[x] Search for Koakuma.

I took the candlestick in my hands and began walking forward. Koakuma's voice came from this direction, didn't it? In this darkness, I could only see a few feet ahead of me. Was I in the east portion, or the west? Couldn't really tell anymore. I didn't bother reading the titles of the books around me. I just kept walking, hoping that I would hear her voice one more time.

The silence was dreadful. I could only hear my own footsteps. They echoed hauntingly along the tall shelves. At each corner, I slowed down and sneaked by as best as I could, hoping that I wouldn't meet anything dangerous. I thought about turning back several times. If I couldn't find her, I could very well end up lost in this labyrinth of books. Or worse. I could be found by a -

"Miss Patchouli!"

That voice! I was sure that it was her. It wasn't my mind playing tricks. I quickly took a deep breath before calling out.

"Koakuma! Is that you?"

"Ah!" she cried back. "I'll be right there! Don't move!"

She must have recognized my voice. I glanced in front of me, and then behind. There was no sign of any footsteps. That left only one other direction. I looked up and stared deep into the darkness. Just as I expected, something bright was approaching. A vaguely humanoid shape holding two bright lights. I waved my candlestick a few times to signal to her.

"Here," Koakuma said. "Take this torch. It burns much brighter than your candle."

I thankfully accepted it. This illuminated a larger area, and I felt a little more at ease. In a pinch, I could probably use it as a weapon, too. I turned to her. She had an unusually serious expression upon her face.

"Are you alright?" I asked. "What's going on here? Where did you come from?"

She paused for a moment, then shook her head.

"The flow of magic has been disrupted," she said. "As you can see, the library lights have all gone out."

Flow of magic? What the hell was she talking about? Didn't she know that Patchouli was -

"Ah! W-Where did you get that?"

"Huh? This?"

I raised the candlestick toward her. Her eyes widened a bit.

"W-Why don't you get rid of that thing? The torch should be more than enough for light.."

My grip tightened instinctually. I'm not sure why, but leaving this thing behind seemed like a really bad idea. There wasn't any real reason to drop it, too, other than to run more quickly.

"I'm fine with it," I managed. "Anyway..."

[ ] I must tell her about Patchouli.
[ ] I must ask her to lead me to the exit.
[ ] I must make sure that she isn't an impostor.