Adam slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a square room made of white wood. The room was completely empty except for a dimly lit candle.
His body was stuck to a white wooden chair, as if the chair had wrapped its arms and legs to prevent him from moving, and in his mouth was a piece of white tunic soaked in blood.
"Mmmm"... "Mmmm"... The taste of blood and the terrifying atmosphere made the boy start to cry, but only muffled groans could be heard through the bloodstained cloth covering his mouth.
—Looks like you've woken up... boy...— someone commented with a very slow and deliberate voice.
Adam looked in that direction and saw a figure entirely made of wood. He recognized it instantly; it was the old man from the white wooden bookshelf. But the old man didn't look as old as before, there were no wrinkles on his face, no scars, and he was dressed in a very elegant suit, with a cane and a stylish hat.
"Mmmmmm"... Adam tried to plead, still crying.
But the old man seemed unfazed by Adam's pleas as he put the cane on the boy's shoulder and spoke in a slow voice:
—Listen, I saved your life, and in my family, business is always about favors. You owe me one, and you'll have to repay it.
Adam didn't understand the old man's words; he could only look at him in fear, remembering Franco's head being replaced by a book. The old man noticed the boy's gaze and said authoritatively:
—Son, bring in the orc.
The charming prince formed out of the wood, but this time it wasn't just a head; he had a wooden body and was dressed in a very elegant suit. The charming prince carried in his arms a child completely wrapped in bloodstained white tunics.
"Mmmmmmm"... "Mmmmmmmm"... The fear on Adam's face only grew; he had wet the floor with his urine a while ago, and through tear-filled eyes, he pleaded for his life.
The charming prince ignored Adam's terrifying appearance and began unwrapping the child from the tunics.
"Mmmm"... Adam's tears stopped, and he looked in astonishment at the body on the floor. The corpse was the size of Franco, with red blood, but its skin was extremely white and covered with intricate blue tattoos. However, the head of the corpse had exploded, and its body wasn't much different from Franco's, so Adam had doubts about what was happening.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
—This is an actorino — the old man commented in his usual calm voice —They transform into librarians, lure their victims, and kill them between the bookshelves to devour them. Didn't you notice anything unusual?
When the old man asked, the piece of tunic in Adam's mouth was removed by the charming prince, allowing the boy to respond.
—No...— Adam said trembling in fear.
The old man noticed the boy's gaze and reached his hand into one of the walls. His hand sank into the wood, and the old man took out a yellow book and a pencil from the wall. While handing the book to Adam, the old man ordered with an authoritative voice:
—Ask your godfather.
Immediately, the wooden chair released Adam's hands.
With fear, Adam took the biography and prepared to write to his godfather. The pencil in Adam's hand kept shaking, and a few tears fell from his face, staining the biography, as the boy tried to explain what was happening.
Adam's godfather replied, writing with quite some anger about the situation: "I have no f***ing idea what an actorino is, but do you think you can refuse what they ask for? JUST GO ALONG WITH IT!!"
Adam read his godfather's words and cautiously looked at the two potential murderers of Franco or his saviors. Now, Adam could only trust his godfather's advice and try to survive in this wooden room.
—Look, kid, the situation is quite simple...— the old man said with a serious expression on his face, placing his hand on Adam's shoulder— I saved your life, and I want you to return the favor.
Adam nodded fearfully, as the hand pressing on his shoulder was hurting him. The old man removed his hand and smiled as he explained the situation:
—The favor I ask is pretty simple. One of my daughters told me that you have some connection with a bookshelf on the 5th floor. If you can get that bookshelf to fetch some little books for me, little books that aren't controlled by the baron, then the favor will be repaid.
Adam nodded again; the favor didn't seem that complicated, it all depended on the blind old man. The old man looked at Adam with an even bigger smile and said happily:
—Boy, this is my fifth promotion, and my children have had a few more. Believe me, I can afford some magical books for a contact with those little books. Just tell that bookshelf: the Martinelli family needs this favor, and we'll get it involved in the war of this promotion. You'll see how its eyes will gleam with delight.
Adam nodded as if his life depended on it. The old man snapped his fingers, and a door with a spiral staircase appeared on one of the walls of the room. Then, he took a black book from the corpse's hand and handed it to Adam, saying:
—A little advance, to make your negotiation smoother.
Adam nodded and took the book. His legs were freed from the wooden chair, and the young hero ran with all his might towards the spiral staircase. As he ran, the voice of the charming prince shouted from behind:
—Don't fail the mission, kid! If you fail, you won't escape with your life, not even by escaping through the lower floors!