C39 The night of unwritten faces

The heavy metallic lockdown of the subterranean portal echoed through the bedrock long after Director Alistair’s voice faded from the speaking tube. But inside the City of Forgotten People, a quiet determination was palpable.

Vespera climbed back up the spiral iron staircase, carrying the master register with its peeled parchment leaf. Beside her, Margaret Vance carried a heavy brass lantern