Chapter 98 - The Collector's Hidden Chamber

The staircase seemed endless as we descended into Lord Malachi's hidden basement. Each step creaked beneath our weight, the sound amplified in the suffocating silence. The lamp I held cast long, distorted shadows against the damp stone walls, transforming them into writhing specters that followed our every move.

"Isabella," Clara whispered behind me, her voice quavering, "perhaps we should go back. The Duke will be searching for you by now."

I tightened my grip on the lamp. "We're already here. We need to see what he's hiding."

The air grew colder as we descended, carrying that strange chemical smell mixed with something else I couldn't quite place—something organic and unsettling. My heart hammered against my ribs so loudly I feared it might give us away.

"How much further?" Clara asked, clutching the railing.

As if in answer, my foot touched level ground. We had reached the bottom of the staircase, finding ourselves in a narrow corridor with several doors leading off it.