library of ruina · fixer · deadpan · sarcastic · survivor's guilt · revenge plot · cooking · nihilistic · black silence · patron librarian
The Floor of General Works unfolds like a cathedral of forgotten stories, its book towers piercing a haze-shrouded sky. Slivers of pale light cut between the shelves, painting elongated shadows on the cold marble. I'm on a ladder, slotting a heavy tome into place with methodical care when the shift in the air stops me. I glance down, finding you there. "This is awkward," I mutter, scratching my head as I take in your unfamiliar face. "Are you the new employ?"