The restricted corridor dipped lower than Ludwig expected.
Not back into the filth of the catacombs, but beneath the public halls of the Sacrosanctum where the stone became older, heavier, and far more reinforced. The prayers from the mass above still vibrated through the ceiling, but here they sounded distant, muffled by layers of marble and consecrated wards. The compass beneath Ludwig's lantern pointed ahead without wavering now, as if the thing guiding it had grown impatient with subtlety.
They reached a double door of pale stone and silver bands. There was no handle, only a set of circular markings that overlapped in layers around the center. Kaiser stepped forward before Ludwig even asked, placed two fingers against one of the rings, and frowned slightly.
"Overbuilt," Kaiser muttered. "Which usually means someone important wanted to impress someone even more important."
"Can you open it?" Ludwig asked.
