その“鍵”は一時、マサチューセッツ州セイレムに存在していたと云う。時間にして数十年間だが、鍵自身の過ごした悠久の世紀と比べれば、瞬きほどの間でしかない。鍵は英国に祖を持つ一人の“魔道士”によって几帳面に保管されていた。大きな羊皮紙に包まれ、馥郁たる香りを放つ香木製の箱におさめられていた。鍵は持つ者に特別な力を贈り与えた。誰でもよいというわけではない。使用には確たる条件があった。魔術の素養を備えた、無垢なる者、おさなごころを失わぬ者であることがその条件だった。なぜならば鍵は夢の世界へと繋がっていたからだ。そもそも“鍵”は恐るべき古代、極寒の氷河期に沈んだ北方の大陸の魔道士によって造られたものであると“象牙の書”“死者の掟の書”といった幾冊かの魔道書の記述を辿り知ることが出来る。ローマ遺跡の発掘品を彷彿とさせるその外見から確かに鍵と呼ばれるに至ったが、対となる錠が現実に存在するわけではない。実際には概念としての鍵であり、本来であれば魔道士の振るう“杖”と称すべきなのだろう。やがて魔女裁判の致命的な災禍がセイレムを襲った際に、鍵はまた偽りと迷信のベールに包まれ失われる筈であったが、受け継ぐべき者が現れた。その少女の名はアビゲイル・ウィリアムズ―――魔神柱に手渡された鍵を、少女は日没の時刻、絞首刑の丘が薔薇色に染まる星辰の刻に正しく用いた。いあ！　いあ！　魔女と疑われた女たちが悪魔の書物に記した赤き印、その九つの印と同じ数のひねりを、それぞれの印にふさわしき動作で繰り、少女は“境界”へとつながる扉を開放したのだ。いあ、いあ、いぐああ、いいがい、がい！　虚構の深淵よりこちらを臨む者よ。夢の回廊の彼方におわす、窮極の門たる神よ。“全にして一、一にして全なる者”よ。少女に触れる者に警告をせねばならない。少女の存在は世界を不確かなものとするだろう、しかし、おお、おお、

―――手記はここで途切れている。

This "key" supposedly existed in Salem, Massachusetts for a time. It was there for a few decades, but considering the key's existence is measured in centuries, that time span is just a blink of an eye. The key was methodically preserved by a thaumaturgist, who came from England. It was wrapped in parchment and then placed inside a box made out of fragrant wood that emitted a sweet-smelling aroma. The key granted special powers to the possessor. But it couldn't be in the hands of just anybody. There were specific conditions that had to be met. The conditions were that the individual had to be innocent, possess the heart of a child, and have knowledge of magecraft. This was because the key was connected to the dream world. This was due to the fact that, according to the "Book of Eibon," "Necronomicon," and other grimoires, the key was created by a thaumaturgist who came from the northern continent that had sunk during the Glacial Period. While it is indeed called a key since it closely resembled the excavated artifacts from the ruins of Rome, there was no lock that was paired with it. It was essentially a key based off of a concept, and it should have actually been called something similar to a staff that thaumaturgists wield. When the catastrophe that was the Witch Trials of Salem occurred, the key should have been lost and hidden away as just another myth or superstition. However, it found an individual who met the conditions to inherit it. The girl's name was Abigail Williams. The girl rightfully and correctly used the key, handed to her by the Demon God Pillar, during sunset, when the hills of the execution site turned crimson the moment the celestial bodies aligned. Iä! Iä! The red seal on the devil's tome inscribed by the women suspected to be witches... The same knots of the same number of nine seals were handled with the same motion fit for each seal...and the girl opened up the door that led to the "Boundary." Iä! Iä! Y-grah'n li'gai gai! Those who gaze back on us from within the abyss of falsity. O lord of the ultimate gate who reigns beyond the corridors of dreams. O, All-in-One and One-in-All being. We must caution those who come in contact with the young girl. The girl's existence shall put the world into uncertainty. But... Oh... Ohhh...

...The excerpt ends there.