The night was obscenely dark as Alice carefully climbed the rough steps of the old observatory. The torches had long since gone out, so it was just them - her, Simon and the ever-present thrill of risk - left. Alice's father had once told her stories about the place. It had stood closed for years, none of the adults even suspecting that kids from the estate were able to enter through a crumpled window on the forest side. This year, however, it was not about innocent fun. The matter was serious. Every night, there was a strange light emanating from the tower - but only when none of the adults were looking. Finally, Simon gathered his courage and proposed: "We're going tonight. We'll see what's going on up there. Maybe it's more than just ordinary ghosts." Alice, always curious, agreed without hesitation. This is how they now found themselves in the dark room of the observatory, where scientists used to study the sky. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs, and the huge telescope by the window looked like an extinct dinosaur. Standing by it, Alice noticed the floor was lined with a different type of tile to the rest - they formed a distinct circle. The centre of the circle was inlaid with metal covered with engraved symbols. Simon then tapped his foot lightly against the circle. Suddenly, a cold white light flashed and the floor began to rotate. The fans under the ceiling started up unexpectedly and dust danced in the air like a swarm of skylights. Alice felt the hairs dangle on the back of her neck - a quiet, pulsating melody like the beating of two, synchronised hearts came from the circle. "Do you hear that?" - whispered Simon, but he did not wait for an answer. He reached out and touched the metal symbols. At that moment, the space in the centre of the portal rippled, as if the air had begun to boil, and the contours of the observatory blurred, creating a rippling, silver surface - a sheet that invited them in. On the other side, indistinct shapes that could not be fully described blurred. Alice looked at Simon. She knew they could no longer retreat. She took the first step towards the portal - then they heard a sound behind them, as if someone else was in the room and whispering their names, ever more quietly, ever more pleadingly....