Emilia closed her eyes as she was led to the gallows.
After the Second World War began, many were hunted by the cruel-hearted people in power. Emilia was no exception. Throughout her twenty years, she lived and survived to support her family. After her brother's death and the loss of income at home, her parents suffered from hunger, just like most of the population.
Anyone with any kind of power, no matter what it was, was destined for the gallows. Emilia and Oliver were siblings, and unlike their parents, they were born with powers. Oliver was a great warrior, with the power to control the earth. While fighting, he constantly used magic to win duels. Emilia had the power to read everything faster than others. Her brother often laughed at her for having such a peculiar ability. Emilia would just get angry and return to her books.
When she felt the pain and everything went dark, she knew it was the end. She had died, but made one last wish: "Please, give me one more chance... I want to help you save everyone."
A light shone, and everything was different. When Emi opened her eyes, she wasn't dead or injured. Instead, she felt alive again.
***
"What?" she screamed when she looked at herself in the mirror. Emilia was the same skinny girl with brown hair and big eyes she had been at fifteen. Oliver ran up the stairs, and when he saw she was safe, he laughed.
"Look, Mom, Emilia's talking to herself," he burst out laughing, but was surprised when the girl didn't retort as their eyes met. Emilia ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"Oliver... I missed you so much!" she cried, and the boy stood there, confused. Their father and mother were now close, smiling as they saw their children so united.
"Mom, Dad!" the girl exclaimed, and they all gathered in a warm embrace.
They all ate dinner together, and Emi and Oliver talked at night. Everything felt like a dream, and it was hard for her to believe that she had really gone back in time.
"So, Oliver..." she began, "I'm wondering, what kind of magic do you think you have?" She already knew the answer, but she needed to address it.
"Hmm... I dunno, sister," he said, not really giving it much thought.
"I think that, whatever power you have, you just need to be a kind merchant like our parents," Emi said, and Oliver sighed.
"I don't want that," he said. "I want to be great. I want to be a warrior and have a statue of myself in the city."
They both laughed, but Emi could see that it wasn't just a passing desire to be a warrior—it was Oliver's dream.
Emilia fell asleep quickly and woke up in her room. She had truly been given a second chance.
***
"I need to find a way to save everyone... If only I could stop this war!" she thought as she headed to her favorite place: the library. A few years later, she would be the librarian of that place, but now wasn't the time to wait; it was time to act.
"I'm here to apply for the librarian position," she said. The round-faced woman looked over her glasses at the girl leaning on the counter.
"Well, young lady, the children's section is just over there," the librarian pointed, but Emilia repeated her request.
"Well, I'm already the librarian of this neighborhood," she replied, thoughtful. "But I heard they're looking for an assistant at the central library. Why don't you check it out?"
She laughed, finding it amusing that such a small girl wanted the job she herself disliked so much. Emilia left and made her way to the central library. Her legs were thin, and her breath short. The journey was long, and after a while, she arrived at a huge building that resembled a greenhouse, filled with plants, a glass ceiling, and endless rows of books.
"Strange, I've never been here, even after all these years living in the same city," she thought, recalling that she hadn't spent her time anywhere else but organizing the books at the neighborhood library as she grew up.
When Emilia opened the door, a young man with a serious expression passed by her. He seemed tense and left quickly.
"Well, no time to waste," she said as she approached the counter.