Chapter 15: Midnight Mischief
The chill in the library made Joy shiver, though it wasn’t just the cold creeping in. It was 2 a.m., and the dim light cast long shadows across the rows of ancient books. She stared at Wardell, his fiery red hair glowing faintly in the darkness, and his sharp, pointy ears giving him an almost mischievous look.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Wardell smirked, his voice laced with smug amusement. He took a step closer, his eyes flicking to the journal Joy clutched to her chest. “Did you forget you’re banned from the library? Or are you just hoping Varin won’t find out? Because I can change that.”
Joy’s grip tightened on the journal, her mind racing for a way out. “What are you even doing here so late?” she shot back, trying to steer the conversation away from her own rule-breaking.
Wardell’s confident smirk faltered. “That’s… none of your business,” he mumbled, his sharp features suddenly looking a lot less intimidating. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around nervously. “I—I just, uh, had something to take care of.”
Joy raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. “At 2 a.m.? In the library? Right. What, did you come here to check out a bedtime story?”
Wardell flushed, his pale skin turning a light shade of pink. “No!” he snapped, a little too quickly. “I was waiting for someone. Not that it’s any of your business!”
“So... you’re here waiting for someone,” Joy said, crossing her arms and giving him a sly smile. “Who?”
“I said it’s none of your business!” Wardell replied, his voice cracking slightly. He looked away, his embarrassment growing by the second. “Just… forget about it, okay?”
Joy snickered, watching him fumble through his excuses. The sharp, menacing Wardell had completely unraveled into a flustered, dorky mess. It would’ve been cute if he weren’t such a pain.
Before she could tease him any further, a sudden, eerie noise echoed through the library—like a gust of wind rushing through the aisles, rattling the bookshelves. Both of them froze.
“What was that?” Joy whispered, her heart skipping a beat.
“I-I don’t know,” Wardell stammered, his bravado crumbling. He took an instinctive step closer to her, his eyes wide with alarm. “Do libraries… do that? Weird noise things?”
“No, Wardell. Libraries don’t make weird noises,” Joy said, her sarcasm failing to hide the nervousness in her voice.
Before they could figure out what was happening, the lights flickered once, twice, then blinked off, plunging them into darkness. Joy heard Wardell let out a soft yelp, and she couldn’t help but snort.
“Did you just squeal?”
“I did not squeal!” Wardell hissed, though his voice was shaky. She could hear him fumbling around in the dark, clearly trying to regain some semblance of dignity. “It was just… a manly gasp!”
Joy bit her lip, trying to suppress her laughter. “Right. A ‘manly gasp.’ Sure.”
A low creak echoed through the aisles, followed by a soft thud, making them both jump. Without thinking, Wardell grabbed onto Joy’s arm.
“W-what was that?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
“I don’t know,” Joy whispered back, her own heart racing. “But whatever it is, it’s coming closer.”
Wardell’s grip tightened. “I swear if this is some ghost or—”
“Shhh!” Joy hissed. “It’s probably just the wind or—”
