Draeyer Academy (First Ver.)

Chapter 14-Library Time

Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space

Alec sighed as he pushed open one flap of the huge double doors. Numerous shelves of books lined in rows in the vast room, which smelled of the familiar scent of papers and wood. His eyes found a set of spiraling steps, and it trailed up to a second landing where more books, different in colors and sizes, awaited to be opened and read. A stone desk, cluttered with books and papers, stood to his left in front of three bookcases. To his right, he spotted rows of long tables with red cushioned seats, where a few students sat with their heads reading down at the books opened in front of them.

He sighed once more as he stepped inside, closing the door with a silent creak. After his time in the Incubation Chamber, Solana reminded him, with a poke to his chest that he should be heading to the library. He saw no point in coming here, since it seemed like a free period. After seeing the number of students in the library could be counted by his fingers, proved it so.

He walked further into the room, before reaching the bookcases. He ran a hand over the book spines, while his eyes flashed at the titles, trying to find a good one he could use to pass his time. Five bookcases and a slightly painful neck from looking up later, he stopped and looked down at the red carpeting of the floor.

His head shot up when he heard loud thuds on the floor, and his brows knit when the books in front of him fell to the other side of the shelves. He looked through the open space, but the small gap made it hard for him to see. He opted to go around the shelf, and a few minutes later, white hair in a tight bun caught his attention right away. His eyes fell downwards to the number of books cluttered on the floor. He stepped forward and spoke to the person, whose back faced him.

"Are you alright?" he said. The person stiffened at first before she turned around, her long purple dress swishing with her. Strands of her white hair fell from her bun, and framed her round wrinkled face. She squinted as if trying to spot where the voice came from, until she faced Alec with her eyes narrowed more as she stepped closer to him.

"Yes, dear I'm fine," she said, her voice raspy. "I can't see well without my spectacles. Can you find them for me?"

Alec's eyes darted to the floor as he moved closer to mess. Not more than a couple moments later, he saw it, and bent down to pick it up by its silver frame. He turned back to the old woman and placed it on her outstretched hand. She put it on, and looked up at him. His height towered over her hunched form.

"Thank you, young one," she said. She looked up, and her black eyes grew big when their eyes met. With her mouth opening and closing, she ran her gaze over his features. She took her glasses and wiped it against the sleeve of her dress. When she placed it back on, and gazed at Alec, her expression remained the same.

"Is there a problem?" Alec asked, before he could start shifting his weight under her gaze. Her expression vanished a few seconds later, as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry. It's just that you looked like a former student who came here often a few years back," she said, as she fixed her glasses. "But then again, for the longest time I have looked over this library, I have seen and memorized a lot of faces already." She shook her head as she looked down at the mess of her own creation. She bent down and began collecting a pile of books before placing them back onto bookshelf. Alec dove down as well, and picked up the remaining three books and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said as she took it from him, put them back in their rightful place. She turned around to regard him, and pushed her glasses up her nose once more. "You must be the new student? Alec, if I'm not mistaken?" she said. His eyes widened for a split second, before he nodded with a smile tugging on his lips.