The night was quiet, all the way suspiciously quiet, as if the neighbourhood was afraid to breathe louder than usual. Lena adjusted her rucksack on her shoulder and cautiously climbed the creaking stairs to the cellar. The smell of dust and dampness was almost suffocating, but it was the place that attracted her the most. No one had looked in there for years, and she loved secrets. - 'Hurry up, Lena,' whispered Kuba, clutching a torch in his hand. His voice echoed off the stone walls. - 'Your grandmother said there are some old boxes lying under the stairs. Maybe we can find something interesting? Approaching the paint-splashed crate, Lena noticed a protruding piece of metal. She slid her hand over the cool surface and suddenly something startled - like a clock that had been waiting its turn for years. With a quiet clatter, the lid of the chest sprang open and revealed... a small mechanism made up of brass hoops and gears. Inside shone a fine stone of a deep blue colour. The whole thing looked like a toy constructed by a mad inventor. - It must be an old device... - whispered Lena, carefully pulling out the object. Kuba leaned over and took a closer look. - 'Oi, look, I think it can be twisted.... He didn't have time to finish because Lena couldn't stop her fingers from turning the largest wheel. The air suddenly thickened. Everything around them dimmed, and the walls of the basement blurred as if in a wet watercolour. Their hearts sped up as they felt the ground beneath their feet literally dissolve, pulling them into a vortex of light and shadow. Suddenly, they heard someone's voice - quiet but clear: - If you wish to return, you must find what was lost.... When the image began to sharpen again, Lena and Kuba were already standing in a completely alien place. Columns of red marble surrounded them, people clad in ancient tunics passed them indifferently. Above their heads the purple sky glittered, and somewhere in the distance the sound of bells echoed. Lena squeezed the mechanism tighter. They looked at each other, not knowing whether they could move or whether they should remain invisible. When suddenly a figure in a mask slid out from behind the column....