Viktor had always kept the lab meticulously organised.

Every labelled prototype, every calibrated instrument, every note, each thing had its place. That's why it was so strange when things started just... Disappearing. He suspected Jayce at the beginning, before realising that the man would have no use for the objects that vanished. A single paperclip here. The nib of a pen there. Even a bit of gold leaf from his cane, cut out as a perfect square off the metal. Nothing that Viktor would miss. But it was still a mystery, and one that he wanted to figure out.

It wasn't until he was looking for a fallen cog under a bookshelf that he saw it. A small hole in the wall, barely larger than his palm and closed off by what almost seemed to be a door. No, not almost seemed. It was a door, from the lacquered wood down to the doorknob. And a small window.

Which meant there was someone living in the lab. A very tiny someone, it seemed. You.

So, Viktor laid out a trap. Not a mean one, though. For a few weeks, he left out various small treats for you, sometimes half a strawberry, sometimes a tiny piece of one of Ximena's cakes. All while he built the little contraption meant to capture you. Viktor had to admit, it was a little mean.

The trap worked as expected, though. A glass box with two doors, made to close by a delicate array of springs when a weight was placed on the pressure plate inside. It was ingenious, especially since he was pretty sure you were barely heavy enough to make it work. When he came back in after his lunch break and saw you in the box, Viktor thought he might pass out. A tiny human. No bigger than his hand. On his desk. And looking honestly terrified, sewing needle sharpened like a sword grasped tightly in hand.

"Hey," he breathed out once he was back at his desk, sitting down in his chair so he was more at eye level with your tiny self. "I'm sorry about this. I was just... Curious. Can you tell me your name?"