I heard movement again and followed the sound deeper into the library. I lit the candle and crept toward the corner of the table, where the rustling noise grew louder.
(The library dark and dusty & the candlelight flickered over towering shelves crammed with leather-bound tomes, their spines cracked with age. The air smelled like burnt parchment and secrets)
My heart pounded faster with each step. Suddenly, something leaped at me. I screamed, dropped the candle, and swung the knife wildly.
"Aaaaah! Cut it out! Are you trying to kill me?" someone shouted out of blue, which made it extra scary for me.
I froze, eyes darting around the darkness. No one was there. Then I realized—my sleeve was on fire. I shrieked, grabbed the tablecloth, yanked it off the table, and smothered the flames with frantic kicks. The room plunged back into darkness, except for a sliver of light from upstairs.
"You dummy ! You bird-brain idiot! Why aren't you careful with candles? You could've burned all the books! The library doesn't have a fire-alarm circle like the upper floor. Thank god!"
I stayed silent, my heart threatening to burst out of my chest. Adrenaline turned my limbs to jelly.
What was it? Who said that, is that someone the boy know? Or maybe some assassins who were after his life. The darkness of the room is really increasing my anxiety.
"Hey! Where are you? I can't see! Quit playing games, Luo. Answer me!"
I stumbled backward toward the stairs and collided with something large and… bristly. Another scream tore from my throat. It was literally hell for me at that moment.
"Stop screaming! You'll attract every Gatarototus (30 ft tall bear like monster with two large teeth like mammoth) in the forest!"
A faint glow seeped through the darkness. The pair of eyes , that were greenish yellow - sparkled like the cats eyes in the night (for me it was horrifying). Squinting, I saw a small, greenish-blue humanoid—no bigger than a toddler—glaring up at me. Its pointed ears twitched beneath moss-like hair. Alien? Elf? Whatever it was, it looked pissed.
Just like my mother—who didn't hesitated to speak up for us, even in front of the judge—and my uncle, who tried to leech off all the money left by my late father, I also spoke up. I had to stand up for myself because, now, I don't have anyone else.
Trembling with fear, I asked, "Who are you?"
"Who am I? What kind of nonsense is that?You're really pushin' my buttons, Luo!"
"Sorry, ma'am—or sir—I really don't remember anything."
I decided not to tell her about being from another world. If she found out I wasn't from this world, who knows what she'd do?'Better to play dumb for now.'
"Well, I honestly don't remember anything. I just woke up and found myself in the yard of this house. Then, hearing the sound, I came here."
"What!!!"
In a blink of an eye, she came behind me, pointing the knife at my neck. The sharp poin of the knife was poking at my Adams apple. Because of it i was hardly able to breathe .
"Who are you? What have you done to Luo?"
Before now, she was cranky. But now the whole atmosphere changed. With a death glare and cold voice, she asked me all of that.
I was giving off cold sweat. Did she see through my words? No, I must remain calm. I didn't tell any lies. I actually don't know anything about how I ended up here. And the boy's death is just my assumption—I may be wrong. When I am stating the fact, I don't need to be scared. Or maybe the boy is actually me, and "me" may actually be from my past life. 'Agh... It's so confusing.'
At that moment, I was sweating like hell! God, it would be good if I could faint now. But I never actually fainted in my previous life, even though I was both mentally and physically weaker than most boys.
My eyes became teary. And finally, I broke into tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I repeated that several times.
"Oh, Luo, why do you act if you can't even hold it?" she said while patting my shoulders.
I was still trembling. With my shaking voice, I said, "But I really don't know. I don't know who I am and where I am. Aaaaa—aaaaa!"
"Are you really serious? Do you really not remember a shit about me and this damn stinky place?"
"No, sir."
"Agh… So you really forgot everything, huh?" She then gently put her soft, tiny hands on my head and said, "At least your fever is down. But it took your memory. "
She then hugged me. Despite her tiny size—barely bigger than a mango—her hug felt surprisingly warm. I guess she really does care for me.
"Poor baby, I'm sorry. I really scared you to death, didn't I? Well, your whole family died in that cursed fever. This time, you were infected by it too, so I got really scared. Although I was your mother's first familiar—a minor healing spirit, Sila ( I guess that the name was given by my mother to her)—I couldn't cure your mother or any of her family members. For this reason, when I saw the same emerald vines that strangled your mother's pulse in your ears during your fever, I panicked. That's why I spent my nights searching these books for something to help you. But I guess you don't need any of that now. I'm so happy you somehow survived. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to live."
After telling her story, she also broke into tears. And now I calmed her down.
"Okay, okay. There you go, sir. It's all right now."
"How is it alright?! You even forgot that I'm a she , not a he ! Aaaaah—aaaah!" She cried again.
"Sorry."
I guess she had a lot on her shoulders. Finally, she let it all out.
"Even if you don't remember anything, you're still you, right? Just stay healthy and live a long life. This sister will protect you from all dangers. So don't worry."
I felt relief—and a little happy too. Her personality wasn't that different from my sister's. I guess I found a sister in this life.