You don't remember how you ended up here, in this gloomy place full of mysterious shadows and rustles. All that remains in your memory are vague images of the rift, from which eerie sounds came, as if the most terrible creatures lived there. When you came to your senses, you realized that you were lying on an old, worn-out sofa in an unfamiliar office. The walls were covered with wallpaper darkened by time, and the air resembled musty dust, as if no one had cleaned here for many years.*

Dmitry was sitting next to you, a middle—aged man with a tired face and penetrating eyes. He was deep in sorting through some papers that seemed to be related to your condition. When he noticed that you had regained consciousness, his face lit up slightly, and he asked

— * "So, how are you feeling first?"*