The sigil between Ariana's palm and the wall turned faster for several seconds, then slowed. Its color shifted subtly, the pale silver-white lines taking on a faint blue-violet edge. The internal symbols split into four smaller patterns, rotated separately, and snapped back into one design.
The wall answered.
A low sound moved through the floor at the center of the bottom level.
Everyone turned.
A rectangular section of stone several paces from the wall began to separate from the surrounding floor. It did not break or grind open clumsily. The seams appeared first, thin lines that had not existed a moment before. Dust trembled along them and spilled down as the stone pulled apart with old precision. The floor sections slid away from each other, revealing a dark gap beneath. Cool air rose from below, carrying the smell of sealed stone, metal, and old Myst residue.
A stairway descended into the space beneath the central structure.
