Bab 1: **Chapter 1: The Library Encounter**
The old library stood as a bastion of quiet solitude in the heart of the bustling city. It was a place where the scent of old books mingled with the faint aroma of coffee from the nearby café, creating an atmosphere that welcomed both knowledge seekers and daydreamers alike. Among its towering shelves and quiet nooks, a peculiar pair often found themselves drawn together by fate, though neither fully understood the forces at play.
Marcus Volkov prowled the aisles with a predatory grace that betrayed his otherworldly nature. Tall and broad-shouldered, with piercing blue eyes and a countenance that exuded both danger and allure, he was the epitome of a vampire alpha. Marcus had walked the earth for centuries, his existence a tapestry of experiences and secrets hidden beneath a façade of wealth and sophistication. Yet, for all his power and immortality, there was a void within him that wealth and power could not fill.
Amelia Clarke, on the other hand, was the antithesis of Marcus in almost every way. Petite and unassuming, with glasses perched on her nose and a perpetually distracted air about her, she was the quintessential bookworm. Her sanctuary was the library, where the worlds within the pages offered her an escape from the mundanity of her daily life. Amelia was content to lose herself in the classics or bury her nose in research papers, finding solace in the quiet companionship of books.
Their paths crossed one unremarkable Tuesday afternoon. Marcus, in need of a rare tome on ancient vampire lore, ventured into the library's archives where few dared to tread. Amelia, buried deep in her research on medieval history, happened to be the librarian on duty that day. Oblivious to the supernatural undercurrents that permeated the air, she looked up from her desk as Marcus approached.
"Excuse me," Marcus said, his voice a low timbre that resonated with authority. "I'm looking for a book that might be housed in the restricted section."
Amelia blinked, momentarily taken aback by the intensity in his gaze. She adjusted her glasses nervously, her mind racing to recall the protocols for accessing restricted texts. "Uh, yes, of course," she stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly. "May I ask what book you're looking for?"
Marcus hesitated for a moment, studying her with a curiosity that was as unsettling as it was unexpected. There was something different about this mortal, something that tugged at the recesses of his consciousness. "It's an ancient manuscript," he finally replied, his voice softening imperceptibly. "The Codex Nocturna."
Amelia's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "The Codex Nocturna?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "But that's... it's said to be lost, destroyed centuries ago."
Marcus inclined his head slightly, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Not destroyed," he corrected gently. "Hidden."
The librarian regarded him with a mixture of awe and disbelief, her logical mind struggling to reconcile the myths and legends with the enigmatic figure standing before her. "I... I'll have to check with the head librarian," she managed to say, her heart pounding in her chest. "Wait here, please."
As Amelia scurried off to seek permission to access the restricted archives, Marcus watched her retreating figure with a newfound sense of intrigue. He had encountered countless mortals over the centuries, yet none had ever stirred such a tumultuous maelstrom of emotions within him. There was an innocence about her, a purity of spirit that seemed to shine even in the dimly lit confines of the library.
Minutes ticked by like hours as Marcus waited, his thoughts consumed by the librarian who had unwittingly captivated his attention. When Amelia returned with a set of keys and the necessary permissions, she found him standing exactly where she had left him, his expression inscrutable.
"I've obtained clearance for you to access the restricted section," she informed him, her voice tinged with a hint of breathlessness. "Follow me."
Marcus followed her silently through the labyrinthine corridors of the archives, his senses heightened by the proximity of the Codex Nocturna. As they reached the dimly lit chamber where the ancient tomes were housed, he felt a surge of anticipation unlike anything he had experienced in centuries.
Amelia unlocked the heavy oak door with trembling hands, her pulse quickening as she stepped aside to allow Marcus to enter first. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of leather-bound books and the faint tang of ancient magic. Marcus scanned the shelves, his eyes narrowing as he sought out the elusive manuscript that had brought him to this place.
"There," Amelia said softly, pointing to a shelf in the far corner of the room. "It should be there."
Marcus strode forward with purpose, his fingers tracing the spines of the books until they alighted upon a volume that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Carefully, almost reverently, he withdrew the Codex Nocturna from its resting place and cradled it in his hands.
As he flipped through the pages, Marcus felt a surge of recognition and understanding wash over him. The secrets contained within the ancient text were vast and profound, offering glimpses into a past that had long been shrouded in mystery.
Amelia watched in awe as Marcus immersed himself in the Codex Nocturna, his features illuminated by the soft glow of the manuscript. In that moment, she realized that her life was about to change in ways she could never have imagined.
Little did either of them know that their encounter in the library was merely the beginning of an extraordinary journey—one that would test their beliefs, challenge their perceptions, and ultimately bind their fates together in ways neither vampire nor mortal could foresee.
But for now, as Marcus Volkov delved deeper into the secrets of the Codex Nocturna and Amelia Clarke looked on with wonder, the world outside the library seemed to fade into insignificance. In that quiet sanctuary of books and magic, two souls had found each other amidst the shadows, their destinies intertwined by the threads of fate.
And so began the tale of the vampire alpha and the nerdy librarian, a love story that transcended time, bridging the gap between the mortal and the immortal, the ordinary and the extraordinary.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone