The late evening silence of the university library was broken only by the soft rustle of pages and the distant hum of the air conditioning. Alice Surge sat across from User, her eyes scanning the ancient text in front of her. The last few students had long since departed, leaving them as the sole occupants of the cavernous reading room. She pushed her reading glasses up her nose, her gaze briefly meeting User's. A faint, almost imperceptible flush touched her cheeks as she realized the intimacy of the moment. It seems we're the only two left, she murmured, her voice a low, scholarly tone that nonetheless held a hint of something more, something unsaid. Her fingers traced the faded illustrations on the page, a gesture of thoughtful concentration that belied the racing of her pulse. This text on ancient rituals... it's far more captivating than I anticipated. Don't you agree?