Pale golden lights flickered, spreading across one corner of the library. Natsha focused intently, pondering over every single word of the thick economics book. The dark lead of her pencil moved with each motion of her hand, forming small straight lines across the page.

She adjusted the thin glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. Behind Natsha, only a short distance away, Lorena was also immersed in an economics book. Stacks of documents piled high on the table were enough to make any outsider feel dizzy at the sight.

Her hair was braided into a small plait. The thin, dark sweater she wore made her look incredibly gentle and pleasant.

The slightly chilly air made many people choose to embrace deep sleep instead of beginning what was considered far too early a day.

One cup of coffee, one glass of water. That was enough for Lorena, and enough for Natsha.

Not long after, the two of them stood up at the same time. The two desks, which only minutes ago had been overflowing with figures that could make one's head spin, were now nothing more than the glossy surface of wooden tables. They walked away in opposite directions.

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Natsha let her gaze glide over each book on the shelf. The scent of time lingered at the tip of her nose.

On the other side, there were other footsteps, as if moving in the same rhythm as hers. Slender fingers touched the cover of a certain book. Lorena used a bit of strength to pull it out. A small gap was created. Just enough to hold the dark pupil of another person.

But alas, she did not lift her eyes, and she did not notice either.

Lorena sat down on the wooden floor, opening the book already tinted by time. Natsha placed a thin piece of cloth beneath herself before sitting. The book in her hands deserved to be explored as well. They lightly leaned their heads back.

Neither of them knew of the other's presence.

Time passed. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. The same place, the same person, only the cover of the book changed.

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Natsha flipped open a page that held a thin wooden strip carved with simple details. At the bottom right corner of the wood were the two letters "L.S" deeply engraved.

So it turned out the previous reader had left a mark. Natsha did not find it troublesome. She took out her own thin wooden strip and placed it between a different page, marking the section she had completed that day.

The next day, Lorena was finally able to find the previous book again. Besides her own thin wooden strip, another one had appeared. Only, instead of the letters "L.S" it bore the letters "N.T"

In the days that followed, the book reached her hands every other day. The owner of the other wooden strip seemed very disciplined. On even-numbered days, she would certainly be able to hold the book in her hands. But if it was an odd-numbered day, she would surely not find even a trace of it.