Quiet snow was falling outside the window and the house smelled of poppy seeds and cinnamon. Kaja was spreading cutlery on a white tablecloth with hay underneath. On an extra plate lay an old brass key with a red ribbon. Attached to the ribbon was a note: "For Kaji. Attic. Before the first star." The girl looked around the room carefully. Dad was cutting carp and Mum was humming a carol. No one was looking. Kaja slipped the key into her jumper pocket and nodded to herself. She felt as if someone was whispering in her ear: "Come on." Quiet bells sounded behind the wall, as if a sleigh had stood on the roof. - 'I'm going to get the napkins! - She called out, climbing the stairs. The wooden steps creaked under Kaji's soft slippers. At the end of the narrow corridor, the door to the attic waited. A thin streak of light glimmered under the threshold. She hesitated only a moment. It was warm and cheerful in the house; there it smelled of dust and frost. - 'Can, keep an eye on the plates,' she whispered to the cat, who came up behind her. Kaja took out the key and touched the lock. The metal was icy cold. On the other side of the door someone hummed a strange old carol. The bell on the town hall chimed once and then a second time. Suddenly something moved the handle from inside. The light under the threshold trembled, as if someone had blown a candle. In Kaji's hand, the key grew warm until she had to reposition it. - Kaji... - someone said so quietly that she wasn't sure. The bells on the roof sounded closer, and there was only one chocolate left in the advent calendar. The girl lifted the key into the lock when suddenly....