Yay! New chapter! This one's a little shorter then the last two, but still good. Enjoy!
Edit: Fixed some inconsistencies. Very minor. Just wanted to let you know.
Chapter 3
Finding
It was midnight, and Ienzo was alone in the castle library. The last visitor, yawning from fatigue, had left at least an hour ago, turning off the lights as he did. Now, the big room lay under a heavy coat of darkness, the black shapes of the lined-up shelves standing like silent sentinels, watching.
Nestled into the corner of the library was a lone table, lit by the light of a single electric lamp. Ienzo sat at the end of the table, bent over a book almost as big as he was. His long hair had come loose from its ponytail, and hung over each side of his face like a curtain. He lifted a hand to tuck a strand behind his ear. Save for a faint rustling of pages and Ienzo's quiet breathing, all was silent in the library.
After a moment, Ienzo shut the book quietly. He lay back in his chair with a sigh, pushing the book aside as he did so. He frowned and quickly stifled a yawn.
As if to get his mind off of sleep, the boy stood with a moan. He reached for the book and hefted it into his arms, stumbling beneath the weight of the tome.
He left his corner, sliding between two shelves. It was like walking down a dark corridor, and Ienzo liked it. He had never cared for large crowds of people, or bright light. He much preferred the darkness. It was mysterious, complicated, unknown.
Reaching the shelf, Ienzo slid the book back into its proper place. He wouldn't take it out again. Unfortunately, he hadn't found the book particularly stimulating.
Ienzo had lived in the castle since he was seven years old and now, six years later, he had read from almost every section in the castle library. What was annoying, though, was that the books had slowly become less interesting as he'd gotten older. In truth, most books bored him now.
Ienzo had learned to read when he was three, and had already known a great deal about science when he had come to the castle. For the past six years, he had continued to learn voraciously. He ate up knowledge, devoured it. He craved it. But now that he knew so much, what was left to learn?
"It's a slump," he told himself glumly. "A slump. I'll get through it."
The real problem, he decided, was that Radiant Garden was too small. How much knowledge could you really get in such a small place? Not much, he had come to realize.
This chain of thought was depressing, so Ienzo brought himself back to the present. He scanned the nearby shelves. What to read next?
As he often did at this time of night, Ienzo walked between each row of shelves he came to. The castle library was enormous, like a city of books and shelves. Ienzo liked to get lost in it, especially when he was pondering something.
He thought about the stranger, sleeping somewhere in the infirmary. He was more excited about the stranger than he would care to admit. If the stranger came from another world, he might be able to give Ienzo something new to think about.
"That way," he thought, "I won't die of boredom."
He paused before a shelf containing books of speculation about other worlds. He had read that section long ago.
Ienzo felt a funny twitch in his nose. His eyes widened. He had the strangest feeling that there was someone standing right behind him.
He spun around, but saw no one, just another shelf.
"Probably nothing," he thought, turning back to the "Other Worlds" section. These books really brought back memories. He thought about the first trip he'd ever taken to this library. He had just arrived at the castle. He had had no friends, and no family. His parents, hoping to earn a reward for bringing Ansem such a smart apprentice, had left without saying goodbye. Ienzo hadn't seen them since. Then, Ansem had befriended him and showed him the library. He introduced him to Elaeus, who had become his best friend.
Ienzo smiled faintly. He had been so awed by the library, by the sight of all those books. More books than you could ever read in a lifetime, he had thought.
He was jerked from his thoughts by another itch in his nose. He muttered venomously under his breath and looked back and forth and behind him. Still nothing. Was someone in here?
"Maybe its Braig trying to play another joke on me," he thought. "Idiot."
Braig had only been an apprentice for a year, and he still couldn't get over how young Ienzo was, and how calm. As a result, he'd been trying to play pranks on Ienzo to see if he would lose his cool. He had tried everything from jumping out from behind corners, to hiding Ienzo's things. Ienzo took these pranks as very minor annoyances.
Now that he thought about it, it probably was Braig who was in the library. It would be just like him to invade Ienzo's personal sanctuary. What an idiot.
Ienzo decided it would be a good idea to turn in. He was tired, and it would be better to leave before Braig put his full plan into action. So, Ienzo padded back between the corridors of shelves the way he had come.
Much as he hated to admit it, Ienzo was beginning to grow tired. He yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. He could at least take comfort in the thought that he would be back at the entrance after just a few more shelves.
He turned the final corner to find himself… at a dead end.
"Aw…" he moaned in frustration. In his exhaustion, he must have taken a wrong turn. It was time to retrace his steps.
Ienzo walked back a few shelves. He was pretty sure he had taken the wrong turn two shelves down. Once there, he took the opposite turn.
But, to his extreme shock, he didn't get back to the entrance. He ended up at yet another dead end. He stopped. What was going on here? He had definitely been headed in the right direction, and he knew the library too well to get lost in it.
"I just have to pay better attention," he told himself. "I'll try again."
But he hit yet another dead end. This was getting much too weird for Ienzo's taste. Maybe Braig had re-arranged the shelves or something… but how could Braig do that in such a short amount of time? He had just walked down these corridors a few minutes ago.
This was silly. He headed out again, wandering past shelf after shelf. But as he went, he just found himself growing more and more confused. No matter which way he went, he couldn't get back to entrance. He felt panic beginning to well up in his chest.
He began to take wild turns, past shelves he didn't recognize, landmarks that didn't look familiar. There had to be a way out of here. There had to be.
Ienzo was so panicked that he tripped and was sent sprawling. He stopped, pulled himself to his feet and leaned against a shelf, breathing hard. He hadn't even realized he had been running.
"This is ridiculous," he told himself. "Just calm down Ienzo, deep breaths."
After a moment, he felt himself begin to calm down. But his wariness didn't disappear. You didn't need to be a genius to see that something wasn't right here, and it wasn't Braig's doing. The word "ghosts" popped into Ienzo's head, but he pushed it away. There was a logical explanation for this situation… he just didn't know what that was.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The strange noise made Ienzo stiffen. He looked around, but saw no one. The tapping continued.
Ienzo's stomach was in knots, but he tried to remain calm, keeping his breathing steady. Slowly, he took a step back, away from the noise. The tapping grew louder. He lost control and began to run.
The boy could still hear the tapping, even as his own feet echoed menacingly off the wood floor. Footsteps. He knew it. Footsteps that were coming for him. Barely sure of where he was going, he whipped around a corner, and found himself faced with another dead end.
"No!" he screamed. He banged on the wall. "No, no, no!"
That tapping again. That awful tapping. He turned away from the wall. It was no use. Whatever had trapped him here was coming for him. He sank to the ground in exhaustion and despair. As he did, the floor shifted beneath his knees.
Ienzo's eyes widened. He fidgeted. The floor moved again.
He moved to the side, looking carefully at the place where he had been kneeling. Sure enough, there was a square shaped seam in the middle of the floor.
His fear forgotten, Ienzo put all his effort into working his fingers underneath the seam. He slipped his fingers beneath the seam, and a piece of the floor popped out. There was a hole in the floor where the square had been.
Ienzo's heart pounded with anxiety, excitement, he wasn't sure which. He set the square of wood aside reached into the hole.
The hole was filled with dust and, he realized with a shiver, probably spiders. But, at last, his hands clamped around something made of smooth wood, about the size of a book. He pulled it out and set it in front of him on the floor.
It was a box. A small wooden box decorated with a design he couldn't make out. He picked it up. It was surprisingly heavy. There was something in it. He shook the box slightly, and examined the design embossed onto its lid. The design was of a heart.
As he reached to lift the lid of the box, the tapping came again, this time louder than before. His fears came flooding back.
Quickly, he scrambled to replace the square back in the floor. He wasn't sure why he did this, only that he didn't want who, or whatever, was coming to see what he had found. He slipped the box into the largest pocket of his pants, and desperately wracked his brains. He knew he would never be able to fight off what was coming, but maybe he'd find a way to escape.
The footsteps came around the corner. Ienzo's breathing came fast. He shut his eyes.
"Ienzo?"
That sounded like… he opened his eyes. Even was standing before him, carrying a candle.
Ienzo felt his shoulders sag with relief. He took a deep breath in and out. He felt jubilant. It was only Even.
The older apprentice came forward, a look that was a mixture of concern and annoyance on his face.
"Ienzo? What are you doing up so late? You should be in bed."
With a cold hand, Even took Ienzo by the chin and forced him to look up at him. Ienzo scowled.
"Calm down," he said with annoyance. "What's wrong Ienzo? You're as white as a ghost. And I thought I heard you screaming before."
The younger boy shook his head. He felt his face reddening. He had let himself get that scared over… Even. Even! Who was, in his opinion the least terrifying man in the world. It was too embarrassing for words.
Even sighed.
"Fine. Fine. Keep your mouth shut if you want. Just go to bed."
Ienzo's breath caught.
"Aren't you…" he said quietly. "Aren't you… going to come with me?"
"Of course not," Even sighed. "What am I, your nanny?"
"But…" Ienzo closed his eyes. It would kill him to say it. "But… I…"
"Spit it out, Ienzo."
"I can't find the way out," he said quickly. His face burned scarlet.
Even stared at him. He raised an eyebrow. His look was one of utmost disbelief.
"What are you talking about?" he said at last. "The way out is right there."
He gestured behind him. Ienzo stepped to the side to see around Even. His mouth hung open. There was the door. Straight ahead.
"But, but," Ienzo sputtered. "But… it wasn't there before! I swear. I looked all over for it…"
The older apprentice gave another sigh, this one heavy and sarcastic.
"I don't know what you've been up to, Ienzo," he said. "But you're obviously too tired to think straight. Now, if you've finished with your nonsense, I'll be off."
Even turned his back and headed in the other direction. Ienzo glared at his retreating back. He was seething, but he was also confused. He knew the door hadn't been there before…
Despite his anger at Even, Ienzo agreed with him on one point. He needed rest. He strode over to the door, the box in his pocket beating time against his leg. Ienzo sighed. He would deal with the box tomorrow. He left the library for the darkened hallway, and shut the door behind him.
Da-da-dum! Oh my gosh! What will happen next? Find out next Thursday in Why do you Fear the Darkness?.
Thank you all, once again, for the reviews. At this point, I would like to take the time to mention that if you're reading this story, haven't reviewed before, and would like to, please don't hesitate to do so. Reviews are always welcome. Just not flames. Try to be constructive. Thanks!
