Hermes Library
Kite entered the library, eyes darting around the dim halls and shadowed corridors. He passed through the reception hall and into a smaller, quiet room. With a subtle motion, he channeled energy into his blackened index finger. The red cross etched there began to pulse with a crimson glow, serving as a makeshift torch.
He moved carefully through the rows of ancient books until he found what he was looking for—two volumes, one saffron and the other deep red. He drew in a slow, steady breath.
I'm taking a major risk. One mistake, and everything could fall apart...
Silently, Kite pulled the books from the shelf, his heart pounding in his chest like a war drum.
Grrr!
The shelf groaned and began to slide away on its own. At the sight, Kite exhaled in relief.
He stepped forward, each footfall deliberate, ensuring he made no sound. The passage led into the archive—an eerie place lined with shelf after shelf of forbidden knowledge. Things no ordinary human was meant to know.
Deeper he went, until the tiny rodent in his pocket, Chu-Chu, scampered off in a different direction.
Kite pressed forward, ascending to the second level. The books here were displayed differently—their covers facing outward, bound with thick steel chains. He scanned the shelves until he found it: Shelf A2, Book No. 69 — The Tale of Mono and Azeo.
Kite knelt to inspect the book. The chains looped tightly around it, ending in a small lock that clearly required a key. He whistled softly.
From the shadows, Chu-Chu came running, loyal as ever. Kite bent down and whispered:
"Go to the desk near the stairs. Find the key for Shelf A2, Book 69."
Chu-Chu saluted with his tiny paw and bolted off.
At the desk, Chu-Chu began pushing aside papers and books with his small, nimble hands. But he found nothing. Just as he was about to return, his sharp eyes caught sight of a bookshelf embedded in the wall. Suspicious, he climbed up and pushed against a book with all his might. It gave way, revealing a hidden room.
Inside, more books and documents lay scattered—but most importantly, there was a key rack. Each row was labeled, from A1 to Z. Chu-Chu scurried up the wall and snatched the key labeled A2 - 69.
He returned to Kite in a flash. Kite took the key, patted the little rodent on the head.
"Good job, buddy."
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet library.
Thunk. Thunk.
"Yaaawn... I'm so tired of these night shifts..."
A security guard, wearing a bronze pocket-watch badge, wandered through the halls with a flashlight in hand. He swept the beam lazily through the aisles—then froze as he heard something shift on Level 3.
He turned his light toward a dark alley between the shelves… and found only a woolly rodent staring back at him. He sighed and walked off, suspecting nothing.
Meanwhile, Kite stood silently on the edge of one of the shelves, clutching the book he had risked everything for.
One wrong step... and it all goes south.
---
Noble Heights – Holland Residence
He returned home under the cover of night, sneaking in quietly. He slid the book into a wooden box beneath his bed, locked it shut, and tucked the key under the carpet.
Then, at last, he lay down.
As the adrenaline drained from his body, exhaustion hit him like a wave.
He was asleep within moments.