The four stood in silence, surveying the sealed hall.
Not a single crack remained in the obsidian defenses - no gaps for wind, no vulnerabilities to cold.
The baron ran a hand along the nearest reinforced window frame, the black metal humming faintly with embedded wards.
"Nothing gets through these," he said, turning to the trio. His knuckles rapped against the obsidian, producing a dull, impenetrable tone. "Not frost, not wind, not even those monsters' whispers."
Aeron's golden eyes still darted along the seams where walls met the ceiling. Lumin simply adjusted his monocle, its lens flickering as he scanned the defenses. Only Zephyr appeared unconcerned, his gaze distant as if listening to something beyond the walls.
"Follow me," the baron gestured toward the eastern corridor. "I'll show you the guest quarters. You should take a bath and rest - you've earned it."
"But the monsters-" Aeron began.
