CHAPTER 104
THE KING'S LIBRARY
Anya studied the enormous doors for a moment longer.
The mechanism concealed within the lock was more complicated than she had anticipated. Rather than forcing it, she carefully manipulated the space surrounding its internal components, shifting them one after another until she felt the final obstruction give way.
Click.
The lock released.
Anya lowered her hand and glanced at Roman.
He nodded.
Together, they pushed against the doors.
The heavy wooden panels moved slowly, their hinges producing a faint groan that echoed through the otherwise silent corridor. Roman immediately stopped pushing and listened.
Nothing.
He resumed, applying just enough force to create a narrow opening.
Golden light spilled through the gap.
Beyond the doors lay the royal library.
For several seconds, none of them moved.
Even Anya, who had visited the castle on numerous occasions, found herself impressed by the sight before her. She had entered the library only once during her earlier visits, and that had been years ago, under the supervision of royal attendants who had restricted her access to certain sections.
Seeing it again, without anyone guiding her or telling her where she could and couldn't go, was an entirely different experience.
Roman slipped through the opening first.
Sylver followed, then Lunar and Anya. Fury climbed from Anya's shoulder and settled against one of the straps on her armor.
Once everyone was inside, Anya carefully pulled the doors shut.
The lock clicked into place.
The royal library was enormous.
Its ceiling rose several stories above the floor, supported by towering stone pillars decorated with elaborate carvings. Long balconies extended around the upper levels, connecting different sections of the library through narrow bridges and winding staircases.
But the shelves were what truly dominated the chamber.
They were massive.
Row after row of towering wooden shelves stretched across the room, rising almost to the ceiling. Some were built directly into the walls, while others stood independently, creating long aisles that extended into the depths of the library.
Thousands upon thousands of books filled them.
Leather-bound volumes sat beside ancient scrolls. Thick historical records occupied entire shelves, while smaller books were arranged in carefully labelled compartments. Some volumes were secured behind glass panels, and others rested inside locked cabinets protected by enchanted seals.
Ladders moved along metal rails attached to the taller shelves, allowing librarians to reach books stored on the highest levels.
Suspended lamps illuminated the aisles with a warm golden glow.
The light reflected off polished wooden floors and the glass doors of the display cabinets, giving the library an atmosphere of quiet grandeur.
Several reading tables occupied the central area, each furnished with chairs, writing materials, and small enchanted lamps.
At the far end, a broad staircase led to the upper galleries.
It was a place built to preserve knowledge accumulated over centuries.
And somewhere among its countless volumes was the book Roman had travelled so far to find.
He looked around, taking in the immense collection.
For a moment, the sheer size of the library threatened to overwhelm him.
Then he remembered Penny's words.
The book was written about the Tiger Clan.
That was their starting point.
Roman turned toward Anya.
"Where do we begin?"
Anya examined the signs mounted above the nearest aisles.
"History section. If the royal librarians follow the usual classification system, records about ancient clans should be kept there."
She pointed toward the western side of the chamber.
"That way."
Roman nodded.
He had no intention of wasting time wandering through the entire library.
They had a specific objective, and they needed to find it before anyone discovered their presence.
Anya maintained the spatial distortion around the group, bending the light so their bodies remained concealed. The effort was already beginning to demand more concentration than she would have preferred, particularly with four people moving through a space this large.
She could not maintain it indefinitely.
They needed to work quickly.
Roman, Sylver, and Lunar followed her between the shelves.
Fury remained alert, his perception sweeping across the surrounding aisles for approaching footsteps or signs of movement.
The search had begun.
---
The history section occupied a substantial portion of the library's western wing.
Unlike the more decorative areas near the entrance, this section was arranged primarily for research. The shelves were packed tightly together, with narrow aisles separating collections according to historical period, geographical region, and subject.
Small metallic plaques marked each category.
Roman scanned them as they passed.
ROYAL HISTORY.
ANCIENT WARS AND CONFLICTS.
THE FOUNDING OF THE KINGDOM.
LEGENDARY BEASTS AND THEIR ORIGINS.
They were getting closer.
Anya stopped beside a tall shelf and examined its labels.
"Ancient clans should be somewhere around here."
Roman moved along the shelves, reading the titles.
There were records of noble houses, military organizations, and families whose bloodlines had influenced the kingdom's history. Some volumes were relatively recent, while others looked old enough to crumble if handled carelessly.
He pulled out a thin book.
It contained a collection of royal genealogies.
He checked the index.
Nothing about the Tiger Clan.
He returned it to its place.
Sylver searched the neighbouring shelves, carefully examining the titles without disturbing the arrangement of the books.
Lunar moved toward a nearby cabinet containing older historical records.
He studied the labels, then examined the glass doors.
Several books inside had been secured with small rune seals.
He did not touch them.
They had come for one particular book, not to draw attention by interfering with restricted collections.
Roman continued searching.
Minutes passed.
The library remained quiet, interrupted only by the faint hum of crystal lamps and the occasional sound of distant footsteps from somewhere beyond the walls.
The number of books was becoming a problem.
There were too many possibilities.
The Tiger Clan might have been classified under ancient clans, military history, extinct bloodlines, or even legendary warriors. If the royal librarians had considered the clan insignificant, its records might have been placed in a completely different section.
Roman's expression tightened beneath his hood.
He remembered what Penny had told him about the book.
It had been written to preserve the history of the Tiger Clan.
That meant it was unlikely to be an ordinary historical record.
It was written by Penny, or so he thought.
Roman returned to the shelf and began examining the older volumes more carefully.
Some had titles stamped into their leather covers.
Others had faded inscriptions that were almost impossible to read.
He ran his fingers along the spines, searching for anything that might be relevant.
Then he stopped.
A small label caught his attention.
FORGOTTEN CLANS AND LOST BLOODLINES.
Roman leaned closer.
The shelf was positioned near the back of the history section, partially concealed behind a larger collection of royal military records.
He moved the books aside carefully, revealing another row behind them.
The volumes here were older than the others.
Their covers were darkened by age, and several had been secured with metal clasps. Dust had gathered along the upper edges, suggesting that the collection was rarely accessed.
Roman's heartbeat quickened.
This was promising.
"Sylver."
She looked toward him.
He pointed at the shelf.
She approached immediately.
Lunar and Anya joined them, while Fury climbed onto a nearby shelf to examine the surrounding aisles.
Roman began reading the titles.
THE FALL OF THE SILVER CROWN.
THE EXILED WOLF HOUSES.
THE LOST BLOODLINES OF THE
EASTERN KINGDOMS.
He continued.
Then, at the end of the shelf, he found a narrow volume bearing a faded inscription.
THE TIGER CLAN ORIGIN
He quickly grabbed the book and opened it.
Nothing.
There weren't any pages.
Roman's shoulders lumped.
Just an inscription reference_ THE RED TIGER CHRONICLES
Roman's eyes narrowed.
That was the name he needed.
He read the reference again, committing the words to memory.
The book had been documented in the royal archives, but its current location was not listed.
He closed the empty book and returned it to the shelf.
The search continued.
Anya had moved toward a neighbouring collection devoted to historical artefacts and ancient civilizations.
She knew that the royal library did not always organize books according to their obvious subjects. Rare volumes were sometimes classified according to their origins, their authors, or the circumstances under which they had entered the royal collection.
If the book was particularly important, it might have been moved into a restricted section.
She examined the labels along the shelf.
Then she noticed a small plaque attached to the end of a row.
PRE-ROYAL RECORDS AND UNCATALOGUED WORKS.
Anya approached it.
The books here were arranged differently.
Some were stored horizontally to protect their bindings. Others rested inside individual wooden compartments, each bearing a number corresponding to a separate catalogue.
A few spaces were empty.
Anya scanned the titles.
Most concerned the history of the kingdom before the establishment of the current royal dynasty. There were accounts of ancient wars, the migrations of early clans, and records of territories that no longer appeared on modern maps.
She carefully examined the lower shelves.
Then she noticed a large volume resting behind two smaller books.
Its spine was turned away from the aisle.
Anya shifted the smaller books aside.
A faded label appeared along the edge.
RED TIGER CHRONICLES.
She froze.
Then she looked toward Roman.
"Roman."
Something in her voice caught his attention.
He crossed the aisle immediately.
Anya stepped aside.
Roman stared at the label.
For several seconds, he did not move.
Then he reached for the book.
It was much larger than he had expected.
The volume was bound in thick red leather, its edges reinforced with dark metal. The cover was decorated with an intricate sigil depicting the face of a red tiger.
Its eyes were narrowed, its mouth open in a silent snarl, and its sharp fangs were carved deeply into the leather.
The craftsmanship was extraordinary.
Unlike the faded historical records surrounding it, the red leather had retained much of its colour. The metal fittings were darkened with age, but the sigil remained clear and unmistakable.
Roman felt a strange sensation as he held it.
He couldn't explain it.
Perhaps it was the sight of the tiger's face.
Perhaps it was the knowledge that the book contained information about the clan his father had once led.
Whatever the reason, the moment felt different from anything that had happened during their journey.
He had found it.
The book Penny had described.
The book that might finally reveal something about his father's past.
Roman carefully lifted it from the shelf and placed it on a nearby reading table.
Sylver stood beside him.
Her expression softened slightly as she watched him examine the cover.
She knew how much this meant to him.
Roman had never been satisfied with the fragments of information he had gathered about his father and the forgotten Tiger Clan. There were too many unanswered questions, too many gaps in the history of a family that had seemingly disappeared from the kingdom's records.
This book might be the beginning of those answers.
He ran his fingers over the red tiger sigil.
Then he opened the front cover.
Or tried to.
The book did not move.
Roman frowned and tried again, applying slightly more force.
Nothing.
He examined the edges.
A thin metallic mechanism had been integrated into the binding, running along the outer edge of the book. It was almost invisible beneath the leather, but its presence became apparent when he inspected the spine closely.
The book was locked.
Roman turned it sideways.
There was no ordinary keyhole.
Instead, a small circular indentation sat beneath the tiger sigil, surrounded by several intricate markings.
He studied it carefully.
The mechanism appeared to be ancient, and its design was unlike any lock he had encountered during their journey.
Lunar leaned closer to examine it.
He traced the outline of the metal fitting without touching it.
"That's no ordinary lock."
Roman tried to open the cover once more.
It remained firmly shut.
Anya examined the mechanism.
"It might require a special key."
"Or a particular method of unlocking it," Lunar added.
Roman looked at the markings.
The book had been placed among rare historical records, away from the ordinary shelves. Whoever had stored it here had clearly intended to preserve it.
And they had gone to considerable effort to keep its contents inaccessible.
Roman's jaw tightened.
He had finally found the book, but he couldn't read a single page.
Still, he refused to damage it by forcing the mechanism.
If the book contained information about his father, destroying its binding would be a foolish risk.
He needed another way.
Perhaps the key was stored with the book's original records.
Perhaps Penny knew more than he had revealed.
Or perhaps the lock was connected to the artifact Roman had come looking for in the first place.
He examined the cover again.
The red tiger stared back at him.
For a brief moment, he wondered whether his father had ever held this very book.
Whether the same sigil had once been familiar to him.
Whether its pages contained a history that had been deliberately hidden from the kingdom.
Roman exhaled slowly.
He would have to find out later.
First, they needed to leave.
A faint sound reached them from the far side of the library.
Footsteps.
Anya immediately turned toward the entrance.
Fury's ears rose sharply.
His perception spread through the surrounding corridors, and he quickly detected several people approaching the library doors.
They were not passing by.
They were coming directly toward the room.
Anya's expression changed.
"We have to go."
Roman looked up from the book.
"Already?"
"People are approaching. Several of them."
Anya's spatial distortion flickered.
Maintaining the concealment around four people while moving through the castle had already placed considerable demands on her concentration. The effort of manipulating the lock and navigating the crowded corridors had made it harder to sustain the effect.
Now, with people approaching and the possibility of someone entering the library at any moment, she could not afford to waste another minute.
Roman looked at the book.
Then he glanced toward the deeper shelves.
The artifact.
He had not forgotten it.
Somewhere inside the castle was the object he believed had belonged to his father. Finding it had been the second objective of their mission.
But the library was enormous, and they had already spent a considerable amount of time searching for the book.
They could not risk remaining here indefinitely.
"Can we take the book?" Lunar asked quietly.
Roman examined its size.
"Of course we can"
It was far too large to conceal easily , that wasn't stoping Roman one bit.
And as for the artifact.
The footsteps grew louder.
A voice echoed faintly from beyond the doors.
Anya turned toward Roman.
"We don't have time."
Roman scanned the library one final time.
Frustration settled heavily in his chest.
He had come all this way.
He had crossed the tunnels beneath the city, fought through a tide of beasts, and defeated a magical-ranked creature. He had entered the King's castle and found his way into one of the most heavily protected libraries in the kingdom.
And now, when the answers were finally within reach, he had to leave without getting everything he came here for.
But he understood the situation.
If they were discovered inside the royal library, the consequences would be far worse than returning empty-handed.
"I guess the book would do for now"
He looked at the others.
"We're leaving."
Sylver nodded, remaining close to him.
Lunar glanced around one more time before turning toward the exit.
Anya immediately began moving.
Fury jumped onto her shoulder, his perception already searching for the safest route out of the room.
The approaching voices were becoming clearer.
Anya tightened her concentration, strengthening the spatial distortion around the group.
They moved away from the reading table and disappeared between the towering shelves.
TBC