39.
on the floor at the far side of the room, she finds a neatly folded set of clothes, identical to her own. a ribbon holds them together, locked with an athame just like the one she destroyed in the maze. beside them, an old broom.
the last steps sink into the floor, revealing a doorway to a room lit by a warm, natural glow. she changes her clothes, belts the new blade, then steps toward the light.
“a furnace...? with a... crucible? has someone been here? is this for me? what am I meant to—”
the sound of shattering ceramic breaks her train of thought