A thick, eerie fog covered the Fivindus estate. The wind howled, and an unsettling feeling grew inside me. I checked the door to make sure it was locked and went back to bed. The softness and comfort of the pillows managed to blur out my worries, and I slowly drifted asleep.
The sound of an igniter awoke me. I felt the warmth of a candle and opened my eyes to see the same library I had been in earlier.
Was I dreaming? I pinched myself, but it didn't seem like I was. There was a little bunny in front of me, and I reached out my hand. It hopped away and disappeared into the piles of books.
I got up to leave the library, but when I tried to open the door, it was completely locked. The white rabbit leapt out of the pile of books and stood in front of me. It had crimson red eyes, and it seemed like it was trying to tell me something. When I tried to approach it, it hopped away, but when I tried to leave, it came back and stood in the same spot.
"Do you want me to leave?"
The little rabbit shook its head and leapt back to its books, starting to hop on them.
"You want me to read them?"
The rabbit nodded, and I picked up one of the books it had been standing on.
Tales of the Lusians. The book cover depicted a bunch of animals. I opened it and started reading.
It was a tale of a world brought to the brink of destruction. After the Aeonic War, the power of the guilty was distributed across the globe to rebuild it. The lives that were lost all accumulated into one entity, and that being became known as the Aeon of Rejuvenation. With assistance from the newly born Aeon, the world regained its order, and life began to bloom again. The animals born from the residue of Rejuvenation's power were known as Lusians. Their bodies contained high concentrations of loxes that helped them rebuild the environment that had once been destroyed.
Eventually, humans came to be and destroyed their habitats. The animals were hunted by humans for their lox rich bodies, which could be turned into powerful weapons. Their horns, hides, teeth, claws, and talons were all turned into weapons used to kill other humans.
They were forced into hiding and lived in a secret world hidden from human eyes.
"Those poor Lusians." I closed the book and stood up.
"Can I leave now?" I asked the small rabbit.
It hesitated for a bit before nodding. The door opened with ease this time, and I exited, only to find myself on my bed. Was I actually dreaming?
Inside the library
The little rabbit transformed into a human. She wrapped her naked body in her magical robe and looked at the book Vivshi had been reading. She gently stroked the book before blowing out the candles.
I went up to the door and saw that it was unlocked. Didn't I lock the door before going to bed? I turned the key and tugged on the door handle one more time to make sure it was locked.
This time, I went to sleep soundly and woke up the next morning feeling energized and ready.
My guide hadn't shown up yet, so I decided to sneak out and see if I could get to Aylin's room before they came to check up on us.
Aylin had told me where her room was, so all I had to do was get to the other side of the corridor. This would take less than two minutes. I gently closed the door behind me and sneaked toward Aylin's room.
When I reached her door, I knocked, but there was no answer. She was probably still sleeping. I slowly turned the doorknob, and she hadn't locked the door at all.
How could she even sleep with an unlocked door? There she was in her bed, sleeping soundly like a princess. I approached her, and suddenly I felt something sharp grazing my throat. It was the blade of a sword.
"What do you think you are doing, you lecherous man?"
That voice. It was Rei. She had been guarding Aylin's room this entire time? I raised both my hands and told her that I just wanted to check up on Aylin.
"You can do that once she has woken up." She unsheathed her sword and gave me a glare full of contempt.
I left the room, and Rei slammed the door and told me to get lost.
"Jeez."
"Why is she so moody first thing in the morning?"
"Fu Fu Fu… what a sight to behold at the brink of dawn," an unfamiliar voice said behind me.
I turned around to see a girl in a gothic lolita dress, with long dark purple hair and eyes as azure as the summer sky, crosses forming her pupils. She wore a red ribbon on her head and black net stockings.
"And who are you to laugh at me?"
"Me? Just your runaway girl." She paused and pointed a finger at me.
"I would advise you not to anger little Rei too much. She has a tendency to hate the opposite sex. Fu Fu Fu…"
"As if I did anything to deserve such treatment."
She shrugged her shoulders and started to walk away.
"I'm expecting a lot from you, dear guest. Don't die before you fulfill my expectations." She then disappeared into the vast corridors.
Aylin suddenly opened the door and called out my name in a shy, low voice. She was peeking through a small crack in the door and asked if I could wait for her at the restaurant for breakfast. I agreed and went ahead.
That was when I saw the same girl from earlier ordering takeout. But what she received wasn't food. It was just… wine bottles.
She would drink all of that wine for breakfast?
"My, my… fate must be upon us, or are you simply stalking me?"
"No, I'm here for breakfast. And are you really going to have that for breakfast…?"
She lifted the wine bottle by its neck and showed it to me. It was premium aged Nautilus wine.
"But for breakfast?"
"Perhaps so. What of it?"
"No… nothing…"
THESE PEOPLE ARE PRACTITIONERS OF SAVAGERY!
"It seems like your friend is arriving. I shall take my departure. See you soon, dear guest."
Aylin came running while waving, with Rei behind her.
She was wearing a floral dress and twirled around, showing it to me.
"You look like a flower," I said.
"A pretty flower, perhaps?" Aylin giggled and hurried off to order some food.
Rei followed her silently.
I ordered some food, and in the middle of it, I thought of that rabbit in the library.
Aylin and I enjoyed a splendid breakfast before Rei said it was time for us to do our separate things. Aylin was pulled away, and I was left alone. Lukas was probably still sleeping.
The door with the golden beetle opened, and I entered with a bag in my hand.
The library was dimly lit with candles, and books were scattered across the tables, but there were no signs of anyone. I placed the bag of food on the table and left.