No return invites

The envelopes arrived with no return address, just a name and a curious, single-line invitation printed on thick, cream-colored paper.

For: Alex Carter Vi estas invitita. Venu al la ruĝa domo, sabato je la 3a horo. (You are invited. Come to the red house, Saturday at the 3rd hour.)

Alex showed it to his friend, Chloe. "The red house? The old Henderson place on the hill? It's been abandoned for years. And what language is that? Vi estas invitita?"

Across the city, fourteen other people—a barista, a programmer, a teacher, a retiree—held identical notes, equally confused and intrigued. The mystery was too potent to ignore.

On Saturday, at 3 PM, they stood in the dusty foyer of the ominous "red house." It wasn't actually red, but a faded brick. A grand clock ticked in the silence. The door slammed shut behind them, locking with a heavy thud.

A screen on the wall flickered to life. A masked figure appeared, their voice distorted. "Bonvenon, gastoj," the figure said. "Welcome. You are here to solvi enigmojn—to solve puzzles. Your first clue is on the table. Trovi la libron."

Everyone looked. On a small mahogany table sat a single book. The retiree, Mr. Evans, picked it up. "The Complete Guide to Esperanto?" he read aloud. "What in the world is Esperanto?"

"It's a constructed language," said the teacher, Maria. "Meant to be easy to learn and bring people together."

"Okay, but what does 'trovi la libron' mean?" asked Alex.

Chloe thought aloud. "Well, the book is right here. La libro. So maybe trovi means to find? 'Find the book'?"

They opened the book. Inside was a key and another note: Ĉi tiu ŝlosilo malfermas pordon. Kiu pordo? The programmer,Ben, pointed at the words. "Ŝlosilo must be key. It sounds like 'slosilo'. And pordo is like 'portal' or... door! This key opens a door."

"Malfermas?" Maria said. "If fermas is close to firm or closed, maybe mal- is an opposite? So unlocks or opens? 'This key opens a door.'"

"Kiu pordo?" Chloe added. "That must be 'Which door?'"

They fanned out. The house was full of doors. Alex tried a small, wooden door under the stairs. The key fit. Inside was a small box with a number lock and another clue: La kodo estas la nombro da personoj ĉi tie. Kiom da personoj? ("The code is the number of people here.How many people?")

"Nombro is number," Maria said. "Personoj is people. Ĉi tie—sounds like 'see tee-eh'—must mean here."

Ben quickly counted. "We are dek kvin people! Fifteen! Dek is ten, kvin is five!" He spun the combination lock to 15. The box clicked open.

Inside was a map of the house with one room circled. Another note: Iru al la kuirejo. "Iru...Go? Al means to. La is the," Maria translated. "But what's kuirejo?"

Mr. Evans snapped his fingers. "It sounds like cuisine! The kitchen! Go to the kitchen!"

They hurried to the kitchen. On the large wooden table was a feast of pastries, fruits, and drinks. And another message: Bonan apetiton! Sed unue, diru vian nomon. Mi estas Alex. Kiu vi estas? ("Good appetite!But first, say your name. I am Alex. Who are you?")

They understood bonan apetiton from the context. "It says to say our names," Chloe said. "Like a roll call. It's teaching us introductions."

One by one, they went around the room. "Mi estas Chloe." "Mi estas Ben." "Mi estas Maria." With each introduction, a sense of camaraderie grew, overshadowing their initial fear.

A final note lay under a plate: Vi lernis. Vi kunlaboris. Nun vi estas liberaj. La ĉefpordo estas malfermita. Ĝis la revido! ("You learned.You collaborated. Now you are free. The main door is open. Until we see each other again!")

They turned. The front door, once locked tight, was now slightly ajar. Sunshine streamed through the crack.

As they filed out, blinking in the afternoon light, they weren't the same fifteen strangers who had entered. They were a group, connected by a shared secret and a new, fascinating code.

Alex looked back at the house, then at the book he'd tucked under his arm. "Ĝis la revido," he said with a smile. "See you later." He turned to the group. "So, who wants to learn what dankon means?"

They all laughed. "I have a feeling it means thank you," said Chloe. "Dankon, Alex."

"Ne dankinde," he replied, having just read the phrase in the book. "You're welcome."

The mysterious host had given them more than a puzzle; they had been given a new way to connect. And their first lesson was complete.