While Paulina is drawing the chessboard of power, another story in Salem makes the audience choke up.

Julie Williams, after Doug’s death, is immersed in infinite emptiness.

She often visits Foster’s bookstore to find some comfort in the quiet space and the smell of old paper.

Foster – the bookstore owner – also has his own sadness.

He is disappointed to see that Americans are reading less and less, and if they do, they buy books online thanks to TikTok, instead of listening to suggestions from booksellers like before. Frustrated, Foster plans to sell the store and move to the West to be closer to his daughter.

The scenes of two lonely people sitting together, sharing their sadness, evoke a feeling of melancholy in the audience. But then, in that dark space, Julie suddenly has an idea: why not join forces with Foster to revive the bookstore? Julie needs a goal to move forward after the loss, Foster needs a companion to keep the passion for life.

The image of Julie rearranging each bookshelf, discussing plans with Foster will bring a feeling of warmth mixed with hope. However, the big question still hangs: will these two suffering people have enough strength to turn the situation around, or is the effort just a beautiful illusion before the storm of the new era?

Julie’s story is not noisy but touching. It shows that even in the darkness of loss, people can still find light when they decide to stand up and continue writing their lives.