It only took ten minutes for the familiar sight of her dorm building to come into view. The Uber pulled up to the curb, and Ella stepped out, the cool night air hitting her. She thanked the driver and made her way toward the entrance, the sounds of the city fading into the background. The dorm lobby was quiet, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the party she had just left.

The Uber pulled up to her dorm, and Ella stepped out, feeling the cool pavement beneath her feet. She thanked the driver and made her way inside, the lobby now empty, a stark contrast to the lively chaos of the party. The stair climb to her dorm was a quiet one, allowing her to reflect on the events of the evening.

Upon entering her dorm room, Ella found the space silent and dimly lit. The soft glow of her desk lamp illuminated the room, casting a warm light on the familiar surroundings.

Ella sighed, her mind still buzzing with the events of the night. The encounters with Connor, the unexpected meeting with Lysander, and the unsettling conversation about Connor's reputation lingered in her thoughts.

She kicked off her shoes, sinking onto her bed, the events of the night replaying in her mind. The quietness of her room allowed her to process the whirlwind of emotions she experienced. She thought about the cryptic comments regarding Connor and wondered if there was any truth to them.

Pulling out her phone, she considered texting Connor for some clarification but hesitated. Connor wasn't really her friend and it wasn't really any of her business if he messed around with anyone. But why did it bother her so much? She groaned and swiped out of her texts.

Before she could put her phone down, it buzzed quietly in her hand.

Ella's heart skipped a beat as she saw Lysander's name on the screen. Curiosity mingled with a hint of apprehension. She opened the message, unsure of what to expect.

Lysander:

Hey, Ella. Hope you made it back okay. Just wanted to say I had a great time chatting with you tonight. If you ever want to talk more or grab a coffee, let me know. 😊

Another text

Lysander:

Like outside of the project...like hanging out.

Ella's eyes lingered on the message, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Before responding, Ella took a moment to collect her thoughts. The events of the night still lingered in her mind, but in this quiet moment, she felt a sense of clarity.

Ella:

Hey! Thanks for the message. I made it back fine. Coffee sounds good—maybe sometime this week? 😊

As she settled under her blanket, the soft glow of her phone's screen cast a gentle light across her face. Ella stared at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts, contemplating the choices and encounters that shaped the night. Eventually, the weight of exhaustion caught up with her, and she drifted into a restless sleep, leaving the unanswered questions to linger in the quiet dorm room.

—--

Ella awoke the next morning to three missed calls and twelve text messages. Most from Katie, one text from Jane, and two from Connor. She thumbed through Katie's texts which were a mixture of drunken ramblings and few remarks questioning her whereabouts.

Katie (1):

Ella!! Where r u? 😜 Party's still going strong.

Katie (2):

Rae and Mya are looking for u. Did u find someone? 😏

Katie (3):

Ella!!! Srsly, u can't just vanish. I need deets. Spill the tea! ☕👀

Katie (4):

Don't tell me you're doing something wild. Wait, do tell me! 🤔

Katie (5):

Hellooooo??? I'm worried now. Call me back, please!!!!

The rest of the texts from her roommate were of the same nature. She sighed. Looks like Connor forgot to tell Katie she was going home.

Ella:

Hey, sorry for disappearing! 😅 I'm safe, promise. I'm in the dorm. I'll have a bottle of pedialyte for you when get back.

Connor (1):

Hey, Ella. Hope you made it home safe.

Her cheeks burned. Connor rarely called her Ella.

Connor (2):

Shoot. I forgot to tell Katie you were going home. I tried telling her just now but she's not sober enough to listen to me past two words. Hope you made it home safe!!

Ella chuckled to herself. She sent back a text confirming she made it home before setting her phone down on the nightstand. She peered over to her roommate's bed which lay empty. She was probably at Rae's or maybe she crashed at the baseball team's house.

She glanced out the window, the sun was fully shining through the curtains, meaning it was probably closer to nine in the morning. She usually slept past this time in the morning, but since it was her day off, she wasn't battling with exhaustion from working an overnight shift at the library.

Speaking of her day off, it was probably best if she got up and worked on her research paper. Something she had been putting off for a while now. Despite moving here for inspiration and better resources for her paper, it was hard to, well, find inspiration better resources for her paper.

The college town was basically in the middle of nowhere and you'd think there would be plenty of local stories about cyrpid creatures lurking around in the night or even the occasional bigfoot sighting but there was nothing. The only thing remotely unsettling about this town was the copious amount of athletes that seemed to roam the campus. What kind of small university campus only boasting about 3,000 students has this many athletes? And why were they always scattered around campus, do they not have practice or maybe class? It was weird. Too bad she couldn't write a paper on it.

With a stretch and a yawn, Ella pulled herself out of bed, a wave of tiredness washing over her. She quickly freshened up, changed into comfortable clothes, and settled at her desk.

As she thumbed through her notes, typing out a few sentences here and there her phone buzzed a couple of times. She tried to ignore the nagging feeling to check it immediately, wanting to focus on her research. However, the persistent buzzing finally got the better of her concentration.

Ella picked up her phone and checked the notifications. There were a couple of messages from Jane, updating her on plans for the weekend, and one from Adam her coworker. She stared at the phone puzzled. Adam never really texted her unless he was asking her about something she might have misplaced the night before. She opened the text.

Adam: Hey Ella, sorry to bother you on your day off. Just thought you'd be interested in this...Stephanie dropped it off this morning and I know your research kinda focuses on this.

Ella opened the attachment and was greeted with a picture of a weathered journal. The cover was worn, and the pages seemed aged, filled with handwritten notes and sketches. Intrigued, she scrolled through the images, revealing detailed drawings of strange creatures, along with accompanying notes in a language that appeared archaic.

Adam's message followed:

Stephanie found this journal in the attic of her new house. She thought it might be interesting for your research. The previous owner seemed to be into some weird stuff. Let me know if you want to take a closer look.

Ella's eyes widened as she continued to flip through the images. The journal seemed to contain information about cryptids and mythical creatures, detailing encounters, behaviors, and possible origins. Specifically, one that she'd never seen before. The creature appeared to be a combination of various animal features. Its body was sleek and serpentine, coiling in a sinuous manner. The scales shimmered in a way that suggested an ethereal glow, as if the creature emitted its own dim light. The head was the most distinctive feature, resembling that of an owl, with large, penetrating eyes. The creature had wings, but they were not feathered like a bird's; instead, they seemed more akin to delicate, elongated fins.

In the notes accompanying the sketch, the journal's previous owner had referred to the creature as "Astralyx" a creature rumored to inhabit dense, forests, appearing only in the darkest hours of the night. It was a goldmine for her research, and the excitement overpowered any reluctance to interrupt her day off.

Ella quickly responded to Adam, thanking him profusely. She closed her laptop and shoved it in her backpack. After stumbling over to her shoes and slipping on a jacket she barreled through the door.

And straight into Connor Holmes's chest.

Connor, who was standing just outside her door, seemed taken aback but quickly recovered, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Heading somewhere, Tucker?" He teased, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Ella studied his face for any traces of being hungover from the party the night before, but to her surprise, he looked remarkably composed. "You didn't drink last night?"

He took her change in subject with a stride. "I did. Just not enough to be out for the rest of the day like Katie." he peered into her room. "By the way, I was actually looking for her, is she here?

Ella shook her head. "No, she's probably at Rae's, I'm surprised you didn't check there first."

He shrugged, pulling out his phone. "I had to stop by my room, so I thought I'd check here first. He typed a quick message on his phone. "Got any plans for today?"

"I'm heading to the library,"

He frowned. "On your day off?"

Ella shrugged. "Adam has something for me. I want to grab it before the end of his shift."

Connor hummed and pocketed his phone. "Want some company while you walk?" He looked hopeful.

She raised a brow. "Aren't you supposed to be on the search for Katie right now?"

"She can wait,"

Ella sighed and began walking in the direction of the exit, Connor trailing beside her.

As they walked Connor talked about the baseball game the night before and described in very intricate detail how he and Alex had strategized to secure the win. Something about understanding the pitcher's patterns. Alex, the seasoned batter, analyzed the opponent's throws, noting subtle cues that hinted at the type of pitch to expect. And connor, well according to him he was just a good player.

"Swear on it. One time, I had to sit out for a game cause I injured my ankle and we lost. If that doesn't say I'm one of the best players I don't know what will."

Ella scoffed but smiled nonetheless. "Or maybe it was a coincidence."

"Doubt it."

As they neared the library, Connor concluded the story with a triumphant recounting of the final moments of the game, the winning run that echoed through the stadium, and the celebratory cheers of the Northview baseball team.

"Sounds like y'all might make the whole season with zero losses," Ella said, standing in front of the double doors leading into the library. Connor nodded.

"Let's hope so, then Northview would rise up in the university leagues."

As Ella leaned forward to open the door, Connor reached out to grab the handle. "Let me grab the door." He held it open for Ella with a teasing smile. "After you, Tucker."

She rolled her eyes.

Upon entering the library the scent of aged books and the low hum of whispered conversations surrounded them. It was a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the party the night before. Ella led the way through the aisles, with Connor trailing behind.

"So, what's Adam got for you?" Connor asked, his curiosity evident.

Ella hesitated for a moment, debating whether to share the discovery with him. Eventually, she decided to keep it a secret for now. "Just some research materials," she replied vaguely.

As they approached the study area, Ella spotted Adam at the information desk, gesturing for her to come over. She excused herself from Connor and promised to catch up with him in a bit.

Adam handed her a small package wrapped in brown paper. "Here, hope you don't mind that i went through a few pages of it. Super interesting stuff."

Ella clutched the package to her chest. "So are all these based on sightings here?"

Adam nodded. "Mostly here or outside of town. Some are located in farther areas of Nebraska like Geneva and Auburn but mostly around here."

Ella thanked him, glancing back to see Connor engaged in conversation with someone near the entrance. Her eyes widened. It was Mya.

They looked like they were engaged in a heated discussion. A frown was present on Connor's face, something she'd rarely ever seen. As she observed from a distance, the intensity of the conversation between Connor and Mya became more apparent. Mya seemed earnest, gesturing emphatically, while Connor rubbed a weary hand over his face. She watched as Mya rubbed a soothing hand over his shoulder.

Adam followed her gaze. "Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Yeah, just people from around campus," Ella replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Then why do you look like that?"

Startled, Ella looked over at Adam who was watching her smugly. "Like what?"

Adam gestured vaguely in the direction of Connor and Mya. "Like you're envious or something."

"What?" She screeched.

Adam rolled his eyes and pointed to the sign on the desk.

'This is a library, use your inside voices.'

"What are you talking about?" Ella whispered.

Adam chuckled. "Just an observation. You looked a bit... invested in their conversation."

Ella scoffed, feeling a flush of embarrassment. "Invested? No way. I was just... curious."

"Right," Adam said, unconvinced. "Well, I'll let you know if Stephanie digs up any more journals or illustrations from her new house."

Ella nodded, she looked back over to where Connor stood, Mya having run off.

As Adam left to attend to his duties, Ella decided to approach Connor.

She walked over, trying to act casual but feeling a bit self-conscious. "Hey, Connor. Everything alright?"

He looked up, his usual grin returning. "Oh, hey, Ella. Yeah, everything's fine. Just catching up with Mya.

She nodded, opting to not push further. They weren't that close and maybe Connor and Mya were closer than she initially thought. Nothing at the party really gave it away, in fact, it was almost like Mya was trying to push her and Connor closer along with Katie, but well, who knows.

Connor glanced down at his phone and cursed softly. "I have to head out. Will you be good walking back on your own, Tucker?

Ella nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm good. Don't worry about it. See you around, Connor."

He grinned. I'll text you." With a wave, he hurried off, and Ella watched him disappear into the library's entrance.

Ella sighed and made her way back to the dorms. As she neared the building her phone buzzed indicating a text. She glanced down.

Lysander:

Sweet. Next Monday?

Ella's heart skipped a beat as she read Lysander's message.

She didn't even hesitate to reply.