The trouble began during the late afternoon study hour.
Julian was working in the lower archives, transcribing ancient elemental charts from an old parchment roll.
Orion sat on the edge of the desk, preening his silver primary feathers with meticulous care.
Suddenly, Orion's crest feathers stood straight up, and his amber eyes locked onto the heavy iron door leading to the Restricted Vaults.
The Restricted Vaults were located three levels below the main library, sealed behind three stone doors and accessible only to senior faculty.
Orion let out a sharp, low chirp — a sound he only made when he felt dark magical interference.
Julian set his quill down, looking at the griffin in surprise.
"What is it, Orion?" Julian asked quietly.
Orion hopped off the desk and trotted toward the iron door, his small talons clicking on the cold flagstones.
He placed his front paws against the bottom seam of the door and sniffed the cold air rushing underneath.
The air carried a strange, sour scent that smelled of cold ash and void-dust.
Julian walked over to the door and touched the iron handle.
The metal was unnaturally cold, coated in a fine layer of grey frost that melted into dark oil when touched.
"That's not normal frost," Julian murmured, his brow furrowing.
Inside the keyhole of the iron door, a thin trail of dark grey mist was oozing out, falling toward the floor like heavy smoke.
Where the mist touched the stone floor, the marble turned dull grey and lost its polished shine.
Orion spread his wings and hissed, his starlight aura flaring brightly to push the dark mist back.
"We need to inform Master Vance," Julian declared, stepping back from the door.
Before they could turn, a deep thud reverberated from deep within the earth below.
The afternoon sun was casting long shadows across the lower archives when the first sign of trouble appeared.
Julian was seated at a heavy oak table, copying historical texts from an ancient leather-bound chronicle.
Suddenly, Orion stopped grooming and stood erect on the table, his feathers flaring in alarm.
Julian looked up from his work, noticing the sudden change in his companion's posture.
Julian followed him down the narrow stone aisle between the tall bookshelves.
As they approached the door, Julian felt a sudden drop in temperature that made his breath visible in the air.
"That isn't normal magic," Julian whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"The seal in the lower vault is failing!"
Before Julian could retreat to alert the faculty, a deep, rumbling thud shook the stone floor beneath their feet.
The lower archives were normally the quietest part of Crestfall Academy.
Located three stories beneath the main reading room, the stone walls were thick and cool year-round.
Orion was playing with a small piece of blue ribbon he had found under a chair, tossing it into the air with his front talons.
Suddenly, the air in the room grew dense and heavy, as if a storm cloud had settled inside the room.
The flames of the wall torches flickered once and turned a pale, sickly violet.
Orion dropped the blue ribbon instantly, his feathers fanning out in a defensive fan.
He let out a low, warbling growl that vibrated through the stone table.
Julian stood up, feeling a cold shiver run down his spine.
"Something's wrong," Julian whispered, pulling his wand from his sleeve.
The iron door leading to the Restricted Vaults was frost-coated, and a dark, heavy mist was seeping through the keyhole.
Where the mist touched the floor, the stone turned dull and brittle like old ice.
Julian reached out his hand toward the handle, but the cold radiating from the metal was intense enough to burn his skin.
"Orion, get behind me," Julian commanded softly, raising his wand.
The griffin refused to hide; he stepped in front of Julian, his wings flared wide and glowing with bright blue starlight.
The cold air radiating from the iron door grew stronger with every second.
Julian raised his wand, his pulse racing as he guarded the doorway.
Orion spread his silver wings, emitting a steady aura of blue starlight to shield Julian.
"We have to warn the headmaster," Julian said in a low tone.
Before they could turn back, the iron latch gave a loud metallic screech.
The cold mist continuing to leak beneath the iron door made Julian's wand hand tremble slightly.
He knew that the Restricted Vaults contained dark magical artifacts that required constant containment.
Orion stood firmly in front of Julian, his starlight wings expanded to hold back the encroaching shadow.
The blue starlight aura created a bright shield that protected them from the bitter void-chill.
"Stay focused, Orion," Julian whispered, keeping his eyes on the frost-covered iron latch.
They could hear the deep vibrations of the lower vaults stirring beneath the stone floorboards.