Chapter XI - The Library

We walk across the silent campus, with the sun almost fully risen from the horizon, tinting the sky a blush of pink upon the edges of the clouds before they fade to the cool blue once more.

I listen as the layer of thin ice upon the grass crunches delicately beneath my feet, the corner of my mouth twitches into a faint smile of one who was easily amused, one akin to of a small child's.

I take in the gentle smell of flowers, the scent light but evident at the same time.

I can't remember the last time I took the time to appreciate the nature I had always grown to enjoy, without the presence of battle looming over me like a shadow... The feeling of the calm wind rustling my hair, the beating of the sun's rays against my face, the smell of morning dew crisp enough to cleanse your senses...How long has it been? Months? Years? Almost felt like a lifetime.

'...I probably need a vacation,' I thought to myself.

Minuet pauses to look back at me, a trivial look behind her glasses, but her smile full and seemingly amused by some thought.

She looks away before I could ask her what she found so amusing.

The president stops in front of the back doors, taking out a ring of shiny keys, carefully looking through the selection before picking one and twisting it into the lock of the doors.

"So, the reason we need for you is, the Headmaster said you might know the solution to a...certain, mystery of ours...a 'hunch' of his. I.." She cuts off suddenly, freezing in place.

Despite the distance, I catch from the corner of my vision her hand gripping the door handle just a bit tighter as she falls silent, briefly lifting her other hand to her face.

"...Sorry. Just was, a momentarily...disturbance." She said, her voice, almost whispering. Straightening, she smooths the nonexistent wrinkles on her skirt and clears her throat, "Ahem..anyways- I, will need to resume my patrol as soon, so, it will be brief. Oh and, the last of the mid-quarter exams are in progress so do try to be quiet."

I follow her inside the doors, leaving any questions of concern in the back of my mind, instead deciding to watch carefully, still wondering about what caused her to be..troubled.

We walk a couple of feet down the hall, before Minuet stops in front of me, making me almost run straight into her whilst in my thoughts.

"W..what?

"..."

She turns around and wraps her hand around my wrist, her fingers warm against my skin, but the touch as light as a feather.

I tense at the sudden contact, freezing.

"Forgive me. Given that our designation is on another floor and quite far, and because time is on our tail, let's take a little shortcut," She looks back at me mischievously and pulls me with her down the hall.

Startled, I try to follow, getting pulled along by the hand, "W..wait..."

I feel the air get charged with magic, then in the very next step, the walls blur and warp as we seem to walk through dimensional space. The feeling of compression briefly engulfs my senses. Soon, we come to stop in front of two double oak doors, and she lets go of my arm.

I blink, rebalancing my footing as we abruptly halt to a stop. My skin tingling slightly from where her touch lingers...

Minuet grabs one of the door's brass handles, "Here is the library, holds many secrets, just like you and me," She gives me a brief, heart-stopping smile.

I look away, flustered, "R..right...and the...mystery, is here?

The president nods and pushes open the door, and I gape, initially expecting...not this, but not surprised considering- all the stuffy nobles, so it is admittedly...stately.

The morning light filters through the high glass windows, casting light across rows and rows of bookshelves, lined with ornate golden designs.

I look down at the marble stairs descending to the bottom.

Minuet's footsteps echo in the vast room, "They say this library is the school's pride." She runs her hand along the tops of the banisters, "Dozens of ancient texts in our possession...all for us to peruse"

I listen to the sound of our footsteps reverberating against the stone, bouncing off the walls and floors, all exquisitely etched with undecipherable patterns that seem to resemble text but don't.

The president stops at the bottom of the stairs, spreading her fingers as she watches rays of light pass through them, "This where it all began, where the hero themself gathered with their allies, the first queen's coronation...the remains of an ancient scholar's palace of tomes," She smiles softly to herself, before dropping her hands and shaking her head, "Now just a page in the history books."

She looks over her shoulder at me, "Tell me Kusouishi, why did you come here?"

A jolt of electricity flickers through my body at the utter of my full family name, and the sudden query. The corner of my mouth twitches, before I lean onto the railing, resting my arms on top of the banister.

"Some things...cannot be simply said, no matter how one pleads. So I," A bubble of loathing rises within me as I placidly stare below, shimmering.

"..came seeking answers."

I clap a hand over my mouth, suddenly anxious, 'Oh, fu-. That came out too much near the truth than I intended, hope she doesn't pick up on it..that would be troublesome in the end.'

The president was deep in thought, gazing at the high glass windows, her expression unreadable. Then she lightly shakes out of her daze and turns to flashes up a small smile, "Well I hope you find what you are looking for then. Best of luck."

I lower my hand from my face, tilting down my head to look at her, "...What about you then? Why did you come here? Only fair that you answer too."

"I-" She looks away briefly, "Was only forced to come here as an obligation by family." Her hand shifts up towards the crest on her uniform but ends ups smoothing down the fabric of again nonexistent wrinkles.

I silently look back over the stairs, and over the empty tables and chairs neatly placed in rows, nothing but the sound of silence in our ears.

She opens her mouth again, "I actually a-"

RINGGGGGGGGGG

Most of her sentence was lost to the loud ringing of the bell, drowning out her words as I strain to hear past the sound of ringing in my ears.

"Someone..." She goes silent, "...Ah, the first bell, not for you but for me, so let's hurry to our original intentions," Minuet turns on her heel and swiftly heads toward the bookshelves.

I quietly stare at her back for a moment, before sighing and hurry after her figure before it gets lost in the shadowy lanes.

Her unheard words leaving me wondering what she had said...only for me to guess.