Two disciples entered the library, talking casually.
"Did you hear? The man the Sect Master brought in escaped."
"I heard. How does someone just vanish like that? Right under everyone's noses too."
"I know, right? The Sect Master has been…"
They paused.
A figure lay sprawled across the floor between the shelves.
"Senior Sister!"
They rushed over, kneeling beside the unconscious girl. One of them checked her pulse and breathing while the other scanned the surroundings for threats.
"She's okay," the first girl confirmed, sighing in relief. "Just unconscious."
The other girl tapped her shoulder.
"What?"
She looked up. The girl was pointing at the shelves behind them.
"Was the library always this... empty?"
"What are you talking about?"
The first girl turned to look around the library. Her eyes widened.
Entire sections of shelves stood nearly empty. Gaps littered every row. What had once been a repository filled to capacity now looked barren and hollow.
