Act 37: Two Letters II

The corridor was just as dilapidated, narrow, and dim as he remembered. Dust-covered planks were riddled with gaps left by years of disrepair. Brando followed his memory to a door and stopped. "Is it this one?"

"Mm." A soft voice answered from behind him. It was Adviser Miss.

Freya followed the two of them, frowning as she surveyed the place. They stood in the passage, and the planks creaked beneath their feet. The air was thick with a choking smell of dust. In her opinion, even a stable in the countryside around Buchi was somewhat cleaner than this. She could hardly imagine anyone actually living in a place like this.

"Looks like it's locked." Brando fiddled with the doorknob.

"I locked it when I left." Antitina answered softly.

"Do you have the key?"

"Mm. I've kept it with me all this time." Antitina rummaged around and took out a copper key. Brando had an excellent memory and recognized at a glance that the chain holding it was her original necklace. He remembered seeing that necklace once or twice. It should have had a beautiful crystal pendant, but that pendant had long since disappeared. He took the key and weighed it in his hand, somewhat surprised. "Why were you carrying this?"

"I thought I might need it someday." Adviser Miss answered with her usual seriousness.

"Looks like it did come in handy." Brando smiled and glanced at her. Adviser Miss returned a faint smile.

He turned the key and opened the door. Behind it, the wooden door seemed like the gaping, pitch-black maw of a monster waiting for its prey to walk in. The three of them stood at the entrance for a moment before their eyes adjusted to the suddenly dimmer light. The room was just as cramped and dusty