Several disappearances and unexplained events have been registered shorty after the commercialization of an ancient statue linked to some legends from a mysterious place called "Reich der Finsternis" in eastern Germany, there is no know route leadin...
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The library – PART I
The disturbing images of executions lingered in their minds. Within the confines of this extravagant land, terror alone seemed insufficient to subdue its inhabitants, and cruelty knew no bounds. Each act was crafted to outdo the last in brutality and horror.
At the man's call, they entered the building, stepping into a heavy atmosphere where the stale odor of years of neglect hung in the thick air. The agents removed their robes, discarding them on the floor, but decided that Anika should keep hers on for concealment. Liz was preparing to turn on her flashlight when a few flickering bulbs suddenly illuminated the interior, a stark reminder that electric light still graced this sector.
Bookshelves made of weathered oak, adorned with flower motifs like scars of age, housed tomes with dark, aged leather covers. The somber ostentation of the place was accentuated by elegant carpets in shades of brown and burgundy, and tables strewn with scrolls that still emitted a faint scent of faded ink, alongside astronomy instruments and an antique globe.
Nick eyed the man at the library's entrance, who appeared to be in his sixties. His disheveled gray hair and glasses gave him an air of wisdom, while his white shirt was concealed beneath a gray vest. He was petting his dog, cradling it as if it were the only living being he had ever loved.
"Hold on a second," Nick bellowed, surveying the library's empty aisles, which were as desolate as any he had encountered before. "These books haven't been here long; they're not the texts we're after."
He kept his rifle trained on the man and his dog, distrust evident in his stance. The man, however, remained unfazed and reluctantly settled near a counter.
"You're mistaken," he replied, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "This is the library of Reich der Finsternis, and it has been here for centuries. You just... aren't in the right section. Please lower that gun."
"I'll decide when to put it down," Nick shot back, his tone icy and unforgiving.
Liz, sensing the tension, stepped forward, trying to initiate a peaceful dialogue with the librarian and his pet. She approached with the empathy that Nick seemed to lack in his questioning. "Can you please lower your weapon?" she urged him, but he ignored her. Finally, she turned her attention back to the man. "Excuse me, sir?"
"Oppenheimer," he introduced, gesturing to his last name. "But you can call me Wolfgang, after the composer. Maybe that'll help you remember me better. I lack his talent, but I've learned to survive here."
"I understand," Liz said softly, encouraging him to rise. "But how did you know who we are or that we would come all this way?"
Wolfgang concealed a smile, though the lines on his slightly wrinkled face spoke of weariness. Struggling to his feet, he moved to a bulletin board cluttered with handwritten notes and pamphlets produced by old printing presses. Liz recalled her history lessons and the documentaries she'd watched with her brother, remembering how this technology had transformed under Johannes Gutenberg's influence in Germany.
