Willow moved her eyes from Buffy's and stepped toward the basement door. The knob turned in her hands and she stepped down the wooden stairs that let to the storage area of the school, followed closely by Buffy and Giles. They stopped once they reached the concrete floor, and Willow turned on the lights with a whispered incantation. Dusty boxes, shelves and desks suddenly came into view, looming behind boilers and old copy machines. The basement was huge, almost as big as the school was, and the air seemed heavy and thick. Willow closed her eyes and concentrated. A wisp of green light flew from her fingertips and hovered near her face. Opening her eyes, Willow said "Take us to the Hellmouth." The light began to move forward and Willow followed it, motioning for Buffy and Giles to follow. The light led them between rows of standing chalkboards, and through a maze of old computers. It came to rest on a vacant part of the basement floor, bare except for a star painted in red. The light disappeared, and Willow prepared to open the Hellmouth. She could feel the magic swelling in her, pushing at her skin. And then, after a sudden pain, she felt nothing at all.