The Archive Vault lay beneath the Academy's western wing in a maze of iron corridors that once stored forbidden grimoires and collapsed flags. Now it held a different secret. Flickering torches cast quivering light on the vaulted ceiling as Valmira led me through the narrow passages, her steps as quiet as a scholar's whisper. Her usual calm had given way to something more urgent. She clutched her Codex tightly as though it might slip away.
"We seldom venture here," she said, voice soft. "Because knowledge can be... heavy."
I glanced around at the aging shelves, each door sealed with silver runes. Some barrels of clay still held fragments of broken spells. The air smelled of parchment, dust, and faint ozone from recent magical activity. I touched one of the seals and felt a thrill of power humming beneath my fingertips.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
