Clare sat on the steps leading up to the attic with a face full of weariness. Holidays at Aunt Matilda's always meant three things: piles of books with no pictures, long walks to the shop for milk and... the ever-present silence. Even the mosquitoes seemed to yawn from boredom here. This time, however, it was to be different. Clare was joined by Ignatius, her younger brother, holding a torch under his arm and an old map found in a kitchen drawer. - Why don't we climb up there after all? - he suggested, pointing with his head to the dusty door at the top of the stairs. - I guess there's a reason my aunt always says "don't snoop in there without asking". Clare shrugged her shoulders, but curiosity won out. The creaking staircase slowly led them into an attic full of cobwebs and old trunks. Rows of dried herbs hung from the ceiling, and under the window stood a mysterious piano covered with a blanket. In the middle of it lay a huge, padlocked trunk with a worn-out coat of arms. Ignatius shone his torch across the beams. - Look! Something is flashing behind the chest. They carefully pushed aside the heavy chest, revealing a narrow passage leading under the floor. There was a wooden shelf with strange objects: an old magnifying glass, a piece of parchment with a sun symbol on it and a notebook bound in blue leather. Klara opened the notebook. The first page was written in tiny handwriting: "Whoever finds this message should be ready for anything. Start by finding the place where the light touches the darkness." Ignatius looked at his sister. - Do you think that's a clue? - 'Certainly,' whispered Klara, looking anxiously around the attic. - 'But what does it all mean? Suddenly they heard a soft thud somewhere deep in the floor. Ignatius' torch flicked on. The siblings froze motionless, staring into the darkness, not yet knowing whether they should take another step or turn back....