With the owl closing in, Elias didn't run. He opened a different book—a decoy filled with dried silverfish—and tossed it into the air. The owl, programmed to protect against pests, diverted its path instantly.
The city of Oakhaven didn’t keep its secrets in vaults; it hid them in the "Stacks"—a vertical labyrinth of a billion discarded books. With the owl closing in, Elias didn't run
He climbed rusted iron ladders for hours, the silence of the library pressing against his ears. On the twelfth level, he saw it: a flicker of movement. Not a person, but a —the library’s ancient guardian. To the owl, Elias was a poacher. The city of Oakhaven didn’t keep its secrets
The hunt turned into a vertical chase. Elias swung between shelving units as the metallic bird dived, its brass talons scraping the wood. He reached the "Dead Zone," where the oldest scrolls crumbled at a touch. He spotted a spine bound in rough, unpolished sharkskin—the Codex . Not a person, but a —the library’s ancient guardian