- Library - A Mystery and a Past to Unveil -

  Valeria: Do you remember that book about the man who wandered to uncover the world's secrets?

  It’s quite interesting.

  Dav: Yes, I read it with you here.

  I saw you fall asleep that day, but I only read a few pages.

  (Curious) Did you find anything interesting?

  Valeria (leaning on the desk with a serious look): There's something strange...

  The researcher never clearly states where he was or who he was traveling with.

  As if someone had forbidden him from revealing certain details.

  Or maybe he censored them himself.

  Dav: How far have you gotten?

  Valeria: I’ve read many pages, but I’m still far from the middle.

  The information about him and his travel companions is almost entirely omitted.

  Dav (looking at her with determination): Let’s see how it goes tomorrow with Lucrezia.

  If she follows what I told her, we might ask her to help us with the scrolls.

  They could contain hidden details.

  Valeria (with a hint of anguish): I wonder if we’ll really find anything…

  They seem too old and indecipherable.

  Maybe we should look for others while we wait?

  Dav (sighs): I appreciate the idea, but this library is enormous.

  Finding a single book or even reaching the end of some shelves would take half a day.

  Valeria: What if we create a map?

  Three hours a day, marking the areas we’ve already searched to be more organized.

  We could save time and energy.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Dav (slightly smiling): I like this idea better. Let’s start.

  Valeria (excited): Perfect! You check those ten shelves, and I’ll check the other side.

  We’ll meet back here in three hours.

  Narrator: They searched for three hours, flipping through dozens of books, scanning the depths of the shelves with growing boredom and frustration.

  When Dav finished, he looked up and saw Valeria, exhausted, amusing herself by balancing a pencil on her nose.

  Dav (with a tired and skeptical look): You seem really busy, I see…

  Valeria (sighing): I’ve been searching for three hours and found nothing.

  I’m going crazy from boredom.

  Dav (tired): I don’t blame you.

  Today was useless, but I’m sure there are other scrolls somewhere.

  They might prove important in the future.

  Valeria (intrigued): Do you really want to spend your time in the library?

  Why did you decide to become a professor instead of enjoying your fame and wealth?

  Dav (leaning against the desk): I wanted to learn more about the academy, see my students grow strong… and make friends.

  Strange, isn’t it? (Chuckles) Doesn’t really seem like me, I know.

  But I don’t mind it at all.

  Valeria (with an elegant smile): I see.

  Dav (raising an eyebrow curiously): And you? Why do you want to become one of the seven most powerful mages in Italy?

  Valeria (lowering her gaze with a sad smile): I want to prove that talent and determination matter more than nobility.

  I never had a real blood family, so I don’t know what it means to have one.

  I was abandoned at three years old in a cold alley.

  If it weren’t for the nuns at an orphanage, I would’ve starved to death.

  Dav (gritting his teeth, feeling a pang in his heart): And then? How did you get here?

  Valeria: When I was nine, I discovered I had a talent for magic.

  The nuns encouraged me to use it for good, and they took me to bookstores and libraries.

  They taught me to love knowledge.

  Dav (listening carefully, his gaze darkening): And after?

  Valeria: At eleven, I entered a small academy.

  My talent impressed everyone, and I spent my days studying arcane magic.

  At fifteen, when the current academy was built, the director heard about me and brought me here.

  [She paused for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully.]

  Valeria: At first, I was afraid.

  But that man… the director, was kind to me.

  He helped me with tuition, books, even personal expenses.

  To me, he was like a father.

  Dav (pressing his lips together, his heart heavy): Why did he do it?

  Valeria: He lost his wife and daughter in a raid in Turin ten years ago.

  I don’t know if he took me in because I reminded him of his lost daughter or simply because he wanted to help, but he gave me a home and the love of a real father.

  But when I finished university at twenty-three, he offered me a job here as a librarian, knowing how much I loved books and the academy.

  [She removed her glasses to clean them, hiding her tears.]

  Valeria: And then… becoming one of the seven most powerful mages in Italy would allow me to build my own magic tower.

  A place for kids like me who never had a home when they were little.

  [She stopped. A heavy silence fell between them, charged with emotion.]

  Valeria: That’s my story. What do you think?

  Narrator: Dav bit his lip, trying to suppress his emotions. He placed a hand on his chest, as if trying to calm something inside him.

  Dav (firmly): One thing is certain: that man is impressive.

  But not just because of your story.

  I was able to do many things thanks to him… and I don’t think he helped you just because you reminded him of his daughter.

  (Turning to her with a small, awkward smile) You’re extraordinary, Valeria.

  Narrator: Valeria lowered her head, covering her face with one hand as silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Without saying a word, she leaned against Dav’s shoulder, hiding her face.

  They stayed like that for long minutes, both leaning against the desk, Dav staring into the void, his heart heavy.

  That evening, they talked for a long time, sharing stories and laughing like two children.

  Two lonely souls who, for once, had found comfort in each other.

  Behind the door, the director had listened to everything.

  He had come to talk to Valeria, but he stopped when he heard her words.

  He wiped away a tear with a satisfied smile and walked away in silence.

  Time: 21:56.

  END OF CHAPTER 39.