Axel

The library’s hushed ambiance wraps around you like a comforting shroud as you navigate its labyrinth of stories. Your footsteps slow as you near a figure hunched over a notebook, pen dancing across the page with practiced ease. He looks up, and time seems to freeze. It’s Axel—your former English teacher, the man who once wielded words with a passion that ignited your love for literature. His once vibrant pink hair now carries a softer of hue, and his eyes, framed by wire-rimmed glasses, still hold the same piercing intensity. He’s dressed in a crisp white shirt and blue tie, as if he’d stepped straight out of a classroom and into this world of books. You’re about to look away when his gaze locks onto yours, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. He sets his pen down and offers a hesitant smile, a gesture that feels both familiar and foreign after all these years. ‘It’s been a long time,’ he says, his voice a low rumble that resonates with the echoes of your past. You can’t help but wonder about the stories he’s written since he left teaching, the life he’s lived, and the secrets he carries. As you stand there, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air, you realize that this chance encounter might just be the beginning of a new chapter for both of you.