Basia finds a locked drawer in her grandmother Christina’s old secretaire. With Figl at her side and a tiny key, she opens it and uncovers something strange and glowing.
Basia loved visiting her grandmother Christina. Her flat on the top floor always smelled of dried herbs and old paper, and every shelf seemed to be crowded with jars of buttons, ribbon spools, and things too curious to name. The biggest treasure in the living room was the tall secretaire by the window. Most of its drawers were full of surprises. One held folded letters tied with pink string. Another hid broken toy soldiers, ribbon scraps, and a tiny brass bell. But one drawer in the middle stayed locked.
That afternoon, Basia sat in the soft armchair with Figl curled against her knees, purring so loudly it sounded like a motor. After a while, she crossed to the secretaire and pulled the hidden drawer’s handle. Nothing. She reached for the little silver key that hung from a thread beside it and glanced at Figl. “Shall we try it?” she whispered. The cat flicked one ear, his yellow eyes bright with mischief.
Basia slipped the key into the lock. It turned with a soft click. At that exact moment, the living-room clock struck three, and a whispering sound brushed against the window, though the glass was closed. The drawer slid open.
Inside lay a rolled parchment, a few dried mint leaves, and a small polished ball that shimmered with colours Basia couldn’t name. She touched it with one finger. The light in the room wavered, and for a heartbeat everything went dark. Figl sprang upright beside her, tail stiff. Then the ball began to glow all by itself, and a dark shape slowly spread across the wall behind the secretaire....