The corridor at the back ended at a staircase leading down.
Takeshi followed it to an underground level with uncoated stone walls and torches mounted in metal brackets every four meters. The air was cold and dry. His footsteps echoed across the stone floor.
He passed two closed doors without stopping.
The third door was open.
Takeshi stopped in the doorway.
It was a rectangular room with a cell at the far end. The bars were made of dark metal engraved with symbols he recognized as magical containment seals. Inside the cell, lying on the floor, was a figure with light-colored hair spread across the stone.
Ophélia.
She was unconscious. Her chest rose and fell steadily, which meant she was breathing. There was no visible blood, and her clothes were intact.
Takeshi crossed the room toward the cell.
"Don't do that."
He stopped.
