Caprio looked up at the ceiling. He promptly turned his head away when the bright bulb dazzled him. The Tonkinese cat jumped from Caprio's lap and trotted its way to the basement.
The house was soundless—with only the scented candle wick aflame and melodic tune of music. Caprio relaxed his head on the sofa. His eyesight imaged the ceiling without the bright bulb directly flashing him.
His dark eyes close leisurely. Whenever his eyelids touched fleetingly, he would unlatched them. The process repeated again and again—his breathing gradually loudens. His eyes were fully shut in, and his mouth opened slightly.
***
Thud
The boy opened his eyes quickly and looked at the source of sound. To his surprise, it was a wrinkled man dressed in sweatpants and a sweater. The two of them met each other's eyes; Caprio averted his gaze first, going back to his business.
Teodor yawned, heading to the kitchen. He pulled the fridge's door, revealing a loaded sustenance. He extended his left hand and grabbed six eggs and a carton of milk. The eggs were cracked, and it's innards fell on the skillet.
"Cook some for me too," Caprio said in a loud tone, but he was tired.
"Already am."
During that time, he grabbed two white plates and placed them on the empty table. A plate at the south pole, and a plate opposite of another plate.
Walking to the kitchen, he grabbed the hot pan and went over to the dining table. He placed 2 eggs on a plate and 3 eggs for the other. He tossed the skillet lightly on the kitchen sink.
Teodor sat down at the south pole, consuming the sunny-side-up eggs by using his hands.
Hearing Teodor munching, Caprio went to the dining table. He noticed a vacant seat, opposite to where Teodor was sitting. Caprio pulled the chair back and sat—his buttocks sink deep into the cushioned chair.
"Hands?" Caprio looked at the 3 fried eggs; no utensils nearby were to be found.
Before Teodor replied, he swallowed his food in his mouth and said, "That's how we eat."
The man didn't complain, ate his fried egg in one bite, and swallowed it whole. The two of them indulged themselves with the food presented. From time to time, Caprio would give Teodor a glance; who didn't mind Teodor's way of eating.
Teodor finished first, putting his dirty plate away. Caprio cleaned the kitchen dishes—that wasn't a lot. After he was done cleaning, Teodor's plate came in. He grabbed it and cleaned it.
"The 3rd floor of this house is your room," Teodor said, leaning on the counter.
Caprio wasn't sure if he heard Teodor correctly: "By floor, you mean the whole 3rd floor!?"
Teodor nodded, giving him affirmation. He looked like he's used to this kind of reaction.
"Check your room; I'm cooking dinner."
Caprio dried his hands with a cloth and headed up to his room. In front of him was an average door. He opened the dusty golden knob. He twisted it, then pushed it open. It was unadorned—a twin-size bed was the only thing that displayed.
Caprio walked to the bed and patted the mattress and sheets, including the pillows; after doing so, he placed them in their appropriate spots.
He laid down on the bed gently, and his sleeping posture resembles a fetal.
***
The room was quiet; dust was seen floating due to the dusk's remaining light penetrating the open windows. Only Caprio's breathing surrounded the room. He was almost at the edge of the bed, his posture supine. His left arm starts slipping until it no longer has contact with the stomach.
The cold, fuzzy carpet flooring was close to Caprio's hand by an inch or two close. His arm slipped slowly until it touched the flooring.
His eyelids opened fast; he was startled at the same time brought his left hand back up.
He sat upright and wiped his face dry. 'Washroom.' He tossed the blanket on his side, stood up, and walked downstairs.
He saw the old man eating alone in silence. "Mr. Teodor, where's the washroom?" Caprio asked, scratching his oily and messy hair.
Teodor swallowed his food and said, "Each floor has one, except the main floor."
"Ok." Caprio walked back to his room in search of the washroom. He found it near his bed. The door had the same color as the walls, which made it hard to identify.
He entered the washroom, and it was clean and spacious. He walked over to the sink with a mirror hanging. As he got there, he didn't look at the mirror but instead washed his face and hands.
Caprio felt clean, so he looked at the reflection of himself through the mirror. '...' He was disgusted by seeing the sight of him, especially his hair. He immediately finger-brushed his hair to make a slick back. After doing so, he grabbed a few strands of black hair on each side and let it fall.
'Look decent for now,' Caprio muttered to himself; he went downstairs to meet the old man. Teodor sat on the creamy couch, his neck resting on the backrest.
Caprio didn't bother him and instead went to the dining room. On the table were cuisines that were freshly made. Different meats and different vegetables were used to cook the dinner.
Caprio grabbed a plate and sat himself down; before he could place food on his plate, the old man spoke something.
"They're late." Teodor walked and stood patiently at the window, his back slouching slightly.
Prioritizing the old man before food, he left aside his hunger. "Who? The tenants?"
"Mhm, they usually come home straight away," Teodor spoke worriedly.
"Then they must have gone somewhere. You know, shopping or recreation." Caprio walked to him and patted his back weakly.
"You're right. Let's eat dinner first." Old man Teodor went to the dining table and ate. Seeing this, Caprio also ate to his heart content.
They began to tidy up once they were done eating. While the old guy dried the wet dishes, Caprio took care of the unclean ones.
"Caprio, I'm getting worried." With a thoughtful expression, Teodor set the dried dish on the table.
Caprio took a break from cleaning the dishes and sighed—his shoulders relaxing and his back curving. "We'll look for them once we finish our task." Caprio returned to cleaning.
Teodor dried and put away the dishes that were passed onto him. Since only 2 of them ate, there were not many dirty dishes. Caprio wiped his hands with a towel, and Teodor washed his slender, wrinkley hands.
"Let's go find them." Caprio stood in front of the door with his shoes worn.
"A moment, I need to grab my cane." While Caprio remained standing in front of the door, the old man went upstairs and returned with a can.
"You know where to find them?"
"Some places they often go." Teodor slowly approached Caprio.
Caprio stepped to the side, letting the old man walk outside first. The old man pushed the door and started walking to his right; Caprio followed suit behind.
"So, where are we going?"
"First, the Library. They like to go there together."
"Hmm," Caprio replied, still walking behind Teodor.
"Been meaning to ask, why'd you offer me a place?" His voice was polite, not forceful.
"Because I need a house cleaner." Teodor left out a laugh.
"For real?" Surprised by his answer, Caprio's eyes widened.
"You look decent with that new hair." The old man complimented Caprio's new hairstyle and let out a giggle.
Teodor spoke first, before Caprio could respond. "We're here."
Caprio wasn't flabbergasted or astonished.
"For an outlander, you're not surprised."
"Nothing special about a massive building with decent designs and a sign saying 'Public Library.' "Caprio shrugged.
"It's the inside that matters. It's an athenaeum, another name is Cornucopia Athenaeum."
Teodor was standing in front of a building, at least 100 meters tall. It's structure was tough and made out of white marbles. Designs were carved in the marbles, adding it for a unique touch.
After ascending the flight of stairs, both halted before an enormous granite entrance. When he got closed, the door sensed them and automatically opened. There wasn't anyone around at the door to open—just Caprio and Teodor.
Disappointed with his expectations, he noticed another area suitable for a crowd to gather. Far away, there was another door made of the same material as the main entrance.
On the left side of the room stood a counter, behind which stood a woman. A thick, textured glass was between the customer and the woman, providing security measurements.
"Relax; security is a must." Teodor interrupted him and went to the counter.
"Teodor Wilx Oplon. ID127083." Teodor spoke quietly enough for the lady to hear.
"Confirmed, and the young man?"
"He's with me," Teodor motioned for Caprio to approach near him. When the lady looked into Caprio's eyes, Teodor spoke up. "This gentleman's name is Caprio Kiansan."
The lady scrawled his name on a book and handed it to him through a tiny gap in the thick glass.
"Write your signature."
Hearing Teodor words, Caprio wrote his signature; he passed it back to the lady after.
"Please enjoy your stay." The lady said, pressing a button on her side.
The door opened, and Caprio was astounded. His eyes opened and his lips calmed—showing a gap between the dry lips.
A central staircase crafted from delicate white stone spiraled around. The staircase served to divide the eight stories; each level was denoted by a flat place on the staircase. Aside from the exit, not a single door was discovered, and there were no windows constructed.
A seemingly infinite line of neatly arranged bookcases stretched across the room. They were at least 3 meters tall and 2 meters wide. Huge chasms stretched from floor to ceiling. There were innumerable books covering every possible subject piled high on the lofty shelves.
There were dazzling crystal chandeliers dangling from the ceilings, lighting up the entire room. There was no change from one level to the next.
The building was serene and quiet. The outside world was soundproofed for a tranquil place. It smelled blatantly sweet, and with the fresh and aged papers stirred.
"One of the best spots to visit if you're an outlander." Teodor laughed looking at the library. Hearing no reply, Teodor looked back to see Caprio.
To not what his expectation, Caprio was covering his eyes with his forearms. "Uh, yeah, not the best if it's blinding me." He slowly removed his forearms that covered his eyes. His eyes gradually squinted hard when exposed to bright light.
His pupils contract, and his surroundings are clear. "It feels... nostalgic somehow," his voice was faint.
The old man pretended to hear it—but he knew he was amazed by Caprio's expression. "Take your time and tour the place. I'll go look for them myself." The old man left, leaving Caprio standing alone at the door.
Caprio's senses came back when Teodor was gone. Understanding Teodor's words, he roamed around freely in a massive library.
There were numerous words and letters that Caprio didn't grasp. He looks at it without pausing and continues on. To the next level, followed by to the next level—Caprio rapidly became tired of viewing the same structures. 'I should go back and look for Mister,' Caprio reflected privately, quickly growing bored.
On his way to the bottom floor via the spiral staircase, he noticed a stunning lady. Her gait was graceful, but her attitude remained frigid; she looked ahead rather than at the stairs.
The two of them walked opposite of each other's way. Caprio looked at her and mused, 'She looks lovely."
They peered into each other's eyes. The woman hastily averted her sight, as did Caprio. He could only admire and proceeded on his way.
Caprio was on the ground floor and realized something: 'Where's the rendezvous!?' Caprio faced palm himself.
'When he's finished searching, he'll undoubtedly come here.' Caprio leaned against the wall. He was sitting by the exit door. He has no choice but to patiently wait on the ground.
Caprio breathed deeply and sighed, "Well..." He spoke to himself. His feet flat on the ground, his knees over his toes, and his elbows resting on his knees.