The rooms were silent by the ti I finished checking on everyone.
Nyx had fallen asleep imdiately, her head resting on Erebus’s arm. Fenrir was curled at the foot of the bed like a sulking wolf who still hadn’t forgiven the priest.
Leo lay flat on his back staring at the ceiling, but his breath was even—he was pretending not to sleep, but exhaustion always won eventually.
Luna had her face turned toward the wall, shoulders trembling slightly, though whether from frustration or fear I couldn’t tell.
I tucked blankets around them, one by one, almost as if they were kids that needed my protection.
Each person in this room was capable of killing twice over, but I still felt responsible for them in so way.
It felt strangely familiar—closing the shop at the end of the day, checking the lanterns, locking the doors, making sure the kids were tucked in.
Except this wasn’t my shop. And this wasn’t sothing I needed to get attached to.
Once the last door shut behind , I finally let my shoulders sag.
"Just for a few minutes. I need so ti for myself as well. It’s starting to feel overwhelming for "
I whispered to myself.
A short walk. Clear my head. Breathe.
The town—if this place could even be called a town—was still awake despite the late hour. Purple torches lined the twisted streets, and the air shimred faintly with magic.
Figures in flowing robes drifted past with glowing scrolls in hand. Students recited chants under their breath. Bells humd sowhere in the distance, tuned to so rhythm only the Groove understood.
I walked with no destination, hands in my pockets, letting the noise wash over .
Everyone here had a place.
Everyone except us....or rather . The world felt foreign to and I wanted to feel like I fit into it for so ti.
After a while, I passed a clothing stall. The fabrics seed to float as if held up by wind. The clerk didn’t even look up as I checked the pieces— a loose shirt made of silken threads, a sash with symbols embroidered in shifting ink, a dark coat similar to what the locals wore.
It was cheap. Suspiciously cheap.
I tried it on anyway to see how it would feel.
The reflection in the glass pane did not look like a traveler anymore. I looked like part of the Groove—another disciple, another researcher, another sleepless magic addict wandering the halls.
Sohow, it reminded of my college days where I worked hard to fit in, but people could still sohow tell my low-upbringing and my lack of money.
Maybe blending in wasn’t a bad idea.
I slid a few coins across the counter and kept walking. I looked no different from most people around , and no one bothered to give a second glance like before.
I didn’t expect anything to co out of this stroll—until a voice barked beside .
"You! Boy! Stop standing there uselessly and co here."
I looked around.
Surely soone wasn’t talking to ? I was a stranger in this place, so why would soone call out to ...?
But an older man in heavy teal robes marched straight toward , face flushed with irritation.
"Yes, you. Don’t pretend you can’t hear. Take these."
He snapped. A stack of books—no, tos—was shoved into my arms so quickly I almost dropped them.
"Wait— I think you’ve mistaken for soone—"
"Yes, yes, excuses later. I needed soone ten minutes ago. Why are all of you youngsters so slow? Don’t you know you need to follow my words and do as I ask? You are asking to be fired here."
He started walking away without looking back.
I stood frozen for a mont, mouth half-open. This had to be a joke. A terrible, cosmic joke.
"Sir, I’m not—"
I tried again, hurrying after him, nearly dropping the books.
"I don’t care about your excuses. The library might have it’s halls open at all tis, but I am in a ti crunch to do my work. If I don’t make it in ti because you’re dragging your feet, I will personally hang you from the east gate."
He snapped without turning.
I blinked.
He was definitely a professor...or soone important enough to make regular use of the library and its resources.
And definitely unhinged.
But sothing else hit a second later—
He was leading us straight toward the library.
Was this a sudden stroke of luck? Or was I getting cursed by being with this man? It was impossible for to be able to tell at the mont.
Despite every nerve screaming that this was insane, I kept walking.
We reached the main entrance again—the glowing fog, the bored clerk, the priests.
This ti, the man behind the counter straightened so fast he nearly fell out of his chair.
"Professor Maron! W-welco back!"
His tone didn’t even resemble the one he used earlier. He didn’t look at . Didn’t check . Didn’t question . All his attention was on the man walking in front of .
He scanned a plate the professor handed him and nodded.
"Credentials verified. You may enter."
The doors opened.
Just like that, I was inside the library. The sa place that had denied entry before was welcoming in now.
I followed Professor Maron through the entrance, clutching the books so tightly my fingers hurt. My heart hamred. I shouldn’t have been here. If they realized I didn’t belong...
But the mont the doors shut behind us, adrenaline drowned everything else.
We were inside.
I couldn’t help it—excitent burned through my chest like wildfire.
Rows upon rows of towering shelves stretched into infinity. Floating platforms drifted overhead. Scrolls and books rearranged themselves with a soft rustle.
Crystals glowed where lamps should have been. Whispered chants echoed like wind.
Knowledge.
Forbidden, precious knowledge.
And I finally had a chance to see it...or rather, have a chance to find the god in here and ask them the questions that I needed to ask.
"Don’t wander. Put the books on table forty-two and fetch the other books that I need. Don’t wander off to far if you know what’s good for you."
Professor Maron barked without looking back.
He walked ahead without checking whether I followed.
He trusted .
I didn’t belong here... and yet I did.
I set the books down carefully. My pulse drumd in my ears. This was a once-in-a-lifeti mont.
A professor sat before —an obstacle and an opportunity. I had a solid plan in my mind so I decided to implent it.
I slid a hand discreetly into the inner pocket of my coat.
A tiny vial of shimring blue dust. Fairy Dust — Sleep: 60 minutes.
I had bought this item from the shop not even an hour ago because I had a feeling it would co in handy. I just...did not expect it to co in handy so soon.
It was likely a bad idea to try and rug a professor. I could and would get in trouble for it...but only if I was caught.
I cracked the vial open, pretending to adjust the books.
A faint shimr drifted out—soft as a sigh, silent as smoke.
Professor Maron didn’t even react. He blinked twice, slumped forward, and collapsed over his papers with a soft thud.
I stood there, breath caught in my throat.
One hour.
That was all I had.
I stepped away from the table, looking toward the endless rows of hidden knowledge.
And then I started walking.
I moved quickly, but not recklessly.
Every instinct scread at to run straight for the deepest part of the library and open the most dangerous-looking book I could find—but that would get killed before the hour was up. I forced myself to breathe slowly, letting the chaos settle into focus.
One hour.
I scanned the room. Professors and scholars sat scattered across the hall, absorbed in their own research.
No one even glanced my way. To them, I was just another disciple fetching docunts.
I slipped into the aisles, boots barely making a sound against the polished floor.
The deeper I walked, the stronger the pressure beca—a hum beneath the skin, like the air itself was filled with magic.
So shelves were marked with symbols I didn’t recognize. Others whispered softly, as if the books were alive.
I paused at a section labeled:
RESTRICTED — OUTER KNOWLEDGE ACCESS
That was the closest I could get without sounding alarms.
I pulled out a random volu, its cover warm under my fingers.
But before I could open it, a faint glow caught my eye—small tablets stacked on the side shelf, arranged neatly. Each one had a tal tag underneath:
ENTRANCE PASS — INSTRUCTIONAL COPY
My heartbeat spiked.
If I could learn how to get one...
[Connecting to the higher being...please get into the zone to make connections with the brain of the groove.]
The sudden ssage from the system startled and also told that it was ti to take a risk.
_____
I’m gonna do 1 ch/ day for the next month. If you show interest, I might do more as well.
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