After spending a pleasant afternoon with her girlfriends, laughter still lingering faintly in her chest, Lory glanced at her watch. The smile on her lips softened into something calmer, more thoughtful.
Without another word, she made her way toward Cestine Palace. Thankfully, the palace corridors were quiet at this hour, bathed in the mellow hush of late afternoon. Her footsteps echoed lightly against the polished marble floors as she ascended the grand staircase to the third floor, where the royal library awaited.
The moment she pushed open the heavy wooden doors, a familiar scent greeted her.
Old parchment. Aged leather. Polished wood. The fragrance wrapped around her like a memory, warm, dignified, steeped in history. It was a scent that belonged only to places where time moved slower.
Golden light cascaded from the antique chandelier suspended high above, its crystals catching the glow and scattering it gently across the two-story chamber.
