Kalem Blackwood descended the forgotten staircase. He counted each step—three down, turn slightly left, five more, then right at the aging torch bracket. The shadows embraced him like old friends as he moved deeper beneath the castle, away from prying eyes and listening ears. No one knew of this place. No one except him and his brothers, though they never spoke of it, not publicly.
He reached a heavy oak door where the iron hinges were blackened with age, removed a small key from his sleeve, and turned it in the lock with barely a sound. The chamber beyond lay wrapped in darkness until he lit the single candle that waited on a small table. Its flame struggled against the gloom, casting long, wavering shadows across stone walls that had witnessed centuries of secrets.
