Suppressing a smile, I stepped forward, our story ready in my mind. "We found him in the forest, injured and dehydrated," I explained. "I believe he might be one of the victims from the recent disappearances."

The old lady's expression shifted to concern as she glanced past us, seemingly just now noticing the injured man we had brought with us. "Oh, my! Bring him inside quickly," she urged. With care, we carried the injured man through the door and into the interior of her house.

The inside was a haven of greenery and knowledge, with herbs and plants adorning the room alongside countless books lining the shelves. A small dog wagged its tail enthusiastically as it greeted us. Supporting the injured man, Deniz and I carefully laid him down on the bed in the infirmary and Cairo waited in the hall outside.

The old lady wasted no time as she moved around her infirmary. She quickly examined the unconscious man's injuries, her experienced hands gently probing and assessing. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she worked, occasionally muttering to herself as she formulated a plan of treatment.

I stood by, watching with concern. Deniz paced back and forth. The room was suffused with the soothing aroma of herbs and healing potions.

"To me it smells like garlic here." Said deniz

"Come on! It's still good."

After what felt like an eternity, the old lady's movements slowed, and she stepped back from the bed. "He's been through quite a lot," she finally spoke,

"Dehydration, multiple bruises, and minor burns, and a strange sign on his back. We'll need to nourish his body and let him rest."

I looked at the on his back, but it didn't take my attention for that long.

As if responding to her words, the injured man stirred, his eyelids fluttering before finally opening. His gaze was unfocused at first, his eyes taking in his surroundings with confusion. Then his gaze landed on the old lady.

"Hey, you're safe now," the old lady's voice was gentle, her aged face breaking into a warm smile. "You're in good hands."

The man's voice was hoarse as he managed a faint response. "Where... am I?"

"You're in my care," the old lady replied, her tone reassuring. "Rest now, you've been through quite an ordeal."

His eyes drifted shut again as if obeying her command. The room fell into a calm silence, the only sounds being the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional drip of a healing potion being prepared.

Exchanging a quick glance with Deniz, we both positioned ourselves near the man, prepared to ask him the questions that lingered in our minds. As his eyes slowly opened and focused on us, he gestured us closer with a slight movement of his finger. Intrigued, we leaned in, and he spoke in a hushed, raspy voice.

"You two saved my life, didn't you?" His words were filled with gratitude. Deniz and I exchanged a silent confirmation.

"I can't thank you enough for that, but I have only one request," he continued,

"What is it?" I inquired, curious about his plea.

"My wife and daughter... they..." He was interrupted by a fit of coughing, his weakened body struggling against the effort.

"Take it easy," I reassured him, "We can talk about it later."

But he shook his head "No! My wife and daughter are still there, in danger. Humans... humans will catch them."

His words hit us like a shockwave. Deniz and I exchanged bewildered glances, struggling to grasp the meaning behind his distressing message. He continued, his voice trembling but determined to convey his story.

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"When I was taking a stroll around my farm with my family, they attacked us from the forest. We fled across the fields, trying to escape their clutches, but those humans... they cursed me. I was consumed by their power."

We were at a loss for how to respond. "Sir, we don't understand. What humans attacked you?" I inquired, seeking clarity.

"Humans," he repeated, his voice quivering. "The humans cursed me, and now I don't have much time left. You two need to go back and, please, I beg of you, find my wife and daughter."

We remained speechless. Before we could fully process his words, the old lady arrived and interrupted our conversation.

"Now, now, try to conserve your strength," she admonished the injured man gently. "You two should be going! Don't you both have duties in the library? It's about time you head there."

Her words snapped us back to reality, reminding us of our job at the library. With a nod, we acknowledged her warning and left the infirmary, the injured man's desperate request echoing in our minds as we headed toward the hall. There, we found Cairo playing with the dog.

Cairo looked up as we approached "What's the situation?" he inquired

"He's stable now, but he's been saying some rather stranger things," I replied

"What kind of things?" Cairo pressed

"He mentioned that humans had attacked him. We're not entirely sure what he meant, but we plan to ask him more once he's on the mend."

Cairo nodded in understanding. "Trauma can do strange things to a person's mind. Keep an eye on him and hopefully, he'll be able to provide more answers when he's feeling better."

"Exactly, we'll do that," Deniz affirmed

Cairo shifted the topic slightly. "So, are you two off to the library now?"

"Yeah, that's the plan. What about you, Cairo? The sun's up, will you be alright heading home alone?" I inquired, concerned for his well-being.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine. You two go on ahead."

With that, we bid Cairo farewell and set off, making our way toward the library. The morning sun cast a warm glow over the town, and as we trod along the familiar path, our thoughts mingled with the man's cryptic word. As we were walking, Deniz broke the silence

"By the way, today we received the shipment of new stock," Deniz said with a twinkle in his eye. "Your Psychic magazine should be in it too."

My heart skipped a beat at the news. "Oh yeah! Finally, we were able to order that. It was such a struggle to find a dealer who could provide those kinds of magazines."

Deniz grinned. "Looks like you'll have more material to study about your powers now."

Our excitement carried us all the way to the library. The grand entrance was still closed, so we decided to slip in through the back door. As we entered, the familiar sight of the library unfolded before us. Mr. Khalid, the wise owner of the shop, was mending a wobbly bookshelf. Near the front counter, his nephew Rahim was engrossed in a massive, leather-bound book. The atmosphere was comforting, the scent of old parchment and ink filling the air was soothing.

Mr. Khalid's voice broke the quiet atmosphere as he addressed us with a warm smile. "Good timing, you two are here. I was just about to open the library as well. We've received new shipments, so Deniz, please take care of arranging them on the bookshelves."

Deniz nodded. "Of course, Mr. Khalid. I'll make sure everything is organized."

Mr. Khalid's attention shifted to me. "Aries, I have some other tasks to attend to, so I'll be leaving the store in your hands."

"Yes, sir. You can count on me."I replied,

He turned to his nephew, Rahim, who was engrossed in his book. "And Rahim, I'll be leaving you here as well. Please try to behave yourself"

Rahim simply nodded, his focus remaining on the pages of his book. Mr. Khalid's words seemed to be absorbed by his concentration.

With a final nod of assurance, Mr. Khalid headed towards the back of the store, leaving the responsibility of the library in our hands. As the door closed behind him, I exchanged a quick glance with Deniz. It was a familiar routine – managing the library, arranging the books, and assisting the occasional visitor. We had grown accustomed to this duty over the years.

Deniz rolled up his sleeves and started moving towards the shipment of books. "Alright, Aries, let's get these new arrivals sorted out."

I nodded and joined him, helping to carry stacks of books to the appropriate sections of the shelves. The atmosphere was filled with the familiar scent of old paper and the quiet rustling of pages. As we worked, I couldn't help but glance toward Rahim, who was still immersed in his reading. Despite his young age, he seemed to have a genuine passion for books and also he was a quiet kid.

With the books neatlyarranged on the shelves, the library took on an organized and inviting appearance.We took a moment to appreciate our handiwork before returning to the front of the store. Hence I opened the main entrance and the library was open.