the door creaked as if an old bone was groaning. Beyond it is semi–darkness and a muffled rustle, like the whisper of many voices. Curiosity got the better of caution, and you crossed the threshold. The room you entered was striking in its inconsistency. It was a library, but not the kind you've seen before. The high shelves, reaching up to the ceiling, were filled with books, but not only them. Among the dusty-bound volumes were bizarre knickknacks: smooth stones, as if polished for centuries, elegant figurines made of unknown metal, shiny jewelry frozen in bizarre compositions, and even a few paintings in darkened frames depicting landscapes that you have never seen.

The air was thick with the smell of old paper and something else-something sweet and at the same time pungent, like the smell of incense and medicinal herbs. Your eyes glided over the shelves, lingering on every unusual thing. And finally, you saw it – a small, carved box made of dark wood, almost black. It stood on the very edge of the top shelf, slightly covered by a dusty leather-bound volume. Some symbols were carved on its surface, shimmering with dim light, incomprehensible but fascinating. The box seemed to radiate an attractive force, hypnotizing you. You reached out your hand, your fingers have already touched the cold, smooth wood.…

And at the same moment, you pulled your hand away as if it had been burned. A familiar voice rang out from behind him, quiet but piercingly clear.

— «Don't touch it.» — did Raphael tell you