A Rotterdam Story | Chapter 2 | The archivist's secret

A Rotterdam Story | Chapter 2 | The archivist's secret

Elena decides to meet Mila's uncle, a retired archivist, hoping to learn more about the map. She doesn't expect to find herself drawn deeper into the mystery as they uncover a surprising connection.

A Rotterdam Story | Spoilers Podcast | S1E2

If you're a fan of spoilers, listen to the latest podcast episode, in which our hosts discuss and analyse the events of this chapter.



Meeting the archivist

The house on Mathenesserlaan was everything Elena had imagined after Mila's descriptions. It stood tall and narrow, a relic of old Rotterdam, with a faded green door that seemed to hold stories of its own. The broad street was lined with rows of distinguished, historical buildings—each one unique but sharing a certain grandeur, as if they were all witnesses to a century of change. Even the trees along the sidewalk, their branches tangled above, lent an air of age and secrecy. It was easy for Elena to picture the long history of this place, as her footsteps echoed lightly on the pavement.

Mila had insisted on coming with her, which Elena was thankful for. She wasn't sure she wanted to face the mysteries hidden in the map alone, not yet. The door swung open before Elena could even raise her hand to knock, revealing an older man, his face lined with age but his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Elena, Mila,” he greeted, his gaze immediately falling on the map Elena held, “come in, come in. I’m dying to see this mystery you’ve brought me.”

The inside of the house was warm and cluttered—shelves packed with books, old maps hung on the walls, and a distinct scent of aged paper filled the air. It was as if she’d stepped into an archive from another century. Mila’s uncle, Henk, led them to a small table in the centre of the living room, where a magnifying glass and a stack of papers already awaited.

“Now, show me,” Henk said, gesturing for Elena to lay the map out.

She did, smoothing out the creases, and Henk leaned over it, peering through his magnifying glass. “This is old,” he muttered, “older than I expected. Where exactly did you get this?”

Elena recounted her strange encounter outside Dudok. Henk listened, occasionally nodding, but his eyes stayed glued to the map. He ran his finger along the drawn lines until he reached the tiny carved 'R' symbol.

“Ah,” he said, almost to himself. He looked up at Elena, a hint of excitement in his eyes. “You see this symbol? This was used by a secret society—a small group of influential merchants, artists, and thinkers in Rotterdam’s past. They called themselves De Verborgenen, ‘The Hidden Ones.’”

Elena’s heart skipped a beat. A secret society? She exchanged a glance with Mila, who raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

“Most people think they’re a myth, something to entertain children with stories of hidden treasures and secret meetings,” Henk continued, “but there are traces of them, like this symbol. They were known to mark their meeting places and hide messages within maps like these.”

The hidden connection

Het Park was not merely a stretch of greenery but rather a window into Rotterdam’s layered past. The sprawling park lay nestled between the Nieuwe Maas and the stately homes lining the Parkhaven. Designed in an English landscape style, its pathways curved organically, inviting wanderers to lose themselves beneath ancient trees that had witnessed countless stories unfold. The autumn leaves now crunched beneath their feet, and as the orange hues of the fading sun fell across the winding paths, Elena felt a sense of mystery deepen. This wasn’t just a park—this was a place that held secrets, and she was determined to find them.

“See here,” Henk said, tapping lightly on a mark near Het Park. “This symbol—if I’m correct—is indicating a gathering spot, or perhaps something hidden nearby. It could be nothing, but then again…”

Henk trailed off, his gaze unfocused as though lost in thought. Elena felt a strange mix of excitement and fear bubble up inside her. It was all becoming a lot more real—and a lot more complicated—than she had imagined. This wasn’t just some art project or forgotten map. She had stumbled onto something much bigger.

Mila nudged her, pulling her out of her thoughts. “What do you think?” she asked, her tone lighter, but Elena could hear the tension beneath it.

Elena took a deep breath. “I think I need to see what’s there,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt. “Het Park isn’t far. We could go see if there’s anything to this.”

Henk smiled approvingly. “Good. You know, I never had the chance to follow these leads when I was younger. People said I was chasing ghosts,” he said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “But sometimes ghosts leave behind clues—clues worth finding.”

Elena nodded. She folded the map carefully and tucked it back into her bag. Whatever De Verborgenen had left behind, she was ready to find it.

A clue among the trees

The entrance to Het Park felt like stepping into another world, away from the bustling city. Towering trees stretched overhead, their branches swaying gently with the evening breeze, casting shifting patterns on the ground. The smell of earth and decaying leaves permeated the air, filling Elena's senses with a strange mix of nostalgia and anticipation. As they made their way deeper into the park, Henk led them off the main path, towards a more secluded area, almost hidden by thick brush and ivy.

“There it is,” Henk said, pointing to a patch of mossy ground. An old metal plate was concealed beneath layers of leaves and overgrowth, its edges just barely visible. It took all three of them to shift it, revealing the darkened staircase beneath—a portal to secrets long forgotten, just waiting to be uncovered.

“Well,” Mila said, her voice a mixture of awe and nervousness, “are we going down, or what?”

Elena smiled, a mix of fear and thrill rushing through her. She took the first step, the darkness swallowing her as she descended. Whatever secrets lay beneath Rotterdam, she was ready to uncover them.

A Rotterdam Story | Chapter 1 | A mysterious invitation

A Rotterdam Story | Chapter 1 | A mysterious invitation

A chance encounter leads Elena to a mysterious invitation involving an old map of Rotterdam. She can't resist digging deeper, setting her on a journey that will take her across the city's iconic streets and secrets.

A Rotterdam Story | Spoilers Podcast | S1E1

If you're a fan of spoilers, listen to the latest podcast episode, in which our hosts discuss and analyse the events of this chapter.



The arrival

The sky over Rotterdam was a muted grey, a colour that seemed to seep into the very fabric of the city. Meent was alive with a hum of activity, the narrow street filled with cyclists navigating between shops and cafes, their bells ringing in a symphony of everyday life. Elena walked slowly, adjusting her scarf against the biting late afternoon chill. This was her refuge—a new place far from Madrid, where she could embrace a quieter but vibrant energy. The shop windows glowed warmly, reflecting a mix of modernity and old-world charm, while the worn cobblestones under her feet told stories she could only imagine.

She paused outside Dudok, the cafe’s warmth spilling out onto the pavement, creating an inviting contrast to the cold. Inside, people chatted animatedly, steam rising from their coffee cups, the scent of freshly baked apple pie wafting through the air. Elena considered heading inside for a cappuccino, but before she could decide, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss," said a voice behind her, lightly accented and polite.

She turned to find a young man, probably not much older than herself, dressed in a long, dark coat. He held an envelope out towards her, his eyes filled with an urgency that caught her off guard.

"You dropped this, I think," he said.

Elena looked at him, puzzled. She hadn't dropped anything—she was sure of it. She took the envelope anyway, murmuring a hesitant 'thank you.' The man nodded, turned abruptly, and walked away, disappearing into the steady flow of cyclists passing by. Elena watched him for a moment, still uncertain, before turning her attention to the envelope.

It was cream-coloured and heavy, sealed with an old-fashioned wax stamp—an elaborate ‘R’ pressed into the crimson wax. This wasn't hers. She should have felt annoyed at the stranger's mistake, but curiosity tugged at her. Who would go to the trouble of handing her an envelope that wasn’t hers and vanish before she could even ask a question?

The envelope's contents

Finding herself more intrigued than cautious, Elena chose a bench on Grotekerkplein. The square was quiet, the sound of distant conversations and the clatter of bicycles echoing softly around her. The imposing Laurenskerk loomed nearby, its stone exterior dark against the fading light, as though it too held secrets it wasn’t ready to share. Elena sat down, glancing around, half-expecting to see the stranger from before. When no one did, she took a breath and carefully broke the seal.

Inside was a single sheet of paper, and a map—an old one, by the looks of it. The paper had just a few words, written in elegant cursive:

"The journey begins where the Maas greets the city."

Elena unfolded the map. It was a hand-drawn depiction of Rotterdam, the kind you’d see in an antique shop, with landmarks rendered in exquisite ink detail. The Erasmus Bridge stood out, drawn with meticulous attention, its cables stretching like harp strings. Other locations were marked too—spots like Witte de Withstraat, Markthal, and what looked like the Oude Haven.

She felt her heart quicken. Was this some kind of art project? A scavenger hunt? Her instinct, honed from years studying art history, told her this was no ordinary tourist gimmick. The edges of the map were slightly frayed, the paper aged to a light brown. Whoever had given her this had a purpose in mind.

An unexpected ally

The next morning, Elena arrived at the gallery early, unable to shake the envelope’s mystery. She tucked it into her bag, careful to avoid her boss’s attention. The gallery on Witte de Withstraat was small but respectable, nestled between trendy bars and indie boutiques. The place smelled of fresh paint and the subtle musk of aged canvases—a comforting scent.

“Elena, you’re here early,” her colleague Mila, a Dutchwoman with short-cropped blond hair and a no-nonsense attitude, called out from the back room.

“Couldn’t sleep much,” Elena admitted, smiling faintly.

Mila raised an eyebrow, stepping closer with two steaming cups of coffee. “Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice softening.

Elena hesitated, then decided to tell Mila. She pulled out the envelope, showing Mila the contents.

Mila’s eyes widened, and she leaned in to get a better look at the map. “This isn’t just old—this looks valuable,” she said, tapping the yellowing edge of the paper. “Where did you get this?”

Elena explained the strange encounter, and Mila’s expression shifted from curiosity to something else—worry, perhaps?

“You know,” Mila said slowly, “my uncle used to be an archivist for the city. He knows about stuff like this. He might recognise it.”

Elena nodded, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. “Would you ask him? I feel like I need to know what this is about.”

Mila smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “Of course. But be careful, okay? These kinds of mysteries… they tend to come with trouble.”

Elena laughed, but the words stuck with her. As the gallery began to fill with visitors, she couldn’t help glancing at her bag, the map lying inside like a secret, waiting to unravel.

Where the Maas greets the city

That afternoon, Elena found herself by the Maas River, just where the Erasmus Bridge spanned its steel cables elegantly across the water. The air was crisp, the wind tugging at her coat, and the river below churned, filled with the reflections of Rotterdam’s striking skyline. Here, the city felt alive, with water taxis zipping across the Maas and the clank of distant construction echoing from the opposite shore. Elena stared at the map’s cryptic line: “The journey begins where the Maas greets the city.”

The bustling scene seemed out of sync with the mystery in her hands. She scanned her surroundings, her gaze catching on a seemingly ordinary lamp post at the river's edge. But something about it felt deliberate. Kneeling beside it, she found what she was looking for—a faint symbol, partially hidden by dirt and grime. Her fingers traced the mark, the carved ‘R’ barely discernible beneath layers of neglect. She felt her heart skip—a small but thrilling discovery. This was no mistake; it was an invitation.

Standing up, she looked out across the river, her breath misting in the cool air. A thrill ran through her veins—this city, with all its history and secrets, was inviting her to uncover something. Elena didn’t know where this journey would lead her, but she knew one thing for certain: she was ready to find out.

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