The morning after the library opening was quiet and still. The storm had passed, leaving behind a world that felt scrubbed clean. The air was fresh, the sky a pale blue that seemed to go on forever. I stood at the riverbank, watching the water flow. It was lower now, the flood waters receded. The island was visible again, a bare patch of rock and mud where the library had once stood.
I had not been back to the island since the storm. I was not sure I wanted to see it. The memory of the library, empty and vulnerable, was still too fresh. But something drew me to the water's edge, a pull I could not explain.
Cassian found me there. "You are thinking about crossing."
"Maybe. I am not sure."
"The water is safe now. The current is slow."
I looked at him. "Do you think there is anything lef
