Adam waited at the stairway door, hiding the golden leaf in one of the pockets of his robe. All of the boy's plans had changed, and now he had to hurry home to safeguard his little treasure.

After a few minutes, Adam could see the person obstructing the stairs: an elderly man with numerous gray hairs on his head, dressed in a red robe. Each step he took seemed as slow as a turtle's pace. The old man was accompanied by three others, all wearing black robes, who ascended with the same leisurely pace, always a few steps behind the elder, as if deliberately avoiding passing him.

Upon noticing the different colored robe, Adam quickly covered his shoes; he knew this old man was someone important, and it was best not to let the elder discover any imperfections.

—Shouldn't you be at school at this hour, young lad? — the old man asked with a kind smile.

—Teacher Aquiles told me I had to do my homework at home with my father— Adam quickly replied, displaying the yellow book his teacher had gifted him.

—Ah, Aquiles... As lazy as he was when he was a student... — the old man said with some annoyance, rubbing his forehead —Don't worry, young one. I'll have a word with that slacker, and you'll see how he helps you with your duties in the next class.

Adam nodded and bid farewell to the old man, always cautious not to reveal his shoes. He then hurriedly started descending the stairs. There were 100 steps, and the boy was only 10 years old, so naturally, Adam felt quite tired when he finally made it. But the young boy didn't stop at the third middle floor; he continued down to the first middle floor. It was a total of 400 steps that Adam descended, and this was the true reason why he arrived late to class.

Upon finishing his descent and reaching the first middle floor, Adam saw four people guarding the staircase, preventing further access downwards.

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The four guards noticed the boy's gaze and looked at him curiously. One of the guards, with a somewhat bewildered expression, took a red book from his robe, but he didn't open it; instead, he just stared at the young lad with suspicion.

Adam ignored the guards and hurriedly made his way towards one of the hallways in hexagon 3 of the first middle floor.

He continued his march until he reached a corner, turned around, and looked at the ends of the hallway to ensure nobody was watching. Then, the boy headed towards one of the bookshelves. The shelves on this floor were quite old; some were broken, others almost empty and covered in dust.

Adam went to a shelf that wasn't broken, although it didn't have many books on its shelves. The shelf was placed against the outer wall of the main hexagon and seemed to be made of damp wood that appeared ancient. The moist wood of the shelf was decorated with colorful fungi and vibrant green moss, giving it a somewhat magical appearance.

Adam carefully surveyed the hallways and took one of the books from the shelf. The book was quite old, its pages yellowed, very different from the pristine book he had taken from the abuelita-faced shelf.

As he took the book, a face appeared on the wooden shelf. The wooden face seemed to belong to a very old man and only had a mouth, which revealed sharp teeth that would frighten anyone.

—Do you not know who I am, novice?— the shelf said with a greedy smile —If read my books you seek, answer my question first, you must. But be warned, if you fail, you'll become just another mushroom on my shelves! So tell me: If I desired the power to resurrect, what steps must the ritual entail?

—It's just me, eyeless old one, I only wish to pass— Adam said, looking around with concern.

—Is it you, lad?— A pair of eyes appeared on the wooden face, scrutinizing the red-haired freckled boy —Come in! Be quick, or someone might notice you!

The book in Adam's hand vanished and placed itself back on the shelf. The books on the shelf then started moving as if with a will of their own, while the damp, musty wood began to bend, forming a wooden frame: inside it, there was a spiral staircase.

Without wasting time and with haste, Adam entered through the frame and descended the spiral staircase, heading to the fifth floor of the lower level.