Axelius slowly tried to stand up, but a sharp pain shot through his knee from the fall. He bit his lip and took a deep breath, steadying himself as he pushed off the cold floor. The darkness around him was thick and heavy, making it hard to know where to step. In his struggle to rise, his grip on Owen loosened, and the little slime fell with a soft plop onto the ground.
"Ow! Hey! You stepped on me!" Owen's voice echoed loudly in the silent room, his slimy form wobbling under the pressure.
Axelius couldn't help but laugh quietly, despite the pain in his knee. "Sorry, Owen. It's so dark here, I can't see a thing."
He took a shaky step forward, but his leg trembled and his balance wavered. "Man, this hurts… I don't think I can walk properly like this."
From the floor, Owen's voice sounded annoyed "Be careful! You almost crushed me again!"
Axelius crouched down carefully and scooped Owen back onto his shoulder, making sure to hold him gently. "Alright, alright."
Owen bounced on his shoulder, his voice light. "Much better! Now you can't hurt me by mistake."
Axelius let out a slow sigh, the silence pressing in around them. "Now, we have to find a way out of here, but with no light, it's like walking blind."
Axelius moved slowly through the darkness, his hand reaching out carefully to feel the cold, rough stone wall beside him. Every step was slow and unsure because his knee still hurt badly, and the blackness made it hard to know where he was going. His fingers brushed along the wall until, suddenly, he felt a small, smooth button hidden among the cracks. Curious, he pressed it gently.
Almost at once, a hidden torch on the wall burst into bright, warm flames. The firelight flickered and spread, pushing back the darkness around him, filling the room with a soft, golden glow. Now, the space was clear enough for Axelius to see the stone floor and the wooden door on the other side of the room.
Owen's small voice sounded from Axelius's shoulder, a little worried. "Maybe we should go back now. It's safer."
Axelius grinned, the pain forgotten for a moment. "No way, Owen. I'm not giving up so easy. There has to be more here."
Owen gave him a sharp look. "You're hurting, you know. Not just your knee. Your whole body feels it after that fall. You should rest."
Axelius laughed softly, trying to keep his spirit high. "You sound like a mother. But thanks. I'm fine. Let's keep moving. There's no point waiting here."
Owen bounced a little in protest, but stayed quiet, knowing Axelius's mind was set. The fire from the torch danced on the walls, lighting the way as they began to walk deeper into the strange, hidden place.
Axelius stopped and sighed, rubbing his sore knee. "Awww, Owen..." he said softly, his voice tired but still a little playful.
Owen bounced on his shoulder and asked, "What? What's here?"
Axelius looked at the wall in front of him and frowned. "It's a dead end. No way forward."
He started to turn around, ready to leave the dark room behind, when suddenly, the wall beside him slid open quietly with a soft grinding sound.
Owen's eyes widened. "What's that sound?"
Axelius smiled widely and said, "Hell yeah! Looks like we found a secret door."
Axelius stepped slowly into the secret room. As he moved, more lights appeared on the walls, brightening the space little by little. The warm glow made the room look cozy and calm.
"Awesome," Axelius said with a smile, looking around.
Owen bounced on his shoulder, confused. "I can't see much! What is this place?"
Axelius looked carefully and described the room. "It looks like a small library. There are shelves all around, filled with many books. In the middle, there is a wooden table. It's like a quiet study room hidden inside the mansion."
Axelius walked slowly to the table, but it was too high—just about neck level for him. He couldn't see well what was on it. So, he looked around the room and found a wooden chair. He moved the chair carefully closer to the table, then climbed up.
From his new height, Axelius looked down at the papers spread on the table. He spoke to Owen so he could understand. "There are many papers here… looks like sketches."
Owen bounced and asked, "Sketches of what?"
Axelius picked up one paper and showed it. "Monsters," he said.
He looked at more papers. "Beasts, monsters, and…" He stopped, seeing a drawing of a strange creature with fins and long hair. "Ariel…"
Owen's eyes got big. "Mermaids?"
Axelius nodded. "Yeah, like that."
Then he found a small, old book on the table. He opened it carefully and read the first page out loud. "Looks like this room belonged to someone named… 'Lorian Dravenhart.'"
He looked around, feeling more curious. "I wonder who Lorian Dravenhart was, and why these papers are kept here."
Axelius looked at the words again and slowly pressed his wounded knee against the sharp edge of the table. He squinted and bit his lip, feeling a sharp pain as the skin broke. A few drops of blood started to drip.
Owen heard the sound and immediately shouted, "Axelius! What are you doing? Stop it! That hurts! You're crazy! You shouldn't do this!"
Axelius just laughed quietly and said, "Too late now."
Owen bounced angrily on the floor, scolding, "You're hurting yourself! Why do you want to see what happens? This is stupid! We should leave this place right now before something bad happens!"
But Axelius kept pressing until enough blood fell, making a small line that followed the pattern on the table. Then he stopped and watched carefully, waiting to see what would happen next.
The room stayed quiet for a moment. Axelius's eyes fixed on the blood flowing along the strange lines, his heart beating faster with curiosity and a little fear.