wars, pacts between humans and supernatural beings, werewolves, Kindred…Human Hunters.