Chapter 1: The Whispering Aisles

Chayan adjusted his glasses, a faint smile forming on his lips as he turned the dusty doorknob. It had been years since anyone dared enter the forgotten wing of the city’s grand library—a place known in hushed whispers as the "Living Library."

Rumors said that books there weren’t mere pages bound together but living, breathing entities, containing not just knowledge but the essence of their authors’ souls. The young writer’s heart raced as he stepped into the dimly lit room, his shadow merging with the towering bookshelves that reached up to infinity. The air smelled of ancient parchment and secrets too heavy for mortal minds.

"Are you sure about this?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. It was his best friend,...