Two Lost Souls - One shared fate - A Post-Canon Ghost AU

The Haunted Rose Reading Room

Eiji took a walk through Bryant Park. In the morning, he had talked to his study counselor and had worked out his schedule for college. After that he had talked to Ibe and looked around his studio. They had looked over his courses at college and when and how many hours he would work with Ibe in the afternoon.

He had asked Ibe if there was a place nearby where he could study. One that was close to his studio and college. His apartment was too far away, so he preferred taking his breaks somewhere where he could study and have a break until he worked with Ibe.

So Ibe had told him about the Public Library next to Bryant Park. But he also told him it was pretty crowded at times. Which wasn't a problem for a Eiji since he had always been an early riser. But Ibe somehow looked uncomfortable. There had to be something he wasn't telling him. He had actually hesitated slightly before suggesting the library to him. Eiji was pretty sensitive to emotions around him and had noticed that instantly. After a moment of awkward silence, Ibe had finally told him about the rumor that had been running wild among the students for a few weeks now.

Ibe was on college campus from time to time because he didn't give courses, but he offered workshops once in a while because a friend from college had asked him to.

According to Ibe there was a rumor currently going around campus that the Public Library was haunted. Or cursed. Same difference. Ibe reluctantly told him that people were scared to go there because their stuff kept disappearing, chairs and other things moved on their own or papers were blown away and were flying across the room. Even books were suddenly falling out of shelves without warning. Last week someone had even been injured because the whole book shelf fell down on her. The strange thing was that those weird events were limited to the Rose Reading Room only.

Eiji just burst out laughing when Ibe had finished. Rumors like that are always exaggerated immensely, so there would probably be a logic explanation. Like an open window or a broken door. But it sounded fascinating. He'd be sure to check it out, if only to satisfy his curiosity. Ibe saw the shocked face when he saw that Eiji wasn't scared, but curious.

So, here he was, standing on 5th Avenue, with only the busy traffic separating him from the library.

It looked kind of impressive, just how you imagined a historic building that was over 100 years old to look like. The three archways in the middle were impressive as were the huge lion statues on each side of the building or the statues above the archway whose exact shapes Eiji couldn't make out yet.

Of course, as a photographer, he had to take some pictures first which was the whole reason why he had made that little detour. Then he crossed the street and walked into the building, taking some more photos. The interior was amazing as well with more archways  and walls covered in white marble. Most of them were decorated with beautiful ornaments and many historic books and other historic items on display everywhere. The interior was breathtaking, but if he was perfectly honest he had to admit that he had never been much of a book worm. That's why he slowly lost interest and walked straight to the Rose Main Reading Room on the third floor.

According to the flyer the room had the length of a football field. When he entered, the first thing he saw were the long tables on the right and left and a walking path in between them, reminding him of a red carpet. Maybe not entirely wrong considering how many famous writers, researchers and even Pulitzer Prize winners had already been here. The best thing was probably the ceiling with those breathtakingly beautiful murals of vibrant skies and billowing clouds.