Cinderella's Fate | 🤍 seongjoong 🤍

Chapter 54

Narrator's POV

    San crouched low, examining the faint blue powder that emitted from the edge of the unknown element that had dragged the prince's companion, Seonghwa, to an unknown place.

    Clearly, the spot where the faint blue seemed to disappear didn't make sense to San. There was no sign of it being wiped away. No smudges, no fingerprints, nothing to suggest physical tampering. What made it even stranger was that the tracks, footprints, stopped at a single point near a wall. However, there was no visible door.

    An idea popped into his head. He decided to tap again near the edge of the blue powder where the last traces were visible before it faded completely. He kept lightly pressing against the wall.

And then...

    A small crack lined one section of the wall, something that didn't match the rest of it. San's fingers brushed over it. Nothing at first. But as his thumb passed over the uneven surface at shoulder height, something clicked. He froze.

     The wall shifted upward, as if being pulled from above. Dust and debris from broken parts of the wall blinded San for a second, forcing him to cough and wave his hands in front of his face.

    A pulse of bright light burst from within. San instinctively stepped back, hand reaching for the blade strapped to his thigh. Ready for any surprise attack. But as the light cleared, it revealed a passage, long, narrow, with slick walls of aged concrete and exposed stone. It had clearly been eroded over time by moisture in the air.

    San tapped the communicator on his wrist. It was a hidden device he kept on him only for emergencies, one he, the prince, his secretary Jongho, and himself had privately invented to stay in contact. Static crackled for a second before Yunho's voice came through, faint but clear.

"San? We've finished up here. You find anything?"

"You could say that." San took one more glance into the corridor before stepping back and letting the wall slide shut behind him with a press. "I need you and Mingi to meet me. Now. The corridor east of the main archive, where the disappearance happened."

"Okay. See you soon," Yunho replied.

    Ten minutes later, the soft shuffle of boots echoed against stone as Yunho and Mingi turned the corner. San pointed at the hidden door, explaining how he'd managed to open it. However, he admitted he had no idea where it led.

Then Yunho spoke, his voice grave. "This leads to the catacombs."

San turned sharply. "You're sure?"

Yunho nodded. "I've only seen blueprints. Most of the newer staff don't even know they exist. But they're old, older than the main library. Back when this place wasn't a library, but a fortress." He stepped closer. It was quite dark, but he could already guess what lay beneath, and that meant only one thing.

Yunho stepped in first.

"Are you really going down there?" San asked.

"Well, how do you plan to find out if there's something unless you go?" Yunho smirked before heading inside.

     Mingi and San followed closely behind. Small orbs of magical light floated at regular intervals, illuminating the way. The walls changed gradually. From smooth concrete to arched stone, a material that had clearly stood the test of time and moisture.

    They pressed forward. The path narrowed even further, the stone ceiling arching tightly overhead.

   Eventually, they arrived at a room. A gentle blue illumination rippled through the air, revealing a portal etched into the far wall.

    San was stunned, but Yunho wasn't. He walked closer to it, reaching out to touch the portal. As his hand made contact, a glow surrounded his fingers and followed the lines of the portal.

   Mingi had been quiet the whole time, but his face didn't show any surprise. In fact, this silence was to allow Yunho to concentrate, to enter the zone with his magic and determine what kind of portal it was and how long it had been active.

    San glanced at Mingi who was not surprised in the least. He only really showed emotions around the two of them, his oldest friends. Otherwise, he was always in work mode.

"I've gathered enough information," Yunho said finally. "Let's head to my house. I have a few books in mind that can teach us more about the portal. Then, we'll come back and enter it. There's a chance we might have to fight something."

"Should we let Hongjoong know?" San asked.

"No," Yunho said firmly. "Hold off on the information. Alert Jongho. He'll be our Plan B. Whatever is behind that wall might be setting traps for all of us."