From where he stood, he could see the massive vertical span of the library: shelves crammed with books stretching from the ground floor to the upper levels. The silence was broken only by the occasional rustle of pages or footsteps echoing from the wooden floors above.
He leaned on the counter, glancing around. A few students wandered between shelves on the first and second floors, but the library felt mostly empty.
Ahem! Ahem!
Alex turned at the sound.
An old man stood behind him—small in stature, but impossibly aged. His long white beard brushed his knees, and his hair flowed like a silvery river, nearly touching the floor. It was the same little master who had helped him before.
The old man laughed, his voice raspy but warm.
"Hahaha! Lad, so you finally came back!"
Alex gave an awkward smile, bowing his head slightly.
"Yes. Hello, sir."
The master beamed.
"You're still the same, eh? Tell me—did you manage to learn the technique I gave you?"
