Time flew by while reading books.
Two hours passed unnoticed for Lon.
During this time, he managed to read several books, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything truly new.
All the information he came across was already known thanks to Renvel's memories, in which all of this was mentioned.
In the end, he wasted his time.
Sighing, Lon looked at the stack of books standing nearby. It consisted of five volumes.
These books had different colors and covers — some were well-made, others were not. Some had metal inserts engraved with the names of publishers and authors.
All five books looked expensive, clearly not something a poor family could afford.
But that was not surprising.
After all, Renvel's family bore the name Habott.
Yes, his full name was Renvel Habott.
The eldest son of Donald Habott and brother of Santi Habott.
While reading, Renvel recalled one interesting detail. Namely, that in Seon, only members of the middle class and above could bear a surname.
This was not so much a law as a tradition. In the past, only those who proved their significance and distinguished themselves could pass their name down to their descendants as a surname.
This meant that somewhere in Renvel's lineage, there was a Habott who had achieved something great and turned their name into a family name.
Although this tradition still existed, its influence had weakened, and many lower-class people simply invented surnames for themselves.
«Just like in England…» — Lon shook his head.
England had a similar system: for a long time, the lower and middle classes had no right to surnames, unlike the aristocrats.
With a heavy sigh, Lon stretched and immediately heard a crack in his back.
«Ouch… That was painful…»
«I need to be more careful in the future…»
As his back cracked, he felt a sharp pain, but fortunately, it quickly subsided.
Getting up from the chair, Lon looked at the entrance door.
«I've been here for a week and haven't gone outside even once…»
This thought increasingly unsettled him.
The world around him remained a mystery, and books, no matter how detailed they were, couldn't convey the true atmosphere of this fantastic world.
He wanted to see everything with his own eyes.
Having made his decision, Lon headed for the exit.
Standing in front of the door and grasping the handle, he gently pushed it.
The door opened smoothly without a sound, revealing a long corridor before him.
As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he was met by a wide passage, illuminated by the soft light of gas lamps.
The lamps were attached to the walls on bronze holders, and their glass bulbs swayed slightly, emitting a warm glow.
The light cast intricate shadow patterns on the walls, adding depth to the space.
«How unusual…»
Lon paid attention to the walls themselves. They were made of light gray stone, smooth, but with barely noticeable dark veins. This combination made the space both austere and cozy.
Here and there along the walls hung plaques with department names and directions, made of dark wood with engraved golden letters.
Just above his head ran transparent tubes. Inside them, capsules filled with medical supplies moved: vials with solutions, bandages, small boxes. They slid silently through the tubes, changing direction at intersections.
«A pneumatic delivery system? Interesting…»
Smiling, Lon decided to go to the right, as along the walls were large, beautiful windows.
The corridor turned out to be longer than he expected.
As he walked, he examined the tall windows with arched frames. The glass was perfectly clean, allowing a faint bluish light to filter through.
However, instead of the usual view of a street or the sky, a dense, whitish mist stretched beyond the window.
«Fog?»
Lon frowned. Renvel's memories contained no explanation for this phenomenon, but it seemed strange to him.
Soon, he noticed doors leading to other rooms.
Some were tightly closed, while others had plaques with inscriptions: "Procedures", "Blood Analysis", "Medical Supplies Storage".
Occasionally, doors would open slightly, and Lon caught glimpses of their interiors: sterile rooms filled with shelves of tools and medicines, laboratories with strange devices, wards where patients rested under doctors' supervision.
Ahead, a sharp voice sounded:
— Increase the dosage by 10%. Monitor the reaction.
Lon turned his head and saw a group of doctors in white coats with gold and silver insignia.
They walked down the corridor, engaged in a quiet but animated discussion about a patient's treatment.
Some nurses rushed past, holding folders with records, while others walked leisurely, chatting among themselves. Noticing Lon's gaze, they simply smiled at him.
The atmosphere here was organized and calm, yet not devoid of human warmth.
Suddenly, Lon saw a familiar face.
— Oh, you're already able to walk? — a gentle voice rang out.
Before him stood the same nurse who had admitted him on the first day.
Her chestnut hair was neatly gathered, and her eyes showed slight surprise.
— Yes, — Lon nodded. — I realized that after all the time I've spent here, I haven't actually looked around the hospital. I decided to explore a bit.
She smiled and nodded approvingly.
— A good idea. It will help clear your mind and free the demons inside you…
Lon blinked.
«He's already out…»
But in reality, he only gave an awkward smile and said:
— If you're not busy, could you show me around the hospital? It seems very interesting, but I don't know anything about it.
— I'd be happy to! — she nodded.