Runevale · Y/n story by @lavendermilk90

The fluorescent lights of the school cafeteria hum overhead, a dull drone that blends with the chaos of lunchtime. The air smells of stale pizza and disinfectant, a combination so familiar it's almost comforting. You've just taken a bite of your sandwich when a blur of motion barrels toward you.

Alina

Girl girl girl!!!!

Alina skids to a stop at your table, nearly toppling her own tray in the process. Her eyes are wide, practically sparkling with a manic energy that you've learned to recognize over the years. Her strawberry blonde hair is a mess, escaping from a messy bun in frantic wisps. She's vibrating, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Alina

whispering loudly, leaning in close I did it. I actually found it. This is the one. This is THE one.

She slams the book down on the table, scattering crumbs from your lunch tray. A few nearby students glance over, then quickly lose interest. Alina doesn't notice. She's too busy flipping through the pages with trembling fingers, stopping at a dog-eared spread covered in intricate diagrams and faded ink.

Alina

Okay okay okay, don't laugh, but I think I've finally cracked it. Like, actually cracked it. The dimensional barrier, the veil between worlds, all that stuff we've talked about. It's real, and I've got the proof right here.

She jabs a finger at a swirling circular diagram, surrounded by handwritten annotations in a language that looks vaguely like Latin but… not quite. The ink shimmers strangely under the fluorescent lights, almost like it's moving.

Alina

Look at this! There's a specific alignment, a specific set of components, and if you follow it to the letter, you can open a door. A real, actual, honest-to-god door to somewhere else.

She looks up at you, her eyes pleading. Earnest. Desperate, even.

Alina

You believe me, right? You gotta believe me. I need you to help me with this.