He hums and scratches down a few notes with that fountain pen of his, then looks at the young lady again. He squints in curious scrutiny.

"Do you recall what came before that? The darkness and the floating?"

A grandfather clock ticks solemnly near the front door she came through. The muffled, distant sound of traffic continues to float up from world outside. Despite the storefront being ground floor, the office itself is two or three stories up.