Chapter 74: History
Mordred froze, his eyes plunged into Akane’s serious, intense gaze. He felt his heart beating furiously against his chest, torn between relief and absolute astonishment at finding her in such a situation.
- Akane..." he murmured, his voice trembling with a deep emotion he was desperately trying to control. What are you doing here? Why are you here...? And Belgaroth?
She quickly put a finger to her lips, cutting him off immediately. Her gaze was hard and determined, but also shone with a hint of vulnerability that immediately pierced Mordred:
- ’Not here, Mordred,’ she murmured hastily, glancing around nervously. We mustn’t be seen. Follow me.
Without giving him time to react further, Akane grabbed his hand with surprising strength, leading him swiftly through the palace corridors. Mordred, initially hesitant, quickly allowed himself to be led, intrigued as much by her strange behavior as by her silent determination.
They quickly left the party, passing through side corridors, taking obscure passages and hidden staircases that Mordred hadn’t even noticed before. The sounds of the party gradually faded behind them, giving way to the deep, eerie silence of the dark, deserted palace. Akane advanced confidently, obviously accustomed to the palace’s secret intricacies.
Finally, after some ten minutes of silent, anxiety-inducing wandering, they came to a halt before a massive dark wooden door, engraved with runes and decorated with fine carvings of dragons and ancient books. Akane carefully opened the door, pushing it open to avoid any noise.
Mordred immediately felt a slightly dusty but pleasant whiff of air, laden with the scent of old paper and leather. Inside, he discovered an immense library, imposing and majestic, filled with hundreds of thousands of books with antique covers, perfectly aligned on huge shelves rising to the vaulted ceiling.
- What is this place, Akane?" he finally asked, incredulous, scrutinizing every nook and cranny with growing curiosity.
- Hush, wait," she murmured dryly, her intense gaze staring intently at the shelves as she mumbled under her breath, clearly concentrating. I’ve got to find that book...
She rummaged around for a few minutes, her hands skimming over the ancient books with infinite gentleness and care. Finally, her face suddenly lit up, a triumphant gleam shining in her eyes as she grasped a book slightly different from the others, more worn, almost damaged by time.