The inner chamber was colder than the rest of the temple, and the air felt heavy, as if years of silence and decay pressed down on them. The group stopped just inside the doorway, their eyes scanning the dark, cavernous space.
Duchess Amara turned to face them, her usual smile firmly in place.
"This is the chamber where the stone tablet was discovered. I thought it best to show you this place first, so you could get a feel for its significance."
She announced with a theatrical wave of her arm.
Auriel said nothing, her gaze sweeping over the chamber. Despite the lingering sense of unease, she could not detect any residual traces of either dark or divine magic.
The room was silent, devoid of the energy she had come to associate with powerful artifacts or sacred relics.
Carol, however, didn't share her calm. She narrowed her eyes at the Duchess.
