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@inkhorn

That’s an awesome start! I’m going to introduce Ophelia and Athena!

Athena

It was getting dim, closer to twilight, and we weren’t even on the campus yet. Ophelia wasn’t exactly helping.

She ran after me, her heels tapping on the cobblestones, purse swinging from her shoulder. Although she was taller than I was, she was always slower. The combination of high heels and being easily distracted meant she always ended up slowing me down.

I shook my head and smiled, pulling my satchel higher onto my shoulder, then looked back at her. Her footsteps had stopped, she was staring up at an old door covered in ivy.

“We have to get back before dark, leave Tchaikovsky at that,” I said, interrupting her humming, which I recognized almost instantly.  (I spelled that right in one go, I’m proud of myself XD) The Nutcracker was slowly driving me over the edge.

She stood staring up at the worn door, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. An edge of a lace cuff showed beneath her heavy, cable-knit white sweater that looked like a snowy landscape.

“I think it’s a portal,” she said, dreamily.

I sighed and doubled back, pulling my worn blazer tighter around me.

“Where to?” I asked, not quite able to keep the teasing out of my voice.

“Fairyland,” she answered, instantly. She flashed me a dazzling smile, pink lipstick soft against her always pale skin.

“There’s no such place,” I said, with a sigh. “It’s getting dark, look, the street lights are on. We won’t be back on campus before it’s completely dark if you keep looking for portals.”

Ophelia tilted her head in a familiar pout.

“There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?”

I bit back a sigh. I usually didn’t mind her spontaneous fancies, but I was right and she was ignoring me.

Before I could protest, she’d gripped the heavy copper doorknob and turned it. The hinges were decorated with a crouching dragon, the knocker a lion’s head. I’d seen this door before, even briefly remarked on how it stood out against the plainer doors in the street, but I’d never tried to open it.

It opened easily, without even the slightest creak you’d expect from such an old door. Ophelia gripped it, shoving against it with all her strength. It was heavier than either of us had expected, but once it was in motion it flung open wide.

“Ophelia, we can’t do that, this is someone’s house,” I said, rather shocked at her irresponsible behavior.

Ophelia shook her head.

“That isn’t a house,” she said, peering around the corner with an exaggerated gesture that belonged on stage.

She was right. The long hallway was checked with marble tiles, black and white like a chessboard. At the end, a large, light room awaited. There were no other doors in the hall.

Without even doubting, Ophelia slipped inside, her heels tapping on the marble with a series of sharp clicks.

My once-thrifted men’s shoes made a much heavier tread following after her.

I gripped my bookbag tighter as it weighed me down.

The door swung shut behind us with a bang. I turned, startled. Neither of us had pushed it closed, and there was no draft. How had it closed?

This felt a little too much like a hypothetical situation for a crime-scene investigation, but Ophelia was entirely unbothered. Honestly, was she even thinking?

I sighed, coming to the unfortunate conclusion that the answer was probably no.

“Athena? Why didn’t you tell me there was a library here?”

My head snapped around. A library? I had all the libraries and bookstores in the area memorized, and this wasn’t one of them.

I strode after her and froze in the doorway. It was the most beautiful library I’d ever seen. Thick, leather-bound books lined every wall, all the way up to the domed ceiling. Ladders led up to the higher books, thick leather chairs circled the center of the room, practically an invitation.

I ran my fingers along the rows of thick books, breathing in the scent of old books and decaying paper. This was home. I didn’t care if I’d never been here before, this was as familiar as my heartbeat, as the rhythm of my own breathing.

Ophelia was spinning around in the middle of the room, trying to see all the books at once.

I pulled out one of the thickest. It bore no title, but the red leather was faded and worn smooth.

I didn’t even pay attention to Ophelia as she spoke to someone, only distantly registering the words.

“Oh, hello! I’m sorry if we’re not supposed to be here, the door was open. I like your costume!”

I didn’t particularly care, and besides, she sounded as perky as ever. There couldn’t be much of a problem.

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Yep, she was addressing Conroy XD @inkhorn I was assuming his clothing would look unfamiliar, but if it looks contemporary, you can just ignore that last comment XD