The trio rushed to safety through the hidden entrance, led by Sir Oliver Starkey, la Valette’s English aide. An ancient gate half-covered in ivy led to a network of tunnels beneath the city. When the Knights had arrived in Malta in 1530, expelled from Rhodes by the Ottoman Sultan, Birgu was only a fishing village, but 35 years later the Knights had built a castle to protect it, complete with escape tunnels. As they ventured into the dark passage, they realized they had stumbled upon a secret part of Birgu's history. The tunnels, once used by the Knights, now served as their escape route and a gateway to further adventures.