The wind rustled the tall grass around the old tower, as if it wanted to wake the stone and iron building from its sleep of centuries ago. Lena stood leaning against the rusty gate, clutching a torch in her hand. The words she had heard in the school corridor the day before replayed in her head: - Someone had seen Maja by the ruins after dark.... - repeated Olivier, appearing suddenly beside her. - Do you think it's possible? After all, Maja disappeared a month ago. Olivier had been her friend for years - fearless, curious, sometimes reckless. He was the one who had pushed to go to the Stone Tower tonight. A place shrouded in disrepute, still stirring emotions even among adults. Lena turned away from the wicket and looked hesitantly at the boy. - Since no one had found her so far.... Maybe she was here? Maybe they had missed something? They entered an area overgrown with weeds, the light of the torch cutting through the darkness, revealing sections of wall decorated with carved letters. The smell of dampness and something indefinable hung in the air - maybe rust, maybe memories. The building was larger than they remembered. At first Lena saw a strange shadow, as if someone had been standing at the entrance for a moment, but when she blinked, it had disappeared. - Did you see? - What? - Never mind. I must have missed it. They walked carefully over stones that must have been the floor of the astronomical observatory before. Something metal glinted in the middle of the courtyard. Lena bent down and picked up the object: an old, rusty key. She looked at it, trying to remember if it belonged to any of the chambers of the old tower. Then there was a quiet sound, reminiscent of footsteps above them. Oliver instinctively took a step back. - 'Did you hear that? Another clatter. Then laughter - muffled, strangely familiar. Lena took a few tentative steps towards the stairs leading to the upper level of the tower. Shadows danced on the walls and something flashed momentarily from the ceiling. - Maybe... maybe it's her? - she whispered. A silhouette blurred from behind the dusty stair banister. Its outlines were blurred in the twilight, but Lena was sure - someone was there. - Maja? - she called out in a whisper. The figure paused, then directed her gaze at them. Something glinted between the figure's fingers - something that resembled a second key. And then there was a sudden, dragging sound from above, as if the metal gate had closed on all the floors of the tower at once. Oliver grabbed Lena's hand. - 'Now we really can't back out,' he said quietly. At that moment, a soft, barely audible whisper came from the darkness, and the door at the top of the stairs slowly began to open....