The shelves seemed endless.
Even after spending the entire afternoon moving from one book to another, Shawn felt as though he had barely scratched the surface. Every time he finished one volume, Clara quietly returned it to its place before handing him another. The process repeated itself over and over until even he began to lose track of how many books had passed through his hands.
Fortunately, he wasn't trying to memorize everything himself.
Eva had made that unnecessary.
The moment he finished reading a book, every word was stored perfectly within her memory. It didn't matter whether the information seemed useful or completely meaningless. Nothing was forgotten.
By the time evening arrived, Shawn had gone through roughly a fifth of the books prepared for him.
It sounded insignificant at first.
A fifth.
But when that fifth represented thousands of books, the number became frightening.
His head felt unusually heavy.
Even if Eva remembered everything, he still had to read each page himself. Hours of uninterrupted concentration had left his mind exhausted.
Beside him, Clara finally spoke.
"Young Master Shawn, there is only about an hour before dinner."
He nodded absentmindedly.
"I think you've done enough for today," she continued gently. "You should rest. The books won't disappear overnight."
A small smile appeared on Shawn's face.
She wasn't wrong.
Still...
"Just one more."
Clara let out a quiet sigh that sounded halfway between resignation and amusement.
"Very well."
She carefully placed another book on the table.
"I'll prepare your bath while you finish. I'll return once everything is ready."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Young Master."
Her footsteps gradually faded until the room became silent once again.
Only then did Shawn release the breath he had been holding.
"Finally..."
Eva immediately understood.
"Is it time?"
He nodded.
"Yes. With Clara around, I couldn't risk taking out that book."
"The bad man's people make you hide things," Eva said softly.
"They do."
Shawn stood and walked toward one of the nearby shelves.
Unlike before, he wasn't searching randomly.
Earlier in the day, one particular book had caught his attention.
Not because of its title.
Because of its pages.
His fingers soon found its worn spine.
Introduction to Alchemy and Herbology.
He pulled it from the shelf.
At first glance, or rather, first touch, it seemed ordinary enough. The opening chapters introduced common medicinal herbs, methods of identification, and basic classifications. Nothing unusual.
But several pages in...
His fingers paused.
The texture had changed.
The paper felt rougher.
Slightly thicker.
Almost as though several pages had been inserted long after the book had been bound.
His heartbeat quickened.
Carefully, he turned another page.
His fingertips traced the raised symbols.
Human Awakening.
His brows furrowed.
That wasn't supposed to be here.
He distinctly remembered this book being about herbs.
Curiosity won.
He continued reading.
The first few lines immediately caught him off guard.
Dear Shawn.
His fingers froze.
The next sentence followed.
I imagine you're quite surprised to see ... ahem... read this letter.
Despite himself, the corner of Shawn's mouth twitched.
That joke...
It sounded strangely out of place.
Not because it was bad.
Because he never expected it from the person who wrote it.
He continued.
I am your tutor.
The realization settled almost instantly.
No wonder.
The old man had spent weeks correcting every mistake Shawn made. His personality was stern, almost painfully serious.
Yet somehow...
He had hidden a terrible joke inside a secret letter.
Shawn kept reading.
Morgan recently informed me that he wanted a personal library prepared for you. I didn't have much time, so I wrote this as quickly as I could.
The humor disappeared.
Every word that followed grew more serious.
Stay calm.
We will save you.
Shawn's expression stiffened.
His fingers unconsciously tightened around the page.
He continued reading.
I cannot write much. Morgan is far too cautious, and I cannot risk drawing his suspicion.
What I can do is leave behind several notes.
Read them carefully.
They may help you.
The letter ended shortly afterward.
There were a few encouraging words, but Shawn barely noticed them.
His thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.
We will save you.
Those four words echoed repeatedly inside his mind.
Save him...
Who exactly was "we"?
The Starborn Clan had fallen.
As far as Shawn knew, no one had escaped.
Had someone survived?
Or...
Was this another one of Morgan's games?
The possibility immediately cooled the hope rising inside him.
Morgan was more than capable of setting a trap like this.
A false promise.
A carefully planted message meant to test his reactions.
He refused to lower his guard so easily.
Yet...
If there was even the slightest chance the letter was genuine...
Then ignoring it would be foolish.
Shawn slowly closed the book.
For a long moment, he remained perfectly still, his hand resting on its worn cover.
Hope and suspicion wrestled silently within him.
Neither managed to win.
Finally, he exhaled.
"Whether this is salvation..."
"...or another trap..."
"I'll find out soon enough."