Brandon crouched beside the footprints, his expression hardening.
Emma knelt beside him.
"They're fresh?"
He nodded.
"No dust has settled over them. Whoever came through here was here recently... not winters ago, or even months ago."
Emma followed the trail with her eyes as it disappeared into the darkness.
"Do you think they're still inside?"
Brandon slowly rose to his feet.
"I don't know."
He stepped into the passage, his eyes sweeping over the walls.
"Stay close."
Emma nodded and followed him.
After several moments of silence, she ran her fingers over the ancient stones.
"How did you even find this place?"
Brandon glanced at the weathered walls.
"This passage once stretched all the way to the eastern border of the kingdom. When I was younger, I'd slip out through here whenever I wanted to escape the palace for a few hours."
Emma stepped beside him, her fingertips gliding over the ancient stones as she examined their worn surface.
"So this was your secret."
