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The next day

As she walked, the gentle rustling of her white dress and the soft flutter of her black cardigan seemed to whisper secrets to the morning air, while her calm demeanor masked the turmoil brewing beneath the surface. Despite her tranquil exterior, Aurora's mind was racing with worries and uncertainties, her thoughts a jumbled mix of hopes and fears as she made her way to the shop, the destination unknown to anyone but her.

She took a sharp turn towards a narrow alley and stood in front of the familiar shop , the worn wooden door, adorned with a small brass bell, creaking in the gentle morning breeze seemed to whisper secrets of its own as Aurora pushed it open, the musty scent of old books and forgotten treasures wafting out to greet her . As she entered the shop , she couldn't help but think how , just two days ago she was taken to a whole another world by the strange camera because of which she now had to work in the strange shop.

The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft ticking of an old clock in the corner and the faint creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath her feet. Aurora's eyes scanned the shelves, lined with dusty vases, antique jewelry, and forgotten trinkets, but there was no sign of James Jenkins, the shop's enigmatic proprietor.

As she glanced down at the watch, the worn leather strap creaked softly, Aurora's eyes widened slightly with a mixture of relief and disappointment - 8:00 AM, exactly on time. She had arrived precisely at the appointed hour, as agreed upon with Mr Jenkins. She couldn't help but admit , she was a bit excited about the whole magical world thing along with something or someone else.

Aurora's voice echoed through the dimly lit shop, her words hanging in the air like a whispered secret as she called out, "Mr Jenkins ? Is anyone here?" The only response was the creaking of the old wooden shelves and the soft hum of the morning sun filtering through the dusty windows, leaving Aurora with a sense of unease and anticipation.

Suddenly, she heard a thud sound . Her curiosity got the best of her as she moved forward with caution , trying to see who or what it was that made the sound. She came to a halt when she saw a man, no more than four feet tall, sat on the wooden floor, his grey eyes looking up at her with a mix of embarrassment and frustration as he rubbed the dirt off his glasses. His black hair was mussed, and his grey suit was rumpled from his fall, but he seemed to be taking it in stride. His small hands moved methodically to clean the lenses, his fingers smudging the dirt around rather than removing it. Despite his predicament, there was something endearing about his dignified demeanor, as if he were a miniature businessman who had just had a bit of an unexpected setback.

With a quiet dignity, the half-foot stood up, his glasses still slightly askew, and extended a hand in greeting. "I am Heufus Stonebeard, a humble scholar and naturalist," he said, his voice deep and resonant. "And you are...?" He paused, his eyes squinting slightly behind the smeared lenses, as if trying to see her more clearly. Despite the initial awkwardness, his demeanor was surprisingly dignified, and she found herself responding with a sense of curiosity and respect.

"My name's Aurora Frey . Mr Jenkins told me to come at 8 for the job."

" Sir, did inform me about a new hire that was to join today. Well, it is about time for the shop to open. If you have any questions, you may ask now as it gets busy on Thursdays."

"If I may ask , how are you this short?" Are perhaps also magical beings?"

"You can say it like that , but in terms of my race, I am a half-foot."

Even though Aurora didn't know what a half-foot was , she nodded her head as a gesture of showing that she understood. But the expressions on her face were so clear that even Heufus knew that she was clueless.

" A half-foots are a race of small humanoids that are lightweight and have exceptional hearing. We tend to have lifespans similar to that of tall men, or you can say humans ." explained Heufus.

"Ah! Thank you for explaining. I haven't really gotten to know about the other world that much."

"You're most welcome . That is expected, miss, as you had been exposed to this knowledge only a day ago. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

"Thank you, Heufus. And please call me Aurora, " smiled the girl.

" Of course, Aurora . Now , it's time to open the shop. Your work for the day is to stand at the counter and greet the customers, and when there aren't any , you can clean the shelves, start with the one over there." He said, pointing towards the shelves with loads of books.

"Yes , I'll start right away." She replied.

"Anything the customer asks to give will be in this book , you can identify by the name and if it's an order then you will see it on the first page of the book."

" Yes, and remember, if any problem occurs, I'll be in the back room , just call my name, and I'll come."

Aurora nodded her head as a gesture that she understood.
Saying this, Heufus went back into the room , leaving Aurora to deal with what was to come.

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The sudden ringing of the bell shattered the quiet atmosphere, and the girl's hand froze mid-wipe on the bookshelf. She turned to face the newcomer, her eyes widening in surprise as an elf, tall and slender with piercing emerald green eyes, stepped into the shop. His silver hair cascaded down his back like a river of moonlight, and his delicate features seemed almost otherworldly. He moved with a fluid grace, his pointed ears twitching as he scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the girl.

With a warm smile, she extended her hand in greeting. "Hi, welcome to the shop! Can I help you with something?" she asked. The elf, who had been observing the surroundings with a keen eye, nodded and replied, "Ah, yes. I'm here to collect my order. I placed it here yesterday."

The worker's eyes scanned the book, and her brow furrowed in concentration as she searched for the elf's order. "Ah, let me just check... Ah, yes! I see it here. Your order is under the name... Eltharion , correct?" she asked, looking up at the elf with a smile.

The elf's response was a curt "Eltharion" followed by a gentle yet firm request to "hurry up, the evening's events are already underway, and we can not tarry." His words were spoken in a melodious voice, but the underlying tone was clear: time was of the essence.

Aurora found the name of the book and realized that it was on one of the shelves that she was cleaning. She quickly went and grabbed the book carefully , not wanting to ruin the books' soft details.
Her hands moved quickly and efficiently as she packed the delicate pages of the ancient tome into the ornate box, careful not to touch the intricate designs that adorned its cover. As she worked, the elf watched with an air of quiet satisfaction, his eyes flicking from the book to the girl and back again, his expression a mask of calm but piercing intensity.

The elf's slender fingers closed around the package, his eyes never leaving the book as he handed over the 10 gold coins with a soft clinking sound. Aurora received the coins, putting them in the drawer below that made a sound similar to the coins in her hand.

The elf's long strides ate up the distance as he departed the ship, his hair fluttering in the wind as he disappeared into the streets , leaving behind Aurora to wonder what secrets lay hidden within the ancient tome.

After checking if she had put everything back into its original place , Aurora went back to cleaning the bookshelves and even started to arrange the books properly as her inner bookworm came out in the midst of all the books. Although some of them seemed to be in a language, she did not understand.
That was the first and only customer of the day as she went on to spend the rest of her day cleaning bookshelves and even the table , organizing everything as she went on to dust off the unending cobwebs .

As she stood tall, her hands on her hips and a sense of accomplishment radiating from her, the shop's warm glow and scent of old parchment and leather bound books seemed to wrap around her like a cozy blanket, filling her with a deep satisfaction and contentment.

Just as she started to get ready to leave , the door to the back room opened, and out came Heufus with a book in hand.
The transformation was nothing short of miraculous! The dusty shelves were now spotless, the books neatly arranged by author and title, and the floor free of clutter. The air was fresh and clean, devoid of the musty smell that had once filled the space. Heufus's eyes widened in wonder as he took in the sight.

" Well, this is certainly a great job you have done here." Smiled Heufus happily."

"Oh, it's nothing much, honestly. I'm just doing my job. Anyways now I'll be leaving , the sun's almost about to set."

"Oh yes, yes, one can never be too safe!"

"Yes , thank you."

With that, Aurora left the shop. Surprisingly, today had gone rather normal , if you ignore the elf coming into the shop and the strange ancient tome along with books that seemed to be written in a language that looked unlike any she'd ever seen.
Unknowingly, a small smile crept up to her face as the sun's golden rays made her day a lot better.

Everything is going to be like today , right?

Right?....

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