The winter rain fell mercilessly, and the wind howled through the narrow alleys like lost wolves searching for their prey.
Edgar and Duncan ran with quick steps,their feet splashing on the wet stones while the steam of their breath rose like smoke in the cold London air.
Duncan shouted,panting:
"Faster, the rain is getting worse!"
Edgar laughed despite his fatigue and said:
"Not braying anymore, huh? Don't worry, here's the house!"
They turned into a narrow alley from which rusty pipes hung, leaking rainwater like silver threads, until they finally stopped in front of an old iron gate, only half-painted.
Edgar took a rusty key from his pocket,held it up to Duncan and said with a mocking smile:
"Welcome to my home."
Duncan raised his eyebrows in surprise, then looked up.
The house was unexpectedly huge,built in Victorian style, but dilapidated on the outside, with plants creeping through the cracks in its walls.
Duncan muttered,staring with a mix of admiration and bewilderment:
"You live in a palace?!"
Edgar laughed as he climbed the stone steps and said:
"A palace? If you saw the inside, you'd wish you'd stayed in the rain!"
Duncan followed him, sighing with fatigue, his tail swaying behind him:
"Remind me, why are we here? Aren't we supposed to go to the Organization?"
Edgar replied without turning around:
"I need to clean up a bit first. My clothes are torn and covered in blood. I don't want to enter the Organization looking like a tramp."
The staircase was long and winding, and the higher they climbed, the darker it became.
Duncan grumbled,stumbling with his foot:
"How long are we going to keep climbing? My hooves are tired!"
Edgar smiled, saying:
"Here we are, we've arrived!"
He opened a wooden door at the top of the attic, releasing the smell of old wood and dampness.
Duncan entered behind him and suddenly stopped at the threshold.He looked around and said in a sarcastic voice:
"You live here? Now I understand why you risked your life. Because this life isn't worth anything!"
Edgar pretended to smile as he placed the key on the table:
"And why not? The place is high up, and no one bothers me… except for the pigeons living on the roof."
Edgar pointed towards the corner where a small nest was filled with feathers, and said:
"It's the landlord's condition, what can I do?"
"Wait here a little, I'll change my clothes."
He left Duncan alone in the attic.
The royal donkey began wandering around the curious place,or as he saw it himself: "The nest."
Darkness covered the corners,and the only light seeped through a circular window in the ceiling, from which cold water droplets fell onto the wooden floor, which creaked with every step.
From below,the neighbors' shouts and the noise of their daily lives could be heard.
Duncan whispered to himself as he looked around:
"No wonder he survived the serpent… anyone who lives here can survive anything."
He approached the small kitchen, which was barely big enough for one person, and saw an old picture placed on a slanted shelf.
It was a picture of a young Edgar with his parents.
The mother,with black hair and red eyes radiating confidence, while the father seemed a quiet man with kind features.
Duncan stared at the picture and said softly:
"His family..... beautiful"
At that moment, the rain stopped, and a strange silence prevailed, as if the city was holding its breath.
The room door opened,and Edgar stepped out with steady steps.
It was as if a different person had emerged in his place.
He was wearing an exquisite red suit, with a majestic long coat, and a black hat covering part of his face.
The candlelight reflected on the shiny fabric,making the suit seem to bleed a dark red color in the gloom.
Duncan whistled in admiration and said:
"Well, this is stunning! Where did you get this suit?"
Edgar smiled and said, adjusting his tie:
"One day I was working at a dry cleaner's. A corrupt client came in and requested this suit be cleaned. I thought it wouldn't suit him… so I took it. Besides, it was the payment for my work, because the one who hired me never paid."
Duncan laughed loudly and said:
"Wonderful, a noble thief!"
Edgar replied confidently:
"No, my work was duly paid for."
Then he gestured with his hand and said:
"Come on, quickly, we don't want to be late. By the way, where exactly is the Organization?"
Duncan said, opening the door:
"Big Ben."
Edgar froze in his place:
"Next to it?"
Duncan smiled slyly:
"No… inside it."
They boarded the train running on rails through the city.
— The lights danced on their faces as they passed in front of the ancient stone buildings.
The sound of rain on the windows again mixed with the clatter of the metal wheels,and the whole city seemed to be waking from a heavy dream.
After a few minutes, the train stopped in front of the famous Big Ben tower.
The giant clock rose before them,its hands moving through a light fog, the sound of its chimes resonating in the sky like the heartbeat of a giant.
Edgar said in astonishment as they entered the clock tower:
"Is the Organization… here?"
Duncan smiled broadly and said, stepping forward slowly:
"I love this moment. Put on the bracelet now, and you will see with your own eyes."
Edgar put on the bracelet, and as soon as it touched his skin, he felt a strange vibration shake his body.
A blue light covered the place,followed by a thunderous rumble.
Then the two vanished from the real world.
When Edgar opened his eyes, everything was different.
The very air had become colder,as if the wind passed through hearts of ice.
The ground beneath his feet was red,glowing like embers.
Faint sounds rose from the distance— whispers resembling the weeping of burnt ghosts.
Edgar said, staring around in astonishment:
"What is this place?!"
Duncan replied in a low voice filled with awe:
"Big Ben was never just a clock. It was once haunted by a being called the Devil's Angel, one of the followers of The Devil's Conqueror The most powerful and evil resident among all the Door System's inhabitants."
He paused for a moment then continued:
"But his right hand, the Devil's Angel and his followers, known as the Voices of the Earth, were defeated by The King of Keys in a battle that changed the fate of all humanity. The voices you hear now… are their remnants, their souls screaming in an endless hell."
Edgar felt a shiver run through his body and said in a hoarse voice:
"So this place is dangerous?"
Duncan laughed lightly:
"Not anymore. It has become the Organization's headquarters. And these voices? Just ghosts receiving their eternal punishment, over and over again."
They continued walking along the glowing red path.
The air burned around them with strange colors,and the wind passed like the breath of a gigantic creature.
Finally,they reached what appeared to be a huge black door in the heart of Big Ben in its otherworldly form.
Duncan said:
"Hold on tight."
And as soon as they approached, they were pulled by a tremendous force inside.
The light disappeared,then a bright whiteness exploded.
Edgar slowly opened his eyes to find himself floating in the air.
Beneath his feet was dense blue fog,and above him was similar fog.
But in the middle,a huge circular tower, its floors countless, all of them corridors filled with people moving incessantly, and hundreds of people floating in its center and disappearing into illuminated entrances.
Everything was quiet, majestic, and strange.
Duncan smiled and said,looking proudly:
"Welcome to the Great Tower… the headquarters of the Cleaners Organization."