Lucius landed hard but, by some stroke of luck, he emerged unscathed, his body tense as he adjusted to the darkness. He rose slowly, brushing the dust from his coat, his gaze settling on the chests in the dim light filtering down from above. He had found it. The treasure that had been hidden, whispered about, almost mythologized within his family… was real. And it was his.
He turned and found Catherine staring at him, her face a mixture of relief and uncertainty. He felt an unfamiliar surge of gratitude, something he wasn’t accustomed to expressing, and he struggled to find the right words.
“Catherine…” he began, his voice softer than usual, carrying an unexpected warmth. “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would have never found this place.”
Her eyes widened slightly, a hint of surpri
