Three days had passed since the heated argument with the Duke, and the mansion had settled back into its usual rhythm. The grand library, with its towering shelves and endless rows of dusty books, was unusually chaotic. Books lay sprawled across the floor, open and abandoned, as if tossed aside in frustration. Ladders were propped up against various shelves, and the normally pristine study tables were cluttered with piles of texts.
Amidst the mess, Axelius stood on one of the ladders, his brows furrowed in concentration as he scanned the rows of thick, leather-bound volumes. His fingers brushed over their spines, reading each title with a look of pure irritation. "Argh! Why are there so many damn books?!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing off the high ceilings.
Owen wearing small eye glasses perched comfortably on a thick book resting on a nearby table, flipped a page with his tiny slime tendrils, not even bothering to look up. "What exactly are you looking for?" he asked casually, his voice dripping with boredom.
Axelius pulled out another heavy book from the shelf, dust scattering in the air as he did. He flipped it open, scanned the pages for a brief moment, and then groaned before slamming it shut.
"Lorian Dravenhart. I'm curious who that guy is," he replied, his voice muffled slightly as he placed the book back and reached for another.
Owen finally looked up from his own reading, his slimy form shimmering under the sunlight that peeked through the tall windows.
"Well," he began thoughtfully, "if you're looking for someone important, maybe it's under history... or legends... or even Family records," he suggested, a bit of sarcasm lacing his tone.
Axelius snapped his fingers with sudden realization. "Right! I think I saw where that is!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
Without a second thought, he descended the ladder with surprising speed, nearly tripping over a stack of books on his way down. He ignored the chaos around him and marched straight across the library, his eyes fixed on a tall, locked bookshelf that stood isolated from the rest. It was grander, more ornate, with intricate carvings along its edges.
He reached out, brushing off the dust that had settled on the plaque above it. His eyes squinted as he read the engraved letters. "Dravenhart," he whispered, the name lingering on his tongue. His eyes widened with disbelief.
"What the fuck? How did I miss this?" he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Owen hopped down from the table and bounced his way over, staring up at the towering shelf. "Well, looks like you finally found it," he commented smugly. "Took you long enough."
Axelius just grinned widely, the frustration from before melting away. "Heh, let's see what secrets you're hiding," he said with a glint of excitement in his eyes, his fingers already reaching for the shelf's handle.
Axelius barely contained his excitement as he opened the grand, ornate shelf that held the Dravenhart family records. His hands traced the smooth wood, feeling the craftsmanship and age beneath his fingertips.
Owen eyed him skeptically. "Before you start rummaging through that, you should return those other books where you found them. Family records are important, you know," Owen scolded, his voice carrying a hint of disapproval.
Axelius waved him off dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it," he replied, already climbing the ladder to reach the topmost part of the shelf. The ladder creaked under his weight, but he paid it no mind. His eyes scanned the thick spines, all neatly lined up and labeled with dates, names, and various symbols he didn't recognize.
He began pulling out books one by one, flipping through their contents quickly before returning them to their spots. The dust was thick; every time he opened a book, small clouds would puff out, causing him to sneeze more than once. Owen chuckled from below. "Need a mask, noble master?" he teased, flipping lazily through his own book.
"Shut up," Axelius shot back, rubbing his nose and continuing his search. He spent hours combing through the towering shelf, slowly working his way down. His fingers were now smudged with dust, and his hair, still neatly braided by the maid that morning, was slightly frizzed from the constant movement.
By the time he reached the second-to-lowest part of the shelf, his patience had worn thin. His fingers were cramped, and his eyes stung from the dust. Finally, after opening yet another heavy book and finding nothing, he slammed it shut and threw his hands up in frustration. "What the fuck!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the library.
Owen bounced in surprise, nearly losing his page. "What the hell, Axel?! Stop shouting out of nowhere! You scared the slime out of me!" he scolded, glaring up at him.
Axelius climbed down from the ladder, his expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. "Nothing! There's no Lorian Dravenhart! I've checked every damn book in this stupid shelf!" he growled, kicking at a pile of books on the floor.
He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the growing headache. But as he glanced back at the shelf, something caught his eye. A faint shimmer glimmered beneath the bottom shelf, hidden away in the shadows. His brows knitted together in confusion.
"What's that...?" he muttered, crouching down.
He reached beneath the shelf, his fingers brushing against something smooth and cool to the touch. Slowly, he pulled it out, dust cascading off of it in thick layers. He squinted, coughing as he brushed the grime away. After a few rough swipes, the cover became visible—a pitch-black book with golden linings, its surface etched with symbols he didn't recognize.
Owen bounced closer, curiosity overtaking his sarcasm. "Well, well... what do we have here?" he said, his tone unusually serious.
Axelius turned the book over in his hands, his eyes fixed on the intricate golden designs. "I don't know... but I'm gonna find out," he said with a grin, already moving toward the table.