The Royal Archives had been breached.
The words echoed through everyone's minds long after the messenger finished speaking. Prince Victor's face darkened.
"The barriers..." he muttered. "Those barriers were personally reinforced by Father. Even a Tier 3 cultivator would need several minutes to break through them."
The messenger swallowed.
"They... weren't broken, Your Highness."
Victor looked up sharply.
"What?"
"They opened."
Silence.
"They opened," the messenger repeated. "Every lock disengaged simultaneously. None of the protective formations were damaged. It was as if someone with complete authority had just... walked inside."
Rakia's eyes narrowed.
"So either they possessed royal authorization..."
"Or someone has copied it," Sel finished grimly.
Neither possibility was good.
The group immediately returned to the palace. Royal Guards flooded every corridor. Normally calm servants hurried between halls carrying reports.
