"H-help me…"
The weak, broken plea echoed faintly between the towering shelves.
Ragnar and Roz slowed for a moment, then exchanged a glance.
Neither of them spoke.
Without hesitation, they turned and continued walking, boots echoing softly against the stone floor as they left the two screaming men behind.
"Hey! Wait!"
"Help us!"
The voices cracked and warped, half-human and half-monster, but Ragnar didn't even flinch. He had seen enough in this castle to know better than to respond to every cry for help. Pity was dangerous here.
They were about to disappear down another aisle when—
A girl's voice rang out from somewhere deeper in the library.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't frantic.
It was soft, trembling, and unmistakably human.
Ragnar stopped.
His steps slowed, then halted completely.
Roz noticed immediately. "What is it?" he asked, turning back.
Ragnar frowned slightly, his gaze fixed into the darkness between the shelves. "You go ahead," he said after a pause.
