"Um... ah, I have to show you how to prepare the storeroom," she suddenly remembered.
Diamond nodded enthusiastically, setting the paper aside. The librarian led her toward the storeroom, placing a hand on her back.
The librarian explained as they reached the dark storeroom:
"You need to stack these boxes. They only contain sheets for making books, so put them there, at the back, on the right. Then, on the left, as far away as possible, put these other ones with ink bottles. And on the other side, those new cleaning products..." he explained calmly.
"I'll be back in a little while. Let me know if you need any guidance or help," he added before leaving.
Diamond obeyed and began to organize everything. At first, it seemed to be going well: she placed the ink bottles delicately, taking care not to break them, as they were made of glass. She made a small pile with several mixed colors and paused for a moment to look at them. They seemed pretty to her, like colored sequins that glittered in the dark
Then he refocused and continued with the boxes of cleaning products. He left the paper boxes for last, and with good reason: when he finally picked one up, he discovered it was very heavy. Most of them he had to drag with great effort, and the taller the tower became, the harder it was to haul the boxes to the top.
After placing almost all the boxes of paper in their designated spots inside the warehouse, Diamond sensed a slight movement. A shadow slipped among the objects, so fleeting he could barely make it out, but enough to make him tense. He still hadn't quite gotten used to this town; deep down, he was still afraid. And that day, more than ever, Change's absence made him feel vulnerable.
He took a step back, alarmed, and his body crashed into the boxes stacked behind him. They weren't well balanced, and the impact was enough to make them all collapse, burying him under a shower of paper. A sharp cry escaped his throat as he covered his head
The librarian ran down the stairs and, seeing the mess, lunged toward the pile. He hurriedly moved the boxes aside until he could grab Diamond under his arms and pull him out of the tangle.
"Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" the librarian asked, approaching him with a concerned voice.
Diamond didn't answer right away. His whole body was shaking, and his tear-clouded gaze lingered on him with a mixture of fear and shame. He wasn't thinking about the bump, but about having caused another problem. It was the second accident this week, and guilt weighed heavily on his chest.
"I'm sorry..." he murmured, barely audible, shrugging his shoulders.
"That doesn't matter now. Let's go upstairs to the main room."
The man shook his head gently and, without waiting for a reply, slipped one arm under her legs and the other around her back, lifting her carefully. He carried her slowly up the steps, trying not to startle her any further, as the echo of their footsteps faded among the bookshelves.
The brighter, warmer central room greeted them with an almost protective silence. But the man stopped when he heard a stifled sob. Diamond was covering his face, his shoulders trembling. He placed her in a chair and knelt before her.
"Does anything hurt?" he asked.
She shook her head slowly, without looking up.
"No... nothing hurts."
"Then why are you crying?"
The librarian reached out and gently wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.
"Because I'm useless..." Diamond whispered, her voice breaking
The man frowned, surprised by the harshness of his own words, and spoke in a firm but calm tone.
"No, of course not. You just need time... and to find your place."
Diamond shook his head slowly, unable to quite believe it.
"I already gave the seamstress trouble..." he murmured between sobs, regretfully recalling his last mistake.
The librarian stroked his hair with a leisurely gesture.
"You'll find your place..." he said softly, as if stating a certainty. "You have Change. He'll know how to help you, he'll show you new options, paths you may not have imagined yet."
"I don't want to keep making a fool of myself..." Diamond whispered, breathing heavily.
"And you aren't," the librarian replied firmly, but without harshness. "Stay here for a while. Then, if you prefer, you can go home and rest."
She nodded with a slight movement, still trembling, and remained silent for a few seconds. Her breathing gradually calmed as she wiped her tears with her sleeves. The air smelled of paper and ink, and the soft murmur of the wind against the windows filled the gaps in the silence.
"Can I ask you one last favor?" she finally said, her voice calmer.
"Of course, what do you need?" the librarian asked.
Diamond hesitated for a moment before answering.
"
I'd like a cookbook... something simple, nothing fancy. I can pay for it."
The librarian smiled slightly and sat up.
"That won't be a problem," he replied as he went to the back shelves to find the volume she had requested.
After a few minutes' wait, the librarian returned with a hefty book filled with simple recipes.
"Here you are," he said, handing the book to Diamond gently.
"That'll cost one silver coin," he added, as Diamond took out a gold coin. "Sorry, I only have gold coins," Diamond explained.
The librarian raised his eyebrows, surprised by the payment, but accepted the coin nonetheless.
"That's alright, I think I can give you the change in silver coins..." he replied, and went to the storeroom. A short while later, he returned with a small bag containing 499 silver coins
Upon receiving the small bag, Diamond lowered her arms under its weight, but finally managed to hold it with both hands, clutching the book to her chest.
"Thank you," she said, barely audible.
"Goodbye..." she said, stepping out of the library and into the village streets.
She just wanted to get back to Change's house and read, in silence, until he returned.
As she walked through the deserted streets, focused solely on finding her way back, Diamond didn't notice the presence creeping up behind her. The air grew ever stiller as the scattered buildings gave way to the edge of the village. It was precisely there, in that brief moment of solitude, that she received a violent kick to her side that sent her sprawling to the ground. A sharp cry escaped her, shattering the silence. The book and the bag of coins rolled away from her hands
Gasping for breath, she managed to make out the figure of her attacker: he looked like a plastic doll, with an expressionless face, dressed in a tracksuit and a poorly fitted cap. Fear tightened in her throat. Instinctively, Diamond reached for the book, pressed it tightly to her chest, clinging to it like a life preserver. From the ground, she watched as the much taller stranger picked up the bag of coins; several spilled out, lying forgotten in the dust.
For a second, the attacker watched her, puzzled to see Diamond protecting the book before the money. But then, without a word, he turned and ran down the empty street, disappearing with the loot and leaving Diamond there, trembling—broken by fear and pain.
Only then did he look around, searching for someone, some familiar figure or simply a witness to lean on. There was no one. The town's outer streets remained deserted, and the air seemed even colder and heavier in its solitude.
Diamond remained motionless for several seconds, frozen in absolute silence, fear nesting in his chest. It was the first time someone had stolen something from him, and not stealthily or casually, but swiftly, violently, and directly. There were no distractions or lapses in judgment, just a forceful and merciless act. Before this, Diamond had had a much clearer picture of this town, based on what Change used to say: Peace, the city of equality. But now, that idea wavered with every beat of his heart
At first, he stood still, paralyzed by confusion and surprise, not knowing what to do. But the area where it had all happened was no longer a safe place for him. So, with effort, he began to crawl, picking up the coins scattered on the ground. Every movement caused sharp pains in his waist, where he had been hit. Little by little, he managed to stand up, still sobbing, wiping away the tears that flowed uncontrollably.
Fear and anguish left him disoriented, unable to clearly remember the way forward. For a few moments, he was lost in that sea of uncertainty, until slowly he began to orient himself and move along the correct route. His steps were slow, marked by pain, but steady. Finally, he reached Change's house. Without hesitation, he locked the door, an odd detail in Change's routine, but for Diamond at that moment an absolute necessity: to feel protected, even if only behind a closed door
Diamond walked slowly through the house's hallways, which creaked beneath his worn wooden feet. Each step seemed to echo in the silence, like a reflection of his own inner state. Finally, he reached his bedroom and, moving heavily with tiredness and pain, climbed onto the bed. He curled up in a corner, surrounded by the room's dim shadows.
He was stained with ink, remnants of the day's work; stained with mud, traces of the recent incident; and stained with tears, those that still streamed down his cheeks. Alone, exhausted, and aching, he clutched the book he had brought with him tightly. His original plan had been to read a bit and, if he found enough ingredients, prepare a surprise for when Change returned. But after what had happened, all those intentions vanished
Diamond just wanted to close her eyes and drift off to sleep, seeking a better refuge. And just as she began to succumb to weariness, an unexpected revelation emerged in the stillness of her mind: that better place she longed for was no longer the ship she came from, nor a physical location, but Change's embrace. A warm and safe haven that, in that instant, became her true home.
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