Mires led the way through the marble corridors of the College's inner sanctum, his steps brisk, his back straight. Kain followed, still thinking about the bizarre detour into the Broken Gallery. The dried root he'd chosen was tucked away in his space ring, pulsing faintly with a rhythm only he seemed to notice. Suspicious or not, he couldn't deny the connection he felt to it.
They stopped before a massive door of black stone etched with shimmering sigils. Last year's vault had looked similar, but Kain's sharp eyes caught a detail he hadn't noticed before: three small stars engraved above the handle. Here, on this door, there were four.
His heart skipped. So this one's higher-ranked than before? Excitement flickered in his chest, melting away some of his lingering irritation.
