The Nobleman's Plan
Despite the radiance of the hall, it couldn't be a gloomier march; it felt as though the ascent was one leading only to a regretful fate. Atop the second floor, the hallway directly before them was clearly the destination of the master of the estate, going by the luxurious items on display and the golden-embroidered doors at the end.
Glancing to the side at Gaston, they both shared a look that didn't need words to figure out what they both were thinking: "This is it."
Stopping just in front of the gilded doors, fixated with rubies and sapphires if only to needlessly exclaim wealth, Bastian watched as they were opened by the guards. What awaited past those doors was not what the two friends expected:
A vast, open space, like that of a ball room, housing walls painted gold and a floor that seemed carved out of amber itself. It was simply enormous; the walls curved, with many chandeliers hanging, shining their glow over a menagerie of fantastical treasures.