Lorekeeper Aftershave

Night gathers in the study and the walls seem to lean closer, as if the room means to listen. A lamp glows on the desk. The first page waits. Arlo wets the nib and breathes once to steady the hand. The air takes on a quiet brightness, like a window cracked to the evening, a small lift that clears the head. Somewhere in the stacks a trace of green moves through the wood. The shelves are old Virginia cedar and they keep their own counsel, but tonight they feel awake. He writes the opening line and the room remembers its work. Steam curls from a cup of black tea. The chair creaks like a familiar voice. Leather bindings press along the table edge and give the scene its weight. Ink settles where it should and does not wander. There is time here. The hours grow patient. Words find their places and the margins hold them. When the chapter reaches its quiet, the story does not end. It stays in the room and it stays on the skin. A firm heart remains, warm and steady, with a soft shadow that ling