Can you work out what 5-letter word will unlock the trapdoor?
BLOOD
This riddle can be solved by taking the meaning of the words and applying it to other words in the riddle as written. The beginning of the word ‘beast’ is “B”. The word ‘least’ opens with the letter “L”. The middle of a ‘book’ is “OO” and at either end of “deceased” is the letter “D”. Put them together to spell the 5-letter word “Blood”.