Emerging through the portal, I found myself standing in a vast, open expanse. Here, millions of miles from the citadel, the library remained untouched by time, its endless white bookshelves stretching impossibly high above the mirror-like floors. The air was silent, heavy with the weight of knowledge too immense to grasp.
I glanced down, my reflection staring back at me, a dark figure against the pearlescent floor, an ink stain on an empty page. I lingered by the portal, waiting as promised for the others to follow. Seconds stretched into minutes, and with each passing moment, unease slithered into my chest.
I had known the odds of reunion were slim, but as the silence deepened, so did the gnawing sense of abandonment. Why has the Counsel forsaken me? The thought pressed against my mind, bitter and unrelenting. Though I exist only through them, my hope trembles upon their iron shoulders.
As the tenth minute came and passed, I knew I could wait no longer. A hollow weight settled upon my shoulders, but hesitation would serve no purpose now. I turned, scanning the clearing.
Eight paths stretched outward, each marked by bold black strips and a corresponding number. Subsector-9, that's my assignment, I reminded myself, the thought ringing plainly in my mind. Behind me, a straight diagonal path lay, the way forward unmistakable. Follow it, and I'll reach my post. Simple.
And yet, I hesitated. My gaze drifted back to the portal. Silent. Unmoving. A great, indifferent eye staring through me as I turned away.
My footsteps were slow at first, then steadier, the many-mile trek ahead unfolding in my mind like an unspoken sentence. Then, the air shuddered.
A deep rumble rolled through the space behind me, low and guttural, like something ancient stirring from restless slumber. I spun around just as the portal groaned—its surface twisting, crackling with energy. Blue and black swirled together, a chaotic storm of light and shadow, rekindling with a reluctant, almost pained force.
Before I had a moment to react, a leg emerged from the portal, landing with a firm thud against the pristine floor. A moment later, the rest of her followed—dressed in the same black librarian uniform as mine.
For all the odds stacked against us, for all the impossibilities whispered among the ranks, the Counsel's will had once again proven absolute.
My breath caught. Eight.
I took a step forward, then another. "Eight!" I called out, my walk turning into a sprint.
She lifted her head, eyes widening in disbelief. "Teller?" she gasped, as if I were a ghost pulled from the past.
I barely made it to the portal steps before collapsing into her arms. "I can't believe you're here!" The words tumbled out, raw and unrestrained. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show."
Eight smiled, then exhaled softly. "I wasn't originally supposed to be here," she admitted, her voice steady but edged with something unreadable. "My sector was reassigned. There was a shortage of portal subsector librarians today, and since I was last in line…" She paused. "They sent me here."
I pulled back slightly, searching her face as the weight of her words settled in. Last in line. A reassignment, a shortage—an accident, or something else? I swallowed, my mind racing to process it all. It didn't matter though, none of it did. At least now with her here, my eternity in the library would be a little less lonely.
Before I could think any longer on the topic, her face wrinkled into a smile. "You should have seen your face," she said, laughter bubbling between her words. "You looked ridiculous."
I turned away, slightly embarrassed. "Well, you weren't much better, you know. Looked like you'd seen a ghost."
Eight smirked, folding her arms. "Maybe I did. I was half expecting not to find you on this side of the portal." Her words lingered in the air for a moment before I sighed.
Then a looming reality was set into place and I spoke up "I- I guess Leaner wasn't so lucky?" Her gaze lowered "yea I guess not." of course we were sad but we couldn't let it linger as there's nothing we could do about it now, plus I already knew the chances of us all getting stationed together were close to zero.
"Anyway… I should get moving." I glanced once again around the room, my gaze landing on the path labeled Subsector-9. "I have a post to report to."
Eight followed my gaze and nodded. "Right. Duty calls." She shifted on her feet before offering a small, knowing smile. "I guess we won't be seeing each other for a while, then."
I winced as she spoke. The reality was that, even though we were stationed so close to each other, it was still not often that we would get to meet.
I smiled. "Hopefully, we'll have an excuse to see each other soon."
"Yeah. Hopefully."
I took a step back, hesitating just long enough to meet her eyes one last time. Then, with a deep breath, I turned and set off down the path, the weight of my assignment pressing down on me once more.