Madam Yao approached a seemingly ordinary wall at the far end of the archives.
She pressed her palm against it, causing ancient runes to illuminate beneath her touch.
The stone surface dissolved, revealing an ornate door covered in pulsing, crimson sigils.
"Even the Forbidden Archives have their secrets," Madam Yao murmured, drawing a complex pattern in the air.
The sigils flared brightly before fading, and the door swung open with a sound like distant thunder.
"Wait, there's somewhere even more secret than the forbidden section of the secret archives?" Rui quipped, eyebrows raised.
"What do you call this—the super-duper extra forbidden room of extra secrecy?"
Shen shot her a sharp look. "Princess, this is hardly the time."
"When is it ever the time with you?" Rui muttered, but the humor fell flat even to her own ears.
Madam Yao's face remained impassive as she led them through the doorway.
