“I know the answer.”
Kaien snapped and made everyone look at him. “The answer to the clue is the library. We could find something there. Besides, it’s where I found the diary.”
“Oh! We have not visited the library yet, are we?” Nathan asked Benji.
Benji disbelieved of what he heard coming from Nathan. “Can’t believe that you still think about visiting every corner of this mansion at this time,”
“What’s wrong with it?” asked Nathan. “After all, there’s still lots of areas in this mansion that we haven't explored yet. And that’s the fact.”
“Calm down you two,” Kaien interrupted. “Come with me. I’ll show you the library.”
Both Benji and Nathan just kept quiet and followed Kaien and Allen. At the moment, it would be best if they focus on helping Kaien find the answer and win the game. Hopefully, they will be able to get out of here without any harm.
“How did you know about the library, Kaien?” Allen asked while they were walking in the hallway to the library. “When did you go there?”
“Hurm? The first night we were here,” answered Kaien.
“Oh, I see,” said Allen. “I just wonder because I think you always stay in your room. I rarely see you go out unless during breakfast, lunch or dinner.”
“Oh! Really?” Kaien was surprised, or pretended to be surprised. “I took some books from the library that night. So, I just stay in my room to read them.”
‘As expected from a doctor,’ thought Allen, Benji and Nathan at the same time.
“Here we are,” Kaien announced as he opened the door to the library.
Kaien led everyone into the library first and it felt like he was stepping into a labyrinth. The shelves were neatly lined with books large and small, their covers spanning the colour spectrum. And all the books seemed to be waiting for him to reach for them at any moment.
Even though that was the second time Kaien went to the library, he was still amused like the first time he was here. Allen, Benji and Nathan looked around the library with amused eyes since that was their first time stepping into the library.
“There are so many books here,” said Benji amused.
“Yes, they are,” replied Kaien while looking around. “I think there’s more books today than the night that I first came here.”
The books here seemed to be constantly multiplying and lessening. Where were they coming from? Perhaps they were the knowledge and story of the kids who died here taking the form of books. Someone’s history, a telling of someone’s way of life. What was a tragedy for them became a lesson for the reader. If they were the tale of those kids that died here, would it mean that the ending all the same?
“Maybe we could find something about the house, or people in here,” Kaien suggested. “I think I heard Dom say something about the books in here before. They have many books. . .”
“You mean those people that die here,” said Benji as though he just read Kaien's mind.
“Maybe. . .” answered Kaien, trying to remember what Dom said that night. He felt like he forgot something important.
“If they all die here, doesn't it mean they all died in the same way?” Benji asked Kaien. “Isn’t it boring how they all end the same way?”
“I wouldn’t say so. It’s all about how they get here and how they live before that,” Kaien explained. “Maybe there’s a story about ‘us’, the kids who got away. How we got away. Besides. . .”
“Besides?” asked Allen when Kaien suddenly went quiet.
“Besides, everybody dies at the end,” said Kaien without looking at anyone.
Kaien walked around the library and looked up at each bookshelf, leaving everyone behind. He was sure that the number of books in the library had increased since that night he came to the library. And he could not possibly read all the books in here, especially when he really did not have much time like now. At that time, it hit him.
‘We have lots of books here. Books from lots of lands, books from lots of people. Useful stories and useless ones. Our stories, your stories. . .’
‘Our stories, your stories,’ Kaien whispered, repeating what Dom had said that night. “My stories? Allen! Benji! Nathan!”
“What? What?” The trio shouted back from all different directions as they were running towards Kaien. Kaien’s shout sounded so urgent and they thought Kaien must have found something.
“Find a book with your name as the title,” ordered Kaien.
“That’s impossible! I never write or publish my own book!” snapped Benji.
“No time to explain, but believe me, you will find one. Now, go find it.”
Without having to tell them twice, they spread into action. They went separate ways and into the section where they thought the book was. Kaien too walked around the room of books in thought and looked through the books in the bookshelf. Then suddenly his eyes caught a book on the bookshelf with a title of his name.
“Kaien Kaughan,” it reads.
That was quick, Kaien thought. Suddenly he felt nervous. What was written in the book? Everything that happened in his life since he was born? What if there was something that he did not even remember or know was written in the book? His secrets? Does he have secrets? What if there was something he should never need to know?
There were too many questions that needed to be answered. The only way to get the answer was to read the book. His book.
With a shaking hand, he took the book. He stared at the book in his hand for some time before taking a deep breath. Slowly, he opened the book.