Chapter 4: Unexpected Conversations

By: KillRumdar

The library at Shiz was one of the few places where you could truly escape the chaotic energy of the university. Rows upon rows of dusty tomes, parchment, and old ink created a sanctuary of silence, interrupted only by the occasional shuffle of papers or the quiet rustle of a robe brushing past a chair. It was a place where you could get lost in your thoughts—or hide from them.

You were doing the latter.

The events of the previous night weighed heavily on your mind. Your hands traced absent patterns on the open book in front of you, but you hadn't read a word of it. Elphaba and Galinda—whatever was happening between them, between the three of you—it was too much to unpack. The moment you left that tower, you'd vowed to keep your distance, to focus on your studies and forget about that strange, charged encounter.

But no matter how hard you tried, it kept playing in your mind: the way Galinda flirted, the intensity of Elphaba's gaze, and the words that hung in the air long after you'd fled. They'd been watching you. Noticing you. Sensing something in you that you didn't even know existed.

It was too much to make sense of.

You sighed, shifting in your seat and trying once more to focus on the pages in front of you, when a shadow fell over your table. The silence of the library seemed to deepen, the air growing heavier, and you didn't have to look up to know who it was. You felt her presence before you saw her—Elphaba.

"Can we talk?"

Her voice was quiet but firm, carrying the weight of something that made you hesitate. You glanced up, your breath catching slightly when you met her dark eyes. There was no anger there, no frustration like before, but something else—something guarded, as though she was trying to keep her emotions in check.

You nodded slowly, not trusting yourself to speak, and closed the book in front of you. She gestured for you to follow her, and without another word, the two of you made your way to a quieter corner of the library. The soft glow of the lamps overhead cast long shadows against the towering bookshelves, adding to the sense of isolation.

Elphaba stood in front of one of the windows, her arms crossed over her chest, her gaze fixed on some point beyond the glass. She was silent for a moment, as though choosing her words carefully. You shifted uneasily, unsure of where this was going.

"I… owe you an apology," she said finally, her voice low but steady.

You blinked, surprised. Apology? Elphaba didn't seem like the type to apologize easily, if at all.

"I didn't mean for things to get out of hand last night," she continued, her gaze still focused outside the window. "Galinda… she has a way of pushing people, of making things go further than they should. I should've stopped her sooner."

You opened your mouth to respond but found that words escaped you. You hadn't expected this—an apology, let alone an explanation. You had assumed you were just caught in the middle of something much larger than yourself, but now Elphaba was standing here, taking responsibility for what had happened.

"I… don't know what to say," you admitted after a long pause, your voice soft.

Elphaba finally turned to face you, her eyes sharp but not unkind. "You don't have to say anything," she said, her tone a little gentler. "I just wanted you to know that what happened wasn't supposed to. Not like that."

You shifted uncomfortably, your thoughts racing to catch up with the conversation. "You said you and Galinda have been watching me. Why?"

Elphaba sighed, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair back as she glanced down at the floor. "We've sensed something in you for a while. You're… different from the other students. There's something about your magic—or potential magic, I should say—that's drawn us in. We don't know what it is yet, but it's there. And Galinda… well, she's curious. Too curious, sometimes."

Your mind whirled. Magic. Potential magic. You had felt it before, little flickers of something just beneath the surface, but you'd always assumed it was nothing more than your imagination. To hear Elphaba confirm it, to know that they had been watching you for it—it was overwhelming.

"So," you said slowly, "last night wasn't just about… that. It was about my magic?"

Elphaba's lips twitched into a small, humorless smile. "It was about both. Galinda has a way of blending the two—magic and desire. She doesn't always know when to separate them."

You swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. "What do you want from me?" you asked, your voice quieter now, laced with uncertainty. "I'm not even sure I understand what I can do."

Elphaba took a step closer, her expression more serious now. "Neither do we. But we think you have the potential to be powerful—more powerful than you realize. And whether you like it or not, that kind of potential draws attention."

Your pulse quickened at the implication. "Attention from who?"

Elphaba's gaze darkened, her jaw tightening slightly. "From people who would want to use you for their own ends. From people who understand how rare it is to find someone with raw magic that's still untapped."

You stared at her, your mind racing. You hadn't asked for this. You hadn't wanted any of this. But now it felt like you were being pulled into something far bigger than yourself—something you didn't fully understand.

"Elphaba…" you began, your voice shaking slightly. "What does this mean for me? What are you saying?"

She was silent for a long moment, her eyes searching yours as though weighing how much she should tell you. Finally, she spoke, her voice steady but laced with a kind of reluctant sincerity. "It means you need to be careful. Because now that we know what you are, others will too. And not everyone will have your best interests in mind."

You swallowed hard, a cold knot forming in the pit of your stomach. You had come to Shiz to study, to learn, to carve out a future for yourself. But now it felt like the ground had shifted beneath you, leaving you on uncertain footing.

"And you?" you asked quietly, your voice barely more than a whisper. "Do you have my best interests in mind?"

Elphaba's expression softened, just a little, and for the first time, you saw something vulnerable flicker across her face—something almost like doubt. "I'm not your enemy," she said quietly. "But you need to understand that Galinda and I… we don't play by the same rules as everyone else here. If you get involved with us, things are going to get complicated."

"More complicated than last night?" you asked, unable to keep the hint of bitterness from creeping into your voice.

Elphaba's eyes flickered with something—regret, maybe—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by that familiar, guarded expression. She let out a slow breath, her gaze lowering briefly before meeting yours again.

"It wasn't supposed to happen that way," she admitted, her voice quieter now, more controlled. "Last night… it got out of hand. Things between Galinda and me—they're not always as simple as they seem. We've been through a lot, and sometimes, she pushes things faster than they should go."

You raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond. Elphaba had been firm, controlled, and unyielding the night before, but now there was a vulnerability in her words, as if she were trying to give you some kind of explanation—a way to make sense of the chaos that had unfolded.

"What do you mean?" you asked, your voice a little softer now, curious.

Elphaba glanced away for a moment, her fingers twitching at her side as if she were unsure whether to keep her distance or reach out. "Galinda and I… We didn't exactly start off in the best place. There was a lot of tension, a lot of fighting. She's always been the type to push boundaries, to test limits. And with her, it's always been like a whirlwind—fast, chaotic, and sometimes too much. I don't want that for you."

You blinked, surprised at the openness in her words. Elphaba wasn't the type to show her cards so easily, but there was a sincerity in her tone that made you realize this wasn't just about magic. It was about something deeper—something personal.

"I didn't mean for you to get caught up in it so quickly," Elphaba continued, her voice soft but steady. "You deserve to understand what's happening, to take your time with this—unlike how things went with Galinda and me. I'm still figuring it out myself, but with you… it needs to be slower. You need space to decide what you want."

You swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling over you. The intensity of last night had left you reeling, unsure of what any of it meant. But now, standing here with Elphaba, hearing her admit that things had gone too far, too fast—it was grounding. It made everything feel a little more real, a little more manageable.

"Slower," you repeated, your voice soft, unsure. "But what does that even mean?"

Elphaba let out a small, humorless chuckle, her shoulders relaxing slightly as she glanced toward the window again. "It means I'm not going to let Galinda throw you into the deep end without giving you a chance to understand what's happening. What we are, what we're doing—it's not something you can just step into without knowing the consequences. Last night was… not how I wanted it to start."

You nodded slowly, trying to process everything she was saying. The way she was talking, it sounded like there was much more going on beneath the surface than you had initially realized. Something bigger, something that went beyond just the strange attraction between the three of you.

"Galinda has always been reckless," Elphaba continued, her tone softening. "She pushes, tests, sees how far she can go before something breaks. And with us…" She trailed off, her lips pressing into a thin line. "We broke a lot of things along the way."

You couldn't help but notice the way her shoulders tensed, as if the memories of whatever had happened between her and Galinda were still raw, still close to the surface.

"What about now?" you asked quietly. "With me? What do you want to happen?"

Elphaba turned back to you, her eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your heart skip a beat. "I want you to decide what happens next," she said firmly. "I'm not going to push you into something you're not ready for. Not like Galinda would. You need to understand what's at stake here—both in terms of your magic and… whatever this is between the three of us."

The way she said it, the way she emphasized your choice—it was a stark contrast to the overwhelming intensity of the previous night. Elphaba wasn't trying to manipulate you or force you into anything. She was giving you the control, the power to decide whether you wanted to step back into that world or walk away.

You felt a strange sense of relief at her words. After the confusion and tension of the night before, this moment felt like a chance to breathe, to think clearly.

"What if I don't know what I want yet?" you asked, your voice hesitant.

Elphaba gave a small nod, her expression softening. "That's okay," she said quietly. "You don't have to decide right now. I'm not going anywhere, and neither is Galinda. But I needed to make sure you understood that this isn't a game. Whatever you choose, it's going to get complicated. It's going to be messy. And once you're in… there's no easy way out."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. You knew she wasn't just talking about the strange magic they had sensed in you. She was talking about the tangled web of emotions and power that bound them together—the same web they were now inviting you into.

You glanced down, your fingers idly tracing the edge of a nearby book. "I… I appreciate you saying that," you said finally, your voice soft. "It makes a difference."

Elphaba's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "Good."

There was a pause, a soft awkwardness settling between the two of you as the gravity of the conversation began to shift. The tension that had been hanging in the air seemed to dissipate, leaving something quieter, something more uncertain in its wake.

Elphaba shifted slightly, glancing at the rows of bookshelves around you before clearing her throat. "If you're curious," she began, her tone a little lighter now, "I could show you a book or two. About magic."

You blinked, surprised by the offer. It wasn't the kind of thing you expected from Elphaba, who had always seemed so fiercely independent, so guarded. But there was something almost hesitant in the way she said it, as if she wasn't quite sure how to bridge the gap between the intensity of the previous night and the conversation you were having now.

"I'd like that," you replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips.

Elphaba nodded, her eyes flicking toward one of the nearby shelves. "There's one in particular," she said, stepping closer to the bookshelf, "that I think might help you understand a bit more about your potential. It's... well, it's not something most students would have access to."

You watched as she moved with a quiet confidence, her fingers tracing along the spines of the books with an expert's ease. She paused for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly in concentration as she scanned the titles, and then, with a small nod of satisfaction, she pulled a worn, leather-bound book from the shelf.

"This," Elphaba said, holding the book out to you, "might help you make sense of some of what you've been feeling. It's... dense. But I think you can handle it."

You reached out to take the book from her, your fingers brushing against hers as you did. The contact was brief—just the lightest touch of skin against skin—but it sent a jolt through you, and you noticed that Elphaba stiffened slightly, her eyes darting to where your hands had connected.

"Thanks," you murmured, your voice quieter now, a little uncertain.

Elphaba's eyes flickered with something you couldn't quite place—maybe surprise, maybe something else—but she didn't pull away immediately. For a moment, the two of you stood there, your fingers still grazing the edge of the book, neither of you quite sure what to do next.

"It's, uh... heavier than it looks," Elphaba said after a moment, her voice just a little too casual, as if she were trying to ease the sudden tension that had settled between you.

You let out a small laugh, shaking your head slightly. "Yeah, I can tell."

Elphaba's lips quirked into a small, awkward smile, and for a moment, it felt like the two of you had stumbled into something unexpectedly soft—something lighter, almost normal. The intensity of the earlier conversation, the weight of what had happened the night before, seemed to fade into the background as the two of you shared that quiet, fleeting moment.

"I could... I mean, if you want," Elphaba began, clearing her throat as she took a step back, her fingers slipping away from the book, "I could help you go through it. Some of the magic in there is... well, it's not exactly beginner-friendly."

You looked down at the book, your fingers tracing the worn leather cover as you considered her offer. There was something endearing about the way Elphaba was stumbling over her words, something that made the intimidating, sharp-edged version of her seem a little more human.

"I'd like that," you said softly, meeting her gaze again. "I'd appreciate the help."

Elphaba nodded, her expression relaxing a little, though there was still a hint of awkwardness in the air, as if neither of you quite knew how to navigate this newfound dynamic between you.

"Well then," she said, her voice a little firmer now, though still soft. "We can... meet here. Tomorrow, maybe? After classes."

"Yeah," you replied, offering her a small, genuine smile. "That sounds good."

For a moment, neither of you moved, the air between you charged with a kind of quiet understanding. It was strange—after everything that had happened, after the intensity of the night before, here you were, sharing something that felt... simple. A shared moment of curiosity, of learning, of something that felt almost innocent compared to the storm of emotions that had come before.

Elphaba shifted slightly, glancing down at the book in your hands before meeting your gaze again. "Just... don't get overwhelmed," she said, her voice quieter now, almost tentative. "This is new. For both of us."

You nodded, understanding the unspoken meaning behind her words. "I won't," you promised.

There was another pause, the silence stretching just a little too long, and then, with a small nod, Elphaba turned to leave. But just before she stepped away, she glanced back at you, her dark eyes flicking over your face with a kind of quiet intensity.

"Take care," she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper, and then she was gone, disappearing into the quiet stillness of the library, leaving you with nothing but the weight of the book in your hands and the lingering warmth of her presence.

You stood there for a moment longer, staring down at the worn leather cover of the book, your fingers tracing the edges absently. The world outside the library seemed distant, like something far removed from the quiet intimacy of this moment.

With a soft sigh, you tucked the book under your arm and made your way back to your seat, the weight of it settling in your lap as you opened it to the first page. The ancient script inside was dense, unfamiliar, but there was something about it that called to you—something that felt like it had always been waiting for you to find it.

And as you began to read, you couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring.