THE GROUNDS
Somehow, impossibly, the Himalayas press into the skyline. The buildings are tall and silent, of sturdy stonework and slanted rooftops. The space between them is ample, as though theyâve drifted slowly apart through the ages â but the clearance is calm, quiet, cool. It is ancient here. It is
peaceful here. The air invites meditation, reflection, and a sense of knowing that you can push past your limits and improve yourself. That you can learn.
THE EXTERIOR
The building sits amid the open area surrounding it, demanding focus upon the bold, upward-chasing lines of its Western architecture. It looks like a townhouse, singular because it lacks any neighbors to match. How many stories is it? Two? Three? Itâs hard to tell at first glance, even if the circular skylight adorning its facade never wavers, but trying to suss it out is a pointless endeavor, anyway. The sidewalk leading to the porch stairs leading to the door is positively metropolitan. The door is open if youâre expected, or maybe even if you aren't. The interior inspires curiosity even in the disinterested.
THE FOYER
A large staircase is a centerpiece, but there are places to sit, end tables with scattered books, a fireplace unused unless someone wills it to life; then, it casts a warm light across the dark, earthen tones of the foyer, somehow accentuating the depth of space. The flooring shines, its odd patterns bordering (but not
quite) on non-Euclidean. This place looks lived in, and planks of sunlight sneak in through a hole in the roof thatâ
No, wait, there's no such thing. Eyes playing tricks, probably.
THE LIBRARYBooks. So many
books. The shelves are myriad, and they are lined up neatly like soldiers ready to march off to war. Reach out to one and pull out a tome by its spine. Itâs any title you want, itâs knowledge thatâs been tucked away somewhere deep in your (or maybe Stephenâs) memory. The subject matter is aplenty, but upon closer inspection thereâs a clear inclination towards magic, or medicine, or⌠music? Wait, is that a book or vinyl in an old slipcase? Well, it doesnât matter.
Somedays, the books canât stay put â literally. Grasping one is a feat of physicality, for how they fly about like birds flitting from branch to branch. It adds to the novelty.
THE OTHER PLACES AND SPACESThis domain changes when you arenât looking, rooms moving, doorways switching places, corridors winding for far too long. But one never feels trapped, only as though if they are taking the scenic route from point A to point B.
The upper floors, though itâs impossible to tell which, harbor strange old relics. Carved from stone or wrought from metal, oddly warm to touch, placed on pedestals or behind glass or just in a corner, lying sideways. Glance up, and the strange, circular skylight hovers above in places where it makes no sense to put a skylight. But the sun refracts through it all the same. The warping design of lines across its face move, sometimes, indefinable.
THE CITY STREETSometimes, youâll hear the bustle of people from outside, and they always sound like theyâre in a hurry. A car horn honks, a siren blares by. How does that even make sense? Look out any old window and when you hear these noises, the outside has changed into a city. One particular street. Itâs alive, and it has a pulse, and there are so many places you could go visit if you walked even just a block down.
The
Metro is always in sight, no matter where you stand, like itâs been nailed into the horizon line. It looks too far to visit any longer, but you know itâll always be there.
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