"Okay, this time for sure." Rebecca scrawled notes into her leather-bound tome and closed her laptop. She was in an active chat with Mystics workshopping solutions in other regions, and she was confident they hammered out the details for today's ritual. This time, she was certain they would not accidentally open a portal into the Brooklyn Zoo.

Rushing down the steps of the library with her dusty rose cloak whipping behind her, Rebecca joined other gathered Mystics at the entrance of the building. Well, Mystics and one librarian. The library was still a public place and Booker B. Bookman was generous with his assistance in the process. "Thank ye for yer patience." She accepted a library key from him and placed it at the feet of the lion statue protecting the library.

After reagents and spell cards with an encantation were handed out, the gathered Mystics formed a semi-circle before the guardian.

Guardian of knowledge,
Knowledge that transcends
The boundaries of our world.
We call for a new safe haven,
A Sanctum of knowledge seekers
A library between worlds,
The Mortal and the Mystic.
Watch over us,
Guard the Gate,
But welcome the students of the Veil.

There was more, of course, but the ritual was performed in front of a handful of libraries around the world. It culminated in each ritual leader, in this case, Rebecca, placing a hand on the Sanctum's "guardian" and infusing magical energy into the statue and the building it guards.

There was a ripple of something, but it was hard to tell at first glance if the spell worked. Rebecca cautiously ascended the steps back to the main doorway of the library, pushing it open.

And she breathed a heavy sigh of relief, looking in wonder at their new Sanctum. "Fantastic."

The space was similar to the mortal library it existed parallel to, but there were no tourists or readers perusing the stacks. Shelves were bare, but they could fix that. The most notable aspect of the library was a lack of structure. Not organization, but actual structure. Above them, there was no ceiling. Rather, there was a nebulous aether shifting between colors. "It's nae much yet, but it's a start." She gestured for the others to join her inside their new extra-dimensional space.

Rex had stood nearly as motionless as the lion statues during whatever ritual it was that was supposed to open up the library. From what he understood, they were making an independent pocket dimension loosely based on the library but only attached by some extradimensional anchor.

He shook his head. It didn't make a difference to him.

The firefighter entered behind Rebecca, his work boots tromping on the floor. Once inside, he moved apart from the group. "Is that the only exit?" he asked, his eyes scanning the blank template of a building for signs and other means of emergency escapes. True, this was meant to be a sanctuary for magic users, but even bunkers could collapse and hidey-holes were some of the most dangerous places on Earth when things began to burn.

"How sturdy in this place?" he said, eying the vastness above them suspiciously.

Shhhh

They were in a library.

August joined in the incantation in front of the lion guardian statue. Infused it with power, along with the others who had joined them. Then followed Red into the space, behind Rex.

They had discussed this. He had heard the location would be a library. A dang library, Ah well. He liked books. Hearing it had been a library had given him time to gather up some house-warming gifts at least. Looking around the interior of the extra dimensional space, yeah, he was glad he had done that. The cupboards were bare, so to speak.

Rex was asking a lot of questions about safety, like he were some sort of safety inspector. What was his day job?

He approached Red, and held out a pair of wrapped packages. “For the shelves, Red.” He said. “Open up.”

One was a thick package, a fancy leather bound tome he had found in a China town book shop the last time he had been in California. It was a treatise on magic. The other package was a lot smaller, thin, even. About the width of a couple magazines, stacked together. When she opened it, it would reveal—

Well. Reading material and some calendars. One had a fireman on the cover. They almost looked suspiciously like Rex. The other two magazines had men on the cover. Living their lives.

“I was told this was a library.” He smirked. “Can’t have a library without books. And a calendar, to keep track of time. Especially important in… an extra dimensional space. Definitely check out July. Very patriotic. A captain.”

Agnes still couldn't believe this was happening. When she initially had gotten the invite from Becca, she had thought it was a joke. After all, an extradimensional sanctum? That sounded like one of those comic books that Booker is always going on about. It should have been impossible.

Then again, "impossible" stopped being a valid term months ago.

So here she stood, standing in an extradimensional plane that was occupied by the visage of a library. We get it, Becca, screw impossible. She had to marvel as she looked around, utterly floored by all of this. It was beautiful and something that she was slowly growing thrilled at being a part of.

In her arms she clutched an assortment of wax candles that looked homemade. These she carried deeper into the space and found an empty shelf to start placing them.

"Early readings show that pure beeswax candles are good for a variety of rituals," She says as she sets them out. On her arm are a few visible scars from recent bee stings. "Harvested and made them myself. This should get us started."

Booker was dumbstruck. When he had been presented the idea he instantly said yes. If only for the fact that he got to hang out with the cool mystics again! God his life was turning out to be gosh darn amazing! Sure! He went through a traumatic experience and of course he was still physically healing, but this was just about and awesome as the real dragonzord dagger he had hanging on his wall at home!

Witnessing the ritual had been an even greater treat. Watching all the mystics gather and partake, it was something he would trade in all the world. He loved mutants, yes, but mystics he was growing to appreciate as well because his adapted aurs didn't affect them! That meant he could see and even experience all the great things they can do.

This included.

Booker looked around the Astral Library in wonderment. It was stunning, beautiful, everything he could have hoped for. As the Keybearer he would do everything he could to keep the place up and organized...if that was okay with the coven, that is. He wasn't a mystic so he didn't know if he could access it without them, but he hoped so.

Booker grinned as he looked at all the empty shelves and the items being brought in to be cataloged. He was giddy with excitement and truly hoped he would get to work more with the mystics rather than just hold onto their key.

This was the greatest time of his liiiiife!

This was amazing.

Walking into the large lobby, Ez carried a small stack of books; texts she owned for years about witchcraft and her practice. One thing was becoming clear; old practices and magic people put their faith in over the years carried potential power. There would be value in those old books, even if it was just to test out theories. She set down the stack on a table. "I don't know how sturdy the twisting, imperceivable Veil is, but, she knocked on the tabletop, "It looks like the wood and stone here is well-made. I think we'll be fine."

Ez loved witchcraft and rituals, but with the floodgates of magic open to the world, taking part in rituals with such tangible impact... well, it was a dream come true.

She was still bitter that a bigot was able to steal away her mutation, knowing her parents would have loved this outcome. Then again, they would have hated her becoming a spellcasting sorcerer just as much, and that was its own kind of comfort. She kept the desire to protect mutantkind, but she was learning to appreciate her new gifts, regardless of their origin. It was also incredibly convenient to be able to eat a muffin without half a day of intense sickness. She was certain she had packed on a few extra pounds across her hips, chest, and tummy now that she was eating and enjoying human food again.

The power-change didn't just affect Ez; after the battle, she did her best to keep in contact with Agnes. She had a supportive girlfriend to hold her hand through this shift in her status quo, but Vanessa acknowledged Ez had a better understanding of how Agnes might be feeling. She was trusting, even knowing Ez's night job, but being a telepath might have helped with that.

Picking up one of Agnes' candles to inhale the sweet honeyed scent, her eyes noticed the bee stings. The former insect queen was adjusting to a new normal where the bugs she used to command saw her as an outsider, same as any other person. Ez smiled softly, carefully taking Agnes' wrist in her hands and pulling out a clear quartz from her belt pouch. "May I?" She delicately took a point of her crystal and ran it up and down Agnes' forearm, just barely grazing it across her skin. She chanted an incantation in Spanish, and her own blood went hot as she poured power into the crystal.

It started radiating a warm light, reducing itching and swelling, until each sting was no more than small, harmless pinpricks. "I'll mix you up a soothing salve before your next harvest, chica."

Agnes sets the homemade candles upon one of the many, many ancient looking empty shelves and nods appreciation. She had worked hard on making them, wanting to create something to help with everything.

Candles seemed like a natural segue for her, considering they could be made from pure beeswax. On Speedigram she had made a friend that kept bees. It was a job that Agnes had considered for some time as it seemed she would have a natural affinity for it. The beekeeper was a kindly older woman and Agnes loved to help her. But it appeared her affinity changed once she lost her mutation. She was now like everyone else and the bees let her know exactly that when she went the last time to collect the wax.

It was not fun.

Agnes hadn’t been stinged in her entire life so it was a pretty new sensation. But she had survived and after some talking with Nessa was learning to accept it. Besides, with her newfound abilities, she was sure her life would balance out somehow.

But while she was used to and ignoring the stings by now, it wasn’t lost on everyone. Agnes turned to the approaching woman. Charmz, or Ezmeralda as she learned her real name to be, had been a growing friendship. Their friendship was quickly growing as they both were turned to Mystics the same day and, besides that, there was just a camaraderie there that Agnes was open to exploring. Unsurprisingly, Nessa was fine with it. She was glad for the assist in helping Agnes through this strange time. Also, thankfully, the combined awkwardness of Agnes and Nessa had yet to scare Ez off!

Though mentioning the Winter Solstice Special Peek-a-Boo video of 2022 certainly towed the line the first time they all sat together. That was a dark day for both members of Agnessa.

Anyways, Agnes smiled and held her arm out with a nod. ”You may.” She watched as the crystal passed over her arm and could feel the soothing energy coming from it. She sighed in satisfaction, nodding to Ezmeralda’s words. ”Always appreciated. Though hopefully I’ll be able to dabble into some of that Somation magic myself. Feels…I dunno…comfortable learning.” She looks back to the candles and then snaps her fingers. ”Shoot. Knew I forgot something…” She looks down to her new necklace, covered in a few charms. Cycling through them she finds one that looks shaped like a bowl, pulls it off and mutters a few magical words. Afterwards she tosses it onto the ground and up, popping out of thin air is a stone bowl with gold fringe. A wink is then offered to Ez as Agnes picks up the bowl and sets it next to the candles. ”Found this thrift shopping. Has a good vibe for this.”