Chapter 199: Moonlit Pages
The soft hum of the mana lights faded, one by one, until only silence remained. Shelves rose like pillars in a forgotten temple, their towering silhouettes swallowed by shadow. Pale beams of moonlight filtered through the tall windows, casting silver streaks across the marble floor. The great library of Valon had fallen into sleep.
Charlotte looked around, blinking twice.
"...What do we do now?"
Noel exhaled slowly, hands tucked into his pockets.
"Good question. I have no idea." He glanced toward the sealed main doors. "Noir fell asleep in my room."
Charlotte stepped forward, her footsteps echoing faintly against the stone. "Well, maybe we can find an open window or something?"
Without waiting for his reply, she reached for the collar of her Sancta Veil. With a soft flick of her fingers, the holy illusion shimmered and faded, revealing her natural appearance—warm amber eyes and flowing pink hair that caught the moonlight like rose gold.
"Much better," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I prefer this appearance."
Noel stared at her for a heartbeat too long.
’Yeah... me too.’
Charlotte tilted her head. "Hm? Did you say something?"
He cleared his throat. "Nothing. Just... we should try to find a way out. They said the library’s closed tomorrow too, so I really don’t want to be stuck here until the next workday."