Daniel slowly stepped forward to the large set of doors and knocked three times. With every knock, the nervousness plaguing Daniel's body grew stronger. The twins watched in silence as Daniel waited with bated breath. Then, only a few seconds after Daniel stepped away from the door, Adrian watched as a sliver of space opened between the two doors.
Daniel sighed in relief, then stepped forward and pushed the door open. The office on the other side of the door wasn't what Adrian was expecting. He thought he would see a grand portrait above the desk or perhaps an expensive carpet decorating the floors. Instead, the office was very simple and minimalistic.
The walls were covered by several bookshelves, but the books were dusty and old. They didn't appear to have been picked up in dozens of years. The ground had no carpet but was instead built from deep brown hardwood flooring. In the center of the room was a large mahogany desk with cushioned chairs on either side. Facing the door was the Librarian herself.
She was a lot younger than Daniel was expecting, maybe only a few years older than himself. She had dark skin, like Daniel, as well as his golden eyes. Their features were strikingly similar like they were copies of each other. The Librarian held her hair in a bun, though she allowed a few strands to decorate her face.
"Welcome back," The Librarian spoke with an amused grin. She turned her golden eyes to the twins, her face shifting into mild curiosity. Daniel turned his body toward the twins, his hand held up high as he introduced them. His eyes, however, never left the Librarian.
"Mother, I wanted to introduce these two to you," Daniel spoke, surprising Adrian. He stared at Daniel in shock, then turned back to the Librarian.
'Mother?' Adrian thought to himself in surprise. He couldn't wrap his brain around this newfound information, as the woman didn't appear much older than twenty, 'How old was she when she had him?'
"Go on," The Librarian, Daniel's mother, spoke. She leaned back in her chair before kicking her feet onto her desk. Her lips curled into a smile as Daniel nodded.
"This is Adrian and Amber…" Daniel told her. He froze for a moment, then turned back to Adrian. Without speaking, Adrian knew what he needed.
"Vittore," Adrian answered, "Our last name is Vittore."
"Adrian and Amber Vittore," Daniel continued. His mother leaned back further, surprised.
"They're nobles?" The Librarian asked. Daniel quickly shook his head before turning his full body toward her.
"They are Artists, Mother. They come from Earth," Daniel corrected. The Librarian's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly recovered only a few moments later. The smile on her lips widened even more as an excited glint appeared in her eyes, "I was hoping we could use them to create that task force I told you about. With their abilities, we'll be able to rise above anybody who resists us, even other Artists. It's time to be prepared for the future."
The Librarian sat in silence for a moment. Her gaze was focused on the twins for a moment, her brows furrowing in contemplation. Eventually, she pushed her legs against the desk- moving her chair back in the process- before she quickly stood up. She adjusted the tie on her suit, a darker variation of Daniel's before she walked around the desk.
She stopped just in front of the twins, and then put one hand on each of their shoulders. Her grip was incredibly strong and firm.
"Tell me about yourselves."
Over the next hour, Adrian and Amber recounted everything that happened from the moment they were summoned to the current moment. The Librarian listened closely as she leaned her body against the front of her desk. The Librarian occasionally asked a question, though she was silent for the majority of the story.
She seemed to take great interest in Earth and the culture there, though she didn't ask to know any more about Earth than necessary. Eventually, after the story was concluded, the Librarian stood straight and looked at Adrian.
"Why have you begun training in Sorcery?"
This time, it was Amber who answered. She spoke with confidence, "With how much time is left until the 'game' begins, we thought Wizardry would take too long."
The Librarian nodded in approval at Amber's answer, then looked to Daniel.
"I approve of your intentions. However, the creation of a separate task force is a delicate thing to accomplish, even if it serves the Librarian personally," The Librarian spoke. Daniel bowed his head in subservience as he stayed silent, "What exactly do you intend for this force to become?"
"A sword. I wish for them to act as soldiers and assassins, rather than spies. The Order is full of people who specialize in espionage, but that has made us weak. We won't be able to fight Artists with spies and clerks," Daniel explained, "If the worst comes to pass, I wish for us to be prepared."
"They'd answer directly to me?" The Librarian asked. Amber's brow twitched, though her expression remained calm. Adrian already understood what she was thinking, as he had similar thoughts.
"So long as they are provided with everything they need? Yes, I believe so," Daniel answered. He turned to Adrian and Amber, then winked, "That means they'll need the best training, equipment, and amenities we can provide. In turn, they'll crush any enemies as soon as we find them. With their help, we'll finally crush the Mortis family and extend our reach beyond Solarum."
The Librarian smiled, then slowly nodded.
"Good. I will get started on the formalities. Take the Vittore siblings to the estate. Have Darren give each of them a room, as well as a few sets of clothes. We'll talk more tomorrow."
"Yes, Mother," Daniel said with a nod. The twins stood up and turned to Daniel as the man began to move closer to the door. The Librarian sat back down in her office chair and watched Daniel leave with a smile. After the three of them were gone and the door was closed, the Librarian leaned back in her chair and laughed.
"You did good work, my son," The Librarian whispered, though her words were unheard by anybody but herself.