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Victor coughed and growled as he weaved in and out of the concrete giants of Chicago city. His boots pounded across the ground; faster and faster as his assailant grew nearer. The spiteful rain hammered all around like never-ending bullets, and the eerie moonlight fought its way through the choking fog. Running deeper into the hopeless labyrinth, Victor sacrificed one precious moment to look over his shoulder, and his eyes widened with fear at the mysterious silhouette. The hooded stranger swept along the alley, his long, fluid coat trailing behind him. The man’s ghost-like movement mystified Victor, but without more hesitation he started to climb the nearest wall.

Seconds later, Victor was leaping from building to building. He knew that with one mistake, he would be engulfed by the shadowy abyss below. His murderous pursuer darted after him with terrifying speed. Struggling to see through the unremitting rain, a piece of barbed wire snatched at Victor’s jacket. He was spun around, lost his footing, and without warning he was hurtled off into the darkness...

Struggling to regain consciousness, Victor moaned . His head ached, and his eyes couldn’t focus. He sensed that he had been lying there a long time, as blinding sunlight illuminated all around him. When he tried to move, his body screamed in protest, so he lay limp on the ground.

Time passed; Victor tried to work out where he was and how severe his injuries were. He seemed to be in some sort of courtyard; hidden amongst the maze of concrete. Tilting his head, Victor noticed a large door on the far side of the courtyard. Its grand woodwork design, intricate carvings and fine finish contrasted greatly with the bland, mundane grey walls. He was strangely drawn to it, and couldn’t help but stare at the decorative arc and the golden handles. It had a certain energy about it, something that Victor couldn’t quite put his finger on. His mind wandered into a dream about the endless secrets that the door could conceal. He thought about the infinite rooms it could lead to, or the ceaseless pathways it could reveal.

The door handle turned. Victor snapped out of the dream as if he had been drenched in freezing water. He squinted and held his breath as the majestic door slowly opened. A stream of fresh air flew into the courtyard and brushed past Victor’s face. In the doorway stood a young woman. Victor was frozen with bewilderment. He reached out for her, but as quickly as she had appeared, the mysterious girl retreated back through the door and ran away. Victor felt disheartened and confused, until he realised one thing…

The door was still open.

* * *

The Buena Cruise Liner drifted lazily across the calm ocean. The last few rays of light danced playfully on top of the rippling sea, before the sun retreated over the horizon. A cool breeze welcomed in the sleepy darkness, and all was silent as the gentle waves that rocked the drowsy boat to sleep.

Emily let out a relieved sigh as she looked out at the beautiful ocean from the ship’s deck. Her mind reflected on how wonderful the last few days had been. Still, heavy-eyed and exhausted, she decided to go to bed. She sauntered across the deck towards her cabin, but halted half way there. Something incongruous had caught her eye.

She wandered over to a strange door, and felt somewhat compelled to run her hand along its patterned surface. The reason that she was so fascinated by this door – she thought – was because it was so close to the edge of the boat; she could not think where it could lead. It seemed doubly strange that such a grand thing would be placed right out on the deck, and yet it seemed unaffected by the saltwater or rain.

Feeling energised, now, Emily looked around excitedly to see if anyone was around. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, she swung the door open.

Emily almost jumped back in fright. Inexplicably, she found herself looking into some sort of large courtyard – it could not have possibly fitted in the boat! She stared in awe – the only word she could think to describe it was “impossible”.

What was the most bizarre of all was that there was a man lying there. He was injured – dying, Emily thought – and he was looking up at her with an outstretched arm...