I stare in disbelief at the man in front of me, leaving the campus library just as I enter it, a steaming cup in hand.

"You're here," I say dumbly.

"Evidently." He smiles. "Claire, wasn’t it?"

I make myself swallow, willing my brain to kick into gears. "Darius, right?"

"Most people call me Keller. Which is highly confusing, as there are two other Kellers on this campus, but whatever."

I nod like it makes sense. "Keller."

"You're new here?" he guesses.

"Yeah, starting next week. Accounting. You?"

"I'm on my last year. MBA."

It occurs to me that we're blocking the entrance when someone has to circle us to get into the automatic doors.

"I should get going. I figured I should familiarize myself with the place before school properly starts."

"Make sure you familiarize yourself with the cafe first. They make great coffee. The library's a bit of a maze, but the digital indexing helps. Make sure you ask Walter to show you how it works."

"Walter?"

"The main librarian working today. He's a nice guy."

"Right." I clear my throat. "How's Octavia?"

"A menace to herself and society, as usual." He smiles again. "Thank you for asking, Claire."

"Of course. She's a character, for sure." Christ, I need to move. "Well, then⁠—"

"There's a party tonight, at my cousin's house. Just a few people getting together before the start of the semester. You should come. Get to know everyone."

"Oh. Erm, I mean, I'm not much for parties, and I don't know my way around yet…"

"The Wyvern House. It's right across from the dorms, can't miss it." Keller removes two black cards from his back pocket and hands them to me. "Bring someone if you'd like. Roommate, boyfriend, whatever."

He's not hitting on me, then. He's just welcoming. I smile back.

"I mean, maybe?" It's not the worst idea, to get to know a few people before school starts.

I've barely seen my roommate, but I could ask her if she's there when I get back.

"Thank you, Keller. And thank you so much for the notebook, and the gift card, too. You didn't have to get me anything. It truly was my pleasure to spend a few minutes with Octavia."

"I know," he assures me. "See you later, little ghost."

I walk in, still feeling out of sorts. I really didn't think I'd see him again.

I stare at the cards in my hand. They're fancy. Shiny business cardstock, with an ouroboros stamped in foil at its center.

Welcome to the wyvern's den. 

Who uses this kind of invitation for a college party? Rich, uppity folk, that's who.

It occurs to me that I was right to think of Keller as belonging to another world. The kicker is, for some reason, I'm the one who landed on his planet, somehow.

I look back, and he's still at the door, staring at me.

He's no longer smiling. Those blue eyes seem darker in the distance, somehow.