When Duke Coldmere returned to his castle, the first thing he did was ask about his wife and children. Once he was assured of their safety, he didn't even bother to see them and headed straight for his study.
"My Lord, you have to see this…"
One of his shadow knights met him on the way, his ominous words making the Duke's heart skip a beat. With hurried steps, he entered the study, noticing everything was still intact.
But that was of little concern.
The Duke swiftly approached the false wall and performed a sequence of hand gestures, pressing different parts of it. A second later, the wall slid open—only for the Duke's expression to turn grim.
"Shit…"
The doors to the hidden chamber were wide open, clear evidence of a break-in. Without hesitation, he rushed inside and headed straight for the central table.
"It's gone…"
The colour drained from his face when he saw the journal wasn't where it was supposed to be. He brushed the documents aside, but it was nowhere to be found.
