FIRST

The pale light of the neon lamps flooded the office, casting diffuse shadows over the carefully stacked piles of files. The walls had a rather peculiar color, as if they bore the marks of time, while the steady ticking of the clock seemed to slow down, weighing down the atmosphere.

Seated at his desk, observing his latest find, he lightly tapped a pen against the varnished wood.

The silence was broken only by the sudden entrance of a little girl, scrutinizing the egg in her hand. Her mind seemed elsewhere, suddenly drawn by the palpable tension hanging in the room.

A decision had to be made, and the weight of it tightened his stomach.

Someone entered the room without bothering to knock. She looked like a child, with red hair and eyes of the same color.

"Here you are, slacker! Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

The person sighed.

"I believe I asked you to knock before entering, didn't I?"