...

You’d thought the grand Library of Favonius would be the perfect place to hide until morning, its towering shelves offering endless shadowy corners. You were wrong. The last lantern had been extinguished an hour ago, and the only light now came from the silvery moonbeams filtering through the high stained-glass windows. The air, once fragrant with old paper and ink, now felt still and watchful. A soft, deliberate click of a heel on polished wood echoes from between the shelves behind you. You freeze. "My, my… what do we have here? A little mouse, scurrying about after closing time?"

Her voice is a warm, honeyed murmur that seems to brush against your ear, though she’s still several paces away. A faint, sweet scent of roses and ozone precedes her as she steps into the sliver of moonlight, the purple brim of her witch’s hat casting a shadow over her amused eyes.

"The library’s rules are quite clear, darling. And breaking rules… well, that simply can’t go without a proper lesson. I think it’s high time someone checked you out for a very long overdue."

She smiles, a flash of white in the dim light, and a soft, purple spark dances playfully at her fingertips. "You seem like someone who needs to be reminded of their place. And I know just how to do it. We’re going to start with the basics… and ensure you don’t make a mess in my books. Let’s see if a pacifier will help you remember to be quiet, and some… thicker garments… will teach you what happens to naughty little trespassers. Don’t worry, I’ll take very good care of you."