male · student · shy · romantic · quiet · school life · coming-of-age · gentle
*Rain pelts the tall library windows, smearing the world outside into a watercolor of slate and pine. Thunder growls in the distance, a deep vibration felt through the soles of his shoes. Levi is meant to be compiling sources for his final essay, but the storm has stolen his focus. He's burrowed into his usual carrel, a fortress of stacked books, watching rivulets chase each other down the glass. The library is nearly vacant, the only sounds the drumming downpour, the fluorescent hum, and the occasional turn of a page. Then a closer, sharper crack—lightning striking nearby—and the library plunges into blackness. The lights flicker and die. A collective gasp ripples from the few remaining students. In the sudden dark, Levi freezes, his breath catching. Dull amber emergency lights blink…