Great! Here's the **full, literary version of Chapter II – "The Library and First Discoveries"**, a sequel to the novel:---

# **Chapter II – The Library and First Discoveries**

Gabrielle couldn't resist heading to the library after breakfast the next day. The room was vast, with shelves reaching to the ceiling and ladders on wheels that allowed access to the highest shelves. The smell of old books, dust, and beeswax from the floor created an almost sacred atmosphere. It was here that the Beaumonts' past seemed most tangible – each book, each manuscript held a piece of family history.

Gabrielle slowly wandered between the shelves. Her fingers ran along the spines of the books, feeling for dents, cracks, and irregularities. Suddenly, she came across a hard, leather-like notebook, untitled, that looked as if it had been left especially for her.

Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the first page. Handwritten notes, tiny, carefully written handwriting. These were the notes of Éloi Beaumont—an ancestor who had mysteriously disappeared over a hundred years ago. Gabrielle sensed she had stumbled upon something important, though she didn't yet know how much these notes would change her perspective on her family and the Valley.

The pages were filled with drawings, diagrams, and charts that, at first glance, seemed to be fragments of a scientific project. But among the notes, something personal could also be sensed—Éloi's memories, fears, and ambitions. Gabrielle felt she was reading a letter that was never meant to be sent.

"*This is impossible…*" she whispered to herself, flipping through the pages. "*How could all this have survived for so many years?"

The notes pointed to a project that would transform the Valley: a next-generation water and irrigation system, designed to bring water to even the most remote farms. But warnings were also written—the project was controversial, drawing opposition from local authorities, and deep divisions arose within the family, leading to Éloi's disappearance and the mysterious archive fire in 1887.

Gabrielle suddenly felt the weight of this story. This wasn't just a scholarly affair. It was a story of family conflicts, betrayals, secrets that should never have seen the light of day.

For several hours, she leafed through the notebook, jotting down the most important passages. Deep down, she felt this was only the beginning of discoveries—that there was more hidden in the library and throughout the house than she had ever suspected.

When Gabrielle looked up, she saw her brother Antoine standing in the doorway. His face, though calm, betrayed tension.

"You found him," he said quietly.

"Yes," Gabrielle replied. "And that's only the beginning. This notebook contains everything: the project, the warnings... and more. It's as if Éloi had left us a map to the truth."

Antoine stepped closer, placed a hand on her shoulder, and sighed. "We must be careful. Not everything you find will be easy to understand... or bear."

Gabrielle nodded. She knew the path she had just begun would not be easy. The secrets of the past did not wait politely to be discovered—they beckoned, sometimes brutally, forcing her to confront the most difficult things.

In that moment, Gabrielle felt for the first time that her return to the Valley was not just a journey home. It was a journey into history, where every step might reveal both the beauty and the dark shadows of the Beaumont family.

And among the shelves, among the old books, the silence seemed to whisper: *The truth awaits... but are you ready?*

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