Naamaah stood outside the grand Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress in Washington DC. The imposing architecture loomed above them, its marble facade gleaming in the morning sunlight. She adjusted her outfit, smoothing out the wrinkles on her blouse and skirt.

A ten-year-old girl called Kannika twirled her long, orange-haired ponytail with excitement as they approached the building.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

Naamaah smiled at the young girl, her eyes shining with excitement. "I'm searching for a very special book written using Thaumaturgy."

Kannika's eyes widened with wonder. "Written with thaumaturgy? That sounds incredible!"

Naamaah nodded, her gaze fixed on the entrance of the library. "Over the centuries, many people have added to it using specific codes, codes that can only be deciphered through Thaumaturgy."

"Wow!" Kannika exclaimed; her voice filled with fascination.

Naamaah gestured towards the library's entrance. "Let's go inside and find it."

They went upstairs to reach the entrance, but a security guard blocked their way, a stern expression on his face. His stance made it clear that he had no intention of letting them in.

Naamaah's eyes narrowed, and she cast a discreet spell, whispering, "Lapsus Memoriae." The guard's eyes glazed over for a moment, and he moved away, oblivious to their presence.

Kannika looked at Naamaah, her eyes wide with surprise. "Why did you cast a spell on him?"

A flicker of sadness crossed Naamaah's face. "Only whites are allowed in. Casting that spell is our only way to gain entry."

"Oh, I see." The girl nodded.

Naamaah took a deep breath and walked forward. "Come, let me show you something amazing."

They stepped inside the library, and Naamaah's gaze swept over the magnificent interior. The vast space was adorned with towering statues, gilded moldings, and majestic columns. The building not only housed thousands of books but was an attraction in itself.

Kannika's eyes widened with awe. "This is incredible! It's my first time in a library."

“I’m sorry that I haven’t taken you to a library before,” Naamaah smiled warmly. She reached out and gently patted Kannika's head. "This won't be your last. Libraries are magical places."

Kannika giggled. "There aren't many visitors."

Naamaah nodded, her eyes scanning the surroundings. "It's Monday and the library has just opened. That's probably why. It works in our favor, though."

Fortunately for Naamaah, the library was nearly deserted. Two librarians sat at the front desk; their attention absorbed in their work. A mischievous smile played on Naamaah's lips as she cast the Lapsus Memoriae spell once again, ensuring her presence would go unnoticed.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Naamaah approached the librarians, her confidence unwavering. She introduced herself as a dedicated researcher and presented a library card that belonged to an associate of hers, someone who wouldn't encounter the same barriers.

With access granted, Naamaah and Kannika ventured further into the library. They navigated through long corridors, their footsteps echoing against the polished marble floors, until they reached an elevator that would take them to the basement, where the rare and valuable books were kept.

As they descended, Naamaah explained the nature of the book they sought. "The book is a compendium of esoteric knowledge from ancient Egypt, but that’s not what I’m looking for. Thousands of years later, someone conjured an algorithm on its pages that continually presents a comprehensive list of all the planet's creatures.”

“The creator of the spell is still alive?” Kannika asked.

Naamaah's eyes sparkled with excitement as she carefully scanned the bookshelves, her fingers gliding along the spines of ancient tomes. "I had that same question. No, the creator of the spell is long gone, but the enchantment is still properly working."

Once in the reading room, Kannika perched herself on a nearby chair, her legs swinging back and forth as she listened intently, her young mind eager to absorb every word.

"So, the book can tell us where all the creatures are located? Even the ones with Thaumaturgical nature?"

Naamaah nodded, her gaze fixed on the shelves. "Exactly. It presents a comprehensive listing of all the planet's creatures, Thaumaturgical or not. It reveals the exact number of specimens and the specific places where they can be found. But what makes it truly fascinating is that it's constantly updating. It's as if the book has a life of its own."

Kannika's eyes widened with wonder. "That's incredible!"

Naamaah continued looking for the book, now in the fifth bookshelf.

“Found it,” she said.

Naamaah's fingers delicately traced the embossed Egyptian hieroglyphs on the worn black leather. When she opened, she looked at the parchment sheets with longing as the library's musty scent mixed with the faint aroma of aged parchment. She went to the table where Kannika waited and delicately placed the book on it.

“Here,” Naamaah handed the girl a pair of silk gloves like the ones she wore. “Just in case, don’t touch it with your bare hands. It may damage the book.”

Kannika's sharp eyes observed Naamaah as she gently flipped through the pages. The flickering light of the many lamps in the reading room cast dancing shadows, making the hieroglyphs come to life, telling tales of a civilization long lost to the annals of time.

“It seems illogical to me that this book is on a common shelf and that anyone has access to it. It is an ancient and unique book. Shouldn’t it be guarded and only accessible to scientific groups?” Kannika remarked, her skepticism evident.

Naamaah's lips curled into a subtle smile as he responded, “For that, there is already another copy available!”

“Another copy?” Kannika asked.

“This version is not visible to the eyes of the Mågiats, instead, the copy is reserved only for the scholars. The one I have here is the original those scholars believe lost, but Jefferson, the original owner of this collection, was able to get his hands on it."

“What do you mean?”

"Mågiats will only see the copy in my hands as a simple volume of a book they would never want to read; for example, those who hate mathematics will see it as a calculus book, making it difficult to find. Because of that, librarians continuously change its place.”

“Who is Jefferson?”

“Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. Someone who is believed to be an Arlo in disguise.”

Naamaah's slender fingers danced over the pages, caressing the history etched into each curve of the hieroglyphs. The ancient text seemed to come alive under her touch.

"The author of this catalog, not the book, was a Persian scholar who died a millennia ago. His spell has no end, it's directly connected to the steam of Aether so it will continue to show the current existence of each species. Awesome, right?" Naamaah's eyes sparkled with an excitement that mirrored the glow of the candlelight.