Perhaps exploring these secret passages would help him take his mind off of things?

Yeah, no... Even if he could probably start exchanging messages with a member of the staff without arousing suspicion, there was just too much danger of being tracked. And if that happened, it was game over for him. As for experimenting on the rats, it was indeed the safest option. But if he were to go through with it just to alleviate boredom, he felt like he would be no different from his Master. Hopefully the castle secret tunnels wouldn't hold anything too dangerous while still providing something to stimulate his intellectual needs.

And so, taking a few rats with him, Elan set out into the dark corridors by relying on his keen elven senses to navigate until he reached a splitting path. One of them seemed similar to the corridor he was in now, only the path seemed to get wider and more complex. He could also make the sound of 'something' coming from further in. In contrast, the other path was narrow and eerily silent. It also seemed to be a relatively new addition to the secret tunnels, or at the very least better material than the rest of the paths.

https://strawpoll.com/e2nar5WmwgB