Act Three - The Angel’s Game — Chapter 7

David rides a northbound train, leaving industrial Barcelona for the snowy Pyrenees. He wakes as the landscape turns mountainous and arrives at Puigcerdà, where a stationmaster directs him toward Villa San Antonio and suggests lodging at the Hotel del Lago. David books a room briefly, focused solely on finding Cristina.

Crossing the frozen lakeside, David reaches Villa San Antonio, a somber institution. Inside, he witnesses a tense, clinical environment and asks after Cristina. Sister Teresa, the night-duty nurse, leads him to Doctor Sanjuán’s office, where the doctor insists on honesty before allowing a visit.

Pressed, David identifies himself and demands to see Cristina, whom the staff call Señora de Vidal. Doctor Sanjuán questions when David last saw her and warns of bad news but claims ignorance about her condition. He finally permits a brief visit.

In Cristina’s room, David finds her seated by the window in a white nightdress, unresponsive and seemingly unaware. Bandages cover her forearms, and straps secure her to the chair. David holds her hand, watches a tear run down her face, and speaks softly to her without reply.

After fifteen silent minutes, Doctor Sanjuán ends the visit and returns David to the stark office. Overwhelmed and shaken, David can only think of escaping the oppressive sanatorium air, the encounter leaving him devastated and with no answers about Cristina’s affliction.