For several moments, none of them crossed the threshold.
They simply stood before the opened gate, taking in the vast chamber beyond.
The room was unlike anything they had seen since arriving at the castle.
It was neither a prison nor a hidden tunnel.
It was a sanctuary.
Rows upon rows of towering oak bookshelves stretched from floor to ceiling, each overflowing with leather-bound books, rolled parchments, journals, and scrolls whose edges had yellowed with age. Some shelves leaned slightly beneath the weight of knowledge they had carried for decades.
The chamber itself was enormous.
Stone arches supported the high ceiling, while narrow windows cut into the walls allowed thin beams of afternoon sunlight to slip inside. Dust floated lazily through the rays, making the room seem almost alive.
In the centre stood a massive table carved from a single piece of oak.
Maps covered nearly every inch of its polished surface.
A compass rested near one corner.
