008 ┃ Bookworm

"What is this place supposed to be?" Spud asked as he examined a torn painting that was laying on the floor. It was covered in dust and dirt, but the depiction of a colorful fountain in the middle of a town could still be made out.

"I'm not entirely sure," admitted Dawn, carelessly pushing aside pieces of wood and stones that were in her way. "Maybe the town hall or a noble's house."

Spud stood up and followed his companion while examining every detail of the building. It was probably because there was a large hole in the wall that allowed him to see the sky, but the elements had wreaked havoc on this place. The furniture, although seemingly of quality, was moldy and covered in dust. Red rugs that once covered the floor were now hidden in dirt and rubble. It wasn’t much different from the destruction he had seen in the town the day before, but the contrast was much greater in this place.

He noticed a wooden staircase leading to the upper floor. It was partially destroyed but seemed to still be standing.

"What's upstairs?"

"I have no idea. When I tried to explore, part of the roof fell on me. I lost interest after that," the girl explained without giving it much importance.

"Seriously? But this place is safe now, right?" Spud asked, a chill running through his body when he imagined the roof falling on him.

"Well, you better not touch anything."

Now treading lightly, the boy followed Dawn to the adjoining room, where he couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise.

The room must have been a dining room or a meeting room in the past, as there was a large table with shining cutlery still set on it. Next to it was a shelf with at least half a dozen glass jars of expensive appearance, all of them empty. Large, surprisingly intact windows filled the room with natural light, making it seem much more charming. What caught his attention the most was the pool table at the back of the room. Although it was covered in dust, the balls remained intact on it, and the cues were hung on the wall next to it.

"This place is incre..." Spud began to say, but Dawn hushed him abruptly, making him alert.

"Don’t make a noise," she ordered. She was completely still, staring intently at a corner of the room.

Spud felt his blood run cold at hearing that. Considering what had happened to him the day before, it wouldn't surprise him too much if a demon appeared from the rubble. But to his surprise, it was not a demon that he found.

In the corner of the room, with eyes wide open and bristly fur, there was a striped cat. Its ears were back and it was looking at them in terror.

Dawn carefully propped her spear against the wall, trying not to make the slightest noise. Without looking at Spud, she whispered:

"Move away from the door slowly. We're blocking its escape route."

Spud obeyed his companion, somewhat stunned by the situation.

The girl then crouched down to the ground and extended a hand toward the feline.

"Come here, boy. I won't hurt you," Dawn communicated, with such a sweet voice that Spud wondered if it was really the same person.

The cat looked at the girl, with no intention of coming closer. It hissed at her aggressively, showing her its teeth.

"Come on, little one. Come," Dawn tried to persuade it, but the cat didn't seem to want anything to do with her.

In an instant, the feline darted towards the exit, disappearing from their sight before they could do anything.

"What a pity," Dawn murmured. Spud couldn't help but look at her. It seemed impossible, but she was smiling. It was a genuine and sincere smile in fact, different from any harsh expression she had shown since he had met her the day before.

When she realized that he was looking at her, Dawn stopped smiling and quickly looked away.

There was silence for a few moments. Spud thought about making a sarcastic comment, but it didn't seem appropriate at that moment. He remained silent while the girl got up.

"Cats here are not used to seeing people. It's normal for them to get scared easily," she explained, avoiding Spud's gaze.

"I see."

Dawn dusted off her hands and picked up her spear again.

"Well, we better see what I wanted to show you before nightfall." She headed towards the back of the room, followed by Spud.

He hadn't noticed when he had entered because of how impressive everything was but there was a large wooden door on one of the walls. It was one of the few doors he had seen in that town that were not completely destroyed, and in fact, it had a beautiful design carved in relief on the surface.

Dawn opened it, and Spud was even more impressed than before. It was a small room no larger than a bedroom, but all the walls were covered with shelves reaching up to the ceiling, each one crammed with books of all sizes. In the center was a small desk with ink and quill, messy papers, and a few dozen books stacked on it. The only light in the room came from small slits in the high walls leading to the outside, giving the room a cozy and mysterious atmosphere at the same time.

Spud took a few steps into the room while looking around, impressed.

"There must be hundreds of books in here," he expressed with admiration. He approached the nearest bookshelf and picked up the first book he saw. It was in the same language as the book about flowers he had found the day before, so he couldn't understand anything. He felt like a child with a new toy, although in his case he had dozens of toys. "This place is amazing."

"I knew you would say something like that," Dawn responded as she leaned in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"Wait. I thought you wanted me to forget about all of this," Spud remembered, looking unsure at his companion. She sighed and gave him a distant look.

"When I got here, I spent weeks looking at hundreds of books trying to learn something useful, but all I did was waste my time. To me, all of this is gibberish. Yet you come here on your first day and discover something I didn't know thanks to a book."

"It was just luck," Spud admitted.

"I don't think so. It seems to me that you really are passionate about these books. That's why I want to propose a deal," Dawn explained, staring at her partner. "I don't mind you living with me, but with a few conditions. First, I'll take care of hunting and you'll take care of growing the potatoes. Each will have their job and will not bother the other. Second, you can study all the books you want, but only if you prioritize trying to find more plants that we can grow. Third, you'll have to do what I tell you. That means no exploring on your own without asking me and no going out at night. Is that okay with you?"

Spud nodded with determination. Although these conditions seemed quite authoritarian, it was understandable knowing that Dawn had been living alone for a year and was now going to let a complete stranger live with her.

"Yes. If that means I can continue reading, I promise I will listen to you," he affirmed.

The girl sighed as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Good. Then that's what we'll do from now on. But there's still one thing I don't quite understand." Dawn also entered the room, also looking at the shelves full of books. "Why are you so keen on learning to read this stuff?"

Spud looked down, searching for the right words to express himself.

"I'm not quite sure myself. It's just that there are so many mysteries in here... We know nothing about this place. Why isn't there anyone else but us? They must have gone somewhere, but where? We also don't know why we are both here, both with amnesia, we don't know anything about the stalkers, or about the language... Everything here is a mystery, and I want to find the explanations. If there's any way we can go back home with our families, I want to find it. That's why I'm going to learn this language," he explained with determination.

Dawn, who had been listening attentively, sketched a slight smile.