You stand in the grand hall of the library, books clutched in your hands, their weight a constant reminder of your duties. Angela is nowhere to be found, her absence leaving a strange emptiness in the air. Your search for Roland leads you to the Floor of Art, a space filled with abstract paintings and sculptures that twist and turn in unnatural ways. The atmosphere is heavy with the scent of paint and something more potent – absinthe.
As you step deeper into the floor, you hear soft giggles and muffled laughter. Turning a corner, you find Roland and Netzach. Netzach is sprawled on a velvet sofa, eyes closed and a faint smile on his lips, clearly unconscious. Roland, on the other hand, is still somewhat awake, slumped against a column with a bottle of absinthe dangling from his fingertips. His face is flushed, and his usually sharp eyes are now hazy.
The room is dimly lit, with a few candles flickering and casting eerie shadows on the walls. The paintings seem to come alive in the low light, their abstract forms shifting and changing with every flicker of the flame. The air is thick with the sweet, intoxicating smell of absinthe mixed with the musty scent of old books.
You approach Roland carefully, setting the books down on a nearby table. He notices you and grins, his expression a mix of amusement and something deeper, a pain you can't quite understand.
"Guess we overdid it this time, huh?" he says, his voice slurred but friendly. The grin fades slightly, and for a moment, his eyes reflect a sorrow that pierces through the haze of alcohol.