The trap had barely begun to close around Seth before the chains suddenly tightened around his arms and legs, forcing him against the stone wall as the drawing groaned loudly beneath his feet. He struggled against the restraints, his expression twisting with irritation as he tried to understand how he had managed to trigger yet another hidden marker in the underground passage, but the more he pulled against the chains, the tighter they became.
"What the hell is this?" he muttered, twisting his wrist in an attempt to free himself.
The stone beneath his boots shifted slightly, and Seth immediately stopped moving when he realized that another trap might have been connected to the first. He glanced around the narrow passage, his eyes adjusting to the dimness as he searched for anything that might help him understand how the trap worked.
Then he heard footsteps.
They were faint at first, almost indistinguishable from the distant sounds of the underground passage, but they gradually became clearer as someone approached from behind him.
Seth stopped struggling and turned his head toward the darkness.
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Christophine.
She walked toward him with an unimpressed expression, her eyes immediately falling upon the chains wrapped around his body before travelling back to his face.
Seth stared at her in disbelief.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.
Christophine raised one eyebrow.
Before she could answer, the chains suddenly loosened.
A sharp metallic snap echoed through the corridor as the chains released Seth, sending the restraints crashing against the stone floor.
Seth stumbled forward and caught himself against the wall, rubbing his wrist as he looked down at the broken trap.
He remained there for a moment before slowly turning toward Christophine again.
"Wait." His expression changed into one of disbelief.
"Is that really what you’re going to say to me after saving you?" Christophine folded her arms across her chest.
"You were the one who followed me."
Christophine blinked. "I followed you?"
"Yes."
She stepped closer, her expression becoming increasingly irritated. "Huh?"
"I told you to remain at the residence, yet you followed me into a hidden underground passage." Seth said as he straightened his clothes and brushed the dust from his shoulder.
"You make it sound like I committed a crime."
"You walked into a place you knew nothing about."
"I was curious and moreover you are the one who triggered the trap."
"I didn’t know it was there."
"And if I hadn’t been following you, you would still be hanging against that wall."
Seth looked toward the broken chain before returning his attention to her.
"So you were following me."
"I was."
"Why?"
"Because I knew you would do something foolish."
A faint smile appeared on Seth’s face.
"So you were worried about me."
Christophine’s expression immediately hardened.
"I was worried that your foolishness would interfere with what Xandros was planning on doing."
"That sounds like a very complicated way of saying you were worried."
"It isn’t."
"You saved me."
"Because you were caught."
"And you came looking for me."
"I was already following you."
"Exactly."
Christophine sighed deeply and turned toward the passage.
"You are really foolish."
Seth followed her with his eyes.
"You could have just admitted you were worried."
"I would rather admit that you are annoying."
"That’s close enough."
She glanced back at him.
"Are you coming?"
Seth smiled.
"I thought you found me annoying?"
"I do."
"Then why are you waiting?"
"I’m not."
She turned and continued walking.
Seth quickly followed.
Christophine heard his footsteps behind her and shook her head, although the faintest trace of amusement appeared in her eyes before she concealed it.
They moved deeper into the underground passage, and the farther they went, the colder the air became. The walls were old, built from dark stone that had clearly been there for decades, perhaps even centuries, and although the passage appeared abandoned, Christophine noticed several fresh marks along the floor.
She slowed.
Seth immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
She crouched slightly and examined one of the markings.
"Someone has been here recently."
Seth looked down.
"How recently?"
"Very."
She ran her fingers near the edge of the mark without touching it.
"There is still residual magic."
Seth’s expression became more serious.
"The same power you sensed earlier?"
Christophine nodded.
"Yes."
"Then we’re going in the right direction."
She stood.
"We don’t know that."
"But you’re still moving forward."
"Because I want to know what is down here."
"And I want to know why you were sneaking around alone."
Christophine gave him a sideways glance.
"You were the one who followed me."
"And now I’m here."
"Unfortunately."
They continued through the passage until a faint vibration suddenly travelled beneath their feet.
Christophine stopped immediately.
Seth’s hand moved toward the weapon at his side.
"What was that?"
"I don’t know."
The vibration came again.
This time it was stronger.
Dust began falling from the ceiling.
Christophine’s eyes narrowed as she looked toward the wall ahead.
"Something is moving."
Seth stepped closer.
"Another trap?"
"Maybe."
A deep crack suddenly echoed through the corridor.
Both of them looked up.
The stone wall beside them began to fracture.
"Move!"
Christophine grabbed Seth’s arm and pulled him backward just as the wall exploded inward.
A cloud of dust filled the passage, forcing them to shield their faces as pieces of stone crashed onto the ground.
Seth coughed.
"Does this place have something against us?"1
Christophine lowered her arm and looked through the dust.
Then her expression changed.
A large opening had appeared where the wall had been, revealing another passage beyond it.
"This wasn’t here before."
Seth stared into the opening.
"Someone broke through."
Christophine stepped closer.
"Recently."
She felt a strange power again, though it was stronger than the other one.
Her eyes narrowed.
"It’s coming from there."
Seth followed her gaze.
"Then let’s find out what it is."
They stepped through the broken wall and continued into the newly revealed passage.
Neither of them noticed the figure standing several corridors away.
The stranger watched them in silence before disappearing into the darkness.
Meanwhile, Christophine and Seth eventually reached a large iron door.
Ancient symbols had been carved into its surface, and several of them were glowing faintly.
Christophine approached it carefully.
"This is it."
Seth stood beside her.
"The power?"
She nodded.
"It’s behind this door."
Seth reached for the handle.
Christophine immediately caught his wrist.
"Don’t."
He looked at her.
"Why?"
"There’s magic woven into the lock."
Seth glanced at the symbols.
"Can you break it?"
"I could."
"Then why aren’t you?"
"Because I don’t know what will happen when I do."
Seth smiled.
"You’re finally being cautious."
Christophine gave him a cold look.
"Don’t sound so pleased."
She stepped away from him and examined the symbols more carefully.
"This isn’t ordinary protective magic."
"What is it?"
"I don’t know."
Before either of them could continue, a sudden crash echoed from behind them.
Seth immediately drew his weapon.
Christophine turned sharply.
The wall at the end of the corridor cracked.
A deep fracture raced across the stone before the entire section exploded inward.
Dust filled the passage.
Then a figure emerged through the destruction.
Christophine’s eyes widened slightly.
"Xandros."
The Duke stepped through the broken wall as though the destruction surrounding him were nothing more than an inconvenience. Dust covered part of his dark clothing, but his expression remained completely composed, and his grey eyes immediately moved from Christophine to Seth.
Seth lowered his weapon.
"You could have used the door."
Xandros ignored him.
His gaze settled upon Christophine.
"What are you doing here?"
Christophine straightened.
"We found a hidden passage beneath the residence." She immediately trying to elude the question.
Xandros’ expression hardened.
"How?"
"I sensed something."
"Something?"
"Power."
She glanced toward the iron door.
"Something familiar."
Xandros looked at the door before turning toward Seth.
"And you, what is she doing here?"
Seth shrugged.
"She followed me."
Christophine immediately looked at him.
"How could you say that after what I did?" Christophine said as she immediately pointed behind them to remind him of the trap.
"I know and I survived."
"Because I saved you."
Seth smiled.
"Exactly."
Xandros looked between them.
"Enough."
The two immediately fell silent.
Xandros approached the iron door and examined the symbols carved into its surface.
"There is a barrier here."
Christophine nodded.
"I felt it."
Xandros placed his hand against the door.
The symbols immediately began glowing.
A low rumble travelled through the corridor.
Seth took a step backward.
"Should we move?"
Xandros ignored him.
The magic surrounding the door began cracking beneath his palm.
One symbol after another went dark.
Then, with a deep metallic groan, the iron door opened.
Beyond it lay a vast underground chamber.
Unlike the narrow passage they had just crossed, this room was enormous, supported by ancient pillars and illuminated by several enchanted lamps that cast a dim light across the stone floor.
There were tables everywhere.
Documents covered them.
Maps had been spread across several surfaces.
Sealed reports were stacked beside ledgers, shipment records and lists of names.
Christophine stepped inside slowly.
"This isn’t a storage room."
"No," Xandros replied.
His eyes moved across the documents.
"It’s an operation."
Seth walked toward the nearest table and picked up a ledger.
"These are merchant routes."
Christophine moved beside him.
"And shipment schedules."
Xandros approached another table.
"Names of officials."
He picked up a sealed report and opened it.
His expression gradually became darker.
"These aren’t ordinary merchants’ records."
Seth looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Xandros placed the document on the table.
"Someone has been monitoring every shipment entering and leaving the Western District."
Christophine’s eyes moved over the papers.
"And whoever created these records had access to information from inside the Warden’s administration."
Seth turned another page.
"There are routes here that aren’t registered."
Xandros’ gaze sharpened.
"Exactly."
He walked farther into the chamber, examining the maps one after another.
"There are roads that do not appear on any official map."
Christophine approached one of them.
"They aren’t roads."
Xandros looked at her.
"What?"
She pointed toward several markings beneath the Western District.
"These are underground routes."
Seth stared at the map.
"Then the missing caravans..."
"Weren’t necessarily missing," Xandros finished.
Silence settled over the chamber.
Christophine looked at the various documents spread across the tables.
"Someone could have been moving goods beneath the district without using the official roads."
"Yes."
"And the merchants?"
Xandros picked up another document.
"They may only have been supplying the operation."
Seth frowned.
"Then we’ve been investigating the wrong people."
Xandros’ eyes narrowed.
"Not entirely."
He turned the document over.
"There are transactions here."
Seth stepped closer.
"From the merchants?"
"Yes."
"But these amounts don’t match their official records."
Christophine’s expression changed.
"Someone altered them."
Xandros nodded.
"Or someone has been using their names."
He continued examining the records until he found a particular page hidden between two older reports.
His fingers stopped.
Christophine noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Xandros did not answer.
He read the document again.
Then his jaw tightened.
Seth stepped closer.
"What did you find?"
Xandros slowly lifted his gaze.
"The merchants aren’t the ones controlling the routes."
A heavy silence descended over the chamber.
Christophine stared at him.
"Then who is?"
Xandros looked toward the darkness beyond the underground hall.
Before he could answer, a faint sound echoed somewhere in the distance.
A door closing.
All three turned.
Seth’s hand immediately moved toward his weapon.
"Someone is here."
Christophine’s eyes narrowed.
"I told you we were being watched."
Xandros remained still, listening carefully.
The sound of footsteps came from somewhere beyond the chamber.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Then they stopped.
Seth looked toward the darkness.
"Whoever it is, they know we’re here."
Xandros’ grey eyes hardened.
"Then we find them."
He reached for the map on the table, folding it carefully before placing it beneath his coat.
Christophine looked toward the passage they had entered through.
"What about the records?"
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