Heir of Eternity

Archives Room

Lucas chewed on his bread while keeping his gaze fixed on the highway. Afternoon traffic was beginning to thicken. City buses, taxis, and bicycles crowded the intersection in front of the campus until the black sedan vanished behind the stream of vehicles.

"Strange," he muttered.

Ethan put his phone in his pocket.

"Why?"

"Guest lecturers are usually picked up by the committee or take a taxi. This one was like... I don't know." Lucas shrugged. "Maybe I watch too many movies."

He chuckled softly, then folded the empty bread wrapper before tossing it into the trash can.

"Are you still going to the library?"

"Yeah."

"I'm heading to the lab first. I've got a practical session."

They parted ways at the corridor intersection.

Instead of heading toward the main library building, Ethan turned toward the old administration building standing on the northern side of the campus. The building was much quieter than the faculty area. The cream-colored paint on its walls was peeling in several places, and the room directory signs looked faded with age.

On the ground floor, the university archives room had its door wide open.

An elderly woman sat behind a wooden desk piled high with folders and documents. Reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose. Her hands moved slowly, stamping several files.

The woman raised her head upon hearing Ethan's footsteps.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for information."

"About what?"

"The Blackridge Old Library."

The woman set down the stamp she was holding.

"Are you a history major?"

"No."

"Then why are you interested in an old building?"

Ethan had anticipated that question.

"I attended a seminar earlier."

The woman nodded slowly.

"If it's just the history of the building, the seminar material should have been quite complete."

"I want to know who owned it before it was handed over to the city."

The woman studied Ethan for a moment.

"Wait."

She stood up, walked to the rearmost shelf, and pulled out a thin folder whose color matched the surrounding dust.

She placed the folder on the desk.

"There aren't many documents."

Ethan opened it slowly. The first page contained a copy of the building's deed of donation to the city government. The second page held a photo of the library when it was still operational. On the final page was a list of foundation board members.

Ethan read through them one by one. None of the names were familiar to him. But right at the bottom of the page, a small note caught his attention.

All donor family archives were removed at the request of the foundation in the same year.

"Who was the donor?" Ethan asked.

The woman shook her head.

"The family name isn't listed."

"Why?"

"The original documents never made it to the university."

"So nobody knows?"

"Someone does."

The woman closed the folder.

"But not us."

"Who?"

The woman smiled thinly.

"The National Archives."

The campus library was much more crowded than the archives room. The sound of air conditioning blended with the rustle of turning book pages. Several students filled the reading tables while working on group assignments.

Ethan chose a catalog computer in the corner of the room. He typed in the name Adrian Huxley. The results popped up immediately.

Author. Historian. National Archives Researcher.

A list of books he had written appeared. Most of them discussed the history of old European cities, the mapping of historical buildings, and the preservation of ancient documents. However, not a single one dealt with legends or the supernatural.

Ethan opened one of the digital book catalogs.

The author profile page featured the exact same photo of Adrian from the seminar. The only difference was that the photo had been taken several years ago. Standing behind Adrian was a stone building. The Blackridge Old Library.

Ethan zoomed in on the image. The resolution was low. But near the main entrance, an emblem carved into the supporting stone was visible.

A circle with a pattern that...

He stopped moving his finger.

No.

The engraving was different.

At a glance, it looked similar to his metal disc, but upon closer inspection, there was an extra line cutting right through the middle of the circle.

The difference was minuscule. Almost unnoticeable. Yet it was enough to prove they were not the same symbol.

"Looking for something?"

The voice made Ethan quickly close the browser window.

A library staff member stood behind him, carrying a stack of books.

"No. I was just reading the author's profile."

The staff member glanced at the computer screen.

"Oh, Professor Huxley."

"Professor?"

"Yes. Before moving to the National Archives, he used to teach here."

"Does he still visit often?"

"Every now and then."

The staff member placed the books onto a cart.

"He still advises a few research projects."

Ethan waited until the staff member was about to leave.

"If I wanted to see him..."

The staff member paused.

"...where does he usually go after a seminar?"

"If his schedule isn't packed, he always drops by the Special Collections Building."

"Where is that?"

The staff member pointed out the window.

"The red brick building behind the library."

Ethan thanked him and quickly hurried outside.

The afternoon air was beginning to grow warm.

The building in question stood apart from the main structure, surrounded by maple trees shedding their leaves. Not many students knew about the place. Its front door didn't even have a nameplate, just a building number that had nearly faded away.

Ethan climbed the three steps leading to the porch.

Before he could even knock, the sound of conversation drifted from inside.

"...he has already shown up."

The first voice.

Male.

Calm.

Adrian.

"Are you sure?"

The second voice was heavier.

"There's no mistaking it."

Ethan froze.

He stepped closer unintentionally. A small gap between the door panels revealed a sliver of the room.

Adrian stood with his back to the door. In front of him, a man in a gray suit was leaning casually against a reading table.

His face wasn't clearly visible. But his haircut and posture were... far too similar to the man who had stepped out of the black sedan a few minutes ago.

"Does he know yet?" Adrian asked.

"Not yet."

"Good."

"I want to keep it that way."

Adrian shook his head slowly.

"That's no longer up to us."

The man in the suit gave a dry chuckle.

"No."

He straightened his shirt cuffs.

"Now everything depends on... whether he shows up at the library tomorrow morning."

Ethan held his breath.

They were talking about him.

Without realizing it, he took one step back. The tip of his shoe scraped against a clay flower pot near the door.

The faint scraping sound broke the silence. The conversation inside the room stopped instantly.