Chapter 2:I'll make sure you learn

The cold stone floor pressed against Adrian's back, a constant reminder of his imprisonment. Hope, once a flickering flame, had dwindled to a mere ember, threatening to extinguish entirely.

Al Mussad sat across from him, Mussad gaze unwavering. He had been quiet, observing Adrian, allowing him to wallow in his despair. But Adrian couldn't bear the silence any longer. He needed to speak, to release the burden of his past, to find some semblance of understanding in this bleak reality. Adrian started talking

"I was a slave," I began, my voice raspy from disuse. "The slave trader couldn't sell me quickly, my small stature a hindrance. Days turned to months, months to years. My life felt worthless, a forgotten corner of the world. No one even looked at me, let alone saw me."

A wave of memories washed over me, each one a painful reminder of my lost years.

"Then, a hand reached out, a hand that felt like a lifeline in the suffocating darkness. I looked up, and there he was, a man clad in clothes that seemed to shimmer with wealth. He bought me. I thought I was just another disposable slave, a tool to be used and discarded. But he was different. He gave me food, shelter, a semblance of care. He told me, 'This is Nard, the head servant. Report to him first thing in the morning. You'll be replacing Midas.'"

I took a deep breath, the memories swirling around me like a storm.

"I noticed something about the staff in his house. They had bright smiles, a spark in their eyes that spoke of freedom. I asked, 'Who is our master?' The servant, a woman with a kind face, rebuked me. 'You don't know the name of the man who saved you?' she asked. 'I don't know him. I'm not from here,' I said. She smiled, her eyes filled with a strange reverence. 'The man who brought you is the Duke Vinzenso. He's different from all the other nobles,' she said. 'Why?' I asked. 'Because he's the only noble who frees his slaves after they've served him for ten years,' she answered. I was skeptical, but then I saw it with my own eyes. A man, his face etched with the lines of hardship, was released from his service. He walked out of the house, a wide smile on his face, his steps filled with newfound freedom. My heart ached with envy. They said the Duke was a man of his word, an ideal man. He helped people in his fiefdom. This area has the lowest taxes in the entire country. He treats everyone with respect, even the slaves,' the servant said. 'We all have a role in the house,' she continued. 'Your role is in the library. Midas, the one you're replacing, has one year left before the Duke sets him free.'"

I swallowed, the past a heavy weight on my chest.

"I went straight to the library. It was a mountain of books, a world of knowledge waiting to be explored. And there he was, Midas, a middle-aged man with glasses perched on his nose. 'Oh, this is the guy who'll be replacing me,' he said, his voice laced with amusement. 'Well, you're smaller than I thought.' That was his first impression of me."

I looked at Al Mussad, my voice barely a whisper. "My life was a mess, a constant struggle for survival. But then, I met the Duke. He gave me hope, a glimpse of a better life. And then, it was all taken away."

The weight of my despair, the bitterness of my loss, threatened to consume me. But Al Mussad's presence, his unwavering gaze, offered a sliver of hope, a fragile thread in the darkness. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance for me to find my way, to find a purpose in this chaotic world.

"How did you and the Duke become close?" Al Mussad asked, his voice a low rumble in the quiet of the cell.

The question jolted me back to the past, to the days when hope had flickered brightly, before the darkness had swallowed it whole.

"It was in the library," I said, my voice a whisper, "Midas, the old librarian, was teaching me my work. 'I've never seen this many books,' I told him. He chuckled, a kind, gentle sound. 'We have a lot of free time here,' he said. 'How about you read some to fight the boredom?' 'I don't know how to read or write,' I answered. He looked at me, his eyes filled with pity. 'How old are you?' he asked. 'I don't know,' I said, my voice barely a whisper. He smiled, a warm, reassuring smile. 'We still have one year,' he said. 'I'll make sure you learn how to read.'

My heart swelled with a warmth I hadn't felt in years.

"Every day, Midas helped me. Stories, history, language, mathematics, even science. He taught me the basics, and then I was hooked. I fell in love with books. I started studying on my own, devouring knowledge like a starving man. It became my freedom, my escape. I could travel the world, explore the depths of history, experience the wonders of science, all from within the confines of the library.

"Five years passed. I was so engrossed in a book, I didn't notice the time. It was late at night, the library bathed in the soft glow of candlelight. The door creaked open, and there he was, the Duke, standing in the doorway. I was surrounded by books, a mountain of knowledge piled high on the table. 'Did you read all of this?' he asked, his voice a low rumble. 'Yes, Duke,' I answered, my voice trembling. 'I'm sorry, I didn't notice the time.' I bowed, my head lowered in apology. He reached out, his hand gently stopping my bow. He asked me questions about the books, random passages, obscure facts. I answered, my mind racing, my heart pounding. He moved to another book, then another, testing me, challenging me. He changed the language, but I understood. He gave me complex math problems, and I solved them.

"He looked at me, his eyes filled with a strange intensity. 'Tomorrow,' he said, his voice low and firm, 'you will come with me. We will find someone to replace you.'

My heart plummeted. Was I being replaced? Had I done something wrong? The Duke's words hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the precariousness of my situation.

The past, once a source of hope and comfort, now felt like a cruel joke, a reminder of what I had lost. I was back in the cold, dark cell, my future as uncertain as the flickering torchlight that cast long, dancing shadows on the stone walls.

Al Mussad's presence, his quiet observation, offered a glimmer of something, a spark of hope in the darkness. But the question lingered, a heavy weight on my mind: what had happened to the Duke? Where was he now? And why had he chosen me, a simple slave, for such a strange and unexpected bond?