The gates of wrought iron shuddered under the woman's fingers, before the ivy that hid the gates began to shrink back.
She drew her cloak tighter over her head, ensuring no one was following, before she ducked beneath the ruins and began her trek through the darkness, shrouded path.
The gates whomped shut behind her and she jumped slightly. It had been months since she made the visit down here. She'd forgotten just how sentient this particular part of the castle was. How the power that leaked from beneath infused every wall, every gate, so much so anyone who walked past tended to steer clear of it, even if they didn't understand why.
Her fingers trembled as she took the steps up to the old temple, and she halted at the center of it, brushing away months of dust from its surface so she could lean over the trap door hidden under the illusion of a smooth marble surface.
