Teacher Labels Clay Models in Berat Library

Soft tungsten lamplight pools across a polished wooden table in the predawn quiet of a Berat library reading room. A teacher stands over large clay models of biological structures, their rough, unglazed surfaces catching the warm glow. Handwritten labels in Albanian script rest on the table beside the earth-toned forms. Deep shadows stretch along the high walls lined with dark wood bookshelves, showing the empty rows of chairs in the background. The teacher wears a heavy wool coat, and their breath remains invisible in the still, cold air of the dead of winter. A metal pen lies on the table, its tip resting near a small pile of clay dust. The light fades into the darkness at the room's far corners.