I don't know how long I spent hidden in the darkness of that cellar, my back pressed against the damp walls that vibrated almost imperceptibly with the echo of Sebastian's distant shouts.
My eyes were closed and my hands pressed against my stomach, rocking in absolute silence, praying that the ancient stone would swallow me whole and erase me from existence. I was so afraid that the bookcase would open again, revealing his tall silhouette and implacable gaze, that relief didn't come when I heard the mechanism give way, but rather a new tremor that ran through my body from head to toe.
A dim light illuminated the opening. The weary figure of Lord Aslan appeared at the bottom of the steps, holding the oil lamp with a trembling hand. His face looked older, etched with a weariness he hadn't
