"Bumpy" was another one of Caelan's spectacular understatements. The world didn't just dissolve; it shattered. The stone wall in front of them didn't just open; it exploded inward, showering them in a cloud of dust and ancient debris. The force of the explosion threw them backward, and for a terrifying, disorienting moment, Emily was weightless, tumbling through a chaotic maelstrom of shattered stone and raw, untamed magic.
They landed hard, on a floor that was solid and unmoving. The air was suddenly filled with the familiar, overwhelming scent of old paper and the distant murmur of hushed conversations. They were back in the main hall of the Athenaeum.
Caelan was already on his feet, pulling her up, a manic, triumphant grin on his face. "See? Told you I was a genius."
