Chapter 4 — Before The Fall (5)

"There's a library as well..."

After we had finally finished unpacking our belongings, I decided to explore the entire estate. As I walked around, my eyes were drawn to a particular room that piqued my curiosity—a library, a grand and spacious one at that.

The library was nestled behind a pair of double doors, and upon entering, one could instantly feel the majesty of the space. Although it was not as large as the one in the Asura Estate, it was certainly bigger than both the library in our home and the one in the school. The shelves that lined the walls were fully stocked with books of all shapes and sizes, their spines stretching as far as the eye could see.

As I muttered to myself, "I wonder if there's a book that would be interesting to read," my mind raced with thoughts of the book that I had been meaning to check. If the story that the mysterious girl had told me was true, I needed to find proof or at least a clue that the events she spoke of had indeed occurred a thousand years ago.

The only lead I had was a story my Aunt had shared with me, detailing a war that had decimated 90% of the world's population, both humans and demi-humans alike. The weight of this revelation hung heavily on my mind, threatening to engulf me in a sea of anxiety and uncertainty.

Despite knowing that dwelling on these thoughts would only bring about headaches and turmoil, I felt a desperate need to unravel the truth. I knew that I needed to prepare myself for what may come, and knowledge of the past was crucial to do so. I had to know what had happened a thousand years ago to prepare for what might come.

As I slid the ladder onto the shelf, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. The shelf contained an array of books, and as I looked up at them, I wondered what sort of knowledge they held. My mind raced with possibilities—perhaps I'd find a book that could shed light on the mysteries of history, or maybe I'd come across something that would help me understand the girl's cryptic message. Of course, that was assuming that what she had said was true...

I began to climb the ladder, my eyes scanning the shelf for any books that caught my attention. My heart beat a little faster as I spotted a book that looked promising. It was thick and heavy, with a cover that suggested it was about history. I eagerly reached for it, my fingers grazing the spine as I pulled it towards me.

But as I opened the book, my excitement turned to shock. It wasn't a book about history at all—it was a botanical encyclopedia. Page after page was filled with detailed descriptions of plants and flowers. I couldn't believe it—why would anyone write a book with over five hundred pages about something as mundane as plants? I couldn't help but wonder why the author had created such a voluminous book about plants and flowers.

My initial disappointment began to fade as I leafed through the pages, my eyes absorbing the information on the different types of flora. I realized that having a book like this could be beneficial, given my reclusive nature and lack of knowledge about the outside world. Who knows, maybe one day I'd be able to impress someone with my newfound knowledge of botany.

As I descended the ladder, I felt the weight of the hefty botanical encyclopedia tucked firmly under my armpit. With a sigh of relief, I made my way to the cozy couch, which was so soft that it almost made me let out an unmanly squeal. As I nestled into the plush cushions, I opened the book to its first page and was immediately drawn into the world of flora.

The encyclopedia was a voluminous tome, containing over five hundred pages of information on plants and flowers from around the world. As I began reading, I found myself becoming more and more invested in its contents. The descriptive and informative nature of the writing was truly impressive, and I was pleased to discover that every plant and flower I could think of was listed within its pages.

Not only did the encyclopedia contain the names of the flowers and plants, but it also had detailed illustrations of each one. What really stood out to me, however, was the additional information that was included for each entry. I was delighted to find that not only did it provide the meaning of each flower, but also where and when they could be found, and even how rare they were.

As I was engrossed in reading the book, I suddenly realized that I had already devoured a third of its content without even noticing the passage of time. The sun had already set, and the evening had quietly descended upon me, but I remained lost in the pages of the book.

As I flipped through the pages, my attention was caught by an unexpected appearance of a flower. It didn't possess any physical characteristics that would make it stand out, nor was it particularly striking or beautiful, but for some inexplicable reason, it seemed to draw me in.

"Elysium's Embrace..." I murmured to myself, my breath visible in the cold air. Despite the fact that the windows were tightly closed and the fireplace was lit, the chill in the room was palpable and it seemed to seep into my bones.

As I read through the description of this remarkable flower, I found myself gaping in wonder and amazement. It was no ordinary flower, but a rare and extraordinary specimen that was steeped in legend and lore. Known as the flower of mourning, it was said to possess mystical powers that could connect the living to the dead.

The flower itself was characterized by its pure white petals, which contrasted strikingly with the dark green of its stem and leaves. Its coloration gave it a hauntingly ethereal appearance, further adding to the mystique that surrounded it.

However, as rare and special as it was, it was not an easy flower to come by. It only bloomed once every four years, and even then, it could only be seen during the winter season. The chances of catching a glimpse of this elusive bloom were abysmally low, with only a mere 6% chance of it appearing.

To obtain this flower, one would have to wait for the exact date of its appearance during the winter season, and then search for it in high places, such as the mountaintops. Even then, the probability of finding it was abysmally low, as the flower only appeared in a few select locations.

As the thought was occupying my mind, I was suddenly jolted out of my reverie by a commotion outside. My curiosity piqued, I approached the window and looked outside, only to be greeted by the sight of a young girl struggling to stand up in the midst of the frigid white snow that blanketed the ground. She appeared to be wearing a coat, which was barely visible due to the thickness of the snow that clung to her. From the position of her body, it seemed as though she had tripped over the snow and fallen face-first onto the cold, unforgiving ground.

As I watched, the girl slowly struggled to her feet, her hair a shock of bright purple against the snowy background. It was then that I recognized her, and a sense of confusion washed over me.

What was she doing here?

As I pondered the reason behind the girl's presence in such harsh weather, a striking image materialized in my mind. The image portrayed a white flower, the Elysium's Embrace, that I had recently read about in a botanical encyclopedia, its delicate petals splattered with what could only be assumed as blood—a ghastly sight that made me shudder involuntarily. In an attempt to dispel the terrifying image from my mind, I vigorously shook my head.

As I took a closer look at the girl, I realized that she was dangerously exposed to the elements, and it was only a matter of time before the cold took its toll on her frail body. The wind was now picking up speed, and the snowflakes were cascading down upon her with increasing intensity, creating a thick blanket of white on the ground.

As I opened the window in the library, I was momentarily taken aback by the force of the blowing wind. It was so cold that it felt like it could freeze my face. Nevertheless, I persisted and called out to the girl who was standing outside.

"What are you doing there?!" I shouted, my voice muffled by the howling wind. "It's dangerous!"

The girl seemed to have heard me, as she looked up and the moment she caught sight of me, she exclaimed, "Leon?!"