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.