Forbidden book

The old man, his name is Elros, again another elf whose name starts with E, it will probably forever remind me of the fact that Estel was the last person I saw from the great prison. The three times I had to live through their deaths, to see all those men die. The countless deaths… It's painful to think about it from any point, only a psycho wouldn't see it as a wrong thing. Where did he go? I have no idea, what should I do? Also no clue. But I know what I can ask him about since I can't access the map in my head. It's probably because of the portals. My stomach is actually screaming for something to eat, I should head out from the library since I can't even read anything here. So I went from the way we came from, looking at the books wondering how much time it might take me to read all of those books. If I want to do it anyway, I wonder how mana talks, I really wonder how it might be. The kind of voice he may be using.

"Where are you going?" A distant voice asked, it seemed as if it was coming from behind my back. From the end of the library, from somewhere far behind me. It was the voice of a man, but that wasn't the same as Erlos. It seemed like someone I've met but already long forgotten.

"To eat, I am hungry, haven't eaten for some time it seems," I answered instantly, the very moment he asked. I don't know why, but the voice started laughing loudly. There was nothing to laugh about nor was there anything he should laugh about. I said nothing wrong, nothing funny nor dumb. Why was he laughing? And why was that laugh so… Annoying? I don't understand it, it was the voice of an old man. His voice was that of a stoic man, that of a strong man. In all that echoing madness never have I met a single thought other than wrath inside of my mind as I heard it. "What's so funny?" A question as easy as this and now it seems that he doesn't want to answer. What is that person… But right after I spotted something in the library, right on my horizon. What was that? I wasn't sure myself, but it was a book shining red. It was quite a weird color, it was red but not just normal red, it put genuine hatred inside of me. I was looking at it, everything around seemed like it disappeared. There was only red in my eyes. I was focused solely on it. Then something pushed me, I don't know what it was, it didn't feel like anything, it was more like for the sake of moving.

"You are still alive?" Erlos asked the book while holding it. His grip was tight, the hardcover of the book which was made from real skin was bending according to the strength of his fingers. But the book itself was repulsive of his grip, the pages did not even bend. I am sure he put all of his strength into that grip, and I am sure that it was more than anyone I've seen before. I felt it on myself even though I wasn't even close to it. I felt as if he was grasping my own soul with just his pure strength from so far.

"What do you mean, Erlos. How can I die? I am just a book, aren't I? And who is this? Oh, you found yourself a new student, didn't you? How cute, this guy has no darkness. How pure." The book responded, the voice was so strong that I don't even know how I should respond. "Hey, kiddo! Do you want to become more powerful faster than with this old man?" His voice tried to enter my mind but Erlos made a small gesture with his hand targeting me. I felt something around my head, it was like a shroud of steam, blue steam surrounding my head like a cloud almost. I didn't feel his penetrating voice inside of my head, now everything seemed normal. Even the book itself stopped shining red.

"Don't try it again … …. …" Once again he said a name I didn't even try to repeat in my mind, it was just something like a mumble and gurgle. A demonic sounding voice, very weird… What is that name? Is he, or rather, was he the same as the devil I made a deal with?

"You learned my name? How nice of you. You actually learned my name after so many years… I'm gonna start crying here you know?" The book once again answered and started moving in his hands from the strength behind the way he is talking. The voice was making the entire place around us shake. Such power just in mere words.

"Go back to the end." He whistled and threw the book into the air, it disappeared in a second. And wasn't around us anymore. It was somewhere entirely else, far away from here, probably where it was before that thing appeared before my eyes. Before his voice came to my mind… Get stronger before the old man will do it? Faster? Am I this desperate to become powerful to even stray away from the master that picked me up? "Don't listen to what he is saying, that red glow… It always has the same impression on anyone who sees it, that's why it's at the very end of the library. That red thing, that disgusting power… It's the corrupted mana, he is an old master of mana who has corrupted his mana planets with forbidden spells. Spells that don't rely on anything besides using blood as it's second power supply. Disgusting power… Even worse than that of the dark." He explained quickly and made a gesture that's been saying that I should follow him. He started walking and of course, I was right behind him.

"Blood can empower spells?" When the question left my lips, he looked at me with consent. He regretted that he said anything regarding the blood spells, corruption of mana… Was that the same thing the general did to kill everyone? How does it work… How powerful can it become?

"My tongue really is that of an old woman on the bazaar, unable to stop talking a

bout important stuff. But now it's too late for me not to talk to you about it… Yes, combining blood with either dark or mana increases the strength of spells or anything you create with those two immensely. But the problem with it is… It makes a man slowly lose humanity, after that he can't fight without using it, one may become too reliant on that power. Using your own blood as a supply to empower a single spell… I would never understand that in my life. Ever since I started being a mage, I had never even tried to think about it as a good way of fighting. That's very… Inhumane." While explaining he gasped loudly halfway through. The regret started only now catching up to him while he was walking towards the large door we came through before. He was in pain because of that, I saw it in his eyes. "When it comes to mana and blood techniques… You can create a spell that will curse someone, it will become a burden to them and in the end, after some time their death will become inevitable." Using those kinds of techniques is only just to make people suffer. Why? Why would anyone use it… But on the other hand, what if you would use it for good?

"Have you- Have you ever used it yourself?" The question once leaving my mouth made him bite his lips. It seems that even someone like him had to use it at one point, either from the powerlessness of his own or just sheer lack of knowledge.

"There was one time, long ago, very long ago. I once used it against this guy, I put his soul into the book. I was unable to kill him long ago but there was no other way of stopping him from his actions, therefore that was my last line of finishing him… I never wanted him to become eternal in this way but I feel like he is slowly regaining some of his former strength. He will never be able to break out of here, but he can try and corrupt others just like now. That bastard… I don't know what I should do with him." He held his forehead with the entirety of his hand, looking somewhere through his fingers. His eyes seemed ferocious. Almost animalistic.

"Why won't you restrain him somehow?" The question left a bad taste in my mouth. There was no real point in it happening but it did though, it seemed like the question hit him harder than any spell anyone could throw at him. I heard something, I heard his heart pounding. It was a strong and loud sound. Repeating itself, over and over again... It was a pounding of fear and anger.