He went back to the first page with trembling fingers, as if he were afraid the letters might leap off the paper and attack him, which wasn't entirely impossible in a world like this.
The first book had no title at all, just a black cover marked with a strange symbol. No matter how much he studied it, it didn't stir any memory. Weird.
He returned to the first page, heart pounding with anticipation, and the letters danced again, each one snapping into place.
What... He flipped the book upside down, jumped to the first page, then the second, but nothing helped.
I have no idea what this language even is. And honestly, ever since he picked up the book, he'd felt a heavy, ominous weight in his chest, so he was almost relieved he wouldn't have to carry it longer or read it.
He set it aside and turned to the other two books and the stack of papers. The second book was yellow, with the same symbol on the cover and no title. It also rang no bells. Vinny let out a deep sigh, glancing between the lantern and the book in his hand, then finally opened the cover to the first page.
Unlike its black sibling, this one actually had words, and in a language he understood. If only it didn't.
"Turn around." That was the only line on the first page. No preface.
Vinny jerked in terror, back to the window, staring at his bedroom door, almost kicking the lantern by mistake.
He waited a few seconds. Nothing.
He flipped to the next page in a rush: "No one? Excellent."
Son of a— Vinny screamed inside, fighting the urge to tear the book to pieces. Even so, the fear in his chest hadn't gone away. To calm himself, he locked the door and pulled the curtains shut, leaving only the blue lantern light to fill the room.
He sat back on the floor, praying this book would be worth the near heart attack he'd just had.
Pages four through ten were blank.
"Who enters does not leave." The sentence was short and simple, but it was enough to make Vinny slam the book shut and stack it on the black one. My heart is not built for this.
Whatever was inside those two books mattered too much for {Vinny} to treat carelessly. Important enough that the letters appeared in an unreadable language. Important enough to carry a clear, blunt warning. Important enough that the author didn't sign their name. Important enough that {Vinny} hid them so carefully. And Vinny was sure the papers and the remaining book were no less important.
He started with the book, or rather the notebook. It was smaller, with fewer pages than the others, which sparked high expectations. Unlike the other two, this one was new. Very new. Just from its condition, he could tell it must've been bought only a few days ago. But he couldn't remember anything about it. It felt like every memory related to these things had been wiped clean.
On the first page, a single phrase in bold letters: "Just in case."
In case of what? Who knew.
He turned to the next page and finally found actual text:
#####
October 3rd, Year 974 (New Calendar)
To myself.
I finally found a secretary! No need for the kids to greet every patient anymore, not after they beat that man half to death.
Anyway, now I can go out during the day without worrying about them.
After finishing the session with that senile Warleen, I asked old Geffrey to do me a favour and look for the owner of that mansion on the east side of the city. Helping with the garden will be fair payment.
Something new I discovered about myself today: I'm terrible at writing diaries. I didn't even write down what I meant to yet.
After returning from Redmane's mansion, I ran into a bishop from the church. Needless to say, they weren't there by accident, not with those big smiles on their faces.
As expected, they asked me again about the source of my 'miracles', which I refused to answer again. The difference this time was their warning: that I might be involved in unauthorised human alchemy experiments, or sorcery.
They can think whatever they want. Proof doesn't matter. They'll never get any.
I should be careful on my way home next time.
#####
#####
October 4th, Year 974 (New Calendar)
To myself... not like anyone else will read this anyway.
To be fair, Geffrey really has a golden tongue. How did he arrange a meeting with the mansion's owner so fast? It took me over a month to do the same with the owner of this building!
I guess you need a golden tongue to 'know' me, honestly.
That Warleen skipped his appointment again. If he wants to die that badly, why hire me? I was just joking when I called him senile.
It's fine as long as I get paid. But his death would hurt my reputation, so I'd rather avoid that.
Thankfully, no bishops or church agents on the road today. Normally, I'd be glad, but their silence after my refusal is starting to scare me.
Should I go apologise to the bishop? They'd respect me less, but being less respected is better than being dead. I'll visit the church tomorrow and see what I can do.
By the way, looks like sugar prices dropped. I'll buy as much as the room can hold!
#####
As soon as Vinny read the part about sugar, he turned to his bed, reached under his pillow, and pulled out a glass jar full of sugar cubes. Wait, wait, I'm about to remember why I bought all this sugar... He hurried back to skim the notebook for the reason, not because his memory was bad!
#####
October 6th, Year 974 (New Calendar)
To the writer (now that I think about it, being a writer sounds fun. Maybe I'll try it later).
I stayed the night at Redmane's mansion, so I didn't write anything yesterday.
It was hard to resist sneaking a few sugar cubes into my pockets. Why is their sugar sweeter? We buy from the same supplier. I tried asking the servants, but they just insisted it's the same sugar as always. Tsk. They're hogging the sweetness for themselves.
As for that old Warleen, does he have seven lives or what? I just heard he fell down a metal staircase last night and got up as if nothing happened. Geffrey joked that people like him must've made a pact with Death not to be touched until they're satisfied. I'm starting to believe it.
At least I won't have to worry about his death ruining my reputation. It's not like he's even sick with anything serious, just a mild fever. Rest and the medicine I prescribed will fix him. But he insists I visit every day to make sure.
Fine, as long as the payment increases too.
As for today, I gave him a quick morning checkup and left the mansion. Headed straight to the church. They open every two days, and yesterday they were closed. As soon as I stepped inside, that arrogant young man stopped me. What's with all the fancy, polite words? He could've just said 'Kindly get out of my sight' and saved us both time.
Looks like the church is fed up with me. Probably not because I refused their request, but because I took over an old church-run orphanage and improved it. A slap in the face to the higher-ups. Thankfully, they're still busy cleaning up the office mess from the last incident. That'll keep them off my back for a while.
As for the mansion—oh, the mansion! Where do I even start? My favourite coat tore because of some stupid rusty nail! It was expensive, and winter's almost here. Does it know how many coats cost in winter? More than sugar!
As for my search, the rest was oddly disappointing for a 'cursed manor', or so they say, not like I want any trouble.
The possibility of a curse is another reason to hurry and make peace with the church. I need to request an escort. But for now, looks like I'll have to do everything myself.
#####
Vinny rubbed his eyes hard, trying to stay awake. The page was long. He skimmed the next ones; they were shorter, written in a messier hand.
#####
October 7th, Year 974
I managed to convince ol' Harald to let me inside the mansion again. We found a basement whose door was buried under furniture and old junk. Even Harald didn't know it existed. He refused to go down with me, worried for his safety, which worked in my favour.
Inside, the basement was full of gaps in the ceiling that let in light. The floor wasn't even a floor, just dirt on dirt. And the place was empty considering its size. It can't be unused, right? I searched in the dark, but nothing. I should've brought a candle or a lantern, maybe a shovel too. Until I do, nothing new to report.
Warleen's illness is getting strangely worse. I think I'll be staying up tonight.
#####
By now, Vinny was reading as fast as he could. Some questions didn't have clear answers, but three pages remained.
#####
October 8th
I'm out of sugar... I'm not even in the mood for this, honestly.
Warleen is cursed, that's for sure. I tried every medicine and herb I knew. That confirms it's not an illness. No illness can beat me.
But I can't tell him that. Telling him would mean he'd need church intervention, which would make him think the whole thing was staged with my cooperation. After all, he was one of the main reasons funding got cut off from them after the incident.
I can't leave him like this.
I have to go to the church tomorrow.
As for the mansion, I haven't found the tool yet. Even my own dose didn't help; maybe I need to rethink the ingredients. I can't ask another alchemist for help because that would expose me immediately, and hiring an unlicensed one like me is too risky.
I have to test everything myself. No sleep for me again.
#####
The ninth
Oh God! Oh God!
Disaster has finally struck me! And I, who thought myself above the rest, have fallen into temptation!
Damn these damned books! No, sneaking into the church was the first mistake. There's no undoing it now.
The black book is in a language I can't decipher, the second one made me nauseous. Why would the church leave things like this out in the open without hiding them? Was it a trap? I can confirm it works flawlessly!
How can something this tempting exist among mortals?
My only comfort is finding that mirror at last, but it showed nothing. Just a mirror!
The future is unclear. I gotta go now, the books started calling to me again.
#####
The tenth
Alright, I hid everything, even if hastily. The old man sent me a message delaying the session because he's 'busy', doesn't matter. This gives me time.
I will take the new potion and run for the train. I'm not sure if using that tool is safe or not, so I asked Geffrey to come with me just in case.
My luck is running out.
#####
That was the last page. The rest of the notebook was completely blank. Vinny exhaled, trying to ease the weight on his chest after everything he'd read. It felt like a revelation; far too heavy.
He covered his mouth, sorting through his thoughts and pushing back the drowsiness weighing on him.
{Vinny} started writing his diaries only eight days ago. He usually wrote at night, but today he wrote in the morning, hiding everything. And the notebook was written in that strange ink, which means he intended to hide it. But why did he only start writing recently? Did he expect this to happen?
He gathered the filled pages and tore them out, throwing them into the lantern, watching them burn slowly in the blue flame. He didn't trust himself to hide them as well as {Vinny} did.
He looked at the other two books {Vinny} had stolen from the church. If {Vinny} couldn't resist the temptation, could he? He felt nothing but dread since seeing them, but who knew when that might change.
This is my only way out.
His thoughts snapped into place. He rushed to his desk, grabbed the quill and the notebook he'd taken the pages from, and began writing.
Half an hour later, he slid the old notebook behind the bookshelf, neatly hidden. As for the two strange books, he placed them quietly on his bed and decided to deal with them later. Then he moved on to the scattered papers he'd found next to the notebook.