*The Academy Basement – The Place Where the Forbidden Book is Sealed*
The air in the basement was as cold and heavy as the breath of a demon. The scent of dust, old blood, and burnt parchment hung in the space, and from the damp stone walls, a distant whisper echoed—whispers that seemed to have traveled through thousands of years of dark history to reach this place.
An old man, hunched and leaning on a cane made from the ancient alder tree, walked slowly and deliberately. His steps were silent, as if he were part of the basement itself, a fragment of the darkness. His long white hair floated like silver threads in the stagnant air, and his dim, dull eyes stared fixedly at a point in the distance—at the book.
The book rested atop a stone pedestal in the center of the underground hall. Its cover was made of human skin, dark and rough, engraved with patterns that resembled silent screams. The pages were made of a thin but tough material, lined with dried blood. This book contained thousands of years of curses, and now, from within its enchanted chains, it whispered—whispers calling for freedom.
The old man gazed at it—not with fear, not with reverence, but with fascination. Something within him fed off this book.
Suddenly, a voice spoke softly but urgently from behind:
"You shouldn't be standing there… it's dangerous!"
The old man didn't turn. He sighed and said,
"Ah… Thomas, it's you again?"
A young guard in a blue uniform, his chest gleaming with magical medals, approached. His face was serious but tired, the dark circles under his eyes evidence of sleepless nights spent guarding the book.
Thomas gave a small, cautious smile and spoke in a calm but warning tone:
"The seal has been weakening for a long time… the book is restless. Being near it now is dangerous. It consumes minds… like a parasite."
The old man responded with a heavy but emotionless gaze:
"I've been the guardian of this book for eighty years, Thomas. I know its dangers better than anyone in this academy."
Thomas hesitated, took a step closer, and asked uncertainly:
"Then why are you so close?"
The old man, looking at the book with a gaze both loving and terrifying, whispered:
"Because it's beautiful… unique. Because in the heart of darkness, I seek a light that others do not dare to see."
Thomas raised his eyebrows, hands clasped behind his back.
"This is madness, sir. It's a cursed object. Last night, five of the guards' minds were corrupted, they went insane. One of them gouged his own eyes out. The rest started killing each other. We had to finish them before the curse spread. If we had been even an hour late, the entire capital would have fallen."
The old man only laughed—a bitter, meaningful laugh.
"That's what makes it fascinating, my boy."
Thomas fell silent, the air thick with questions.
The old man spoke again:
"You know, this book isn't just an object. It's a gateway. They say twenty thousand years ago, during the ancient kingdoms, a demon wrote this. He gave it to the great northern king and warned him to use it only in times of need… but greed consumed the king. The result? All the people of the kingdom, even neighboring countries, perished. The book is alive, Thomas. It chooses where it will be."
Thomas said seriously,
"Charles says we should remove the book from the academy, but why haven't we done it?"
The old man paused, then whispered so softly that Thomas barely heard:
"Charles… he's just afraid. He doesn't understand the value of this book. It is beyond the human soul. Beyond concepts like good and evil. Moreover… if the book doesn't find someone worthy, it starts spreading its control over the mind. But if it finds its user… then it can be transferred…." He chuckled bitterly and continued,
"And in all these years, only a few have been worthy… and you know what happened?"
Thomas frowned, curiosity mixed with dread, as if he already knew the answer. The old man looked into Thomas's eyes, a smile of madness and obsession on his lips, and said:
"All its users… lost their minds and began destroying their loved ones."
At that moment, the sound of metal chains breaking echoed. The old man and Thomas both turned to the book. One by one, the chains shattered with moaning sounds. A faint red light emanated from between the pages.
The old man shouted in panic:
"Seal it immediately! Don't let it open!"
But it was too late. Thomas, beside him, suddenly bled from his mouth and eyes. His body trembled as if something dark had erupted within his mind. A voice whispered in his ear… and he was no longer Thomas.
With a shattered scream, he attacked the old man, wrapping his hands around his throat and tightening…
*Upstairs at the Academy – Professor Charles' Classroom*
In a brightly lit classroom, the sound of chalk scraping on the board echoed. Professor Charles, senior professor of protective and theoretical magic, wrote something, but his hand trembled. His mind was elsewhere.
He could not focus. A feeling twisted deep in his heart—not fear, not worry, but something deeper. As if an alarm bell had sounded within his soul. His elite skill, the "magical sense," suddenly pounded waves of screams and terror into his mind.
The chalk fell from his hand.
His eyes widened.
"No…"
He turned to the students and shouted, commanding,
"Everyone out of the academy! Now!"
The students froze at first. They had never seen Professor Charles shout like this.
"I said, now!"
The students hurried to leave.
But Charles, his heart about to explode, had only one thought in his mind: Misha.
He had to save Misha.