Kuolematon kuningatar

A nameless chronicler has gathered together a series of astonishing, almost other‑worldly experiences he witnessed, insisting that the reader be told exactly how these strange facts reached him. The tale opens in a university town where the narrator, fresh from a journey to the Cape, watches a strikingly handsome young scholar—golden‑crowned, graceful, and almost divine—stride past him, his presence stirring whispers of a living Apollo. Beside the youth walks a solemn older man, oddly hideous in contrast, whose nervous glances at a passing woman hint at a deeper, unsettling fear.

Their encounter quickly draws the narrator into a web of exotic customs, whispered legends, and a hidden world that seems to defy ordinary mortality. As the group moves through bustling streets and secretive gatherings, the reader is left with a vivid sense of wonder about the strange powers and ancient rites that bind these characters together, promising further adventure without yet revealing the ultimate secrets that lie ahead.