1897, The old capital city of Japan, Kyoto, was settled in an accordance to situate as a central location for state gatherings. Later that same year, The British Council has entitled the city as a public and open orientation for foreigners. Since then, Korea, China; Great Britain, America; and Spain, have chosen to reside in the city leaving the Japanese citizens no chance to refuse but walk along the city streets with diverse faces from different states.

Her lips parted.

Mina lifts the page after reading the last sentence. The next page was of the same topic regarding the recent paragraphs.

Even with the diversity present in one city, the encounters were quite organized due to the strict supervision of European administrations. The countries were in fact in good terms, hence the satisfactory relationships between each individual.

"So this happened seven years before the assassination..." she muttered.

For the last two hours, she spent reading the history books in one sitting. Five books were piled on the left, indicating the finished summarizations while three books were piled on the right, yet to be read.

It may all seem uncanny, but Mina grew with this specific trait attached at the back of her personality. It was practically normal by now. Thick books under her eyes with its paragraphs formatted in Times New Roman were under the aspect of central intelligence.

She had a talent for maintaining her sanity even with the most silent of areas. The library was massive, but there were no occupants except the princess who could read all the books categorized in each bookshelf.

Yuta would visit the princess from time to time, returning with a quick snack and a filling drink. Mina appreciates the gesture; and even so when the butler prioritizes the welfare of the royal, concluding each arrival with a question about her solitude reading. The latter reassures him kindly with her signature gummy smile and a soft laugh that would guarantee to make anyone who witnessed it melt.

She continued reading. Time was no longer evident at this point. As long as she gets to retrieve the information she's learning to retrieve, the waste of each passing second never really matters. The length of each sentence that began revolving around her headspace already indicates the unnecessary span of minutes spent; enough to let Mina know of her limits and when to resume.

The moment her eyes land on the end of the page, she surrenders to the wooden chair, liberating an exasperated sigh after continuous hours of studying. She assumes Yuta might come back any minute now, but the recent quantity of arrivals could add another set of minutes before the butler proceeds with a new tray of snacks and lightweight drinks.

After a long while of unwinding, the chair was pushed back; Mina stood up from the aching position. She rubs her nape before stretching it from left to right, also outstretching her arms upwards.

She left the books as it is. With her fingers clasped behind, she slowly walks out the aisle. Her eyes explored the contents of the tall bookshelves, admiring the perfect alignment of each wooden structure that fully displays a symmetrical interior.

The total expanse screamed quietude; only the irrefutable footsteps echoed on behalf of the non-existent sound.

She eventually meets the center of the library. The unlit chandelier glistened above the crown of her head, perfectly stationary from any means of breeze. Mina tilts her head upwards as she stares at the golden light source, her fingers still clasped behind.

Below the chandelier was a large circular space with the bookshelves surrounding the crown princess. Several hanging lamps entrailed the following path, but all sources were off as the windows continued absorbing the bright rays from outdoors.

And that's where it hits her.

It's been two hours — or possibly three, but the direction of the sunlight passing through is undeniably stable and brighter than ever. Usually, the sunlight would stray left along with the movement of the sun across the sky, but the light is clearly centered against the wooden tables. She furrowed her eyebrows to this observation; she recalls arriving here by two PM, and yet, the exposure remained unbothered even with the passing of hours increased in accordance with time.

Climate change? she thought.

The observation was casually brushed off after a decision thinking the whole contemplation was just redundant. Later on, she proceeds to rotate back to the direction she originated from.

Maybe the whole datum absorbance slightly fractured a portion of her perspective, causing her to overthink such changes.

_____

The lonely businesswoman sits idly on the sole sofa positioned inside her empty office, apparently reading a romance novel she bought on her way to work. What can she say? The bookstore had a discount.

Private walls didn't exist as large windows consumed the perimeter of her office. Thanks to the clear weather, the words written in the book were smooth and clear; available to be read continuously without any