The morning light filtered through the broken skylights, casting long shadows across the dusty floor. Elena stood in the center of what once must have been a grand library, now reduced to rubble and forgotten memories.

Her fingers traced the spine of an ancient tome, its leather cover cracked and weathered by centuries of neglect. The symbols etched into its surface seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly glow—or perhaps that was just her imagination, working overtime after three sleepless nights.

"You shouldn't be here," a voice echoed from the shadows.

She spun around, heart racing, to find Marcus emerging from behind a collapsed bookshelf. His expression was unreadable, but his hand rested cautiously on the weapon at his belt.

"I could say the same about you," Elena replied, forcing her voice to remain steady. "This library was sealed for a reason."