Elías retreated to the back of the store and then returned with a quite small metal case. The young man placed the case on the table and opened it: inside was the marble that had come out of the inside of the dwarf statuette, and there was also an empty space reserved for another marble.

Showing the marble to Adam, Elías explained:

—If you take this marble, you can retrieve the book from your brotherhood. Later, when we do the inscriptions, we'll make them have the same effect as the marble, but just in case, you should always keep this marble as a backup. If the marbles are lost, you can get them back by following a ritual described in your brotherhood's book. I recommend you memorize that ritual.

Before Adam could try to retrieve the book, Elías closed the case with the marbles and placed the other wooden box on the table, saying:

—You can play with the marble when you have time. Now let's see if you can join a brotherhood of wizards, so we can start embroidering the symbols.

Adam understood that Elías was in a hurry due to the purge, so he tried not to waste much time and opened the wooden box.

Upon opening the box, Adam noticed that it contained four cards and a compass.

The cards were placed face down, all with the same back: a cardinal rose drawing, the same one found on the compass. The compass was quite beautiful: its casing was made of gold, and its arrow seemed to be made of silver, while the north, south, east, and west symbols were made of jade.

Seeing the box's contents, Elías opened his black notebook and found a page. He then read the instructions aloud:

—You have to place the four cards face down on the table and the compass in the middle. Then, when the compass spins, you have to turn over the cards indicated by the compass arrow in the specified order. When you finish, the cards will ask you questions in the selected order.

Following the instructions, Adam placed the four cards on the table and the compass in the middle. When he finished, he watched as the compass arrow began to spin in circles until it stopped pointing at the east card.

Adam turned over the card that was in that direction. Upon turning it over, he noticed that the card depicted a completely white room with a man mutilated and tied to a marble mast. The man's face was covered with a bloodstained white robe, but he seemed to be looking in the direction of a man in a white robe and hood who was leaving the white room.

Seeing the drawing, Adam looked at Elías for interpretations.

—Cards with the dead represent brotherhoods where you shouldn't belong— Elías commented, looking at his notebook several times. This was the first time he had opened a box for wizards, so he also had his doubts —Continue with the next one.

Adam observed the compass, and the arrow magically spun again, stopping at the north card. The young man turned over the card and saw that it depicted an old woman walking along a path filled with flowers. The woman's face seemed to be covered by a flower flying in the wind.

—Well, that card symbolizes that the brotherhood wants you among their members— Elías said with a smile.

A bit happier, Adam looked at the compass again, and the arrow started spinning until it stopped at the west card. Adam turned over the card. In the drawing, the library's hallways could be seen, and in the middle of the hallways was a young man in a white robe with a hood. The young man was smashing a woman's head with a book. The woman's face was indistinguishable as it was completely crushed by the blows from the hooded young man.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

—It seems you don't meet their criteria; try the last card— Elías said expectantly.

Without waiting for the compass to point to the last card, Adam turned over the card to the south. But to his surprise, the last card was completely black, with nothing drawn on it.

—I'll tell you what that is...— Elías said, searching in his black notebook for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Adam observed the marble case: he was very curious to see which book would come out of it. After a while of searching, Elías commented:

—Let's see if it's a brotherhood that requires you when you talk to the card; if it doesn't ask anything, it means they don't want you. To make the cards speak and ask you questions: you must take the card and place it on top of the compass.

Adam took the card of the old woman walking along the path with flowers and placed it on top of the compass. When he did, all the lamps in the store suddenly turned off, except for the fireplace that illuminated with its green fire. The whole room took on the green hue of the fire, and slowly something started to emerge from the card on the table.

Adam watched attentively as an old hand emerged from the card, followed by another hand with wrinkled skin, and then a head came out of the card.

It seemed like the old woman drawn on the card was coming out, but this time, the woman had no flower covering her face, so Adam could see her withered and elderly face.

The woman had white hair and green eyes; she was wearing a black robe, emphasizing her white hair even more, and didn't seem to have any distinct features except for her wrinkled skin.

When the woman finally managed to fully come out of the card, she looked at the other three cards on the table suspiciously, then looked at Adam and said in a rather friendly tone:

—Nice to meet you, Adam. I am the guide of the Brotherhood of the Eternal. As a mage born in the Citadel of Eternity, you can join our brotherhood of wizards whenever you want.

—Thank you, but I'm not...— Adam was about to decline the invitation, but he was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

—It seems you fulfilled one of this brotherhood's objectives— Elías interrupted —Think carefully before you reject; fulfilling an objective always comes with significant rewards. As your advisor in choosing a brotherhood, I recommend discussing it again with your godfather and seriously reflecting on your final decision.

—Well, I'll see what my godfather says— Adam said, proceeding to tell his godfather about the situation.

His godfather responded quickly even before Adam finished writing:

'Pay no attention to him and stick to the plan: You must not choose the Eternals, boy!

Surely, the Eternals have some plot involving you: that's why they desire you so much!!

Don't be such a fool as to trust a group of librarians willing to purge two whole floors. Such wicked people surely can't be trusted.'

—Thanks, but I'm not interested in your brotherhood— Adam replied, following his godfather's advice. Also, as a hero, Adam was not very willing to stay with a group of ruthless killers.

—Deep down, I know that my brotherhood interests you, but you trust the wrong person...— the old woman replied before disappearing back into her card.

The card on top of the compass jumped, spun in the air, and turned upside down. Then, the card jumped again and turned over, showing its drawing. In its drawing, the old woman walking along the path with flowers was no longer there.

Instead, a man in a white robe and hood was depicted, exiting a room. The man seemed to be holding a suitcase dripping with blood.

On the floor of the room that the hooded man was leaving, a man and a woman were chained to a wall, both naked, and the man's throat had been cut, causing blood to stain his face, making it impossible to distinguish.

While the woman's belly had been opened, and her intestines were spilling out of her body. One of the woman's arms was extended toward the hooded man, seemingly begging for help, while the other held her spilled guts, suggesting she was still alive when the hooded man left the room.

—Why are the faces never seen in the cards?— Adam asked; even the torn-apart woman in this card had her head bowed, looking at her open belly, so her face couldn't be seen.

—I don't know— Elías replied—But most likely, hiding the face must have some symbolism for wizards.

—But the old woman didn't hide hers...— Adam commented.

—Maybe it's a characteristic of the Eternals, I don't know either— Elías replied —Try with the black card, and we'll see if you can choose a brotherhood for the path of the wizards.