Tori was used to a big house but she was not used to a big city. It was so overwhelming; it just loomed over her and was packed with so many people that were all strangers. She spent a while just walking and taking in the sight. Unlike her home, this place was built of steel and stone and had more technology than her rustic hometown. 

The buildings were taller and the city was wide and sprawling, but one thing that caught her eye was the large tower of stone far into the city. She couldn't tell where it was in relation to the rest of Anora, but even from a distance it was tall and jagged like an old rusted dagger, made of dark reddish orange stone and it seemed to loom over everything else. The tower was out of place and it gave her a strange feeling in her gut. It also didn't seem to get any closer as she walked. 

As she continued down the main street she was surrounded by people bustling in the evening, talking on the streets, buying items from random stores and stands outside. It was unlike anything she'd ever see but her mother had told her tales of such places, even if she was also told that they were dangerous. It was clear to her that it was but the natural curiosity she got from her mother made her wonder.

On the surface still, she felt fear. A new place, new people, and after what happened, she was terrified. Without knowing the fate of her parents, her tutors, and the servants, she felt lost and completely alone. 

Of course, she'd worked up enough courage to speak to someone — as if that's the worst thing she'd experienced in the past few days — and ask for this mysteriously LaChance person. The first few people seemed confused and had no idea who she might be talking about, but as she asked several people who also couldn't assist her, she was left feeling discouraged and defeated.

Then it hit her that she really was lost and alone and she started to cry. Most people stared at the girl in dirty clothes stumbling through the city in tears, but then someone stopped in front of her and startled her.

A tall man with long black hair, dressed in nice dress pants and a white shirt buttoned to the top button was standing in front of her. His dark eyes — so dark they appeared black stared at her full of concern.

"Are you alright, Miss?" he asked with a gentle voice that for even a brief moment made Tori feel safer.

She shook her head and wiped at her tears which further smudged her makeup. It took her a few seconds to find her voice again.

"I'm—I'm looking for someone. A uh, a man named LaChance, he...he's supposed to have a store here somewhere but I-I've never been here and I'm lost and scared and alone and I—"

The girl started to cry again but she could see that this man was less confused and more surprised but in the least visible way possible. He almost seemed to lack emotion, or maybe he was just taken aback by Tori's disheveled appearance and sobbing.

"It's alright, Miss. Mr. LaChance runs a bookstore off of Mainstreet. You're heading the right way, just keep following this road and then turn left at the small alley labeled Citrine Street. You'll find the store down there easily, big green sign that says 'LaChance's Library.'"

Tori finally smiled in relief and clasped her hands together. 

"Thank you so much!" She looked down the road with hope shining in her eyes. "I've been asking so many people but no one seems to—" 

When Tori looked back to the man he was gone, just like out of a mystery novel her mom loved to read. Although instead of giving her a romantic mysterious feeling like the books did, the situation gave her a sense of dread, as if maybe the man was leading her into a trap.

Despite her gut telling her not to, she didn't have much else to go on and no one else seemed to have any idea who LaChance was. Which also made her suspicious; if he owned a store here, shouldn't people know who he was?

She continued down the street and sign after sign passed and none said Citrine Street. However, the bustling city around her shifted into a less bright and populated area. It was getting later so the sun wasn't giving its light as much, but the streetlights no longer dotted the sidewalks and instead, she began to see little floating globules of what she assumed was magic energy; it looked similar to what used to light parts of her house. They were giving off soft glows that provided some light on the darkened streets. 

Dark and cold settled in and maybe it was fate or just a coincidence, but finally, she came to the sign that read Citrine Street. 

She looked left and there was indeed a dark, spooky looking alley. Although just looking inside there were green and blue and purple globs of light illuminating the area. The alley itself was wide enough for nearly two trucks or carriages to get down, so she wondered if it could even be considered an alley.

It didn't matter. 

Further looking allowed her to see a sign rocking slightly in the wind several dozen feet ahead of her. Although she was apprehensive to venture in, she knew that backtracking would lead her nowhere and had to push forward. 

It was scary but all the noise and whistling wind she'd been hearing had stopped the instant she crossed the threshold into the alley. After taking a few steps inside, a few curious chirps were heard and she looked up. Above her there was a small black bird not unlike a raven, but smaller. The bird tilted its head at her and then flitted off down the alley. She followed more out of curiosity now and the bird led her right to the swinging sign that read 'LaChance's Library' but underneath it in smaller letters read 'of Luminescent Literature'. Tori stared at it for a moment feeling a bit baffled by the name. After that passed she glanced around for the bird but it was nowhere to be found. 

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. It was heavy and wooden with a small window covered by a curtain from the inside. Entering the building set off a small bell above the door, and the smell of books and ink hit her immediately along with the scent of dust and...incense, maybe? There was a small light on across the room but Tori couldn't really see. 

"So it's true." A voice cut through the dark but it was smooth and gent; somehow Tori felt warm even though her heart was thumping slow and hard from fear.

There were two loud claps and then suddenly many small flickering flames shot out from a darkened area across from Tori and flew to several candles around the room. As the room filled with light, she saw many shelves of books lining the store, but her eyes eventually landed on the man standing in a doorway behind the counter.

The girl standing there was terrified. Her brown eyes were wide and fear was etched into her face. LaChance could tell that the fear wasn't of him but rather of something she went through recently. She didn't look like she was from the city with the type of attire she wore — a nice black dress with white accents and frills, and small buckled shoes and stockings, although she was dirty and disheveled. 

"A little birdie told me you'd be coming." He lifted his hand and the small bird from before landed on it. Tori stared at him completely confused but the realization of the familiar bird slowly hit her. The man looked ordinary with brown hair that was held back into a long ponytail and wavy sides that hugged his slightly gaunt and thin face, and his clothes a simple dress shirt and pants that were tucked into brown boots.

"It's late, Miss. My store has closed for the night."

"I, um..."

"But you didn't come for books did you? Gabby said you were asking around town for me." 

"Gabby?" Tori raised her hand slightly as if the name confused her even more than everything else that was happening.

"The bird." The man lifted his hand and the bird chirped once and tilted its head. "He keeps an eye on things for me and just happened to overhear you speaking to someone," he said. Tori stared at the bird as the man spoke to him. "I'm LaChance, but I'm sure you got that by now. You can go now, Gabby. Thank you for your hard work, as always." LaChance had a sweet smile on his face and the bird chirped at him, then it fluttered in the air above his hand then poof, it just disappeared in a small puff of black smoke. "Now then, who might you be?" LaChance asked as he stepped around the counter and leaned against the front of it.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Tori was still in shock. She'd seen magic before in small doses, up until the attack on her home, but this place was just oozing magic energy. 

"I'm uh... Tori. Uh. Tori Rivera," she said. Ever-so-slightly LaChance's eyes widened and he crossed his arms.

"I see. And why are you searching for me?" he asked. Tori's eyes darted to the floor as she recalled why. The images of her home burning and her mother... It brought tears to her eyes.

"A...A lot happened. But my friend, Betty... She told me to find you. I'm..."

"Betty? I don't know anyone by the name, but that's alright. I'm not sure what you've been through but you look tired, so why not stay here for the night? You can tell me everything in the morning," the man offered bit Tori shakily took a step back. 

"Stay here?" 

"The upstairs is a living area. There are a few rooms up there, one of them is being used but the others are free." LaChance began to walk back around the counter and then glanced back at Tori. "Come, I'll set you up in a room and get you a change of clothes."

Tori was nervous but she was tired and felt like this was her best option. This strange man and his smile was the warmest thing she's met since she last saw her mother's smile. Something about him made her trust him, despite her usual anxiety and distrust.  LaChance led her into the back area and then up a narrow set of stairs to the right. Upstairs there was a hall straight with three doors on each side, one of them was closed and the other five were open. 

"You have a lot of rooms..." Tori commented with a twinge of nervousness.

"I have a lot of children." LaChance smiled as he spoke. Tori was curious but didn't question it, nor did she have the chance to. "You can stay in this room here." LaChance led her to the room next to the closed door and pushed the door open more. "Sorry if it's a bit dusty. The children don't use these rooms too often but we can clean it up if you decide to stay."

Tori stepped inside. It was small in comparison to her old room but she wasn't complaining. There was a fairly nice bed against the far wall, a single window, a dresser, and a lamp on a nightstand beside the bed.

"There are some simple clothes in the dresser, they might be a bit stale since no one's used this room for a while, but they're clean."

"Thank you." Tori turned to LaChance who was in the doorway. "So...is someone in the other room?" she asked. LaChance smiled. 

"That's my daughter, Alex. She's probably sleeping by now so I'll introduce you two tomorrow," he spoke and put a finger to his lips to say 'keep quiet.' Tori nodded and looked back to the room.

"Um... Mr. LaChance?" There was a cry in her voice that made LaChance's brows furrow.

"Hm, what is it, my dear?"

"Thank you, I'm...n-not sure what to do..." She started crying and covered her mouth, using her other hand to rub at her eyes. Within seconds she felt LaChance's hand on the back of her head and then pull her forehead against his chest.

"You're safe now, you don't need to fear anything anymore. Just rest, and we'll talk tomorrow." LaChance pulled back and looked at Tori's face with a soft smile. Despite everything, it made Tori feel calm. LaChance's body emitted warmth like a hearth. There was something so relaxing about him and it almost made Tori feel sleepy. He stepped into the hall and put his hand on the doorknob. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Rivera. Sleep well."

The door closed and Tori was left in the darkened room. She flipped on the lamp, sat on the bed, and looked around the room. The bed was soft and sunk down a bit, but it felt comfortable. She looked out the window beside the bed and saw the buildings on the other side of the alley. It was strange that there was a window facing an alley, but she guessed it was to get some natural light in the room, even if just a little. 

After a few minutes to herself to collect her thoughts and cry a bit, she went to the dresser. The clothes inside were folded neatly and looked untouched. Inside there was a blue T-shirt and black sweatpants that looked a bit too large for her. She changed and left her dirty clothes on the ground, and then climbed into the bed. 

At first, she was uncomfortable in an unknown place, just as she was uncomfortable in the forest. She cried more, curled up under the blanket, and stayed like that for a while. Eventually, her tears stopped and all that was left were little trails on her cheeks, and she fell asleep.

=====================

Downstairs, LaChance was in his workroom, which doubled as his bedroom. His room had tapestries and scrolls with symbols hanging on the walls, it smelled of incense and several candles were burning softly around the room. On the floor close to the wall there was a magic circle drawn in chalk on the floor, symbols drawn on various lines of the circle. LaChance stood in front of the circle as he gazed over it with a serious expression, eyes narrow and concerned.

"Gabriel," he spoke as he held his left forearm, beneath his fingers were tattoos. A puff of smoke poofed beside him and from the smoke came a man of pale skin, black hair, and black eyes — the same man that Tori had bumped into earlier, except now from his temples two dark horns curved up along the sides of his head and pointed upward near the tips, like a ram's horns.

"Could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" the man inquired.

"Tori, she...she's the daughter of a friend of mine," he explained. "I'm worried about them."

"You want me to go check on them?" Gabriel assumed. LaChance turned to him — his eyes were scared, worried, brows knit together tight; Gabriel was not used to seeing LaChance so alarmed.

"Please? If it's not too much trouble..." LaChance pleaded. Gabriel nodded once and closed his eyes. Suddenly his body was engulfed with a puff of smoke again, but this time a small black bird emerged and fluttered around. It chirped and then flew out the nearby window. LaChance sighed and stared out the same window. "Thank you, Gabby."

There was a silence in the room while LaChance's nerves calmed some, but then just a moment later, he heard a rustling behind him. He turned and saw one of his tapestries move. Glancing down, he saw a pair of black loafers poking out from the bottom.

"Cena, I can see you." LaChance smiled in endearment. An embarrassed yip came from behind the fabric and it shifted again. Pale hands gripped the edge and pulled it back. A man with wild black hair, blood red eyes, and similar horns as Gabriel poked his head out from behind the tapestry.

"Do you think Gabby knew I was here?" The man looked worried.

"Of course he did; he's a demon who specializes in sensing people," LaChance reminded him. "But you know he'd be mad if he heard you call him that." LaChance laughed.

"Oh..."

"Oh relax, I'm only teasing, my dear." He wasn't really; Gabriel only allowed LaChance to call him Gabby; a perk of knowing him for ten years, but regardless he sat in his chair and Cena stepped out from behind the curtain. The demon was also dressed similar to Gabriel was, but with a red scarf around his neck.

"So he went to Kyoka's house...?" Cena spoke softly and LaChance nodded.

"I'm worried about her and James. Their daughter is upstairs right now," he explained. Cena looked surprised. 

"You said that. Their daughter, though? I thought Alex was—"

"Shh, quiet Cena," LaChance shushed him. He stood up and stepped very close to him and whispered. "You're right, but their other daughter is upstairs as well. Her name is Tori," he said. Cena's eyes widened. 

"James' daughter?"

"Correct." LaChance patted his head and Cena smiled crookedly. "But something tells me that they never told Tori about Alex, so we'll keep it quiet for now and let her adjust to one thing at a time," he said and Cena nodded. 

"So...what can I do?" Cena asked and LaChance smiled. 

"You sweet child, always wanting to help." He cupped Cena's cheek. "Introduce yourself tomorrow, but hide the horns, darling," he said with a chuckle and grinned. Cena's mouth made an o-shape and then squeezed his eyes shut; his horns retreated into his temples and then he smiled at the other man. "Good. No need to frighten the child with demons so soon. Also...would you tell Charlie not to be...well, himself?" he requested and Cena laughed. 

"Of course, he can be a bit...abrasive."

"A bit?" LaChance questioned with a raised brow and then chuckled. "Well, either way, just introduce yourself, show her around the store, ask if she needs anything."

"Okay. But... What if she doesn't like me?" Cena asked, clutching his scarf nervously. LaChance placed his hand on Cena's head.

"My sweet Cena, what's not to like?" LaChance smiled that bright winning smile and it embarrassed Cena. In a flustered panic, there was suddenly a blaze of fire around his body and he completely disappeared. LaChance pulled his hand back and looked at it, noting that his white glove had a few small holes burnt into the fingers now.

"Hm. That was warm."

Cena was as adorable as ever and still not used to the world around him after all these years, and LaChance's teasing didn't exactly help at all. He was a demon; a master of fire, strong and capable, and nigh unkillable, but he had the heart of an angel and wouldn't hurt the smallest of insects; he was the second of LaChance's demons, and not the last. 

After Cena had disappeared in a blaze of embarrassment. LaChance stripped down and pulled on his pajama pants, blew out the candles, and crawled into bed. Even for Gabriel it would take at least a night to fly to the Rivera residence and back, and with Tori put to bed and Cena recovering in his own extradimensional room, he had nothing else left to tend to.