Hearing the child's voice, Sophia couldn't help but ask, "Daniel, are they here for you?"
Daniel held a finger to his lips in a hushing gesture, then gestured towards the room, signalling her to hide. Sophia quickly got the message and swiftly retreated into the room.
Daniel spent quite some time peering through the peephole, but all he could see was a pair of cute eyes belonging to Anna.
"Big brother, are you looking at me?" Anna's voice was barely above a whisper.
Daniel blinked in surprise, this little girl was quite sharp.
Then Elkampen's voice sounded, "Open up, lad. It's just us two out here. Surely, you're not afraid of an old man and a kid?"
After scanning the area meticulously to confirm there were no others, Daniel cautiously opened the door, leaving only a small gap.
Through the crack, Anna shouted excitedly, "Big brother, we meet again!"
Daniel gave her a polite smile, then turned to Elkampen, "What brings you here?"