Gaspar and Lily sat huddled together in a small, cramped room in the basement of the castle. The air was stale and musty, and the only light came from a small crack in the ceiling far above them. They had been brought there by the guards after being caught snooping around the castle, and now they were prisoners, waiting for their fate to be decided.
Gaspar tried to think of a way out, but every idea he came up with seemed impossible. The guards were too strong, the walls too thick, and the castle too heavily guarded. But then he remembered something his father had told him long ago: "When all else fails, look for the hidden passages."
Gaspar stood up and began to search the walls for any sign of a hidden door or passage. Lily watched him with growing hope, but after a few minutes, Gaspar sat back down, defeated.
"I can't find anything," he said, shaking his head.
Lily sighed, but then she noticed something strange about the crack in the ceiling. "Wait," she said, pointing up. "Look at the light coming through that crack. It's not straight. It's...angled."
Gaspar looked up and saw what Lily was talking about. The crack was indeed angled, as if it led to some kind of hidden passage.
"Good eye, Lily," he said, smiling at her. "Now we just need to figure out how to get up there."
They looked around the room and found a few broken pieces of wood and a rusted iron bar. They quickly fashioned them into a makeshift ladder and propped it up against the wall. Gaspar climbed up first, his heart pounding with fear and excitement. He reached the crack and pushed against it with all his might. It gave way, revealing a small, dusty crawl space.
"Lily, come on!" he called down.
Lily scrambled up the ladder and joined Gaspar in the crawl space. They crawled on their hands and knees through the narrow, dark tunnel, not knowing where it would lead them.
After what felt like hours, the tunnel opened up into a larger space. They emerged into a dimly lit room filled with old furniture and cobwebs. The room looked like it hadn't been used in years.
Gaspar and Lily looked at each other, wondering where they were and what to do next. They were still in the castle, but they had no idea how to get out.
Then, they heard footsteps approaching. Gaspar grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her behind a large, dusty armchair. They peered through the cobwebs and saw two guards entering the room.
"We have to hide," Gaspar whispered urgently.
But there was nowhere to hide. They were trapped. The guards were getting closer, and Gaspar and Lily knew they were caught.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from outside the room. The guards turned around to investigate, and Gaspar and Lily took their chance. They ran past the guards and out the door, into the hallway.
They could hear the guards shouting and running after them, but Gaspar and Lily didn't stop. They ran as fast as they could, their hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline.
They turned a corner and found themselves face to face with a large wooden door. Gaspar tried the handle and to his surprise, it opened.
They burst through the door and found themselves outside, in the fresh air and sunlight. They had made it out of the castle.
Gaspar and Lily ran as fast as they could, not stopping until they were far away from the castle and the guards. They collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air and laughing with relief.
Gaspar and Lily were beaming with pride as they looked at the newly constructed shelter. They had worked tirelessly for the past week, gathering materials and constructing the shelter from scratch.
"We did it," Gaspar said, grinning at Lily.
Lily smiled back, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over her. "I can't believe we actually built this," she said, marveling at their handiwork.
The shelter was a modest but sturdy structure, made from branches, leaves, and other natural materials they had found in the forest. It was small, but big enough for them to sleep in and store their supplies. They had even managed to build a small fire pit outside the shelter, which they could use to cook their meals and keep warm.
Gaspar walked over to the shelter and peered inside. "It's not much, but it's home," he said.
Lily nodded in agreement. "And it's safe," she added. "We don't have to worry about any wild animals attacking us while we sleep."
Gaspar grinned. "Or any other unexpected surprises," he said, recalling their encounter with the mysterious book and the strange note inside.
Lily's expression turned serious. "Speaking of which, we need to figure out what that note meant," she said.
Gaspar nodded. "I know. But for now, let's rest. We can start investigating tomorrow."
Lily agreed, and the two of them settled into the shelter for the night. As they drifted off to sleep, they couldn't help but wonder what other secrets the forest held, and what adventures awaited them in the days to come.