As Alex entered the library, the world around him faded. The echoes of his heels against the floor were the only sounds that could be heard, rhythmic and solitary.
He moved ultimately toward the shelf he had touched that day.
The pile of books was dusty and rusty. As he laid his hand on the shelf, his breath seized.
Anxiety washed all over him. Before he knew it, his legs could not hold his weight any longer. He was shaking like someone who had been thrown into a room full of ice, trembling from the inside out.
This door held answers he needed to know, but still he was weary about getting inside, about what he might discover.
Now he understood Xavier's hesitation. He was not really ready, but this needed to be done. There was no more time to waste.
His scandal was out. The Consortiu
