10 Wh-who... who are you?

Sylvia was waiting for Regnar to come and give her the good news that evening. He left to do some of his work and also to see if Roma's uncle was back in town.

Sylvia was getting bored sitting in her room alone. She wanted to step out of the house, but Regnar had warned her against it.

Sylvia understood his warning. She was a woman. And this house was at a short distance from the crowded areas of the Greenfield. What if someone tried to approach her with the wrong intentions?

Giving up on that idea, she decided to explore the small house as there was so much she was curious about this place.

At first glance, it didn't even look like someone's house but a sort of library or a laboratory where some crazy genius was experimenting with his innovations.

She had already explored the room she was staying in. Regnar had told her to not step out of her room and touch anything in the house. Yet he left his place under the watch of a stranger.

Sylvia brushed her fingertips against the rows of various-sized books. Some were handwritten while some were with good calligraphy.

She flipped through the pages of random books before getting bored and moving on to the next one. Her mind was elsewhere though.

Getting bored of the book on magical stones, she moved on to the next one. Her hand randomly reached for a red book with torn binding. She wondered why this man had so many books in his collection and that too on strange topics.

The moment she picked up that red book, she heard a light sound of grinding. Sylvia frowned, looking around the place.

It was a simple house made up of wood. There were very few metallic things, and where she stood, she found none. Then what was that sound?

To search further, she placed the red book back in its place only to hear the same sound again. She might have missed it if she was not alone and silent.

Frowning in confusion, she again picked up the same book to hear that sound for the third time. It confirmed that whatever that sound was, it had something to do with that book.

Sylvia began to search around the bookshelf and the nearby walls, knocking on them with her knuckles. With every failed attempt, she began doubting her suspicions. But the curiosity got the better of her, and she kept trying until she finally heard the louder sounds when she knocked on one of the walls.

Feeling excited, she ran her fingers carefully over the entire wall but didn't find anything. Her brows furrowed slightly as she pondered over everything.

Her eyes then glanced at a small rectangular painting of a sunflower. Her dark eyes swept over the room to find a few more paintings hanging on the walls.

She wouldn't have even noticed that particular painting if she wasn't sure of what she found so far.

Taking her chance, she carefully picked that painting and removed it from the wall only to see what looked like a secret locker hidden behind it.

"Wow!" Sylvia was astonished at her finding.

She turned the painting around to see that it had metal rods which were fixed to the door of that locker. When she picked up that red book, those metal rods ground against each other.

They acted like a lock. If she had tried to remove that painting from the wall without picking up that red book then she wouldn't have been able to move it at all.

"What that old man might be hiding there?" Sylvia murmured.

Sylvia glanced outside through the window to make sure there was no one around. She had enough time to check what was hidden in that locker.

So she dared to open it.

But what she found inside, it blew her mind away!

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Regnar carried the two bags of vegetables and fruits in his two hands. He was old, and the people of Greenfield respected him a lot.

He was that one elder who was always there to help whoever needs it.

People saw him as an old man with no family and friends who had chosen to live a secluded life a little away from the crowd of town.

He was returning after checking Roma's uncle's house. The man was not in the town yet.

Regnar was walking toward his house when two young men saw him carrying the bags. They stopped their wagon and offered to help him.

Regnar denied their help politely at first, but when they insisted more, he finally gave in. The sun was about to set anyway, and Sylvia was alone at his house.

She was the only thing on his mind lately. He could feel that something didn't fit well with that woman, but he didn't know what it was.

He didn't want to leave her alone at his place, but he had no other choice. She was young and beautiful, with such a mystic aura around her.

Letting her accompany him would mean drawing unnecessary attention toward her. If anything bad happened to her, then he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. So leaving her back at home was the only sane option he had.

"Regnar, aren't you carrying too many vegetables for yourself? Are you having any guests?"

One of the young men asked, noticing the bags in Regnar's hands.

Regnar shook his head with a kind smile. "No. I am getting older and these legs are not as strong as they used to be. I cannot make frequent trips to the market so I thought of buying more and storing it for my need."

The man nodded his head while his friend rode the wagon.

"I understand. But why do you bother yourself like this? You should get a place in the town. Anyone would like to lend you one?

That way, we all can keep watch on your health and needs." He suggested.

Regnar again shook his head with a light laugh.

"I am living in this house for almost thirty years now. I have grown accustomed to living alone. I don't think I can handle the busy and noisy town life.

I like to enjoy my peaceful silence."

The man was about to open his mouth to argue when his friend interrupted.

"Let him be, mate. He will not listen no matter what you say. He is a stubborn old man. If he likes to live alone, then he will live alone.

But Regnar, at least allow us to get your necessities for you. It is not right for you to walk so long to get things from the market."

His friend nodded in agreement. "How about we will deliver things you need for your living to your doorstep twice a week?

You can give us the list of things you want every time we come to deliver them."

Regnar's heart warmed hearing that. "Thank you but I don't want to bother you kids."

"Regnar, you are not bothering any of us. You have helped the people of Greenfield for over thirty years. Because of you, there are very low death rates compared to other places.

Because of you, our young generation is focusing more on studies and business than wasting our time on addiction and gambling.

You have helped us a lot over these years, and it is only right for us to repay a little of that."

The wagon reached its destination soon. The two men helped Regnar get down the wagon and offered to take him inside the house, but Regnar skilfully managed to deny their offer.

He watched as the wagon rode away after he bid goodbye to those men with a promise of taking their help. Regnar opened the door and stepped inside into silence.

He wanted to call Sylvia but thought if she was asleep then he would wake her up. He placed his bag in the kitchen and walked to find Sylvia in her room, but she wasn't there.

Regnar's eyes narrowed before he turned around and approached another room. The door was open, which he distinctly remembered closing before leaving.

His jaw tensed as he pushed the door open wider and peeked inside.

There he saw Sylvia on her knees on the floor. But then his eyes caught what she had in her hands. Panic settled in him instantly as his eyes darted to the sunflower painting. Or where it should have been.

A thunder crackled outside in the dark sky as realisation finally settled in.

"Sylvia?" He called her name.

She slowly looked up, her dark eyes were uncertain, confused, yet... excited?

Regnar slowly took a step inside the room, his back tensed.

"Sylvia, give me that." He stretched his hand forward, his senses alert.

Sylvia blinked once. She took some moments before she slowly asked.

"Wh-who... who are you?"