Seeing the stone gate open, everyone was momentarily stunned, including Franklin, who had been pushed to the back of the group by the foul smell. Then, all eyes turned towards the interior of the stone door.
They saw a small, secret chamber with a person sitting inside.
The individual was clad in light black form-fitting clothing and wore a strange half-face mask that seemed to filter the air, leaving only their slightly squinted eyes visible. In front of them sat an odd mechanical device, its front lined with several iron pipes, their purpose unclear.
When the figure saw Franklin and his companions, they showed little surprise, as if they'd been expecting this, and spoke indifferently, "Say, hasn't anyone ever told you that it's incredibly impolite and also very dangerous to barge uninvited into someone else's home?"
