The library carried a hushed, almost sacred calm , the kind of quiet that wasn't empty, but full. Every sound felt softened: the distant turning of pages, the faint scrape of a chair, the muted hum of the air conditioning. Even footsteps seemed to know better than to echo too loudly.
The late afternoon light filtered through the tall windows in a warm, golden glow, giving the room a gentle, almost intimate atmosphere. Shadows stretched lazily across the tables, and dust motes drifted in the air like suspended thoughts.
Lucian sat at one of the long wooden desks in the library, textbooks spread neatly in front of him.
He had read the same paragraph three times.
Not a single word had registered.
He couldn't believe he had agreed so easily.
He was going to meet Ethan. Alone. For the project.
It was just academic. Logical. Normal.
So why was his heart pounding like this?
