Two hours later, Rafael began to deeply, personally regret his own curiosity.
He had expected a fortress. He had expected armories, training halls, and hidden chambers carved into reality with ether and violence. And yes, those existed. He had seen rooms where strategies lived, where maps became breathing things etched in glowing script across an entire wall. He had passed spaces where Shadows trained with the quiet focus of predators who didn't need noise to prove lethality. He had walked through corridors so dense with layered warding that even breathing in them felt curated.
That part made sense.
What did not make sense was everything else.
"Why does he have three libraries?" Rafael demanded, stopping short as they entered yet another hall lined in towering shelves and immaculate order. "Who needs this many books? I thought your Duke prefers stabbing problems, not reading them."
