Ten years passed quietly through the little village.
Seasons came and went one after another. Storms faded into memories, children grew taller, and old whispers slowly lost their sharpness with time.
The small frightened girl who once woke crying inside Gabriel's house was no longer that same child.
And yet—
some things never truly disappeared.
The sun burned hot against the earth, scorching against skin and bone beneath the middle afternoon heat.
Evelyn crouched between rows of tomato plants, carefully plucking weeds from the ground beside vegetables now ripe enough to be picked. Their bright red color stood out against the dusty green leaves, fresh and sweet beneath the sunlight.
Working in Mr. Radolf's farm during afternoons like this was exhausting.
But work was work.
And people like them could not afford to complain about honest pay.
Evelyn rolled her sleeves further up her arms before wiping the sweat gathering across her forehead. A warm breeze passed gently through the field, causing loose strands of hair to brush against her cheeks.
For a moment, she lifted her gaze toward the sky.
Clear blue stretched endlessly above the village, clouds drifting slowly beneath the bright sunlight.
Her silver eyes reflected softly beneath the afternoon glow.
She wore simple working clothes stained lightly with dirt from the fields, her pale hair tied carefully into a loose bun to keep it away from her face while she worked.
"Eve, aren't you finished yet?"
From farther across the field came Lily's voice.
Evelyn turned slightly.
There stood Lily holding a basket against her hip, already half-filled with vegetables meant to be sold later at the local market.
Ten years had changed her too.
The once tiny little girl now stood taller, her long blond hair braided loosely over one shoulder while freckles lightly dusted across her nose from years beneath the sun.
Mr. Radolf had grown far too old to continue most of the heavy farming work himself, so Evelyn and Lily often helped him around the fields in exchange for payment.
And Aster—
Aster now worked alongside Gabriel transporting lumber and repairing wooden carts between nearby villages. Hard work suited him well, though he still complained nearly as much as he did when he was younger.
Evelyn gathered her tools into the cloth pouch hanging from her dress before finally standing.
"The tomatoes are ready," she said. "We'll collect them tomorrow."
"Yeah, and I already picked some of the best vegetables for selling," Lily replied proudly before continuing, "I'm heading to the market soon, so come with me. Maybe we'll find some good accessories and books for you this time."
Evelyn immediately noticed the teasing smile forming on Lily's face.
Books again.
"You make it sound like I'm obsessed," Evelyn muttered softly.
"You are obsessed."
Evelyn shook her head, though a small smile still appeared.
"...Maybe we will find something."
Together the two girls finally left the field behind.
The dusty road toward the village stretched warmly beneath the afternoon sunlight while distant voices echoed from nearby homes.
As they passed through the yard of Gabriel's house, Evelyn stepped inside first.
The small home looked nearly the same despite the passing years. The wooden walls still creaked during windy nights, and the narrow rooms remained crowded and warm.
Walking quietly toward her bed, Evelyn crouched down before reaching underneath it.
Hidden beneath folded cloth sat several small coins carefully saved over the years from farm work and errands.
She gathered them slowly into her hands.
It wasn't common for commoners to care much about books.
Most people spent their entire lives focused only on surviving each season.
Evelyn understood that well enough.
But the first book she had ever touched was an old children's fairy tale Lily once found years ago.
She still kept it even now.
Her eyes drifted toward the small stack of worn books sitting beside the bed, most of them collected from damaged stalls or abandoned trash piles near the market.
Some missed pages.
Some barely readable.
Yet she treasured them anyway.
"Hey Lily, give me some of the apples."
Aster's voice suddenly echoed through the narrow house.
"You can't have them. They're for selling," Lily immediately argued back.
"Oh come on, there's no harm if I take one."
"That's exactly what you said last time before eating three of them."
Evelyn sighed softly.
After all these years, the two of them still argued like fire and ice colliding together.
Yet deep down, she knew they cared for one another more than either would ever admit aloud.
Evelyn slipped the coins carefully into her pocket before walking back outside.
"Oh, there you are, Eve." Aster turned toward her immediately. "You're the reasonable one here. Tell Lily to give me an apple."
"Oh, and I'm the bad one now?" Lily crossed her arms.
Evelyn looked between both siblings before shaking her head.
"Lily is right," she answered calmly. "If you keep stealing vegetables, Mr. Radolf is eventually going to notice."
Aster clicked his tongue dramatically.
"Traitor."
Lily looked victorious immediately.
"See?"
"Now come on, Eve," Lily continued excitedly while lifting the basket again. "The market is going to get busy soon."
Evelyn nodded lightly.
As the two girls started walking away, Aster rubbed the back of his messy hair before calling after them—
"Fine then! But if you buy snacks, bring some back!"
And so they followed the long dusty road that led toward the crowded market.
The closer they got, the louder everything became.
By the time they finally arrived, Evelyn's eyes skimmed across the dazzling sight before her.
The market overflowed with people.
Sellers shouted loudly from every direction, calling out the names of their goods while buyers argued endlessly over prices. The smell of baked bread, spices, animals, and smoke mixed heavily in the warm air as carts rolled through crowded pathways.
Children ran between stalls while pieces of colorful fabric fluttered above the streets from the afternoon breeze.
Even after all these years, Evelyn still found herself quietly admiring the place every time she came.
"Lily then suddenly pointed ahead."
"Eve, there is Mrs. Amy."
Both girls carefully pushed through the bustling crowd before arriving near a small corner stall.
There, a middle-aged lady with warm brown eyes and tied-up brown hair waved them over excitedly.
"You're late today," Mrs. Amy complained dramatically.
"Sorry, Mrs. Amy," Lily quickly answered with a grin. "Aster kept trying to steal the apples again."
Mrs. Amy laughed immediately.
"That boy hasn't changed at all."
Since meeting Mrs. Amy the year before, the girls had slowly become close with her.
Whenever Evelyn and Lily brought vegetables to sell, Mrs. Amy always made space for them beside her stall.
She was a kind person, Evelyn thought.
The type of person who spoke loudly but carried warmth in every word.
Evelyn carefully placed the vegetables neatly at the front while Lily immediately stepped forward confidently.
"Fresh vegetables!" Lily shouted proudly. "Fresh tomatoes and carrots! Best ones you'll find today!"
Several nearby people turned their heads almost immediately.
Evelyn silently admired how easily Lily talked to strangers.
She herself could never do something like that.
Lily always took the role of attracting buyers while Evelyn handled the organizing and counting.
And honestly—
Evelyn preferred it that way.
Soon enough, buyers slowly gathered around the stall.
One after another, vegetables disappeared into baskets and cloth bags until nearly everything had been sold.
Only a few tomatoes remained by the end.
"Wow, they sold fast today," Mrs. Amy commented while counting coins.
"Well yeah," Lily answered proudly while placing her hands on her hips. "Obviously because I was the one calling customers."
Evelyn shook her head softly at that.
Mrs. Amy only laughed again.
After receiving their payment, Evelyn carefully tucked the coins safely into her pocket.
"We should go now," she said quietly toward Lily.
"We still need to buy flour before going home."
"Oh right, I forgot."
Lily quickly turned toward Mrs. Amy again.
"We'll come tomorrow too, Mrs. Amy!"
"And try not to come late again," Mrs. Amy warned jokingly.
With quick goodbyes, the girls finally left the stall behind.
Soon they reached the cleaner streets farther ahead near the wealthier part of town.
The roads there looked less crowded, and the buildings stood taller and cleaner compared to the noisy lower market.
Shop windows displayed polished accessories, fabrics, books, and expensive items most villagers could only stare at from outside.
"Meet me near the fountain later," Lily said suddenly, grinning while waving her hand.
Without waiting for an answer, she immediately disappeared toward several jewelry stalls nearby.
And so Evelyn headed toward the bookstore alone.
The coins inside her pocket suddenly felt heavier with excitement.
The thought of finally buying another book made her chest tighten strangely with anticipation.
Most of the books she owned had been broken, torn, or abandoned.
But buying one herself—
A proper one—
felt different.
Evelyn slowly approached the front door before pushing it open carefully.
A soft bell rang somewhere above her head as she stepped inside.
The smell of paper immediately surrounded her.
Old paper.
Dust.
Ink.
The bookstore was quiet compared to the chaos outside.
Tall shelves filled the room from wall to wall, stacked endlessly with books of different colors and sizes.
For a moment, Evelyn simply stood there admiring everything.
Then finally, her eyes drifted toward the front desk.
An old man sat there quietly.
So old that for a second Evelyn wondered if he could even see properly anymore.
His silver hair rested messily over his shoulders while small round glasses sat low against his nose.
Evelyn briefly considered quietly walking past him and heading directly toward the shelves.
Greeting him alone looked like it might take forever.
But the moment she stepped past the desk—
the old man suddenly spoke.
"Welcome, dear."
Evelyn froze slightly.
The old man slowly lifted his eyes toward her.
A strange smile rested on his face.
"I was expecting you."