I kept my physical position perfectly still on the edge of the large mattress, continuing to look down at her frame as the quiet minutes slipped away inside the silent bedroom. The morning air within the room remained entirely peaceful, carrying no sound from the outer hallways or the garden downstairs. I watched her calm expression as she lay against the soft pillows, her breathing slow and regular while she remained unconscious on the bed. After a few minutes of this complete stillness had passed by, a small movement occurred as Elphyete woke up from her deep sleep. Her eyelids trembled slightly before opening slowly, allowing her to take in the surroundings of the bedroom once again. She blinked a few times to adjust her sight to the gentle light that filtered through the large glass window pane nearby. She shifted her body slightly against the soft blankets, turning her head slowly across the pillow until her gaze was directed straight toward my position on the edge of the mattress. She seemed to realize exactly where she was and what had happened in the private room just a short while earlier before she had completely lost her senses. She breathed out slowly, letting her shoulders relax against the bed. She adjusted her position slightly, pulling the blanket a little higher around her frame to stay warm in the quiet morning room.
As our eyes met in the quiet space of the room, a warm and amused expression formed on her face. She looked at me and just laughed softly at the entire situation, the quiet sound of her amusement breaking the long silence of the bedroom in a very gentle manner. She found her sudden fainting spell to be quite funny now that she was safely resting on the bed. She cleared her throat slightly, maintaining her steady gaze on my face, and said, "I must have passed out. You can leave me here for a bit because I want to take a nap." Her voice was soft but completely clear, carrying no trace of the earlier shock as she delivered her sentences to my ears. She wanted to spend some quiet time alone to recover her energy fully by sleeping a little longer under the warm blankets. She stayed perfectly still on the pillows after speaking, showing that she was completely comfortable remaining on the bed while I returned to the other areas of the large building. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again to see my reaction. She smiled gently once more, letting her head rest completely against the soft fabric as she prepared to sleep comfortably.
I listened to her words carefully, understanding her desire to rest quietly by herself for the next part of the morning. I nodded my head up and down in a slow, silent gesture to show her that I agreed with her request and would let her sleep in peace. I stood up straight from the edge of the large wooden bed, balancing my weight evenly upon my boots on the smooth floor blocks. I turned my physical frame around and walked slowly toward the heavy exit of the bedroom, making as little noise as possible so I would not disturb her. I reached out my right hand, caught the cold metal handle firmly, and pulled the wooden door open cleanly. I went out of our room, stepping across the threshold into the long, empty corridor of the mansion. I turned back around and pulled the door shut behind me, moving it slowly until a soft click signaled that it was completely latched, leaving her alone to take her nap inside the peaceful space. I stood in the hallway for a short second, adjusting my grip on my surroundings. The long hallway was completely vacant, and the quiet atmosphere of the upper floor matched the stillness inside our private room.
Once I was out in the hallway, I turned my body and began to head back out to the backyard to watch Salphy play on the lawn. I walked along the smooth floor blocks of the upper corridor, placing my boots down with a steady, rhythmic pace that echoed softly against the walls. I navigated the long passage, turning past the corners of the large house as I made my way toward the central staircase. I descended the steps one by one, keeping my hand near the railing as I reached the ground level of the mansion. My main goal was to return to the green garden area outside so I could keep an eye on the little girl while she continued her games in the fresh morning air. I knew that the rest of the companions were still gathered on the grass, and I wanted to be present to observe their activities. I walked through the lower rooms, directing my steps along the wide pathway that led straight toward the rear exit of the big building. My boots made a regular sound on the hard floor blocks as I proceeded forward. I looked forward to seeing the children playing happily on the green grass outside after all the morning's intense events.
While walking down this specific corridor on my way to the back door, I passed by the library room of the mansion. The large entrance to the room was situated along the side of the stone wall, featuring two tall wooden doors that were slightly open. As I moved past the opening, I caught a brief glimpse of the massive shelves that were packed tightly with countless volumes of old documents and texts. By my curiosity, I stopped my forward movement completely on the smooth floor blocks, feeling a sudden desire to explore the quiet interior of the room. I changed my direction entirely, turning my physical frame toward the open doorway. By my curiosity, I went inside the large room, stepping softly across the threshold onto the dark wooden floor of the library. The air inside this specific area smelled strongly of old paper and dust, and the high shelves stretched all the way up toward a very dark ceiling, creating a very solemn and quiet atmosphere all around my position. I took two slow steps inside, looking around the wide space. The large room was entirely empty of other people, leaving me completely alone to wander among the rows of books.
I walked slowly into the narrow spaces between the tall shelves, looking up at the long rows of documents that were stacked high above my head. Everything was perfectly still inside the room, with no wind or movement to disturb the quiet environment. However, as I stood near one of the central wooden structures, a sudden shift occurred on the shelf directly above me. A thin book fell straight down from its high position on the shelf, dropping through the empty air of the room before making physical contact with my body. A thin book fell to my head, striking the very top of my skull with a small, sharp thud that caught me completely by surprise. The impact was not heavy enough to cause any real pain, but it caused me to react instantly with my arms. I reached out my hands quickly into the open space beneath my face, tracking the path of the dropping object as it slipped down past my forehead. I grabbed it securely with my fingers before it could hit the wooden floor blocks, holding the small volume tightly in my right hand. I adjusted my fingers on its surface. The sudden movement had broken the absolute silence of the room, leaving only the sound of my deep breath in the aisle.
I stood completely still in the narrow aisle of the library, holding the unexpected item firmly in my grip. I lifted my arm up slightly, bringing the object closer to my face so I could examine its appearance under the dim light of the room. I looked into the book cover, turning the front side of the thin volume toward my eyes so I could inspect the surface clearly. The material of the cover was slightly worn, showing a simple design with no extra decorations or drawings on the flat surface. I looked into the book cover with a lot of attention, focusing my sight directly on the center of the front page where some clear words were written in plain lettering. I looked into the book cover and saw the title written right across the middle of the surface in clean, bold print. The letters were easy to read against the background, and then I saw the title ("How to Make Money") printed clearly for anyone to see. I held the thin text in my hand, reading the exact phrase over and over while standing in the quiet room. I turned the thin volume completely around in my right hand to look at the plain back side as well during this quiet morning.