Let me tell you, Fin's version of teaching me how to teleport is not fun. He might have well said, 'oh I'm going to teleport you into a cave that is nowhere near civilization and if you try to climb out you will drop 100 feet to your death. Have a good time. And that means figuring out how to teleport.' It's a good thing that he was not there at the time.
I looked at the darkness in front of me and sighed. Obliviously Fin thought I could do this. He just said he would be in the commons waiting. How do I do this again? "Focus on the area and imagine yourself there" was the only advice I was given. I'm going to die in this cave at this rate.
That was when something actually happened. The cave changed from well… a cave and into something different. A red room. One I unfortunately recognized. This room was the same room that appeared to me when I was twelve. Only this time I couldn't escape. I needed to be brave and remember everything. I felt nauseous and everything started to spin. The red walls changed from Red to blue sky, the black floors changed to green grass and there was light.
"Took you long enough. Seriously, I was thinking of checking if you were dead." He said. I just glared, said nothing and walked away. He decided to follow me. Why, don't you have someone else to piss off. Obviously not.
"Why are you following me. I think I made it perfectly clear that I'm not exactly interested in talking to anyone right now." I told him. I was completely and totally irritated now. Why can't anyone just leave me alone.
"You made it pretty clear that you're a bit more than upset. The grass near you is kind of dying so yeah you kinda need to calm it down a little - what the hell happened in the cave that would bring this kind of a response?" He asked.
"If we're going to talk about what happened in the cave first we have to be somewhere that no one will overhear." I stated. "Seriously it was that bad. I didn't think in that specific cave anything would happen." He said. By this point I gave up on ever being alone until he got what he wanted, but what he wanted was something I wasn't so comfortable talking about. My past.
I look at my watch hoping that it would be close to 8 pm, but no such luck. It was 4. meaning I had plenty of time to explain. Fin smirked. "You're not going to escape from me that easily, Katy." I sigh. So he did figure out that I wanted to escape from this conversation. He grabbed my hand and teleported both of us to a small grassy clearing in the middle of nowhere.
"No ones here. So tell me what the hell happened." He asked. "Um... Fin this has to do with my past and do not tell anybody about this. I really don't want people to know what happened to me okay?" I answered. "Fine, who would I tell. Come on. I don't especially like people." He said.
"When I was twelve a red room appeared in front of me. Being the beyond curious child I was I opened the door and walked in. I was trapped. No matter what I did, I couldn't escape because once I entered this room the door vanished. The walls literally started whispering. Telling me strange things. Things that make no sense at all. That was when things started to get worse."
"Glowing symbols started to appear on my arms and back. A lot of my memory by this point I thankfully have forgotten, but I do remember the pain. It's kind of amazing how pain works. Sometimes it dulls the everything else. Think of that for about a year. Then miraculously being dropped off back at my well... mansion. And then think about being forced into that same room in the cave. Wouldn't you be a bit upset." I explain.
I know that if that happened I should have believed in magic, but I just wanted to go back to a normal life. So to make sure of that I forced myself to think a lot differently. And before you ask this was way after when I at the asylum. That was when I was eight. 4 years before this incident and when I arrived back, my mom was relieved. It was the first time in my entire life I almost felt wanted by her.
"I guess I now know why you didn't tell anyone. Um... are the markings still on your arms?" He said. It snapped me out of my thoughts. "Yes... um... why?" I asked trying to figure out why he was saying this. "Oh it's I think it would be a good idea if we know what this room is. That way you know what you're dealing with." He replied.
"Um... thanks. But I have a question, why are you being nice to me?" I ask. At first this being nice to me was a good thing. Now I'm wondering why he's kept it up for so long. I already agreed to his deal.
"I'm still trying to figure that out myself. If it was anyone else I would have probably laughed in there face and left. Maybe it's just that you're Cass's roommate and I have accepted that." He answered. I could tell that it was honest. He's almost always honest. I have noticed this. Except when it comes to what happened that had made him rescue me from a mirror.
"I guess that we should head back. It's almost dark. I'm guessing it's about 4:30." He told me and grabbed my hand. Once again I was back at the library. Thank you Fin for having a greater memory of this place. I don't think that I could remember all the shelves.
"Hello Fin and who are you miss?" A boy with long, shaggy white hair asked. "Katy." I replied shyly. "I'm Boris." He said bringing out his hand. I shook it. At least things aren't that different in Wizard City than they are in the U.S. Otherwise I would be completely lost on what to do.
"Alright, Katy let's go find that book." Fin said. Boris just looked at Fin strangely. "And before you get any ideas I was asked by Malistaire to help out his newest student." Boris sighed. "I was hoping. It would have made a good article."
"Now can we get going?" Fin said looking at me. "Yep." I replied. He sounded really annoyed. I didn't want to annoy him more.
I follow Fin to a dark corner of the library. It was lit barely and by candle light, instead of electric lighting. I wonder why? Fin grabs a thick book and blows off the dust. The book looked really old. Older than the rest in the library, but not as old as the book of secrets.
"Fin what is that book?" I ask. "This is the book of answers. A book that literally answers all questions asked if written in it. Now write a question here" He instructed me while flipping to the last page and giving me a pen. I hesitantly start writing my question.
"What is this place that I'm always brought to?"
After a few seconds my question is adsorbed into the pages and an answer starts to appear.
"This place you are referring to is a place of balance. No one knows it's exact name. It only appears to those who have the power to see it and survive it. But beware young one. The rooms have been corrupted and turned into a prison that will only stop collecting when all the rooms are full. Only one room is left and it is waiting for you." It wrote. Then there was a pause and the words started to disappear and be replaced by new ones.
"The only way to escape this fate is to find someone to take your place. Once you do say 'Et inventus est' and they will have your fate."
Fin handed me a piece of paper to write what it said down. He looked at it and sighed. "You find more dang trouble than almost anyone." "Yes, I do." I replied. It sure seems like it right now.
