The air felt heavier as Mr. Hale led me down the narrow stairs, his grip firm but not forceful. My mind was a storm of emotions—fear, confusion, and a strange pull I couldn’t explain. Despite the chaos, his demeanor was calm, almost unnervingly so.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
“To a place where I can explain everything,” he said, glancing back at me with those piercing green eyes. “You deserve to know the truth, Lyra.”
I wanted to argue, to demand answers right there, but my words got caught in my throat. Instead, I followed him through a hallway that seemed impossibly long, its walls lined with old, faded portraits and intricate carvings. At the end, he stopped before a set of towering double doors and pushed them open.
The room beyond took my
