Su Ningyan thought his back had shattered when he hit the marble floor.
The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, a sharp cough tearing out of him as pain flared through his spine. His heart raced wildly, and a loud, hoarse groan echoed through the vast space around him.
It wasn't until he forced himself upright that he truly took in where he was.
Books.
Endless shelves of books and scrolls spiraled upward, disappearing into the heights of the ceiling as if reaching toward the heavens themselves. The architecture was elegant, impossibly grand, the air thick with old knowledge and quiet power.
Ningyan pressed a hand to his lower back, staring upward with parted lips.
"What the hell…?" he muttered. "How did I even get here?"
"You weren't supposed to land like that."
The careful, familiar voice behind him made his heart jump violently.
Ningyan spun around and froze.
