After Michael destroyed all the stone statues with his shield, the scattered stones reassembled themselves, forming a staircase leading upwards. The ceiling above them opened, revealing a passage to the next floor.
"Well, that's convenient," Michael murmured, his gaze fixed on the newly formed stairs.
He and Gaya ascended the staircase, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The second floor was different. It was a vast, circular chamber, its walls lined with white marble, its floor a mosaic of polished stone. Statues, not of soldiers this time, but of scholars, stood in alcoves with their hands holding scrolls or strange, unidentifiable objects. It was pristine. Untouched.
But as they reached the top of the stairs, they saw him.
A figure, clad in black robes, stood in the center of the chamber, his back to them.
