Novels2Search
Dreamwalkers
Chapter 188

Chapter 188

The library reminded Andie of the comic shop she had landed near when she first entered the mindscape. Yet, it was fundamentally different. The air was warm, smoky with the smell of a wood fire. The heat soaked all the way down into your bones in a pleasantly comforting sort of way, but Andie could already tell that the dry heat would become oppressive if you stayed too long. This felt… natural, though. The place was welcoming, but it was not a home - a place to stay, but not for long. A place to come back to, but not a place to live.

The shelves were filled with books on heroes and science - epic tales and vaults of knowledge. They were all books she had shared with Cedric, or Cedric had shared with her. Unlike the comic shop, though, they were all books that interested her and Cedric both. The comic shop had been made for her, but the library was made to accommodate her. Both were made for her to enjoy, but the library truly felt like it was made by Cedric - like it still belonged to him. The former was given to her, the latter shared with her - a subtle but absolutely vital difference.

As pleasant as the place was, Andie couldn’t stay forever. She needed to see the rest of the mindscape. No, she wanted to see the rest of it. So, she made her way outside into… wow.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

This… this was different. The asphalt islands were still there, sure. Most were restored to almost exactly how they were when Andie arrived, but several were different - and others were very different. Instead of floating in water, the islands were carried by hot air balloons drifting in orbit around each other. Unlike indoors, the air was cold. Cold enough that it was snowing quite heavily. It was nice, feeling the crunch of snow beneath her feet. Even the biting frost of the air was strangely pleasant. Each breath in seemed to gather up all the pressure and stress within her, and each breath out seemed to flush it out into the air - as though an airlock on a spaceship had been thrust open. Her skin cooled as all the heat from the library was sucked away, but the warmth from it stayed - quietly pooling inside her stomach like hot cocoa.

Andie paused as she noticed a clockwork pigeon watching her with an endearing curiosity. It didn’t seem to be the only one of its kind, as others flew about carrying messages from one island to another. Where the messages came from and where they went was unclear, but Andie didn’t feel like prying.