Chapter 4 — Echoes of the Past

Lila

The air inside the zoo’s modest administrative building carried the faint scent of aged paper and dust, mingling with a trace of jasmine that drifted faintly in from the botanical gardens outside. Dr. Lila Hart pushed open the door to the archives, the hinges emitting a soft creak as if the room itself exhaled in welcome. Sunlight filtered through a high window, casting a golden slant of light that illuminated rows of metal filing cabinets and shelves stacked with photo albums, binders, and faded posters. Dust motes floated lazily in the light, a quiet testament to the passage of time.