It was nothing unusual.. just like everyday after Daniel slips into night for his ghost world and just after that Linda goes out to library
The hush of the midnight library wrapped around Linda like a secret cloak. She traced her fingers along the spines of worn books, the faint smell of dust and ink comforting her restless mind. Sneaking out at night had become her private rebellion, a stolen fragment of freedom where no eyes judged and no rules chained her thoughts.
Tonight, however, she wasn't alone.
As she reached for a leather-bound volume on ancient history, another hand brushed the very same book. Linda startled, jerking her hand back. Her wide eyes met a stranger's — tall, broad-shouldered, with a calm smile and eyes that carried a flicker of warmth.
"Oh— I'm sorry," he said, his voice low, almost musical. "Didn't mean to scare you."
Linda swallowed, glancing around the empty rows. "I… I didn't know anyone else came here at this hour."
He chuckled softly. "Neither did I. That too I didn't expect an woman .. ohh ohh- no offense , I mean.. in our village , yknow"
Something in his tone disarmed her. She let her guard ease, even managing a small laugh. "Well… it's not like the rules are very fair to begin with."
He tilted his head, studying her with a kind of gentle admiration. "Exactly. And yet here you are — a woman sneaking into a library, hungry for knowledge in a village that would rather keep you in the shadows. That's… rare. And brave."
His words hit a soft spot in her chest. Daniel never praised her defiance — only scolded it, demanded obedience. But here was a stranger, a complete unknown, calling her courage admirable.
Linda tried to mask the warmth rising in her cheeks. "Brave? Or foolish?"
"Both," he said with a smirk, offering his hand. "David. A fellow insomniac, book lover, and admirer of rebels."
She hesitated, then shook his hand. His grip was firm, reassuring, nothing threatening about it.
The minutes bled into an hour as they wandered the aisles together. He asked questions, real questions — about her favorite books, her thoughts on history, her dreams beyond the village walls. Linda found herself talking more freely than she had in months, words spilling out as if a dam had cracked inside her.
When she finally closed the book she had been reading, she realized how light her chest felt. For the first time in forever, someone had listened without judgment, without commands.
As she stood to leave, David gave a half-bow, playful yet sincere. "Until next time, midnight scholar"
Linda rolled her eyes at the nickname but couldn't stop the small smile tugging at her lips as she slipped back into the night. For once, she didn't feel like a caged bird sneaking crumbs of freedom. She felt… seen.
And she carried that warmth home, meanwhile Daniel carried blood in hands.
PLEASE SUPPORT,
LOVE FROM ,
♡LINDA AND DANIEL♡