Fifty

Lucas Branwell

The library's profound silence enveloped me like a familiar, comforting shroud.

It was a silence that felt much like the stillness of the forest at twilight when even the leaves held their breath in anticipation. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched out in every direction, each one crammed with books that stood like silent sentinels, guardians of knowledge. The hushed reverence of the place was evident. The very air itself whispered the secrets of countless ages.

The scent of aged paper and leather-bound tomes hung in the air, an intoxicating blend that tickled my senses. It was a fragrance I'd come to associate with the company of books, a scent that felt like home. As I walked among the towering bookshelves, I couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship wit……