Act One - City of the Damned — Chapter 13

David Martín wakes in darkness among rows of beds in a dank, cavernous shelter beneath the old water reservoir by Ciudadela Park. A ragged man with an outdated newspaper taunts him about purgatory and offers cryptic exits—permanent via the roof, temporary via the door—implying David arrived half-dead and already robbed.

Reeling, David climbs to the rooftop and confronts the eerie lake above the city. A figure approaches with uncanny speed; David stumbles toward the basin but is caught and steadied by the stranger, who resolves into a calm, well-dressed gentleman wearing an angel brooch: Andreas Corelli.

Corelli introduces himself warmly and declares he wants David to write for him. He dismisses Barrido & Escobillas as parasites, asserts his lawyers can void David’s six-year contract, and flatters David’s abilities while referencing Cristina Sagnier’s likely disapproval of David’s publishers. He presents a card for Éditions de la Lumière and promises an advance of one hundred thousand francs for a year devoted to a commissioned book.

David counters with self-doubt, confessing to mediocrity, failing health, and unfulfilled aspirations. Corelli responds with intimate knowledge of David’s past, losses, loneliness, and ambitions, claiming deep kinship and confidence that David will accept the offer. He frames the role as a temporary partnership rather than mere employment.

Concluding the encounter, Corelli predicts David will soon see the truth for himself and assures a future meeting. As Corelli departs down the stairs, David realizes he never saw Corelli blink, underscoring the man’s unsettling, otherworldly poise and leaving David suspended between temptation and uncertainty.