Morning light poured through the Hall of Petals' high windows and broke apart on the chandeliers, scattering pale shapes across the mosaic every time the crystals turned or trembled. Dozens of shelves lined every edge of the hall — under the balconies, beside the doors, beneath the curve of the stairs — tall wooden frames with brass rails and rolling steps.
…Apparently three libraries hadn't been enough. The upper rows were immaculate, the lower ones already raided by students in a hurry, one book lying flat across the others where somebody had given up on it and ten others sitting neatly beside it. Common books or manuals, by the looks of it – students just came here and swapped their books with the ones they needed for the next class in a hurry. A pretty efficient system, as Arashi had described it.
