Chapter 7: A Meeting Beneath the Shadows of Secrets
After reading the torn pages left behind by a mysterious soul,
the young man froze in place, paralyzed by the weight of the words.
Suddenly, the hulking guard who stood by the archives' door thundered:
"Stranger! What have you done to that book?! You ripped it apart!"
The young man stood his ground despite his fear,
his voice uncertain but resolute:
"I didn't do anything.
I found it like that—torn—among old books."
The giant's face twisted with rage.
"Liar!" he roared.
In a blur, the guard grabbed the young man by the neck
and hurled him violently out of the room—
his body rolling to a stop in front of onlookers in the corridor.
Pain surged through his limbs.
He couldn't stand at first—his leg throbbed from the impact.
As he struggled to rise,
a soft voice reached him.
A girl was approaching—
elegant and strange,
with shining emerald eyes and pointed ears
that marked her as something not entirely human.
Her golden hair flowed like silk with every graceful step.
She offered him a hand.
As he looked into her eyes,
he felt something stir inside him—
as if light itself had spoken to his soul.
She smiled gently, her voice like a song:
"Why are you lying here like this, young man?"
Still gripping her hand, he answered weakly:
"That dumb giant threw me..."
She laughed softly.
"Strange indeed...
What's your name?"
He hesitated—then quietly replied:
"I don't know. I'm... Stranger."
"Stranger, hmm...
Alright, I'll call you that," she said with a faint smile.
"As for me, I'm Elara. I help my father run a small shop nearby."
She glanced at his tattered clothes, at the weariness in his eyes.
"You don't look like you have any money...
Come with me to the shop.
We need help organizing supplies,
and you can earn some coins for your effort."
Without hesitation, he accepted.
The hunger and cold had turned even the simplest offer into salvation.
Elara walked ahead, and before long,
they reached a modest shop.
Outside stood a tall man with gleaming blond hair,
powerful green eyes,
and a well-built frame that radiated quiet authority.
The man looked surprised to see his daughter with a stranger.
But before he could speak, Elara chimed in:
"This is Stranger.
He's here to help us—for a bit of money."
The man paused, studying the young man with a single calculating look.
"You've got a solid build… but your body's worn.
Still, we need help moving goods to the back storage.
You start now."
Stranger got to work—hauling crates with determination.
Sweat poured from his brow,
but something inside him refused to stop.
As he placed the last box in the storage room,
a sudden crash echoed through the shop—followed by blood-curdling screams.
He froze,
then ran toward the sound with everything he had.
And when he arrived—
His heart stopped.
Blood covered the floor.
Bodies torn apart.
Elara…
and her father…
lying lifeless in the chaos.