52

You're almost surprised by how smoothly everything goes. The search is quick and efficient, and you never lose track of where you've already looked.

However, you're even more surprised when you actually find something.

Near the bottom of a drawer, you dig out an older folder that's labeled with the words "Hard Drive Backup." Inside, there are a few copies of what look like important documents to do with the house—and then, right at the back, there's a large folded sheet of paper. When you open it up, you realize that it's a set of very old blueprints that show the original plan for the house.

"Wow—that's pretty cool," Robin says, leaning a little closer to examine all the details. "It seems like the house was built around 70 years ago. This could actually be interesting; the archives are full of things like this."

You hear a note of excitement coming into Robin's voice. But after a moment, he gives a small sigh.

"I just wish it was enough," he says. "Oh, sorry, that sounded really ungrateful—I do think this is interesting. I just wish anything would be enough to know for sure it could help the archives. I was probably kidding myself to think…"

He pauses for a moment, looking at the plans.

"Hang on—is that right? It looks like there's some kind of door in the ceiling—leading up into the attic!"

He turns the blueprints around and points to a diagram of the attic floor. In one corner, you can see a little square marked "ceiling hatch."

Robin looks at you with wide eyes.

"I didn't notice—but can we get to the attic that way?"

Without waiting for an answer, he rushes out into the hallway. When you reach him, you find him standing frozen just in front of the blocked attic door—

Staring up at the outline of a square hatch in the ceiling. If you didn't know to look for it, you never would have spotted it behind all the cobwebs.

"So we can get in," Robin breathes. For a moment, the excitement in his voice sends a thrill down your spine—but as the two of you (plus Arctus) look up at the trapdoor, it begins to dawn on you that finding it and actually getting through it are two different challenges.

When Robin next turns to you, it seems like he has just had the same realization.

"Do you have a ladder?"

You shake your head. Jaw tensing slightly, he glances back at the dusty ceiling.

"How are we going to get up there?"