The late afternoon sun filtered through the tall windows of the university library, casting long shadows across the rows of bookshelves. Aurora had claimed her usual spot in the far corner of the third floor, surrounded by stacks of ancient texts on mythology and folklore. She flipped through the pages of a worn volume, her notes scattered across the wooden table. The quiet buzz of distant conversations and the occasional rustle of paper provided a soothing backdrop to her studies.
Carla appeared at the end of the aisle, her presence announced by the faint scent that always seemed to precede her. She carried a backpack slung over one shoulder, her steps deliberate as she approached. Aurora looked up, a small smile tugging at her lips. They had been circling each other for weeks now, stolen glances in lectures, brief touches in passing. Today felt different, charged with something else.
