Adir entered the back room of the library, where the space was tightly confined, cluttered with worn-out shelves holding old books with tattered leather covers. The room smelled of dust and the past, and every step he took made a faint sound as if the floor was whispering forgotten secrets. Adir stopped in front of an old shelf filled with books, their titles almost obscured by the thick dust.
"Here…" he finally said, pulling out a dark, heavy book with a faded golden title: "The Sunset."
He placed the book carefully on the table and began turning its yellowed pages slowly.
Julian stood nearby, watching cautiously until Adir stopped on a particular page, where a strange symbol appeared: a small circle with intertwined lines. Julian had no trouble recognizing it, as he had previously described it accurately.
"This is it!" Julian said excitedly, pointing to the symbol.
Adir smiled and spoke in a calm tone. "This symbol is not ordinary. It belongs to the legend of the Masters of the Ancient Legacy. They were powerful in their time, but they caused a massive catastrophe that nearly destroyed the world. They were cursed with eternal suffering, and this symbol represents them. Or rather, it represents the gate that concealed their catastrophe."
Julian looked confused for a moment and asked nervously, "A gate? What do you mean?"
Adir slowly closed the book, as if making the air heavier, then continued: "This gate is not in an ordinary place. It's hidden, concealed far from the reach of ordinary humans. The legend says that opening it could unleash a power the world cannot bear."
Julian's breath quickened, and his eyes scanned the book as if the words could explain what was happening. "Why is this showing to me? I don't understand, I have nothing to do with all this!"
Adir answered slowly: "You might think that now, but everything you've been through is no coincidence. The symbol, the message, the strange person… they are all signs."
Julian fell silent for a moment, his mind buzzing with questions. He then looked at Adir and spoke softly, but with caution in his voice, "What should I do now?"
Adir smiled and said gently, "You need to discover the origin of this symbol. Or let it be, perhaps it's just a figment of imagination with no foundation."
Julian didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood up slowly, a strange feeling overtaking him. There was something bigger happening, something that tied him to all of this.
"Don't let all of this burden your mind," Adir said as he accompanied Julian to the door. "Sometimes, questions are heavier than answers. But remember, this path is full of the unknown, and the unknown reveals itself only to those with the courage to face it."
Julian didn't reply, merely nodding before leaving the library. The evening had fallen, and the streets were beginning to glow with the city lights. The air was cold, carrying the scent of winter approaching.
As he walked through the crowded streets, his thoughts were consumed by tension. People around him were laughing and talking, but Julian felt a heavy silence in his heart. He passed by a group of musicians in the central square, where people had gathered to listen to live music. He paused for a moment, staring at the lights reflected on the nearby fountain, but he didn't find the comfort he had hoped for.
"Damn, what's happening?" Julian muttered to himself. "Why am I being dragged into these mysterious matters?"
Then something caught his eye: a small shop displaying an old map in its window, similar to the one he had seen in the book. Driven by curiosity, he entered the shop.
Inside, the air was thick with the smell of antiques. The map that had caught his attention was detailed as if it hid secrets from a long-forgotten time. Julian approached the shopkeeper, an elderly man with a sharp gaze.
"Do you know anything about this map?" Julian asked, pointing to the map.
The man looked at him carefully before answering: "This is an ancient map, said to show places that have disappeared with time. But it's not just an ordinary map. The legend says that whoever reads it carefully will find themselves facing truths hidden from the world."
A chill ran through Julian's body as if those words had carved something deep into his heart. He quickly thanked the man and left the shop. But the man's words echoed in his mind with every step.
As he made his way home, he passed by a small tavern on the corner. A strange feeling seemed to draw him towards it, but Julian ignored it and continued on his way back to his apartment.
When he arrived home, fatigue washed over him, but his thoughts were still troubled by what he had discovered at Adir's library. His steps were slow as he approached his apartment door. As he reached it, he noticed a faint glow coming from within.
He paused for a moment, hesitated, then slowly inserted the key into the lock and turned the handle carefully. When he opened the door, the surprise was waiting for him.
A strange man sat in his favorite chair in the corner of the room, with long red hair that cascaded to his shoulders, arranged in a disheveled but strangely captivating way. His eyes were as blue as ice, and between his fingers, he held a lit cigarette, raising it to his lips and exhaling the smoke slowly.
"Hello, Julian," the man said in a deep but non-hostile voice as if he had known him for years. "You're late."
Julian froze, his eyes widening in shock and anxiety. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"
The man smiled lightly, a smirk laced with a strange sense of irony. "Me? Just someone from this vast world. But that's not important."
Julian's gaze was filled with confusion. "Who are you? And why are you here?"
The man, after extinguishing his cigarette, replied: "I'm Albus. Let me cut to the chase, Julian. You're now part of something much bigger than you can imagine. And before you ask why, I'll tell you: because you possess something not everyone has."
Julian took a step back, trying to process what was happening. "What are you talking about?"
Albus smiled. "You'll understand soon. But there's one thing you need to grasp right now. The world you know is not as it seems. There are evils and catastrophes in this world, and the fight against them depends on people like you."
"People like me?" Julian asked, trying to understand what was happening.
"Yes, people who can influence the Sifrania," Albus said confidently. "And that's what makes you special… and also cursed."
"Why me?" Julian asked, but the answer seemed to elude him.
"Because you're the chosen one… or maybe because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time," Albus said with a laugh. "But don't worry, I'm here to help you, or at least, to make sure you won't be torn apart before you understand what's going on."
"There's no such thing as a free ride in this world," Albus sighed. "In a world like this, life forces us to pay the price for our dreams."
Julian closed his eyes for a moment, a strange feeling wrapping around his heart, as he realized that his life would never be the same again.