#Chapter 140: Shadows in the Cathedral

Amelia We followed Darius underground. The stairwell behind the cathedral organ was older than anything else in the building. It reeked of dust, metal, and long-dried blood. The panel hiding the stairs had been smashed in. Not forced with brute strength, cut with precision. Someone had wanted him to find it. I stayed close to Richard, the torchlight glinting off the blade strapped to his hip. My skin prickled with something that wasn’t fear. Just tension. The scent of wolfsbane was faint but unmistakable, clinging to the old stone like smoke. The steps spiraled down farther than I expected, passing abandoned storage cells and an old iron bell chained into the wall, half-crumbled with age. When we reached the bottom, the tunnel split in three. All of it was old Cathedral construction, arched stone, cramped and low-ceilinged, but someone had made updates. Modern sensors wired into the corners. A trail of boot scuffs still fresh in the dust. Darius had been here. We found the