Chapter One: Trapped by the Storm**
The glass door swung open, letting in the salty sea breeze. I looked up at the clock: 2:17 a.m.
Customers who showed up at the Whale Fall Café at this hour always had a story to tell. The hem of the man’s black trench coat was still dripping, and damp strands of hair clung to his pale forehead. He went straight to the darkest corner of the bar, tracing winding trails of water across the drinks menu with his fingers.
“Blue Mountain.” His voice sounded like sandpaper scraping against bronze.
As the coffee machine roared, I stole a glance at the snake-shaped silver ring on his ring finger. He was the third customer to wear the same ring. It was identical to the one left in the drawer by the guest in Room 302. Three days ago, that German backpacker said he was going to watch the sunrise over the sea. All he left behind was half a case of whiskey and a wall covered in incomprehensible equations.
“Your coffee.” Ink suddenly bled across the napkin beneath the bone china cup. It was from the fountain pen ink I’d gotten on it while wiping the table earlier. The man turned the napkin over. On it was the strange symbol the guest had left behind: an infinity sign cutting through a trident, surrounded by winding, vine-like patterns.
His pupils contracted sharply, and the coffee cup clinked against the tray. Right then, the rain began to pour. The roll-up door banged in the gale. Just as I turned to close the blinds, something cold and metallic pressed against the back of my neck.
“Who sent you?” The gun barrel slid down my spine to the small of my back. “Tell me, where did you get this symbol?”
**Chapter Two: The Attic Cipher**
The ceiling lights suddenly went out, and the emergency lights cast a blood-red glow over the bar. I grabbed his wrist and slammed it against the counter. The crash of breaking coffee cups merged with the thunder
