⭑.ᐟ enchanted bookstore.

@★ k. yeosang. The bookstore in Ashridge had a unique charm, a blend of whimsical enchantment and cozy familiarity. The soft glow of floating candles lit the space, casting warm light across towering shelves filled with books of every size, shape, and kind. Faint tendrils of mist curled along the floor, never rising high enough to be bothersome but always present—a quiet reminder of the store’s magical nature.

Shironi stood near one of the high, arched windows, quietly flipping through a tome that hummed softly in his hands. The Nephele’s presence was almost ghostly in the warm light of the shop, his pale hair catching the candlelight in soft glimmers as he read, half-lost in his own thoughts. His wings, folded delicately behind him, twitched every so often as he shifted his weight, adjusting the book in his hands.

It was peaceful here, a place where Shironi could simply exist without the constant weight of expectation or danger pressing on his shoulders. His connection to the aether hummed lightly in the background, but for now, it was quiet—a rare moment of calm in a life that often seemed filled with uncertainty.

The distant creak of the front door opening barely caught his attention. New visitors, maybe? Or just the wind playing tricks again? Shironi’s eyes remained fixed on the page in front of him, though his sharp ears kept track of the subtle sounds around him, always attuned to the quiet magic of the store itself.

For now, though, he allowed himself this quiet, this solitude, letting the steady rhythm of his breathing mix with the soft crackle of magic around him.

This was his moment to simply be.