Chapter 48 - The Calm Before the Storm - I
"Yawn..." My yawn echoed through the empty library.
The chandeliers illuminated the section where I was sitting, with a mountain of books stacked in front of me. The library was silent, except for the distant ticking of a wall clock. I glanced at it, almost 11 PM.
My day hadn't been physically exhausting. I hadn't joined the morning training with Lesley or the afternoon training with Elian. But mentally? It hadn't been easy.
Being around Selene placed an unconscious weight on my shoulders. Even when I wasn't the topic of discussion, just having her there, standing still, made my body tense.
At least my day had been productive—or so I liked to think. My meeting with Selene lasted until after dinner, when she returned to her royal duties, leaving me with the rest of the afternoon and evening free to do whatever I wanted.
I spent a few hours talking with Dalia, Hera, Lesley, and Elian about the week's schedule and the best way to prepare for the upcoming duel.
Even though everyone seemed confident, I still struggled with racing thoughts and bursts of anxiety. Analyzing the events of the day, I realized that my overconfidence in defeating Thadeus so quickly in a mage duel had been pure luck. That wouldn't happen again.
With my mind in chaos, I turned to something that had always calmed me back on Earth, reading. For the first time, I had the chance to explore the second-floor library.
It was massive, with books written on thin, yellowed paper, similar to recycled sheets back on Earth. The writing didn't seem handwritten, it was uniform, well-spaced, with neatly defined lines and columns, though not as perfect as modern printing.
'Maybe magic,' I thought.
I made my way to an isolated section at the back of the library, one dealing with more sensitive topics. Among the many books, only a handful covered dungeons. Most of them focused on their hostile environment, classifications, and how to close them.