The sound of rain bouncing off the tall windows of the old library was the only music to be heard inside. Victor sat by the marble windowsill on the second floor, his eyes tracing the drops and paying no attention to the people flitting along the corridor beside him. He had always enjoyed those quiet, slightly stuffy afternoons spent among the bookcases that seemed to hide stories from another time. But today he was not alone here. Lena came in later, closed the branch door behind her behind an old card catalogue and threw him a communicative glance. They both already had a plan in their heads - it wasn't the first time they had sought adventure between the bookcases, but this time they wanted to go lower. Victor got up and followed Lena to the creaky narrow staircase. They descended swiftly, passing colourful posters from previous decades, until they reached the ground floor and passed a door with a sign saying 'Archive department - access prohibited'. Lena pulled a key she'd found under the couch cushion of the lodge a few weeks ago (no one knew who'd left it there) from behind her breastplate. She turned it with a quiet click. The archive smelled of dust and old paper. The light source was only two bulbs. The girl walked over to the bookcase closest to the freight lift, pushed it open and.... the bookcase moved with a groan, revealing a stone trapdoor in the floor. They had already noticed strange cracks and irregularities under there. - Can you help? - whispered Lena, rising on tiptoe. Victor leaned over and together they lifted the heavy flap. There was a gush of cold air from inside, and an unsettling, brooding glow emanated from the stairs leading downwards. The door creaked and slammed behind them, as if someone was watching on the other side. - Are we going in? - Lena asked, looking at Viktor, though there was no doubt in her voice. They descended into the depths, hearing only their own footsteps echoing. The staircase led to a narrow corridor, with luminous patterns moving along its walls and the air smelling of ozone and burnt wood. Victor noticed a metallic door set into the stone wall - it was covered in pulsating, dynamic markings reminiscent of digital runes. A glittering spherical orb hung above the door, which slowly began to light up as they came closer. Lena held out her hand. Luminous lines appeared on her skin, as if mirroring the symbols from the door. Victor felt his heart pounding in his chest. The sphere flared and the whole corridor was filled with a sheaf of light. For a split second, he saw something behind the door that resembled a moving city - glass towers, floating islands, silhouettes of beings he had never met. The door swung open with a groan, inviting them inside. Lena took one last look at Victor. They grasped hands and took the first step into the unknown....