Chapter 1

ELARA VOSS, THE INK-STAINED LEDGER KEEPER — A Very Serious Visual Novel

Rain taps against the windows. One candle burns beside an enormous, ancient ledger

Elara Voss: The records are wrong.

Kaelen Vale: Wrong?

Elara Voss: Three names are missing. Two accounts have been altered. And someone has tampered with the royal accounts.

Kaelen Vale: Who would risk doing something like that?

Elara Voss: Someone who knows how the Ledger works.

Elara Voss had spent twelve years guarding the royal records. Births. Deaths. Debts. Treaties. Secrets. Nothing escaped her notice. Nothing escaped the Ledger. And yet, tonight, something was different.

Kaelen Vale: Elara?

Elara Voss: Yes?

Kaelen Vale: Your hands.

Elara Voss: What about them?

Kaelen Vale: They're covered in ink.

Elara looks down at her hands. Kaelen takes a cautious step closer.

Kaelen Vale: Do you smell that?

Elara looks up at him curiously, a silent question in her eyes.

Elara Voss: Smell what?

Kaelen Vale: Like ozone...and something... metallic?

Elara says nothing. After a moment, she lets out a long breath.

Elara Voss: You've been spending too much time in the archives.

Kaelen Vale: That doesn't answer my question.

She sets down the open ledger.

Elara Voss: Come. We have more important matters to discuss.

Kaelen turns to follow her to the door. He pauses, turning back. His eyes drift back toward the Ledger.

Kaelen Vale: Hey, did you finish that last entry? It seemed to be taking longer than usual. Let me see if I can hel-

He looks down at the page. His expression darkens.

Kaelen turns the page. Then another. And another. Every page is covered in the same word.

OUR OUR OUR OUR OUR

Written again and again in dark, uneven ink. Some are carefully written. Some are scratched into the margins. Some are so dark the ink has bled through the page. Kaelen slowly looks toward Elara.

Kaelen Vale: ..How long have you been doing this?

Elara stands silently in the doorway. Her ink-stained hands hang at her sides. The faint smell of ozone and something metallic still hangs in the air.

Elara Voss: We should go, Kaelen.

Suddenly— BANG! The archive doors explode open. A breathless stranger stumbles into the room, clutching a torn cloak around himself.

Fenix: ELARA VOSS!

Elara Voss: Who are you?

Fenix: There isn't time! They're coming for you. YOU MUST RUN!

Kaelen Vale: Who?

Fenix: The Keepers of the Silent Ledger. For centuries, they have searched for the one who could awaken the First Ledger. And now they've found her- YOU.

Fenix: The Ink-Stained Heir. The Last Scribe of Our- There is no time!

The archive doors begin to shake.

Fenix: They're here!

Kaelen Vale: Then what do we do?

Elara looks toward the shaking doors. Then toward the Ledger. Then toward her ink-stained hands.

Elara Voss: I suppose...we write.

The pages begin to glow. The smell of ozone fills the room. The screen flashes white.

[???]

You probably have several questions.

Why is Elara the Chosen Keeper? What is the Silent Ledger? Why does she keep writing the word "Our"? And what, exactly, does Kaelen have to do with any of this?

Unfortunately... none of that is getting answered.

But there is good news! While you're sitting here questioning your life choices and wondering why you decided to read this novel in the first place, there's something you could be doing instead. You could be playing Evandor.

It's got intrigue. Mystery. Adventure. Actual plot. Plus, Whynotbeaprincess pours a ridiculous amount of love, time, and effort into it.

So go make your mom proud - or your cat? - and give it a try. You know you want to. ^.^