The Dark Path: Stygian Days

Please Be Silent

- Please Be Silent -

[Archer’s POV]

I pushed the trolley of books slowly across the library floor as I placed the books that had already been read back in their intended places.

“Thomson’s Stories Of Greek Myths should go here, Azali’s Supernatural Tales From Medieval Times goes there…” I said as I went about doing my work.

I’ve had this job at a library in Europe for several years now. Despite the fact that I had supernatural powers, it did not instantly guarantee me an entertaining time. I tried my best to liven things up in the Dark Lands but after several months, I decided to get a human job instead of just sitting and rusting on my throne all day. Some might say that since I’m the Dark Lord, why don’t I just take over the world or annihilate the human race? If you ask me, that just shows how shallow some people can be. I do not have even the slightest intention of doing any harm to the humans. Well, most of them anyway. I’m just here to eat the souls of cowards and torment the past sins of liars, nothing big.

“My lord, isn’t this book supposed to be in the other section?” a low voice spoke.

A turned around and looked at one of my shadow people holding a book on nuclear physics.

“Oh right. Thanks for noticing that, Dokkalfar. Are there any other books that I have misplaced?”

Dokkalfar looked around. “This appears to be the only one, my lord. Previous books that you have placed on the shelves besides the one in my grasp are in their intended arrangements.”

“That’s good. Let me have the book. I’ll place the book back in the right place.”

When I first saw the shadow people, they did not say anything. It was not because they were fearful of anything but rather the fact that they literally could not say anything. Their ability to converse had long gone when they became shadow people. It was just how things went in the Dark Lands. It was the land of darkness for crying out loud, not the land of screaming and shouting.

Giving the shadow people the ability to speak was just one of my many attempts to liven things up in the Dark Lands. Granted, it was pleasing to finally hear conversations going on, besides the between me and Syschela. However, even though they were shadow people, they conversation topics weren’t that different from what humans in ancient times used to speak about. Great house, what is the price for this and that, are the animals well-fed, the simple stuff.

Anyway, as Dokkalfar handed me the book, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and found a young man in a red and white turtle neck and thick framed glasses looking at me.

“Can you help me? That is, if I’m not troubling you. I’m lost,” he said.

“Of course, sir. How may I assist you? Is there a specific book that you’re looking for?”

“Well, I’m looking for some books on zoology.”

“Ah yes, zoology. It’s at the shelf second-closest to the audio booths. It’s on the fourth shelf from the bottom and third book from the left.” I grinned.

He looked shocked. “Um, thanks? I guess?” he said as he walked off.

I’ve been working here long enough that I’ve memorised the locations of all the books in the library. The only tasks that I have in the library are placing the books back on the shelf and making sure no lovebirds try anything inappropriate between the library shelves where they think people can’t see them.

There’s a relatively few number of staff working in this library. A lot of people come in and out of the library each day that it can be too much for the staff. They would be busy keeping records and checking books that they rarely had time to keep the books back on the shelf. By the end of the day, they had five to seven trolleys of read books that had to be sorted back. So I took the offer to help them out for a decent pay. I wouldn’t be buying anything fancy with what I got but at least it got food on the table. Syschela encouraged me to get my own food instead of waiting for my subjects to serve me meals in trays. Human food wasn’t as good as cowards’ souls but at least I didn’t sleep on a hungry stomach. I hummed an improvised tune as I did my work. This was just like any other day.