Evaline:
I finished the last sip of my tea, letting the warmth settle in my chest before pushing myself off the stool.
Stepping out into the empty corridor, I made my way back to the elevator for fifth floor. Merely moments later, I was pushing open the tall double doors of the archive hall.
The familiar scent of parchment and wooden shelves washed over me instantly - warm, earthy, and oddly comforting. The archive hall stretched across the entire fifth floor, vast enough that even after weeks of working here, the sight continued to make me pause.
It was magnificent.
Columns carved with runic vines supported high ceilings, lanterns glowing with warm light floated lazily above each section. Rows upon rows of shelves ran endlessly in every direction, housing everything from ancient scrolls brittle enough to crumble at touch, to modern records neatly stacked in labeled folders.
And at the center stood the old tree... my favorite part of the entire place.
