Kai then led Aria back to the table where he sat down. He then made her sit down on the other chair he had on the opposite side of the table.
"It took us a while to reach here. Is this library that big?" She asked with a curious expression.
"It's big. I think it has a copy of every single book and scripture ever written and more." He said.
"Woah! That's amazing! Did you read them all?"
"No…" Kai replied with a confused look. How can someone even read all of that? Not to mention the fact that he was only 6 years old.
"Do you ever want to read all of that? To gain endless knowledge?" She asked an even weirder question.
But, for some reason, Kai couldn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked around him, at the rows of shelves filled with books. A myriad of emotions filled his eyes for a second. As much as he hated his life and dreaded the lack of purpose, he found solace in this hollow library. He thrived inside this place filled with knowledge.
What he couldn't see with his own eyes from places to cultures to people to even the smallest of animals or the biggest of stars, he could read about it from those books. Knowledge was great, he loved acquiring it because it made him feel like he was actually a part of this world and not a misfit, a ditched individual that nobody knew about.
"Maybe…" Kai replied as he finally sighed and asked her. "What book do you want to read?" He asked.
"Anything you give me." She replied with a smile.
"I don't have a preference."
"Then, a fantasy would do."
"Fantasy?"
"Yeah, an epic fantasy, a romance fantasy, even a comedic fantasy, anything with fantasy in it is good." She replied.
"Why fantasy?" Kai blinked in confusion.
"Because I love the worlds these books build. They can be intricate, interweaving, and alive. I can feel the characters living in it more than anything else. It's really an eye-opener. Even for someone who can't see."
"Imagination, huh?"
"Yeah, that. My mother used to read me a lot of these books. I have a fond memory of them." She said with a rather sad tone that Kai picked up on. But, he didn't want to ask why she felt sad at that moment. Everyone has their past and not everything should be revealed.
"I think I have a fantasy book you might've never heard of." He said before he walked toward one of the shelves nearby and then he used the ladder to climb to the highest level of the shelf.
"Oh, be careful." She said.
Those words made Kai halt for a second as he looked at her.
'Be careful?'
He had never heard someone say that to him before in his life. Why did she say that? He thought to himself. He couldn't understand.
Never did someone tell him to be careful or worried about his well-being and why would they? After all, he was born with powers like no one else. A few things could harm him even at such a young age.
"Kai? Is everything okay?" She called for him.
The latter quickly shook his head before he picked up the book and came back before he put it down in front of Aria.
"This is it. It's called 'The Chronicles Of The Progenitor'. A book written by an unknown author and tells the tale of the Progenitor, a man of great power and fame, and his journey to that position. It's heavily romanticized and mostly inaccurate depiction of the life of the Progenitor but it's a good fantasy book as far as I'm concerned."
"I did read about the Progenitor before. But, ugh, it was just a mere few sentences, no more."
"People don't have enough information to make books about him. This is the exception." He said before he dragged his seat toward her and sat down.
"I will read it. So listen."
"Mhm, go ahead. The only thing I have is my ears so you can take them." She joked.
However, Kai sighed and shook his head. At this point, he can't be shocked by her quirky responses anymore.
"Once upon a time, in a far distant land, somewhere between the clouds or perhaps in another realm of existence lived a great man. This great man was a war hero, a man who saved countless lives and slain countless enemies. He was loved by everyone and he loved everyone. After a life of greatness, time finally took its toll on him and so he decided to settle down and finally create a family."
"Oh, I like the sound of that. Having a family is very beautiful." She commented.
"A family?"
"Why? You don't want to have one in the future? My mother used to tell me that I would be able to make one once I grew up. I still don't know why I can't make one now, though."
"You… I don't think you can." He said.
"Huh?! Why?"
"You can't have kids until you're at least 12 years old."
"Woah?! Really?!"
"Yes."
"Then, then, can I make a family when I'm 12?"
"I don't know. Just listen to the story." He said.
"Ok, ok, I won't cut you off anymore. Go ahead." She said.
Shaking his head again, Kai continued.
"He found himself a good wife and built a small house far away from the city where he could be at peace, finally. Years passed quietly and he was finally bestowed with a child. A son. This son of his grew up in that loving family, between his parents. The child quickly grew up to show great talent, a might even his dad didn't possess when he was his age. Seeing the potential in his child, the man decided to train him to become a great figure, just like he was."
"OOOh, that sounds so beautiful! I like this man with no name, he seems like a good person."
"*Sigh* And how did you figure that out this quickly?"
"Because the book said so?"
"The book could be lying."
"But if the book lied, then who to trust?" She asked.
"..." That answer was so innocent that it made Kai speechless. She actually did have a point, somehow.
'This book is mostly filled with epic lies and grandiose tales that never happened.'
"He wanted his child to become a great man like him, what's bad about that?"
"He could've perhaps trained him for a malicious reason? To maybe take over the land again after his heydays?"
"Hmm, that certainly is possible. But, I still want to believe he did it so that his lineage could be that of heroes rather than people seeking help. That's a noble cause."
"Can I continue?" He asked.
"Please." She said.
"Years passed again, and the kid finally grew up and was finally ready to leave his house and embark on his journey to become a great man like his dad. Because of his father's great teachings, he wanted to become a hero, a man like no other, and to make his father proud. This man was the Progenitor and this… Well, this is his tale."
"Oh, so that was the introduction?"
"Yes."
"That was really epic. It felt like a whole tale was written in a few sentences. This author is skilled."
"Perhaps he is. I can give him that."
"Hehehe, you finally complimented the author for once."
"What?"
"You were really criticizing the book the whole time and calling it a fictional lie."
"That's because it is."
"But, it never needed to be real to deliver what it wanted."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the emotions that this story carries. The author's purpose wasn't accuracy, but to make the reader feel the emotions of this tale. Isn't that the purpose of legends?"
That answer was rather accurate. Tales weren't meant to be real, they were meant to be emotionally investing for those who read them. When Kai realized that, suddenly, the whole purpose of the book started opening up for him. It was like a new gate of literature had been parted wide for him to pass through.
Then, Kai continued reading the book as Aria would cut him off and comment on something silly, something funny, something sad, or something happy. She would giggle at the weirdest of things, show her appreciation for the most unpredictable aspects of the story, and even talk directly to the protagonist of the story as if he could hear her.
Meanwhile, Kai watched this show with a rather interesting look. Seeing her reactions was like a new light in his life igniting out of nowhere. This blind girl who stumbled upon his library by pure coincidence had somehow made him completely captivated by her character in a matter of hours.
Eventually, the whole day passed without either of the two noticing. They kept reading, talking, and sharing thoughts. Kai found himself engrossed in this more than he thought he would. It felt refreshing, interesting, and worthy of his time. Wait, something worthy of his time?
Apart from reading books, had he ever found anything else worth his time? The answer is no with ease.