The next day, Aethel and Liam took the bus downtown to "The Whispering Pages," a bookstore tucked away in a narrow alleyway. The shop's facade was a jumble of weathered signs and dusty windows, hinting at the treasures within. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of old paper and leather, and towering shelves lined the walls, filled with books of every shape and size.

  An old man with a wispy white beard and twinkling eyes sat behind the counter, peering through a pair of spectacles. "Welcome, young ones," he said, his voice a gentle rasp. "What treasures do you seek?"

  "We're looking for books on ancient mythology," Aethel said, her gaze sweeping across the shelves. "Specifically, Sumerian mythology."

  The old man's eyes lit up. "Ah, a fascinating subject! Follow me."

  He led them through a maze of bookshelves, stopping in a dimly lit corner. "Here you will find what you seek," he said, gesturing to a shelf filled with ancient-looking tomes.

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  Aethel and Liam spent hours browsing, pulling down books with titles like "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and "Sumerian Gods and Goddesses." They found more references to Inanna, but nothing that directly connected her to Aethel's golden eyes.

  As the sun began to set, they were about to give up when Aethel noticed a small, leather-bound book tucked away on a high shelf. It was similar to the one they found in the library, with a faint golden glow emanating from its cover.

  "Liam, look!" she whispered, reaching for the book.

  As soon as she touched it, the book pulsed with light, and the old man gasped. "That book! It is said to contain lost knowledge!"

  The book fell open to a page filled with glowing symbols, including the stylized eye they had seen before. But this time, the symbols were accompanied by words written in a language Aethel didn't understand.

  "What does it say?" Liam asked, his voice filled with excitement.

  The old man peered at the page, his eyes wide with awe. "It speaks of the 'Star-Eyed One,' a goddess who holds the power of the heavens," he whispered. "It speaks of a bloodline, and a return."

  Aethel's heart pounded in her chest. "Bloodline?" she asked. "What does that mean?"

  The old man shook his head. "I do not know, child. But I sense that this book holds the answers you seek."