After Mary left, I remained in the chair for a long time, the book of myths forgotten in my lap as I processed our conversation. There had been layers beneath her words—offers of friendship, warnings about the complexities I was only beginning to understand, and something that felt almost like hope.
She wants me to succeed here, I realized. Whatever success means in this place.
The afternoon light was beginning to fade, casting the stained glass windows in deeper hues that made the entire library feel like the inside of a jewel. I should return to my chambers, should maintain the careful schedule that kept me safely within established boundaries.
Instead, I found myself drawn deeper into the library's maze of shelves, following an instinct I couldn't name toward sections I hadn't yet ex
