The walls are stone. Not brick, not concrete — stone, as if carved rather than built. The ceiling is low enough to suggest caution. The floor is stone too, and slightly damp, though you cannot identify the source of moisture. There is no visible drainage.
"The smell is familiar. I have been trying to place it for twenty minutes. It is the smell of old paper. Like a library that has been closed for a very long time. This is not what I expected a basement to smell like." — C. Jiang
The corridor extends ahead. You can see approximately fifteen metres before it curves — gently, almost imperceptibly, to the left. Beyond the curve: darkness, and something that might be a light source, too dim to be certain.
// Sound: something that might be water. Distant. Source: unclear.
// Temperature: 4°C estimated. Consistent with door threshold.
// Script on walls: both sides. Symmetric. I cannot read it. I have a feeling I will be able to.