Chapter 21

Mia's POV

I cautiously descended the winding staircase, my heart pounding in my chest. The air grew colder and heavier with each step, as if I were venturing into the depths of an ancient labyrinth. I had stumbled upon a hidden door in the basement of an old library, a door that led to a world I never knew existed.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a dimly lit underground chamber. The walls were lined with bookshelves, filled with dusty tomes and ancient manuscripts. But it wasn't the books that caught my attention; it was the whispers that echoed through the room, the hushed voices discussing matters unknown.

I took a deep breath and approached a group of individuals dressed in elaborate robes, their faces obscured by masks. They turned towards me, their eyes glinting with curiosity and suspicion. I felt like an intruder in their secret world, an outsider who had stumbled upon their hidden sanctuary.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?" a tall figure in