"There is one more thing," Professor Corvin said, his voice dropping low as he looked down at the leathery book. "Something I forgot to mention before."
Xavier and I leaned closer to the desk. The heavy rain was still drumming against the glass windows, making the dark room feel even smaller.
"What is it, sir?" I asked.
"The book does not open," Corvin said simply. He picked up the heavy volume by its sides and tried to pull the cover apart. His knuckles turned white from the effort, but the pages stayed tightly shut. "It looks like it is sealed by a force we do not understand. There is no keyhole, no magic lock, and no latch anywhere on the design. My team and I tried to open it countless times, but nothing worked. It is completely stuck."
Xavier raised an eyebrow, reaching out to look at the spine. "Was this book the only item your team recovered from the ruins that day, Professor?"
