I tried reading the books again, but for some reason, things had changed. I could now read and understand the symbols as if they were written in my mother tongue. I added this to the list of inexplicable things today! With limited time, I couldn't go through all the books, so I focused on the ones that could help me survive the underworld hounds, or as I called them, "Mitchacbola." They obeyed the commands of whoever summoned them or outranked them and wouldn't disappear until their task was completed. They would follow you until the end of the world, yet, strangely, they could only be killed by a sword infused with magic for years.
Half an hour passed while I was reading that book, and I still couldn't find a way to survive, so I decided to read multiple books at once in hopes of finding a solution. At the same time, Nawa called me from the door.
Nawa: "Did you find anything useful in your books?"
Younes: "I'm still searching. Why don't you come in and help me?"
Nawa (confused): "I think I should go and close the entrances to the room we planned to hide in. Make sure you arrive ten minutes before the hour is up to close it properly!"
Younes: "Alright, I'll make sure."
It wasn't usual for Nawa to be so flustered, and I still had to ask him about what happened during his previous test. In any case, I opened several books that caught my attention, all filled with complex spells and symbols, plus a book with stories I didn't want to waste time on. I found a dagger in the library and began reading each spell I had learned from those books, even though I didn't understand their meaning. Suddenly, I heard the clock strike. Had our hour ended? I heard screams from the room above—the same room we had used to hide. Had the hounds reached them so fast? I rushed to check, and I saw shadowy heads following me. How could they be in two places at once? I hurried upstairs, but my foot was grabbed, and I was thrown against the wall—my spine truly broke this time! I didn't have time to cry, so I stabbed at his foot with the dagger; it seemed he bled. I realized that even when unseen, they were tangible, and the dagger seemed effective against them. I rushed up the stairs, and as I neared the door, the sounds from the room vanished! The moment I opened the door, I vomited at the horror before me: Louay's head and limbs were severed, his insides scattered across the room. As for Nawa, I couldn't find him—had he escaped? I checked the body, and the cuts seemed perfectly made, yet strangely artificial. I heard the hounds in the corridor following me, so I decided to flee to the upper floor. As I climbed, I noticed a door shutting quickly.