CHAPTER TEN
761 Words
CHAPTER TEN
The East Library
Morning arrived beneath a sky the color of weathered silver.
Mist drifted lazily between the academy's towers, wrapping Ebon Hollow in its familiar veil of quiet.
From her dormitory window, Luna watched students crossing the courtyards below.
Some hurried toward morning lectures.
Others gathered beneath covered walkways, laughing softly over cups of steaming tea.
For the first time since arriving...
The academy almost looked ordinary.
Almost.
A gentle knock sounded against her door.
Three knocks.
Evenly spaced.
Luna smiled despite herself.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Mira stepped inside carrying a folded academy timetable.
Her chestnut curls were tied back with the familiar black velvet ribbon, and her muted sage-green eyes held the same quiet warmth that always seemed to calm the room around her.
"Good morning."
"I thought you might need this."
She held out the timetable.
Luna accepted it gratefully.
"Thank you."
"You've been getting lost."
Luna laughed.
"...That obvious?"
"You ended up outside the greenhouse yesterday instead of Professor Vale's classroom."
"I was following the signs."
Mira smiled knowingly.
"The signs change."
Luna blinked.
"They... what?"
"Ebon Hollow is old."
Her smile lingered.
"It has its habits."
Luna waited for the rest of the explanation.
None came.
Instead, Mira adjusted the strap of her satchel.
"Your first lesson is free this morning."
"It is?"
"The Headmaster arranged it."
Luna frowned.
"Why?"
"I wasn't told."
Something about the answer didn't feel complete.
Before Luna could ask another question, Mira had already stepped toward the door.
"Oh..."
She paused.
"If you're planning to explore..."
She hesitated just long enough for Luna to notice.
"...Stay away from the East Library."
The door closed.
Luna stared after her.
The East Library.
Again.
The name surfaced in her thoughts like a stone dropped into still water.
The silver key.
The Headmaster's warning.
This key opens a door beneath the East Library.
Her curiosity stirred immediately.
"No."
She shook her head.
"I'm not going."
She lasted exactly twelve minutes.
The academy grounds were unusually peaceful.
Students moved between classes while the distant toll of bells echoed through the mist-covered courtyards.
Luna wandered without any real destination, hoping fresh air would quiet her thoughts.
It didn't.
Every corridor seemed to lead her closer to the academy's eastern wing.
Almost...
As though the castle itself were guiding her.
The architecture gradually changed.
The stone walls grew darker.
The windows narrower.
The voices of other students faded until only the sound of her own footsteps remained.
Then she saw it.
A pair of towering black doors.
Carved into the wood was the same raven crest stamped into the wax seal of her mysterious invitation.
Above the doors, ancient silver letters read:
THE EAST LIBRARY
A strange feeling settled over her.
She had never been here before.
Yet somehow...
It felt familiar.
She stepped closer.
The doors remained closed.
No voices came from within.
No light escaped beneath them.
Only silence.
Her fingers brushed the satchel hanging at her side.
She could feel the outline of the silver key beneath the fabric.
The Headmaster's warning echoed once more.
Do not use it.
She took one slow step backward.
"I should leave."
"You should."
The voice came from behind her.
Calm.
Deep.
Startled, Luna turned.
Damian Ashford stood several feet away beneath one of the ancient stone arches.
His black uniform looked immaculate despite the mist, and a few strands of his dark wolf-cut hair rested carelessly across his forehead. The morning light filtering through the corridor caught his warm sienna-brown eyes, revealing fleeting amber tones before they settled once more into their quiet depth.
He looked exactly as he always did.
Composed.
Unreadable.
Luna's pulse quickened.
For a moment...
Neither of them spoke.
Then Damian's gaze shifted briefly toward the library doors before returning to her.
"Curiosity," he said quietly.
"It has a habit of opening doors that should remain closed."
His voice wasn't threatening.
It almost sounded...
Tired.
Luna swallowed.
"I wasn't going in."
"I know."
"You... do?"
"You stepped back."
Silence settled between them.
Luna searched for something to say.
Anything.
Instead...
Damian inclined his head ever so slightly.
"Good."
He turned.
His footsteps echoed softly against the stone as he disappeared into the misty corridor without another word.
Luna remained where she was.
Staring after him.
That had been the longest conversation they'd ever had.
And somehow...
It had only given her more questions.
As she finally turned to leave...
She never noticed the faint sound that came from beyond the library doors.
Three slow knocks.
From the other side.
- Writer
