The first book from the cloaked skeleton -- the one that Ciel picked up -- was evidently a personal journey, as evidenced from the contents of the book. Though it was somewhat difficult to read through most of it, between the hasty handwriting of the author that resembled scribbles in a few spots, and the deteriorated quality of the pages (likely a result of the age, if this skeleton was indeed once a living person whose flesh had rotted away), Ciel would be able to make out the last two pages to have words written in them. It read as such:
Monsters right behind me. Not a lot of time. The lock won't hold. Need to figure out another way out of here. Certainly can't take them all on with a mimicry of the Sacred Flame and my cross boomerang.
Following this was a break in the paper, before he continued writing.
Something weird about the blocks in the wall. Some of them are hollow. But not enough to make an exit. Am I being toyed with?
Fiddled around with the "books." Thought I heard a clicking sound when I pulled at some of them in a pattern, but I forgot what it was, confound it all. I already pushed them back in my uneasiness. Maybe it was just my imagination. The number "four" definitely means something though. The books... What am I missing? Is there something else linked to it? Maybe it's the can--
The entry ended there, the page stained with dried blood. It was likely self-explanatory what happened from there.
As for the other book that belonged to the skeleton that Mike picked up, it was certainly... different, right from the get go. Certainly not a normal journal really. Somehow, the book seemed far better preserved than the journal, even seeming to glow a subtle hint of blue almost. Inside, the inscription read:
This mystic channeler should be taken care of with the utmost delicacy. Magic and witchcraft, while considered taboo by the intolerant common folk who know no better, is an art that could die off at any moment. There is no time to teach it it in depth when students are being put down at the guillotine for their gifts.
To whoever wields this, keep it if you desire, for as long as you hold on to it, you shall wield an extension of the power of the Sacred Flame. Though not perfect in its entirety, rather but a mimicry of the true spell, it should be sufficient to protect oneself from the creatures of darkness.
Mike now wielded the ability to conjure
fire magic with his mind so long as he held possession of the book.
Or if he wanted to loan it to Astolfo (or anyone else), that was a possibility.
When Sebastian and Libra would examine the metal cross, on the other hand, there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about it, except that it was just... very hard, even harder than what silver ought to be despite its appearance. The diary that Ciel picked up might give it a clue as to what it really was.
As for the bookshelves, at first glance, they might not have seen all that strange to Ben and Grace, but it didn't take long for them to spot a few oddities. All the spines of the books were completely blank, and more than that, they just felt off to the touch, the covers (and the "pages" within) feeling like they were made of something soft like wood instead of actual paper. On top of that, any attempt to pull them out to examine would be in vain, as the books would suddenly jam after sliding out a few inches, as though they weren't meant to be pulled out entirely. This applied to every shelf, from the dusty ones to the clean ones, essentially made up of fake books, it seemed.
@Jeremi @Yun Lee @Crow @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Khan of the Mardu @Tutski19 @Archmage Jeremiah @Otto @Raptor Jesus @Kaykay @Everybody
