Ryn barely made it through the window and into the narrow gap before the bookshelf slid back into place with a soft thud.
He froze, holding his breath, waiting for the mechanism to finish settling.
Silence.
Only then did he exhale.
The staircase descended steeply, carved directly into bedrock. There were no guidelines, not even lanterns to light up the place. Just narrow steps spiraling downward into darkness.
Ryn guided his Essence, funneling it toward his eyes.
The space finally lit back up into view, muted and colorless, but still there.
Nearby tunnel walls were reinforced, mostly old stone layered with newer supports. This wasn't some forgotten cellar, it was more like a renovated bunker.
Ryn frowned faintly.
That's… odd. Why would they need another bunker down here?
He filed the thought away and continued downward.
The deeper he went, the more the air became cooler, almost stale even.
A door came into view a moment later, and behind it…voices.
