The room was dim with only a small light on the wall. There was what seemed to be an orb in the center of the room, placed gently on a stand. The secret room was a huge library, much more grand than the one I was used to.
Shelves with scrolls and books were arranged in sections, some written in a language I didn't understand. I walked around slowly, examining the room I had found, still trembling with each step.
The huge orb in the center had most of my attention, but I didn't dare to touch it. *Did my aunt want me to find this room? And if not, what was she hiding?* I decided to look through the scrolls to see if I would find anything relevant, anything that would add to the information I obtained from the book. There were at least a hundred scrolls, and I didn't know where to begin. To make it worse, it was too dark to read. I moved around the room in search of a torch, a lamp, or anything to brighten up the room. Nothing. I found nothing. How could such a big library have no light? I leaned on the wall, lost in thought.
Oh, how I wish the walls would light up.
And so they did. Tiny balls of light appeared on the wall. One alone wouldn't do much, but there were like a thousand. So pretty! I had never seen such a beautiful glow. It was truly magnificent. Gasping in awe, I touched the bubbly lights. They were squishy and scentless. They were also perfect for reading. Were these lights always on the wall? If so, what button did I push? There was no explanation for the light, and there was no point dwelling on it.
I should probably start by separating the scrolls I can understand from the ones I don't. So I did. For hours, scroll after scroll, I carefully differentiated the ones I understood from the ones I didn't. I had lost track of time as there were no windows to differentiate between night and day. I had successfully separated the scrolls, but my body could do no more, and I was starting to feel a bit hungry. I looked up at the large clock on the wall; 9:00 p.m. it read. Time truly waits for no one. Making my way upstairs, I made myself some sauce. I had learned a little bit of cooking from my aunt since my father never bothered to cook for me. My body, tired and worn out, desperately needed sleep. Turning off the lights, I made my way to bed, knowing fully well what I was going to do the next day.
I woke up earlier than usual the next day, feeling better than I had in days. My mind was clear; there was no room for hesitation. The mission was simple: find something important inside the secret room. Easier said than done. I rushed down the hall and into the secret room. At least the scrolls were sorted, so this shouldn't be too difficult. Still, it would be better if I could read the scrolls written in that language. There's probably some useful information in them since the language is so secretive. Not much I can do about it, I better focus on the ones I can read.
I lay on the floor scanning through the scrolls I could understand. They were old, but not older than the book that contained the history of Leniva. The scrolls' edges were rough and very dry. After hours of going through one scroll at a time, I found it.
A scroll, aged but intact, labeled with words that made me jump for joy: **Details of Power Test**.
My heart leapt, and I squealed in joy. Hugging the dusty scroll tightly, I smiled uncontrollably. "Yes!" I shouted. All my efforts had not been in vain. I felt like a child receiving a long-awaited gift.
Pushing the other scrolls gently aside, I settled down, my eyes wide with focus. I began to read.
The details revealed that witches were divided into three houses: the Starine House, the Moonphine House, and the Cresenters House. They were grouped based on the mark they received during the test. Those with a star mark belonged to the Starine House—the top house, the most powerful, also known as the nobles. Those who received a moon mark were placed in the Moonphine House, the second-ranking house, also known as the knights. Lastly, those who bore a crescent mark were assigned to the Cresenters House, which consisted of witches with little magical ability—commonly referred to as the commoners.
The nobles handled decision-making and governance in Leniva. The knights were tasked with protection, while the commoners worked mostly as maids and servants for the nobles. The most powerful of the Starine House becomes the king or queen of Leniva.
I see. So the mark given to them basically decides their whole life. If I did take the test... where would I belong?
I placed a hand on my chest, gripping my necklace for comfort. I kept jumping from question to question, and this was a lot of information.
This system of leadership clearly had its flaws. Families were often torn apart, and there was obviously going to be a lot of internal conflict and power struggle. The idea of determining someone's fate based solely on magical strength didn't sit well with me. What was the point of a system that valued power over people? But then again, there was nothing I could do. If I'm truly a princess, I would change such a system. I don't even know where my supposed motherland is.
According to the book, it was located at the farthest end of Briggs Kingdom, but it's not like I know where that is, either.
Still, none of that mattered in the moment. The facts I had searched so long for were finally in my hands. I had found it—the answer. My heart jumped with joy as I clutched the ancient scroll and read the title aloud, my voice trembling with excitement: Steps for Power Test.
Doing a little dance, I laughed like a child given her favorite treat. For a few precious seconds, I allowed myself to bask in the glee. Then I composed myself and read on.