Morana

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The door closed behind us when both me and Alejo were inside. In front of us were several bookcases filled with books. Some that looked old, and some that looked relatively new.

"I'm not sure, Morana," Alejo told me as his eyes wandered over the books. "I don't think that question was very specific. There's probably a lot of irrelevant information in here."

"Maybe, but it still might give us an idea what to ask next," I answered, refusing to be anything other than optimistic. I pointed to the left and said, "You take that side and I'll take this."

I turned to the right and started going through books.

Forever later, my optimism had dwindled. There was just too much. Too many creatures that were all very different from each other and that also didn't fit my experience of those voices at all.

I turned back to Alejo and saw him sitting on one of the couches in the room. He flipped through a book without seeming to read it at all.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Not really," he answered and closed the book with a thud.

I went over to him and flopped myself down next to him, sighed out my disappointment.

"What now then?" I asked.

"Tell me about the voices again," he said and leaned back.

"I don't know. Like I said, they are sort of creepy. A bit like they are separate, but they are also the same. Like several people sharing one mind. And there's something a bit drawn out about how they talk. Like slithering sort of."

He sat straight again. His eyes were wide, but there was a light in them. "Is it like one says one thing and another answers though they aren't answering but continuing whatever was said?"

I thought for a moment before slowly nodding. His description was fairly accurate.

"That's how the Librarian sounds when they talk to me," Alejo said, and I felt my jaw drop.

My head was blank as I just stared at him. His words buzzed in my ears, but I was unable to process it until a horrible thought hit me. If Alejo saw something that was connected to me and I saw him dead, did that mean I would somehow cause his death?

"Come on," Alejo exclaimed, stood up and moved towards the exit. I followed slowly, not sure if I wanted the answer anymore.

I barely had time to step outside before Alejo asked the question, "What type of creature or being is it I see when I look at you?"

I paid close attention to the Librarian's face as the question was asked. I knew and could read Alejo's face all too well, which made it very easy for me to get a grasp of the Librarian's state. Currently, he was thinking hard, but not of what the answer was, but of how to formulate it. Then he turned his attention to me.

"Not all information is good to receive until it's ready to be received," he said in a serious tone, which made me swallow hard, but I nodded.

"I understand, but I want the answers."

He nodded as well and then snapped his fingers before indicating the door. "The answer is on the other side."

I turned to Alejo. He frowned and met my eyes with worry.

"Is it okay if I go in on my own?" I asked. I had no idea what was on the other side. What answer I would get. I did trust Alejo, but for some reason I felt like I needed to be alone to process whatever came.

"I'll be waiting here," he nodded.

I gave him a quick smile and then stepped forward. I walked into the room and as the door closed behind me, it became completely dark except for a light in the middle. The light shone on a book that was held in the air by what I could only describe as shadows.

I walked forward and stood before it so I could read the title.

Death Shadows

My heart was in my throat as I read the title, and I wanted to turn around and run away. I wanted to take Alejo and hid, because it all confirmed my theory. That I somehow would end up being responsible for his death.

But the only way to stop that was to know more about the enemy.

My hand shook as I reached out and opened the book.

I felt sick to my stomach by the time I had finished the first chapter. I couldn't continue and I also didn't feel like I had to. All answers had been given.

They were the guardians of the souls that had died but had yet to move on to the next step. While the souls were there, the Death Shadows feasted on their life energy. It also said that the only ones who could communicate with the Death Shadows were the ones that carried a bit of them inside of themselves or that had visited their realm while still alive.

I knew I didn't belong to the latter category, I definitely would have had memories of that. But that then meant I carried a part of death around with me.

No wonder people had always avoided me.

I thought back to when I had been hit by the truck. I should have died, but I hadn't. Was this the reason? I already carried a part of death with me, so I hadn't died? Maybe I couldn't die because of that reason.

But if all of this was the case, then why did Alejo see them when looking at the Librarian? What connection did he have to them? Well, that was easy to answer. His only connection to them was me.

I would cause his death and give him over to the Death Shadows, I felt certain of that.

But there had to be a way to stop it.

I hurried out of the room, knowing I needed to know more, needed to know how to ensure I would never cause Alejo's death.

I had expected to be met by both the real Alejo and the dead one, but the only one on the other side of the door was the dead Alejo.

"Where is his?" I asked immediately.

"He had a question he wanted answers to," the dead Alejo said, and I calmed down. "So Morana, what other questions do you want answered?"

"Will I cause Alejo's death?" I blurted out, needing to know.

"I cannot answer that," he said with an annoying calm.

"Why not?!" I screamed back.

"Because some things are not meant to be known."

"Then... Then why do you look like Alejo but dead to me?" I asked next and received a maddening response.

"I cannot answer that."

"What can you answer!"

He gave me another long and hard look before he opened his mouth to speak again. "I can only give objective truths. I was made to guard this Library and to give knowledge to those who seek it. My task is aimed to maintain the magical world and serve all magical beings as equals."

"That sounds like just a bunch of bullshit," I muttered and then took a deep breath to continue to figure out what I needed to know. How to protect Alejo. "Why can I hear the Death Shadows?"

"The answer is in the book you just read."

"What does it mean by carrying a part of them within you?"

"The answer is in the book you just read."

"To hell with that book! Just tell me!" I shouted, but he remained unperturbed and the calmness of his voice as he answered was driving me insane.

"I warned that not all information is good to receive until it's ready to be received."

"But I don't have time to be ready. I need to know. I need to protect him. When will I be ready? When I have lost everything?"

"Yes."

I had more that I was ready to yell at him, but that one word made me stop. All air left me and I felt faint, lost. Terrified.

I just stood there staring at him for the longest time before I found my ability to speak again.

"No," I whispered at first, and shook my head. "No, that can't be true," I continued, and my voice steadily grew stronger. "I will not lose him! I'll find a way to protect him. I don't give a damn about what I have to do, but I will never, ever lose him!"

"Some things are unavoidable and some things you might not want but are exactly what you need," he answered in his continued maddening calmness.

"Fuck you! You're a piece of shit, do you know that! You're horrible. Do you get some sort of satisfaction from playing with people! Is that it? Do you enjoy being an asshole?"

I kept shouting insults at him as the door behind him opened and Alejo stepped out.