
Midnight in the Restricted Section
Isagi hadnât planned on sneaking into the libraryâs Restricted Section. He really hadnât. Â
But somehow, he found himself standing outside its iron-gated entrance at midnight, heart pounding, with the beautiful Reo Mikage at his side, Isnt this a perfect way to show him more about himself? Well thats what Isagi though aswell!Â
âThis is insane,â Isagi whispered, casting a glance down the dimly lit corridor. The air smelled of parchment, dust, and the faintest hint of candle wax. âWhy are we even doing this again?â Â
Reo rolled his eyes. âBecause I need to look up some advanced magical theory, and someone wonât lend me their copy of Cursed Artefacts and Their Hidden Potentials.â Â
âThat someone being Rin?â Â
Reo scowled. âObviously. He thinks Iâll âmisuseâ it or some nonsense.â Â
Isagi exhaled through his nose. He wasnât even surprised. But he was cute while saying thatâŠ
âAlright, but why am I here?â he pressed. Like, I know that im better than Nagi,but you couldâve just said that to my face
âBecause I need a lookout,â Reo answered with a smirk. âAnd you owe me for helping you dodge questions about the whole âacromantula incident.ââ Â
That was⊠fair. Â
With a sigh, Isagi gave in. âFine. Letâs get this over with.â Â
Reo grinned and pulled out a thin, expensive-looking wand. He tapped it against the gateâs lock. âAlohomora.â Â
With a soft click, the gate swung open. Â
âToo easy,â Reo murmured, stepping inside. Â Â
Isagi followed, glancing around warily. The Restricted Section felt different from the rest of the library. The shelves loomed taller, packed with old, heavy tomes bound in dark leather. Some of the books had chains around them, and others seemed to whisper softly when they passed. Â
He swallowed. This place gave him the creeps. Â
---
Reo wasted no time, scanning the shelves with sharp eyes. âHelp me look forââ Â
A sudden noise made them both freeze. Â
A rustling sound. Then a muttered voice. Â
Someone else was here. Â
Isagi instinctively reached for his wand, heart hammering in his chest. He exchanged a glance with Reo, who looked equally on edge. Â
They inched forward, careful not to make a sound. Â
And thenâ Â
âOi, oi, didnât know Iâd have company tonight.â Â
Isagiâs stomach dropped. Â
There, standing casually in front of a shelf, flipping through an ancient book like he was reading a Quidditch magazine, was Shidou Ryusei. Â
He looked up at them with his signature feral grin. âYo, Isagi. Mikage. Fancy seeing you here.â What is that bitch here on OUR date?Â
Reo groaned. âOh, you have got to be kidding me.â Â
Isagi, still reeling, hissed, âWhat the hell are you doing here?â Â
Shidou snickered. âWhat do you think? Looking up some fun new spells.â He tilted the book to show them the title. Â
Hexes and Jinxes for the Unhinged Mind.Â
Isagi nearly choked. âWhatâwhyââ Â
âDonât tell me youâre planning to actually use that,â Reo said, crossing his arms. Â
Shidou shrugged. âDepends on my mood.â Â
Isagi pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a headache forming. âGreat. Just great. Of course youâre here.â Â
âAw, donât be like that, Isagi,â Shidou teased. âYouâre starting to sound like Rin.â Â
Isagi scowled. âI am nothing like Rin.â Â
âWhatever you say.â Shidou shut the book with a thud. âSo, what brings you two troublemakers here?â Â
âWeâre not the troublemakers,â Reo snapped. âYou are.â Â
Shidou smirked. âAnd yet, here we are. Together. In the Restricted Section. Breaking school rules.â He spread his arms dramatically. âIâd say that makes us all partners in crime. Especially you and I purple bun~â Oh hell nah, i am NOT letting him steal my man.
Reo made a strangled noise of frustration. Â
---
âLook, weâre not here to chat,â Isagi muttered. âWe just need one book, and then weâre gone.â Â
âSame here,â Shidou said. âWell, maybe a couple of books. Havenât decided yet.â Â
Reo turned back to the shelves, scanning for the title he needed. Isagi kept his eyes on Shidou, wary of whatever nonsense he was planning. Â
Thenâ Â
A book near the top shelf suddenly rattled. Â
All three of them snapped their heads toward it. The sound was faint but unmistakable. Â
ââŠDid you see that?â Isagi whispered. Â
Reo frowned. âBooks donât just move by themselves.â Â
Shidou, instead of being alarmed, looked intrigued. âOh? Maybe itâs cursed.â Â
âNot everything is cursed,â Isagi muttered. Â
Shidou hummed. âYou sure?â Â
Before Isagi could stop him, Shidou reached outâ Â
The second his fingers brushed the bookâs spine, a burst of black smoke erupted from it. Â
The room filled with an eerie, whispering sound, the voices overlapping in a language Isagi didnât understand. The air went cold. The candles flickered wildly. Â
Reo cursed, stumbling back. âDamn it, Shidou! What did you do?!â Â
Shidou just laughed. âOops.â Â
Isagi swore under his breath. âWe are so screwed.â Â
The whispers grew louder. The black smoke twisted into the air, forming shadowy figures that slithered toward them. Â
Thenâone of the bookshelves shook. Â
Isagiâs instincts screamed at him. âMOVE!â Â
He snatched Reo onto him just as one of the shelves collapsed, sending heavy books crashing to the floor. The impact made the whole room tremble. Â
Somewhere in the distance, a voice rang outâ Â
âThe hell was that? Whoâs in there?!â Â
The night librarian. Â
Isagiâs blood ran cold. âOh, no.â Â
Shidouâs eyes widened. âWe need to Run guys~â Â
âNo. We should hide here.â Isagi protests.
âLets go find the nearest exitâ Reo whispered
âI think thats a great idea Reo, lets go.â Isagi holds Reos hand as they all strayed away from their spot.
---
The three of them bolted,weaving between bookshelves as the librarianâs footsteps grew closer. Â
âIdiots, absolute idiots,â Reo muttered furiously as they ran. Â
Shidou just laughed. âThis is the most fun Iâve had in ages!â Â
âShut up and move!â Isagi hissed. Â
They skidded around a corner just as the librarian entered the Restricted Section. The three of them pressed themselves against a shelf, holding their breath. Â
The librarian muttered a few spells, inspecting the fallen books. âWhoâs in here?â Â
For a few tense seconds, no one moved. Â
ThenâReo pointed at a side door near them. Â
A way out. Â
With careful, quiet steps, they slipped toward it. Â
And just as the librarian turned the other wayâ Â
They sprinted. Â
They didnât stop running until they reached the empty corridors of the castle. Only then did they collapse against the wall, panting. Â
Shidou grinned, looking far too pleased. âWell, that was exciting.â Â
Reo glared at him. âYou are unbelievable.â Â
Isagi groaned. âI am never sneaking into the library with Shidou again.â Â
Shidou slung an arm around Isagiâs shoulders, grinning. âAw, donât say that, Isagi. We make a great team.â Â
Isagi shoved him off. Â
Then a laughter erupted
Reo laughed,changes the presence of the conversation, wiping his tears away,
âThis was super fun!â
But despite everything⊠he couldnât deny it. Â
That had been kind of fun. Â