Me and Danial hid behind the shelves in the library until everyone was gone. We had already gotten the keys.

It was great teamwork.

Daniel barked— I'm not kidding, actually barked— at me to distract the janitor, and as I conversed with him— Mr.Sinha, a really sweet man— I saw his key chain lift off his cart and float to Danial. In the corner of my eye, I can see Danial removing the key that we need and inserting a fake key we made using the arts and crafts stuff here in the library. It was supposed to at least buy us time.

What in the world is his power? I thought as I walked away saying goodbye, feeling slightly guilty over stealing his keys.

Now we wait. We hid behind the shelves and waited for the library to start emptying out. Danial stayed completely silent, so I entertained myself by counting the number of gold flecks I could see on the gate.

My eyes jump open as Danial nudges me awake, and points towards the gates. Looking around, I realize it's all dark and the library seems ghastly quiet. Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I follow him as he guides the key through the slot.

I both see and hear him struggling, the loud noise echoing through the empty walls, seeming like they bounce off to wake the rest of the school.

"Hurry up!" I whisper yell at him.

He glares at me "It won't turn".

"Give it to me," I say, baring my teeth as I snatch it from him.

It was my first time holding it, he hadn't even let me see it when he got it. I inspect it.

It was a delicate object. Dainty, but strong. Bare, but heavy. A complete match with the door counterpart.

It was decorated in the same design the whole school was, with intricate and detailed patterns. My eyes skim over its surface, and it looks mostly like a normal key, minus the glam.

I put it in the slot and turned it, but as Daniel had said, it wouldn't turn. He shrugs as if to say 'told you'.

Danial begins to speak, but I hear no words, and when I attempt to speak, my eyes water, and my stomach clenches. I keep my eyes shut tightly as I will the pain to end, massaging the forming headache. Forcing my eyes open, I'm shocked to see that while I'm still in the library, it's in broad daylight.

Before I could question anything further, I hear voices coming from behind me and in a quick decision, dash behind the shelves next to the gold gates. I kneel down and peer through the side, as I watch the figures emerge.

"-would be devastating," A figure says, speaking to a person as he walks towards the restricted gates.

His companion, who I was shocked to recognize as Dodobi, nodded solemnly and said, "It would indeed. That is why we must obtain it first. I believe I have made a discovery. A woman— a Leavling— has ties to many Parax artifacts, she may have it". He held up a picture and I leaned over to see who, and I felt a tang of pain as I saw Gran's loving face.

The picture was of her looking off ahead, trying so had to not laugh as she held still. It was last summer, when I spent every day at her work with her, just studying or hanging out. We had found a deer, and Susan- Gran's coworker- had gotten so scared she peed her pants.

This must be when M was getting Dodobi to believe Gran had the book. Judging by the timings, this was way before school had started, which explains the empty library.

"Let me show you what I have found", Dodobi says excitedly as he pulls out something from his pocket.

It's the key, I realize. I move to close up ahead to see what he's about to do and watch as he slides the key into the slot, and twists the part sticking out to reveal a much smaller key. He takes out that smaller key which has two ends that look like keys and pushes them into the back of the first key.

Slowly, the doors groan as they open and the men walk through leaving me behind attempting to put all of that into memory.

I bounce on my feet, excited over learning this.

This may be what led to Gran's kidnapping, but it was also a step towards getting her back. Opening the door meant learning information which meant that I could find where the Jasus's were which means I'll be able to obtain them and trade them for Gran's life. Easy.

I wait until they're far ahead before stepping out and following behind them, and it proves to be just in time as the gates start closing. I step inside before they close, and look behind me as I go over the steps for the key again in my head. Instead of that though, my mind freezes as I see M standing there, watching me as I watch him, a wicked glint in his eyes. His eyes sweep past me, and it takes chanting, 'he can't see me", in my head for me to realize I'm in a vision. He was a part of the memory, not actually here. He can't see me.

Apparently, he wasn't aware of the fact that he was not allowed to see me, and his eyes seem to land on me, and he lets out a laugh— at me or the men— I don't know, and melts into the shadows.

I fall forward in relief, and when my feet land, I'm back in my present.

"What happened?" Danial asks "You were unusually quiet— especially for you— and your eyes were glossed over".

I shrug, waving his questions and my fear off, as I turn towards the door.

Taking the key from Danial's hands, I follow Dodobi's steps. Insert the key, uncap it, and stick it through. We step back as the doors push open with a loud groan and I cringe as the echoes bounce off the walls.

"Let's go," I say, handing him the key.

He takes it without question, but looks at me a second too long, before walking inside leaving me at the back, wondering if M watched from the shadows.

As if being called over, the shadows dance in front of me.

I ran inside, following Danail, as I heard M's voice chasing after me. "He didn't even say thank you".