The foreign energy began to prickle and buzz under his skin again, tingling up his arms. Waver squirmed, fists clenching, then uncurling to press his fingers against the table again, restless under the itch of the anti-magic current. The tip of his tongue probed the spot on his lower lip that he'd bitten, which was starting to swell. He blinked fresh tears away.

"Th-the basement is- was his... current projects. Experiments, or- or work? I don't know. I wasn't allowed. I don't know." The man loomed over him, and Waver pressed on hurriedly, knowing they didn't like these answers, blurting out more words in the half-baked hope that if he just kept talking, eventually they would believe him.

"B-besides, it's not like I could tell you where a key is even if I knew! It's not something physical. It's not like any mage would keep their artifacts behind a normal door with a latch. It was probably a spell only he knew, or a sigil on--"

Waver cut off, shoulders quivering, with the sudden realization he'd said too much.