The path wound downward, through arches of carved stone and narrow tunnels lit by lanterns that flickered with steady blue flame. The air grew cooler as they descended, and the sound of the academy above faded until only the soft echoes of their footsteps remained.
Some of the younger students whispered nervously, while teachers from the Academy of Elements raised their brows, exchanging skeptical looks.
"Another hidden hall?" one muttered. "This academy seems built on secrets."
At last, the passage widened into a colossal cavern. The ceiling arched so high above that it disappeared into shadow, but light radiated upward from glowing veins of crystal embedded in the walls. The chamber pulsed with warmth and life, as though the rock itself breathed.
And there—waiting within—were the dragon sanctuaries.
