Alora led Broken, with Lionell accompanying them as a guard, through an unfamiliar section of the castle. It was a network of underground corridors—dark, winding, and branching off in unpredictable directions.
One thing was clear: anyone entering without proper guidance would be hopelessly lost, and whatever fate awaited them in those depths was best left unimagined.
The walls were solid, made of rough stone embedded with faintly glimmering crystals, while the dry floors echoed softly with each step. Every now and then, they encountered a dead end. But Alora would press her hand against the stone, and the wall would shift like pieces of a puzzle, revealing a hidden passage.
At one such opening, Alora turned to Lionell.
"We'll continue from here on our own," she said firmly.
"Understood, Your Highness." Knight Lionell gave a respectful nod before stepping back to stand guard.
