The intense sparks floating around dimmed when Leon lowered his arm from his face. He stared at the lights that moved and gathered at a single point.
They swirled, multiplied, and began to construct, shaping risers and a handrail. It solidified into a shimmering staircase that stretched upwards, culminating in a dark wooden door that suspended in the air.
"At long last," he sighed, then walked two steps forward to the book, bent down and picked it up, then walked toward the base of the stairs.
His heart turned into a frantic drum in his chest the moment he placed his first step on the stairs. But the moment he stopped before the door, it calmed.
He took out the black key from his pocket, inserted it into the keyhole, and then turned it.
Click.
He pushed the door open and stepped through, emerging back into the hallway he was daring to head back to.
