It had taken until evening for Guren to clean up and pull himself together. Now, he had clean clothes, a clean body, a rested mind, and a full stomach. On days when his father was absent, the dining table was particularly lively. It was one of those days when the family members and the servants ate together. Lady Maryam was a very gentle woman with a genuinely pure heart. Her kindness radiated on her face, with her dark skin and red hair. This gracious woman couldn't bear to see her servants merely watching while she ate. After all, she herself had come from the lowest ranks of society. Her father had been a simple farmer. Raised with such innocence, one might even call her naive. During dinner, Guren sat across from his mother and began to speak.
"Mom, are you aware of what happened today?"
Lady Maryam didn't respond immediately; she was busy stuffing herself with food. Perhaps because of her past, she loved eating. How she managed to stay slim despite her small stature and hearty appetite was a mystery to everyone.
"Mom!" Guren called out.
"What—Guren! You know we don't talk while eating," she replied.
Guren, slightly annoyed, said, "You're just saying that because you're not listening to me, right?"
Lady Maryam chuckled. "Oh, come on, what's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm getting to the point, Mom…" Guren cleared his throat. "Do you know what happened today?"
Lady Maryam thought for a moment. "Hmm… Was there a fire at the central library?"
"No, Mom, about the house!"
"Oh, there were some noises in the garden—wait! Your father was going to call a master for you." She grinned and reached out to pat Guren's head. "Oh, my sweet boy, are you going to learn magic? Hehe!"
Guren, irritated, pulled back. "Mom, stop it!"
But he was already wrapped in his mother's arms. Once he freed himself, he continued, "Yes, Mom, he came. I met my teacher (it was a bit intense, though)."
"Hmm, did you like him?"
"I wouldn't exactly say I liked him… He gave me a test, and…" Tears welled up in Guren's eyes. "I think I failed… He's giving a lesson tomorrow, but I don't want to take that test again!"
"How do you know you'll have to retake the test? Maybe you passed!"
"Test or no test, that man scares me!"
Lady Maryam stood up, walked over to Guren, and hugged him. "Guren, your teacher won't do anything bad to you. I don't know what you're afraid of, but I'm always here for you." She smiled and playfully tapped her chest, making Guren giggle. With his spirits lifted, Guren went to his room to wait for his plan to unfold. He no longer had any doubts. He didn't have to like his teacher. He would pass every test and learn magic! At the same time, he had to read the book in the forbidden room. Maybe this was his adventure!
A few hours passed, and everyone went to sleep. The plan was simple:
Materials:
Soft socks (for silent walking)A lamp (for the dark corridor)The secret key Edward gave him that opens every room (to unlock the hidden room)A leather-bound book (to swap with)
Guren had everything ready. It was ADVENTURE TIME! He mentally prepared himself, took a deep breath, and declared, "This will be my adventure!" before opening the door. His destination was the basement—the dark, rat-infested, creepy place! He'd done it before, and he could do it again. He left his room and began walking slowly. Despite his caution, the wooden floor creaked loudly. Knowing the stairs would be noisy, he slid down the banister to reach the basement. It was risky but thrilling. The plan was working perfectly. All the adults stayed on the upper floors, so running in the basement wouldn't be an issue. Well, there was one person on the ground floor, but they could be ignored. Guren dashed to the ornate wooden door of the room and stopped. He carefully inserted the key and turned it. The door opened slowly. Guren stepped into the narrow, cluttered room filled with antique items and books. In one corner was an old chest, in another, a rusty sword. Guren walked to the old bookshelf, raised his lamp, and looked. At the back were dozens of identical books. Closing his eyes, Guren let his instincts guide him and picked a book—the one that felt right. When he held it, he felt complete. Opening his eyes, he saw it: "The Chronicles of the Cursed Prophet Moses." There was no time to examine it. He placed the book he'd brought from his room in its place. "I need to get back to my room," he thought.
As he reached for the door handle, a thin, girlish voice called out, "Is someone there?!"
Guren froze, his hair standing on end. He huddled behind the door and extinguished the lamp. Peeking out, he saw her—the one he could ignore! Her footsteps approached the door, but, likely frightened, she soon ran upstairs. Guren thought, "She probably thinks I'm a rat," and relaxed. Then he noticed a glimmer by the shelf—a pear-shaped object that looked like hard stone. In the darkness and panic, he mistook it for an egg, pocketed it, and waited about two minutes before sprinting to his room. As he ran, he heard footsteps from the corridor behind him. Panicking, he grabbed the stone from his pocket and hurled it at the window across from his room. The glass shattered with a loud crash. He darted into his room, closed the door, and hid the book under his pillow before slipping into bed, pretending to sleep. He heard commotion and then the sound of his door opening. Edward's voice called, "Young master, are you okay?!"
Guren didn't flinch. Edward approached, saw Guren "asleep," and left. Once the footsteps faded, Guren began examining the book. It was thick, leather-bound, with yellowed, aged pages and a crescent symbol on the cover. Overcome with excitement, Guren started reading. "Chapter 2: These Records Are Dedicated to a Certain Person!"…