One year passed.
"Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday…" he whispered to himself, staring blankly at the classroom window. His father had promised him—on that day, the truth will be revealed. A promise heavy with secrets. A promise that kept him awake countless nights.
And yet, life outside remained ordinary. He still had to attend school. He still had to pretend nothing was waiting for him in the shadows of his home.
When the final bell rang, he walked back as usual. But the moment he reached his house, his body froze.
Blood.
The scent hit him first, metallic and suffocating. Scattered across the floor were bodies—his family, lifeless, their eyes staring at nothing. His chest tightened, breath trembling, until he noticed a note lying on the table, soaked in crimson.
"Son, to complete the ritual, much blood and flesh was needed. We gave our own. Go to the basement. Read the book."
His trembling hands clenched the note. Heart hammering, he stumbled down the narrow stairs into the basement. The air was cold, heavy with dust and silence. At the center stood a sealed wooden box, old and scarred.
When he reached out, pain shot through his body as if something resisted his touch. His knees buckled, sweat dripping from his brow. But he forced the box open.
Inside, there were three items:
A white robe and cap, folded neatly like sacred garments.
A pocket watch, glowing faintly, almost alive.
And a book—its cover black, etched with strange symbols. The title was burned into the leather: "Book of Secrets."
With trembling fingers, he opened the book.
The first page was not written in any language he had seen before, yet somehow, he could understand it. The words carved into his mind:
"When the universe was born, a hundred years later, Earth came into existence. Among its people were three kinds: those who wielded the power of time, those who commanded heaven and earth, and the ordinary who had no gift."
He turned the page.
"But soon came the War of Blood. It tore the world apart. The earth split into three realms, and the lands of the ordinary were shattered and erased. Only fragments remained. Time Walkers and Masters ruled over what was left."
His eyes widened, his breathing heavier. The book seemed alive—its pages whispering.
"Billions of years later, a family betrayed their bloodline. They restored a forbidden fragment of the world, but their mistake left behind a hole. Through it, one could step into other worlds. A bridge between realms. A door to fate."
The last line on the page made his heart stop.
"But beware—the hole is not empty. Something watches from the other side."