Twilit Mage

Chapter 50: The Eyewitness

"It's open," Georgiana whispered, peering inside through the crack in the door.

Mercury peeked over her shoulder, but the building beyond the door was too dark to make out anything. Either the search was already over, or for whatever reason the mystery threat had made them turn off all the lights.

"There we are," she said. "About to...I don't know either...so, um..." She didn't want to speak out this question, but she couldn't keep silent. These two were her friends, and she didn't want to endanger them at all costs. "I-If you want...you can still go ba–"

"Absolutely not," Georgiana cut her off. "We came this far with you. We would not have done that if we weren't aware of the risk."

Mercury smiled with gratitude, and Georgiana averted her eyes. Then she turned to Raoul. "And you, um..."

Raoul returned her gaze with a forced grin. His face was white as a sheet, his eyes wide and terrified and his voice unstable as he spoke. "C'mon," he said. "I'm freaking out over here, but I'm not gonna leave now. If you're here, Mercy, and you're not scared...I can do this too. I think."

Mercury gave a reassured smile, reaching out to give his shaking hand a comforting squeeze. Raoul took it and latched onto it like a lifeline, refusing to let go as they slowly pried open the door and slipped inside.

The hallways were silent. No matter where they turned, no matter how hard they listened, the place seemed to be completely deserted.

"Are you sure we aren't late?" Georgiana whispered into the silence.

Mercury hesitated, but some part of her could still feel it. A call, beyond reason or explanation, pulling her into the building, whispering that this wasn't over yet. Riley was still in there somewhere. Somewhere in the depths of the library...

Raoul gave a gasp, and at the same moment Mercury realized it too. It was magic that she sensed, a huge amount of magic. Twilit Magic. Not colorless, not silver. This time it was dark gray, like the clouds of a brewing thunderstorm that was about to cast the world into darkness.

A dark gray emotion. Something anxious, unsure. Someone was still in there somewhere. Someone who might need help.

"We're not late," she whispered. "Something's in there. Let's go."

Georgiana frowned. "How do you know?"

"Twilit Magic," Mercury and Raoul replied in unison.

"A lot of it," Raoul added.

"Fine."

Georgiana closed her eyes and sighed, looking both doubtful and somehow relieved. "Lead the way, then," she said. "Since you two can sense it."

Mercury and Raoul exchanged a glance, then they started off towards the library. Quietly, carefully, they slipped past the locked main entrance and went for the less secure side door, which looked like it had been pried open more by force than by regular means.

"Like someone created a spare key that didn't quite fit," Georgiana muttered in passing. "An amateur..."

Mercury sped up and started to rush through the door, but Raoul stood firm, holding her back.

"Wait, Mercy," he said. "We don't know what's in there. If it's that thing they're trynna catch..."

"But what should we–"

Raoul pulled out his phone, unlocked it and switched into camera mode, holding it through the crack between door and doorframe and peering at the screen.