The Chronicler

Lief had never been fond of his job, but he did not hate it either, just to be particularly clear. Rather, he had adopted a neutral stance. His entire predicament was not something to be happy about; however, the feeling of resentment was something he had long lost, along with various other emotions he had become immune to, and along with one of the most basic physiological proofs of being human.

Having lived for five hundred and twenty-four years—and six months, two weeks, three days, five hours, three minutes, and two seconds to be exact—Lief watched life evolve with the passing of time. People change. Seasons change. Societies change. Values change. Beliefs change. Perhaps the only thing that remained untouched by change was Lief’s physical appearance.

Stuck in his seventeen-year-old body, Lief still carried the boyish charm he used to brag about when he was still a normal human. His clean-cut black hair never grew longer. He also did not grow beards or other annoying facial hairs, which definitely saved him from the inconvenience of grooming. Though alas, his moderate height never grew an inch taller, too. Thankfully, his hazel eyes still looked as lively in bright light—but rather dull on normal occasions, something he’d never admit. And his cheeky smile still remained his signature feature.

He flaunted the same smile as he prepared to head out to continue his 991st chapter. Today, he shall witness and write about the happy ending of another couple. He must admit there was a hint of excitement in the air. Finally reaching the end of the sixteen years he spent following this character’s love life was indeed one thing to celebrate. But more than that, Lief will be earning hearts again after more than a decade. He definitely needed to restock. Who knows when would be the next time he could earn hearts again after today?

Lief folded the collar of his polo, his thoughts still full of hearts. He pushed open the door to his study, where he was welcomed by a room filled with piles of books scattered almost everywhere. Lief’s eyes scanned the four metal stands found in each corner of the room, where he had placed some of the many trinkets he had collected for years—from everyday items like mugs, spoons, dolls, and pens, to rare finds like priceless gemstones and fossilized remains of ancient creatures, all crammed together without any proper order. His gaze ended on the stand on the west corner, near the windows, where he noticed some of his trinkets already on the floor. Sprawled on top of the shelf, displacing the trinkets, was a sleeping golden brown, fluffy cat. The menace was purring loudly. Then his paws twitched, kicking another silver spoon to the edge of the cabinet. Lief sighed as he watched the spoon fall to the floor with a thud.

Lief walked toward the table, careful not to step onto the books strewn all over the floor. On top of the table were more books, mostly half-open, stacked on top of each other, covering almost the entire furniture. Resting on the only free space of the table was a red feather quill about a foot long. Lief pulled his coat, which hung on the chair, causing the books on the chair to fall. He then picked up the red feather quill on the table and carefully stashed it into the cloak’s inner pocket.

With another smile, Lief put on his cloak, all set for the day.

Lief clapped his hands together. From the tip of his fingers, little red translucent hearts appeared, fluttering in thin air. He separated his hands, and on the space they formed, a large red book appeared, floating in mid-air.

The Book opened. The pages then began flipping on their own, and then suddenly halted at a certain page. Lief placed his hand on the page. A blinding red light emanated from the page, followed by a burst of glittering small red hearts.

“Here we go,” Lief breathed, as he vanished in thin air. The book remained floating for a few seconds before shutting close.

Inscribed in the front cover of the book, in bold golden letters, were the words:

Lucky are those who witness true love unfolding…

The book then disappeared, leaving behind a trail of small red hearts.