Chapter 26

Chapter 26
Ella's POV

Free Haven's library sat in an old stone building at the city center, its outer walls covered in ivy, the air thick with the scent of aged paper and candles.

Julian pushed open the heavy oak door, the hinges groaning low.

"Welcome." An elderly librarian looked up from behind the counter, his spectacles glinting in the candlelight. "Can I help you?"

"We're looking for texts about ancient elemental origins," Julian said politely.

The librarian gestured toward a corridor in the back. "The antiquarian section is at the very end, but those books haven't been touched in ages. Good luck."

We passed through rows of towering bookshelves, our footsteps echoing in the empty hall. The antiquarian section was located in the deepest part of the building, dimly lit with only a few candles barely illuminating the space. The shelves were packed with heavy leather-bound volumes, many covers already faded and damaged.

"Where do we start?" I asked quietly, not wanting to break the silence.

Julian scanned the shelves. "Look for records about the five primal elements first."

We split up to search. My fingers slid across spine after spine of ancient books, dust swirling at my fingertips. Most titles had become illegible, some even written in ancient scripts I couldn't decipher.

This is like finding a needle in a haystack, Ignis said in my mind. There are at least thousands of books here.

"I know," I whispered back, continuing my search.

Time ticked by. I'd leafed through countless books on alchemy, herbology, and astrology, yet found no trace of anything related to the Orta Crown.

Julian's situation seemed much the same—I could hear his occasional soft sighs.

"Ella, maybe we should change our approach," Julian came over, dust on his forehead. "This blind search is too inefficient."

I was about to respond when my gaze suddenly caught on a book at the very top of the shelf, nearly falling off. Its cover was deep blue, decorated with intricate runic patterns drawn in silver thread.

"That one." I pointed at it.

Julian followed my line of sight and frowned. "Too high. I'll get a ladder."

"No need." I took a deep breath, summoning a small flame to gently lift the book and lower it slowly into my hands.

Careful, Ignis warned. There might be rules against using magic here.

But I'd already caught the book.

The cover felt cool to the touch, those silver runes glowing faintly in the candlelight. I opened the first page, and an ancient aura washed over me.

The title was written in archaic script: Records of Elemental Origins

"Julian!" I called to him in a hushed voice. "I found it!"

He hurried over to look. The pages had yellowed, edges somewhat damaged, but the text remained clearly legible.

I began slowly turning the pages, Julian standing beside me as we read through these ancient records together.

"Legend says the Moon Goddess, unable to bear watching the werewolves who worshipped her suffer from nature's wind, fire, thunder and lightning, granted those among them with talent the ability to inherit elemental magic..." I read the words aloud softly.

The page was decorated with exquisite illustrations—five human silhouettes, each surrounded by different colored light. Red for fire, blue for ice, green for wind, yellow for thunder, brown for earth.

I continued reading: "The five great elements were each governed by five original bearers. Orta, Lord of Fire, presiding over flame and forging, passed the light and methods of crafting tools to all werewolves..."

My voice suddenly caught.

Under the entry for Orta, Lord of Fire, there was a simple sketch.

It showed a muscular man wielding a hammer, working before a furnace. Though rendered in simple lines, the contours of that face—those deep-set brows, that resolute jawline—

"This is..." My hands began to tremble.

The man forging the crown under moonlight, Ignis said softly. The one you saw.

Julian noticed my reaction and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

"This portrait." I pointed at the page. "It's the man I saw in the vision. The one forging the Orta Crown."

Julian studied the drawing carefully, his brow furrowed.

"If this truly is the first Fire Element bearer, then there must be some bloodline connection between him and your father Xavier."

I nodded and continued turning pages. The records about Orta weren't extensive, just a few passages describing how he passed the power of flame to later generations, how he taught werewolves to forge weapons and tools.

But when I turned to the next chapter—the section about the Lord of Wind—my heart sank.

An entire chapter's worth of content had been torn out.

The page edges showed ragged tear marks, as if someone had once roughly ripped these pages out. Only the chapter title remained, sitting there alone.

"Torn out," Julian said quietly, his tone carrying obvious disappointment.

I touched those damaged edges, an ominous feeling rising in my chest. Why was it specifically the Lord of Wind's chapter that was torn out? Was this coincidence, or had someone done it deliberately?

"We need to borrow this book," I closed the volume. "Maybe we can still find other clues."

Julian nodded in agreement. We walked toward the librarian's counter, where the old man was recording something.

"I'd like to borrow this book." I handed him the Records of Elemental Origins.

The librarian took the book and pushed up his spectacles to examine it carefully. "Oh, this one. It's been a long time since anyone checked it out." He opened the ledger and began recording.

"Excuse me," Julian suddenly spoke up. "Has anyone borrowed this book before?"

The librarian paused, then began flipping backward through the ledger. He turned pages for quite a while, his finger sliding across yellowed paper before finally stopping on a certain page.

"Let me see... the last record of this book being borrowed..." He squinted. "Was... twenty-three years ago. The borrower's name was..."

His finger pointed to a certain name.

"Quillan."

Julian and I locked eyes, both seeing the shock in the other's gaze.

"Quillan Rhodes?" Julian pressed. "The merchant guild president?"

"Should be," the librarian nodded. "Back then he was still young, came to the library often. After that I never saw him borrow this book again."

I gripped the book tightly, my heartbeat accelerating.

Why would Quillan have borrowed a book about elemental origins? And twenty-three years ago—right around the time of Celeste's birth.

This isn't coincidence, Ignis said. He must know something.

"Thank you," I said to the librarian, then Julian and I quickly left the library.

Stepping outside, the sunlight was blinding. I blinked, clutching the book tightly to my chest.

"Quillan borrowed this book, the Lord of Wind's chapter was torn out, Celeste can hear the wind's voice..." Julian said in a low voice. "There must be a connection between all these things."

"And that thief who stole the crown had a green earring," I added. "That earring made his speed surge, just like..."

"Just like the power of wind element," Julian finished.

"I think we may need to see that goddess again," I said. "Celeste. She might know something, even if she doesn't realize it herself."

Julian nodded. "Tonight then. But we need to be careful—if Quillan is truly involved, he won't easily let us approach the truth."

I looked at the book in my hands, thinking of that torn-out chapter, the unease in my heart growing stronger.

Lord of Wind, why was your story erased? And where did the power you left behind end up?