"Do we have any leads?" Serena asked, her chains coiling lightly around her wrist like living serpents.
"Just an underground black market," Asher said, pointing at a large rock.
"Is this rock special?" she asked.
Asher smirked. "It's near the entrance to the underground black market," he explained. Then, without hesitation, he tapped the rock in a precise rhythm—twenty-three times in a specific sequence.
The rock trembled before slowly sinking into the ground. A passageway revealed itself, lined with dimly glowing symbols—magic seals meant to hide the entrance from unwanted eyes.
A heavy, rusted door appeared from the shadows.
"Let's go," Asher said as he stepped forward, leading the way.
Serena followed closely, her senses on high alert.
