Confused by what she was seeing, Evangeline found her gaze drawn to a narrow space hidden behind the bookshelf. She would never have noticed it on her own if not for Mister Crow's persistent pointing and subtle nudging, and the realization left her both impressed and unsettled. How intelligent was this crow, to be able to notice something so well concealed, something an animal shouldn't have a way of figuring out?
She hesitated at the threshold, her hands holding the door yet couldn't fully open it. "Why is there another room…?" she whispered to herself, leaning her head slightly into the narrow opening and peering into the darkness beyond.
Before she could pull back, the crow suddenly fluttered from her shoulder and flew straight into the hidden space, disappearing into the shadows without hesitation.
"Wait!" Evangeline called instinctively, startled into action as she stepped forward after it.
