0100 hours. The Death Chamber, Department of Mysteries.


The veil fluttered in a wind he could not feel and he stared into the darkness beyond it, a darkness absolute. He was rooted to the stone platform, standing barefoot and bare-chested before the archway through death.

      "... irgil? One more time?"

He blinked several times, rousing from thought. Unspeakable Daphne Tan touched his shoulder, wearing a quizzical look.

"Sorry..." Virgil tilted his head to one side. "I don't know where I went."

Which happened sometimes, in the Death Chamber. It had been years since he last[1] stepped into the darkness but every time he approached, he felt a tug. A playful tug, oh hello, oh-i-know-you.

Daphne made a thoughtful noise. "Tired?"

He shrugged her off and ran a hand through his hair, catching sweat. It was all the bloody bell ringing. Brass church balls of various sizes and ages hung off frames that surrounded the archway. They had been 'borrowed' from churches - churches that had spent centuries ringing the death knell.

Walking into the archway proved too risky - one could only really return alive if there was purpose, if the traveler was fully willing to risk death to fulfill such purpose.

Sacrificial love, as Pentameter Puddifoot might say, granted you passage.

Now they were trying alternative methods of reaching through the veil, trying to incite a reaction. Therefore: bells.

1.	Broken Clock

The other Unspeakables had left at midnight but he wanted to keep trying; Daphne remained to observe.

       "Another variation?" she returned to the steps that bordered the chamber and picked up a clipboard to tick off their last attempt.

Virgil nodded, stretching his arms overhead before assuming his position before the archway. He slowed his breathing and drew his wand. Daphne told him to begin, so he plugged his ears.

It was very simple. Different resonances affected the veil differently. The idea was to play a variety of resonances using the many bells - and based on the veil's reactions, narrow in on ideal resonances.

He lifted his wand, tapped his foot to a beat and then began - pointing at one bell and then another, filling the cavernous room with thunderous noises. They were muffled in his ears but he could sense them in his bones, in the vibrating stone.

The veil fluttered. Virgil's breath caught. Something flickered beyond the veil, something white and delicate. He repeated the variation, louder, so that the peeling bells coalesced and overlapped.

It was a figure. A white, spectral figure.

Virgil played out the variation one more time, gesturing with his wand so vehemently his shoulder sockets ached.

The noise cut off. Breathless, he stopped, staring around him at the old bells swinging soundlessly. V looked over his shoulder at the confused Unspeakable Tan - she was talking soundlessly too.

Her eyes focused past him, alert, and Virgil quickly turned back to the archway with wand at the ready.

The veil had disappeared.

In its place was a mirror that filled the archway from corner to corner, reflecting the Death Chamber in full. Virgil lowered his wand uncertainly and watched his reflection do the same. What was this?

He stepped closer, allowing only for a half foot of space between himself and the mirror. His reflection did the same. And then it smiled.

Virgil frowned.  His reflection leaned in and touched its side of the mirror. It looked at Virgil's own hand, as if asking him to follow suit.

He moved his hand to do just that and stopped himself abruptly. What was he doing? Someone grasped his outstretched arm from behind but he didn't startle, recognising Daphne's touch.

She wrenched him away from the mirror, turning him round to face her.

Daphne looked very serious as she held his face between her hands, eyes still focused past him on the archway. After a minute or two, the witch let go. The bells had finally stopped moving and he removed his ear plugs, realising he could hear again.

       "Narcissus much, Carstairs?" she snapped irritably.

He shook his head head, too dazed to manage a smart reply. It was freezing in the chamber now and he was shivering. Virgil glanced over his shoulder - the veil had returned to its regular appearance.

It had been a presence. There was something beyond the veil, something... something sentient, intelligent.

"I don't think we should try that again," he told the older woman.

But when did that ever stop them?