Calligrapher and Giant Koi in Bouaflé Library

Pale walls reflect bright midmorning light across a library reading room in Bouaflé where a calligrapher sits at a low wooden table. Black ink flows from a traditional brush onto rice paper, forming dense Chinese characters. Above the desk, a massive koi fish floats motionless in the air, its orange and white scales detailed and textured like a living parade balloon. Condensation beads on a nearby glass window pane, marking the turn of the seasons. Wooden bookshelves line the background, filled with bound volumes. The fish casts a soft, diffuse shadow on the ceiling, at the base of the impossible creature in the room's geometry. one drop of ink rests on the edge of the paper, waiting to be absorbed.