The small, plain door Alpha Dawn led me through opened not into another dark hallway, but into a luxuriously appointed, if dimly lit, private suite. The air here was soft, smelling faintly of cedar and something clean and fresh. The complete opposite and relief from the metallic, musky air of the 'altar.'
He didn't immediately speak or turn on the main lights. Instead, he maintained that quiet, protective hold on my hand, pulling me into the center of the room. The only light came from a single, tall floor lamp nestled in a corner. The light had a warm, golden glow casted on a plush, king-sized bed covered in dark velvet and a small sitting area. It felt like stepping from a high-stakes, black-and-white movie set into a soft, comforting painting.
