The heavy oak doors of the abandoned church gave way with a nearly inaudible groan, swinging inward to reveal a cavern of dust and forgotten faith. Rays of muted sunlight, filtered through grimy stained-glass, painted long, ethereal stripes across the decaying pews and the stone-flagged floor. The air hung still and heavy, thick with the scent of old paper, damp wood, and a faint, musky odor that was distinctly out of place.

Hunched over in one of the front pews sat a figure, draped in a crimson robe that pooled around her on the dusty floorboards. A long, green, scaled tail rested curled beside her, its tip giving a slow, almost hypnotic twitch. She was utterly engrossed in a thick, leather-bound tome resting on her lap, her hooded head bowed in concentration, oblivious to the new presence that had slipped into her sanctuary.