Alaric stared. "Oliver? What the hell are you doing down here?"
Oliver stood quickly, shoving papers behind his back in a gesture that would have been comical if the situation weren't so surreal. "I could ask you the same thing!"
"We fell through," Alaric gestured vaguely upward. "Some kind of trap door. What's your excuse?"
"I was just..." Oliver's eyes darted between Alaric and Caleb. "Exploring! Yeah. Exploring. Found this place by accident."
"Bullshit," Caleb said flatly, finally getting to his feet. His eyes were sharp despite the lazy appearance. "No one 'accidentally' finds hidden underground rooms."
"I did! I was just wandering and—"
"Oliver." Alaric's voice went cold. "What are you really doing here?"
Oliver's mouth opened. Closed. His usual easy confidence was completely absent, replaced by the expression of someone caught in something they desperately didn't want to explain.
"I..." He swallowed hard. "I'm just studying here. It's quiet. No one to disturb me."
