They all stood over the small wooden desk, shoulders pressed together as they peered down at the aged paper atop it. The blue candlelight cast an ethereal glow over the documents, making the yellowed parchment seem almost luminescent against the dark wood. Multiple large pieces of yellow-aged paper with frayed edges lay before them, their surfaces covered with intricate drawings that scattered across the dusty pages like mysterious constellations.
Arthur felt his heart quicken with excitement. After days of finding nothing, the sight of these documents—clearly important, clearly magical—sent a surge of hope through him. Without thinking, he instinctively reached out for the nearest paper, fingers eager to touch what might be their salvation.
His hand was swiftly slapped away by Lara, the sharp sound cutting through the hushed atmosphere of the laboratory.
Arthur panickedly looked up at her, shock evident on his face. Her eyes were intense, not angry but deeply serious.
