The day at the bookstore had been quieter than usual, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in my mind. The shelves were lined with books, their comforting presence a small solace in the midst of my chaos. I ran my fingers over the spines, organizing the shelves and attempting to lose myself in the simplicity of the task. The scent of paper and ink wrapped around me like a familiar embrace, grounding me in the moment.
But as much as I tried to focus, the events of the past few days kept resurfacing. The awakening. The powers I didn’t understand. Margaret’s harsh training sessions. The purple glow in my eyes. Nothing made sense, and I couldn’t shake the weight of it all.
As I straightened a row of novels, my gaze fell on the clock. Almost time for lunch. My stomach growled, a reminder tha
