Terror slowly became evident on their faces and they simultaneously ran out of the room, Katie instinctively grabbing Alexander’s hand as the distance between them started to widen. Alexander gripped her hand tightly and they ran as fast as they could, managing to exit the passageway quickly. When they finally shut the bookshelf, they locked eyes, panting… then they burst out laughing.
“Oh… my gods,” Katie muttered between breaths, “I guess I should have expected that with secret passages. I hope I didn’t drag you down.”
Alexander shook his head, his hands on his waist. “I wasn’t planning on leaving you behind.”
“Ugh,” Katie removed her shoes and glanced at Alexander. “I hope you don’t mind, I’m-”
“Perfectly fine,” Alexander shrugged. “You don’t have to apologize for it.”
“Thanks,” Ka
