The storm had already swept over the lake before dawn, leaving heavy, steamy air in its wake. Sonia was sitting on the porch, leaning against the scarred railing, her legs pulled up to her chin. Opposite, on a deckchair, lay Bartek, still sleepy, with a book on his chest. Between the trees one could see a stretch of lake, glistening in the first rays of the sun. - 'Get up,' muttered Sonia, poking Bartek with her foot. - Today we're going to the north shore. I heard there are some ruins there. Bartek opened one eye. A moment later, the twins, Kacper and Lena, ran out onto the porch with bicycle helmets on their heads and a sandwich in hand. - 'We've already told our parents, we're taking provisions and cameras,' said Lena, adjusting her jacket. - Apparently there is hardly anyone walking on this side of the forest. The forest was thick, damp and smelled of earth and resin. For the first half hour they talked in whispers, as if afraid to wake the creatures slumbering under the mulch. Soon the path was no longer gravel, turned into tangled roots and moss. Somewhere in front of them, a fox flashed by. Finally, around a sharp bend, they stopped as if on command. Amidst the ferns and wild raspberries tucked into the ground was an iron gate. It led to no fence or path - it simply stood, overgrown with ivy, with a wrought-iron pattern resembling a sun. - 'I think it's the ruins,' whispered Kacper, glancing at Bartek. - 'But there's nothing here,' remarked Sonia. - 'It's just a gate. Bartek cautiously approached and touched the cool metal. At the same moment a cold wind blew in, rustling the leaves. Lena tried to look through the wrought-iron pattern, but there was only a thicket on the other side. - Are we passing through? - She asked with tension. A silence fell. They could feel the weight of the moment. Each of them knew that crossing the gate could mean the beginning of something they could not even imagine. - On three," whispered Bartek. They clasped hands. Sonia led the way. They passed under an iron arch. For a moment, the world around them swirled - the air thickened, the sounds died away and the light spread with a milky glow. They stopped just outside the gate, stunned. The forest was different. The spreading trees cast elongated shadows, and from the distance, where there should have been no water, the quiet sound of waves echoed. Something moved in the depths, as if waiting for the newcomers to take their first step.