Unspeakable Secrets The Alchemist Series (A Dark Medieval Progression Fantasy)

Chapter 7 The Secret

Connor followed Victor through the manor to Victor's office.

Victor's office was immaculate as always. Files were neatly stacked on his polished, wooden desk, and books were arranged in alphabetical order on the shelves.

Connor closed the door behind him, and all manner of wards activated around them.

Nobody outside the room would hear anything they discussed now. No one would be able to scry them and watch over them magically either, and if anyone tried to break in... well... good luck to them. They might as well just slit their own throat instead.

It'd be a less painful experience at least.

There was a reason Victor discussed more confidential things in this his office.

Victor had hired the best wizards in the country to ward this room. Each one placed layer after layer of protections ensuring no hole remained.

Once the door was closed... it'd take an enormous amount of effort to break through. The palace would be jealous of the wards that protected Victor's office.

What did Victor want to tell him? Victor was cautious, bordering on paranoid, but he was acting more erratic than usual.

Victor turned to Connor with a grave expression on his face.

"You can never tell anyone about what I am going to show you. This is our ultimate secret, and learning it makes it your responsibility to protect it. I cannot stress how important it is that what you will soon learn never goes beyond the two of us," he said.

"Of course, uncle," Connor said.

But, Victor just stared at him, reinforcing just how serious he was.

What was this secret? Victor hadn't been this uptight since... well... ever.

"I promise never to tell a soul, uncle," Connor said.

Victor nodded, apparently satisfied, and turned to face the back wall of the office.

He pulled out a long, thin, hexagonal key, which he pressed against the wall. What had always appeared to be solid, gave way for the key.

How like Victor to hide something so well in plain sight.

He turned the key, and the wall slid away, revealing a secret passageway with a long staircase leading down.

Victor descended the steps and Connor was quick to follow.

The secret door slid back in place behind them without a sound.

Magical torches lit the tunnel, each one casting far more light than a regular torch would, without any fire or smoke.

The air wasn't as stale as Connor would've expected. Instead, there was a soft breeze coming from below.

At the bottom of the stairs, was a room much larger even than Elgar's office, massive libraries, and other rooms put together. It wasn't nearly as tall, but it stretched off into the distance.

The magical lights cast an impressive amount of light everywhere and the air smelled cleaned and fresh.

He couldn't tell where the breeze was coming from, and he'd never seen anything above ground to indicate this chamber...

He wondered if there was magic involved, but he was torn from his thoughts as he took in more of the room.

Tall shelves stretched off into the distance. They weren't nearly as high as the bookcases in the wizard's office, but there were far more of them.