The library

Aurelius's eyebrows had shot up in surprise. Dragons were a rare topic of discussion, especially in their circle of acquaintances. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure and replied, "Since I agreed that I will not ask you unnecessary questions, I will not ask why you want to know about them.” His kind gesture did not go unnoticed by Crystal. Perhaps involving him was a good idea after all.

"More than a decade ago, the Dragons, who were once the closest allies of the faeries, suddenly attacked the fae kingdom. Some say they were under a spell, while others believe they were always hostile. Nevertheless, after that incident, dragons went extinct on their own, and no one actually knows what happened to them. Some still believe they are hiding somewhere."

Crystal's heart started to race at the possibility that the dragons were still alive and hiding somewhere, especially since the dragon from her dream had promised to meet her soon.

Crystal knew that dragon was not hostile, despite being hurt. She had never felt any animal's emotions wrong and was confident in her instincts.

"Since then, dragons have been forbidden to be mentioned by any being. They are no longer included in our curriculum either, but there might be books in the libraries if you want to acquire any specific knowledge about them." Crystal widened her eyes and looked at Aurelius with a sparkle in them

"There's a library here?" she asked excitedly, and Aurelius nodded his head, relieved that her sudden sullen expression had been replaced by excitement about the library.

"Yes, but since first-year students are not allowed to enter the library, you will need my help to gain entry," Aurelius said, although he couldn't help but feel pathetic that he had to rely on this to spend more time with her. But he was willing to do whatever it takes to get closer to Crystal, and he sensed that she was starting to warm up to him too.

…

Aurelius called out in a commanding but hushed voice, "Ex Pleutio Legendaria," and in a flash, the book Legendaria appeared before him, plucked from the vast expanse of the library's shelves.

Crystal's eyes widened in amazement, and she clapped her hands in delight. Apparently, the Ex Pleutio spell did not require magical abilities and even she could perform it, as the library was receptive to the commands of both teachers and students alike.

"But I don't know the names of the books, so what should I say?" Crystal asked.

Aurelius pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Try saying, books regarding those creatures or how did they go extinct?"

Crystal nodded, but she couldn't help but notice that Aurelius had purposefully avoided mentioning the word "dragons."

She leaned in closer to him and whispered, "Can I whisper my command like this, so other students and the librarian will not hear that we are trying to learn about the dragons?"

Aurelius's breath hitched at the sound of her soft voice so close to his ear. He felt a tingle run down his spine and butterflies flutter in his stomach at the proximity of her lips. He found himself momentarily speechless, lost in the thrill of the moment.

Aurelius turned his head to face Crystal, her aqua-blue eyes captivating him as he felt his heart pounding in his chest. He wished the ground would open up beneath him with his humiliation, for he was so flustered by her presence while she sat there, leaning toward him, seemingly unfazed. Aurelius was panicking as if his life depended on it.

He rapidly nodded his head, hoping Crystal would lean back in her seat that she did, flashing him a beautiful smile that did nothing to calm his racing heart. He still wanted to jump into the ground and cursed himself for being so easily overwhelmed.

"Ex Pleutio Books about dragons and their masters, and books about dragon extinction," Crystal said, and a pile of books quickly accumulated in front of her.

She looked at Aurelius, dumbfounded. There were at least twenty books, and Crystal knew that books on such forbidden topics would not be available for students to check out. She couldn't possibly ask Aurelius to do this every time she visited the library, given that he had his own student life to manage.

"Wow, that's quite a pile of books," Aurelius commented, chuckling as he looked over the impressive stack in front of Crystal. She dropped her head in dismay, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of books she had summoned.

Despite the momentary urge to comfort her, Aurelius restrained himself from patting her head or making any sudden moves. He didn't want to scare her away or make things awkward between them.

"Do not worry, I will help you and share any information deemed necessary," he said, trying to put her at ease.

Crystal looked at Aurelius with puppy eyes, grateful for their chance encounter in the woods and the knowledge that he was willing to help her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you sooooooo much. I'm glad we crossed paths," she said, grabbing his hands enthusiastically. With her nature, she would have suspected the one going to those lengths to help her but she had understood what others said about Aurelius, he was really a warm and passionate guy.

Here Crystal was grateful for his help and there he was internally screaming and panicking once again as she had grabbed his hand so abruptly, without a warning to his poor heart. He wondered if Crystal could sense the strong connection between them, as he had never felt this way before.

But as he looked into her eyes, he saw only gratitude and friendship. He tried to push his feelings aside, not wanting to ruin the moment with his own desires. For two people to be soulmates, they had to feel that same sense of familiarity at the same time. Aurelius knew that he would have to be patient and let things unfold naturally, even if it meant putting his own desires on hold.