By lunchtime, Joneb had received three different instructions regarding his promotion.
The first came from the personnel office, asking him to submit an updated personal information sheet.
The second came from Mr. Valder, requesting that he sign an acknowledgment of his recommendation.
The third came from Roderick, who casually informed him that the appointment documents were already being prepared.
Joneb found the last statement particularly strange.
“Appointment documents?” he asked.
Roderick nodded.
“That's what I heard.”
“But there hasn't been an official announcement.”
“Maybe they're just preparing ahead.”
Joneb returned to his work.
He had learned not to rely on rumors.
That afternoon, a personnel staff member brought a folder to his desk.
“Joneb, these are for your review.”
He opened it.
The first document was a recommendation sheet.
His name appeared at the top.
The second was an acknowledgment form.
The third was a certification stating that he had completed all required qualifications and that no administrative issue remained unresolved.
He stopped at the third document.
His service record was still under verification.
He had already submitted a request for correction.
The certification, however, stated that the record had been completely validated.
He checked the signatures.
There were two.
One belonged to Mr. Valder.
The other was supposed to be his.
Joneb frowned.
He had not signed it.
He examined the signature more closely.
It looked almost identical to his own.
The same slant.
The same initial stroke.
The same final curve.
But it was not his signature.
He immediately stood and went to the personnel office.
“May I ask about this certification?”
The staff member looked at the document.
“What about it?”
“I haven't signed this.”
She examined the signature.
“But it's already here.”
“Who submitted it?”
“I received it from the supervisor's office.”
“Can you check the original?”
She hesitated.
“Why?”
“Because that's not my signature.”
“Maybe you signed another copy.”
“I did not.”
She took the document and placed it inside a folder.
“I'll verify it.”
Joneb returned to his desk.
He was no longer thinking about the promotion.
He was thinking about the signature.
Someone had imitated it.
Or something had.
He took the metal seal from his pocket and placed it discreetly on top of a blank sheet of paper.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
He placed the seal beside the certification.
A faint line of light appeared along its edge.
Then the signature began to change.
The ink seemed to separate from the paper.
Beneath the visible signature, another mark slowly appeared.
A small black symbol.
The open eye.
Joneb pulled the seal away.
The signature returned to normal.
He stared at the document.
The seal had revealed something.
But what?
He needed to understand how it worked.
That evening, he went home with the document's image stored on his phone.
He did not tell anyone about the false signature.
Instead, he waited until everyone had gone to bed.
He placed the metal seal on the table.
The brass key lay beside it.
“Elyra,” he whispered.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
“Elyra.”
The room grew cold.
A faint light appeared near the wall.
Then the familiar doorway emerged.
Joneb stepped through.
He found himself in a small chamber inside the archive.
Elyra was waiting beside a table.
“You have used the seal,” she said.
“Yes.”
“What did it reveal?”
“A false signature.”
Elyra nodded.
“Who placed the signature?”
“That is something you must discover.”
“Can the seal identify the person?”
“No. It reveals the presence of an altered record, not the identity of the one responsible.”
Joneb placed the image of the certification on the table.
“Someone signed my name.”
Elyra examined it.
“This is not merely a forged signature.”
“What do you mean?”
“The document contains two records.”
Joneb looked confused.
“Two?”
“One that can be seen, and one that has been concealed.”
Elyra touched the paper.
The visible signature faded.
A second signature appeared beneath it.
It belonged to someone else.
Joneb leaned closer.
The name was incomplete.
Only the first letter and part of the surname remained.
R. V...
“Who is that?” he asked.
Elyra looked toward the doorway.
“Someone who is already standing close to you.”
Joneb felt a chill.
“Roderick?”
Elyra did not answer.
Instead, she handed him a small transparent sheet.
“Place this over the original document. It will preserve what the seal reveals.”
“Can I use it in my office?”
“Yes. But remember, the truth must still be established through evidence in your world.”
Joneb took the sheet.
“Can this help restore Armand?”
“It may help locate the original record.”
“Where?”
Elyra pointed toward the dark corridor.
“The Hall of Sealed Entries.”
The chamber trembled.
A voice echoed from somewhere beyond the shelves.
“Elyra!”
She immediately turned.
Joneb recognized the voice.
It belonged to Orven.
But the old man's tone was urgent.
“The Hall has been opened.”
Elyra looked at Joneb.
“And someone has entered before us.”