The Scream of A Thousand Libraries Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Unicorns.

Read chapter 19 of The Scream of A Thousand Libraries by Susangja on NovelPedia.

POV: HELENA IVYRA. That blessed list had been buzzing in my head all morning, but for now, I decided to ignore it. I focused on soaking in that first day, you know, the first day is always fun, especially when it’s the start of your last year of high school. As we reached the third-year classroom, which was the first on the left in the middle corridor, quite close to the benches where lunch was usually served. I stepped into the corridor that opened up to the patio separating the two main halls. I saw several garden beds centered in the gravel like islands in an ocean. These beds had everything: small flowers, new trees planted during the holidays, and even some small plants from the school garden. And right in the center, there was the most unusual object of all. A garden bed, separated by a green fence, with a rare and, honestly, beautiful tree at its heart. A small Pau-Brasil tree. Something our ancestors literally died for. During the colonial period, this wood was heavily hunted and is now practically extinct. Yet, my school had one right there on the patio, just like any other tree… When I first found out, I thought it was a lie, until our history teacher, the classic and memorable Mrs. Maria, made us do a project to learn more about its history and of course… She delivered a monologue, telling us how that tree had ended up there. ‘Just like her to do that’ As soon as I reached the classroom, I dropped my backpack on the chair I usually liked, next to the teacher's desk on the wall opposite the door, by the window. I always preferred sitting at the front of the class; it helped me concentrate, and, of course, it was better for seeing the board and all. Looking around, I noticed how the rooms had been slightly renovated. The walls had fresh green and white paint. Scattered around were various green metal chairs, some rusty and chipped, others covered in doodles and humorous drawings, like signatures of past students or insults to rival teams, things like that. Despite this characteristic school sight, there were some new additions too, like a new type of projector, which might seem simple but was actually very useful. I briefly scanned the faces in the class; most were familiar from previous years, but there were new ones, as expected. Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, I was heading towards the seating area to listen to the routine year-start announcement. Principal Carlos, always kind and a bit of a character, would announce school changes and important points for new students, along with rules, standard notices, the usual. Now, the question was: would he explain that list? I’d find out soon. As I walked to the benches, I noticed the magic combat courts also looked new. In public schools, it was uncommon to find specific courts for combat training; usually, they were restricted to private schools or adapted from soccer fields. The interesting thing was that my school had not just one, but two! That was truly a rarity; if I wasn’t mistaken, it was one of only fourteen in the entire state. So, seeing that this benefit was getting attention made me slightly excited. Especially for training! Soon, all the students gathered around the patio, looking towards the stage in the center. And there he came, the unassuming Principal Carlos, in his late fifties, with dark brown hair and his characteristic cane, which reminded me a lot of Doctor House’s walking style. He climbed onto the stage with some difficulty, adjusted the microphone, and began his monologue, explaining some curriculum changes and lightly touching on the rules. It was a calm speech, until he turned to the teachers and nodded, confirming something. Among those he looked at were familiar faces like Professor Maria and Professor Francisco, along with many others I remembered from the previous year. Principal Carlos, with a hesitant tone, began to explain that due to a new public policy, the school would undergo an important change, creating a… Special class?