The Story They Erased

Aria followed the librarian towards one of the sections of the library. The section contained ancient records.

Their covers were worn, their pages yellowed with age, and some were covered in layers of dust.

The librarian stopped in front of a large book and removed it from the shelf.

“This is the oldest record we have concerning the Great War.”

Aria looked at the huge book in front of her.

It would take days for her to go through the book.

“Thank you so much.”

“You're welcome. You cannot take it out of the library, though. You'll need the Alpha's permission before you can take it out.”

“Why's that? Luna Melina allowed me to read them.”

“Yes, I know that, but that's the instruction put in place years ago, and we can't disobey it.”

The librarian then reached for a thick brown book and pulled it from the shelf.

Dust immediately filled the air as she dusted it.

Aria coughed.

“This one contains records from the final years of the Great War.”

Aria sat down and took the book.

“Thank you.”

“If you need anything, I'll be at the front desk. Just let me know.”

“Alright.”

The librarian then walked away, and Aria opened the book.

The first few pages contained information about all supernatural races: the elves, vampires, witches, faels, werewolves, and all. Their history, origin, their total number, the various divisions and their clans.

She slowly turned the pages. there was information about the various wars that had occured in each race over the years.

War of the faels against the elves.

Vampires against werewolves.

Witches against humans.

The wars were specifically described, as well as the cause of each one.

The descriptions were increasingly disturbing. Villages were destroyed, children and adults killed without mercy.

Aria's fingers tightened as she read on. She had heard several stories about these wars, but reading them made everything feel different. Then she reached a particular page titled:

The Great Fall

Aria grew curious as she saw the title.

She began reading through.

The human race was declared an enemy of the supernatural world following the death of the great princess, the beloved daughter of Maelva, the supernatural warlord and ruler of the twelve main realms of ____.

The rest of the sentence and page had been torn out. Aria frowned. It seemed deliberate. She flipped through the rest of the pages. The pages that were supposed to contain information about the Great War were not complete. Some information was missing. Some pages had been torn away. She picked up the huge book on the desk which the librarian had said contained information about the Great War. She spent the next hour going through the book. It told the same story Luna Melina told her.

Aelra's only daughter had fallen in love with a human, and after the marriage and the pact they made to keep humans safe under the realm of the supernatural world, Aelra's daughter found evidence of the rebellion of the human race against the supernatural. On her way to report it, she was murdered in cold blood, and her dismembered body was sent to Aelra in Varat.

Aelra, greatly angered, ordered the complete annihilation of the human race, and that was when the Great War broke out. Anyone who opposed the annihilation of the human race was killed. Aria read on with suspicion. There were numerous inconsistencies. The cause of Aelra's daughter's death didn't match.

In the book in front of her, one of the records claimed that Aelra's daughter was killed on her way to report the rebellion, but in another record, Aelra's daughter was killed in Varat in the presence of her father.

The dates didn't match, too.

Some records in Arandour claimed the war began during the general meeting held between the supernaturals and the leaders of the human race to renew the pact made between humans and the supernaturals, while the record in front of her claimed that the war began months after the general meeting.

Aria leaned back in her chair.

“This doesn't make any sense. Which should I believe?”

If only she could return back to Arandour and retrieve those records, but they would be all burnt by now. Aria sighed as she stared at the huge book in front of her.

“How do I figure out the truth?” she whispered to herself.

“You've been reading for quite some time. What have you discovered?” the librarian asked as she walked beside her.

Aria hesitated before speaking.

“The stories don't match.”

“They rarely do.”

“Why's that?”

“Because history is written by those who survive, and what you were taught may not be the same thing that happened.”

Aria stared at her.

“Do you know anything about it? Something different from what these books are claiming?”

The librarian looked towards the shelves.

“There are many other things about the Great War that none of the supernaturals dare discuss.”

“Things like?”

“The Ralta.”

Aria froze.

“You know about the Ralta?”

The librarian looked at her.

“Yes.”

“Tell me what you know about it, please. It could give me a clue.”

“I can't.”

“Why?”

The librarian walked towards a smaller shelf and pulled out a little black book.

Its edges were weathered with age.

“This is the only information about it. Only the Ralta can decipher it.”

The librarian then walked out.

Aria opened the book.

She continued turning the pages, but all the pages were blank.

She kept turning the pages until she got to a particular page.

On the page was a symbol.

That was the exact symbol on her arm.

It was the symbol of a fire flame with an arrow passing through it. Aria's breath caught. She touched the page. The mark on her arm suddenly became warm. Aria immediately pulled her hand back from the page. She gasped as she realised what had just happened. Just as she was reminiscing about all that had just happened, the library doors opened. Kael stepped in with a few sentinels. He walked straight towards Aria. Aria's heart stopped as she stared at Kael walking towards her. Luna Melina had promised to take her to the library in the evening but her inquisitive nature had gotten her here.

"I hope he's not mad" she thought to herself.

“What are you doing here?” kael asked.

Aria swallowed.

“I...”

Kael's gaze moved towards the books scattered on the desk.

“I thought my mother asked you to stay in your room?”

“Yes, she did. I was bored.”

Kael's gaze remained fixed on her.

“There's something you need to know.”

Aria's expression became serious.

“What's that?”

“Your surviving is no longer a secret.”

Aria's heart sank.

“What do you mean?”

“Maelva knows you survived, and he is on the search for you.”