Chapter 3: The Secrets

Hera

It has been a week since River moved out of the house, and things are going back to normal once again. At first, Cy and Saran called him on the phone thrice a day, but now they only contact him at night. Things have gotten pretty awkward in the house now that River wasn’t around, but it’s nothing grand. My adoptive parents and I have been in a distant relationship ever since I found out that they weren’t my real parents anyway.

I was currently sweeping the floors in Cy’s office when I accidentally stumbled on his bookshelf. Some books fell out, and I clamored to pick them up on the floor. I carried the books in my arms and was about to place them back on the shelf. However, what I saw next made me freeze in my spot.

A beam of light came from the spaces where the books usually were, and it seems like there was something beyond this room. Motivated by my curiosity, I peeked into the bare spaces and gasped in shock when I saw that there was truly another room behind the shelf. It was a big and spacious library that housed a hundred… No, a thousand books!

I mindlessly pushed the bookshelf to the side and entered the library. I observed the fascinating room with wide eyes and couldn’t help but giggle in delight. There were so many books! I ran my fingers through their smooth spines and had the urge to read all of them.

Where do I start? I asked myself, because there were simply too many options. I wandered even deeper into the library, and the room started becoming colder. I wrapped my arms around my body to appease the goosebumps that were appearing on my skin.

I reached the very back of the library, and there were much fewer books in here now. However, they felt more special than the books prior where I've been. One book, in particular, captured my attention. It was covered with a protective glass, and it seemed to exude a darker aura than all the other books.

I walked closer to it, and I swear that I could hear it calling my name. I know that it’s probably just my imagination, but it feels like it’s begging to be read by me. I carefully opened the protective glass and reached for the book inside of it.

“The Council?” I whispered to myself. I think I’ve heard of them before, but not in great detail. The Council has always been a taboo discussion around the village, so I only ever heard bits and pieces about their origin.

I was about to flip to the first page, but a sudden surge of fear went through my body. It was a mixture of being afraid of getting caught by Cy or Saran, and fear elicited by the book itself. It’s a non-living being, but it held such a dark and powerful aura that I felt like I wasn’t supposed to read it.

“To hell with it,” I muttered under my breath. I’ve already come this far. I just can’t leave without reading anything at all.

I let out a sigh and held the corner of the book. I carefully inserted my finger onto the first page, ready to turn the cover. I held my breath as I finally opened the book.

“Hera!” Someone shouted from behind me.

I got startled, leading me to let go of the book.

Cy walked over to where I was and looked at the uncovered book on the table.

His eyes went back and forth to the book and towards my guilty face, his gaze never faltering.

“What are you doing here? How did you even get here?” He asked in an exasperated voice.

“I—I… I was just cleaning your office, then—”

He closed his eyes and held up his hand. I shut my mouth in fear of agitating him even more.

“That’s enough. I don’t want to hear about it anymore. It’s not important how you got here, but what’s important is that you never come back. Got it?”

I aggressively nodded my head and clasped my hands together. 

“Is that clear?” He asked, his voice exuding power.

“Crystal,” I responded while looking down on the ground.

“Now go,” he said in a soft voice.

I swiftly walked out of the library, but before I could fully exit, Cy called out my name. I turned back to him, still with a humble stature.

“Yes?”

“Did you read any of the books here? Especially this?” He gestured towards the book about the Council.

I shook my head and told the truth. “No. I didn’t get to read anything in here.”

“Good,” he nodded his head. “Now, go along and don’t forget what I have said."

I nodded my head and finally walked out of the library.

I let out a deep breath as soon as I made it back to my room. Cy didn’t get angry that often, but when he does, he’s fucking terrifying.

My mind strayed away from Cy and back to the book that I was about to read. Although I was already out of the library, I still couldn’t help but think what kind of information I would have gotten if I had read that book. Why did Cy get so angry when I entered the library? Are they hiding something from me?

I leaned against the bed frame and closed my eyes. I guess it’s another sleepless night for me.

***

I looked around, making sure that there wasn’t a single soul in the entire room. I sneakily walked towards the narrow hallway, keeping my back pressed against the cold brick wall. I could hear my adoptive parents talking in the living room downstairs, and if I make one small mistake, they’re going to find out that I’m sneaking into their private library once again.

There were only a couple of steps until I finally reached the room, and I made sure to be extra careful. I know that I am not allowed in here, but I can’t help it. I need to read the book that I found here a couple of days ago. I feel like I’m going to miss some important information if I leave the book unread.

At a young age, I knew that I was different from the other people in the village. Every time I walked down the streets, they would always look at me strangely, as if blaming me for all the suffering that they were experiencing. They would also warn their children not to play with me, leading me to become isolated in the village.

I let out a deep breath when I finally made it into the room. I carefully closed the door and looked around. Wow. It’s still as big as I remember.

I hastened my footsteps and tried to find the mysterious book. I couldn’t waste any more time because Cy or Saran might find me once again.

“Where is it?” I muttered under my breath when I didn’t find the book on its original shelf.

My movements were getting more frantic now, afraid that I wouldn’t be able to read the book when I’d already come this far. However, like an oasis in the middle of the desert, I found the mysterious book on top of my adoptive father’s desk.

I walked towards the book and caressed the worn-out leather cover. It didn’t have a title, but it had a small symbol on its bottom right corner.

“The Council,” I whispered.

I carefully turned the pages, afraid that they were going to rip if I were rougher than I am now. The first few pages consisted of nothing but pictures of people in black cloaks. I kept flipping and flipping the pages, but nothing felt out of the ordinary. I looked down on my watch and cursed under my breath.

“Fuck, I’ve been here for twenty minutes.”

I was about to give up and return the book to its original position, but a sudden gust of wind came from the window, flipping the book to the near end.

I glanced back at the page and felt a chill run down my spine. In bold and black letters, it spelled the name, ‘Kamala Ahearn.’

I leaned closer to the book with wide eyes and saw a photo of a woman who was probably in her mid-40’s. She stood in front of the cloaked people that I saw from the previous pages, as if commanding them.

“Ahearn?” I asked, perplexed. That's my last name. Was I right? Can this book really be the key to finding out my identity?

I observed the woman once again and saw that we had very similar eyes. I turned to the mirror then placed her picture next to my face. I gasped in shock and covered my mouth when I saw how our eyes looked like the exact replica of each other.

I heard some heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, so I swiftly brought the book back to my father’s desk, making sure that it was in the exact same position where it first was, then stealthily escaped the library.

I sighed in relief when I finally reached my room. I plopped down on my bed and blew the strands of hair that covered my eyes, still thunderstruck from all the information I had just learned. I looked up at the ceiling and smiled.

From the beginning of my life, I was always the girl without real parents, always the girl with no clue about her real identity. But now, I think I’m one step closer to finally finding out who I really am.