The sun had started to dip behind the western towers, casting long shadows across the stone floor of the academy's main library.
The room, usually filled with soft murmurs and the shuffle of pages, was nearly silent now. Only the occasional flick of parchment and the quiet ticking of a clock filled the space.
Elyra von Estermont sat alone at a table near the upper-right alcove—one of the more secluded corners. A small stack of council reports sat at her side, alongside two thick volumes and a neatly ordered ink set. Her long black hair was braided, coiled over one shoulder like a silk rope. Her posture was straight, precise. Composed.
She hadn't noticed him yet.
Or maybe she had and simply hadn't looked up.
Noel stepped in through the side arch, eyes scanning the rows automatically.
He wasn't looking for her.
Not really.
But there she was.
'Of course she's working late.'
He paused for a breath, considered walking past.
Then her eyes flicked up.
No words.
