(A faint, eerie background music plays)

Himari was lying in her bed, trembling with fear. She gasped for air, unable to catch her breath. Her body was drenched in sweat. Her heart raced rapidly. "What kind of dream is this?" she muttered to herself.

The red book she had seen in her dream had terrified her. Its gleaming color resembled the light of blood. Slowly, it moved across the table, fluttered, as if coming toward her... That voice, "You can't run away, Himari... I will always follow you!" echoed in her ears.

The old street in her dream, that red book, the shadow of Lily... everything terrified her. She tried to forget the dream, but it would not leave her mind.

She got out of bed and went to the kitchen. She drank a glass of water. For a moment, she remained quiet. Gradually, her fear began to subside.

"It's just a dream," she told herself. "It won't affect me."

But when she returned to her bed, the red book haunted her mind. She was afraid to sleep again. Could she forget that dream? Or would it continue to follow her?

Then she remembered the challenge her friends had given her.

The previous night...

"Hey Himari, are you brave enough? This challenge will scare you!" Fanni asked with a laugh. "Okay, what's the challenge?" Himari asked eagerly, though with a hint of fear. "At midnight, you have to walk down the old street behind the college. But be careful – if someone follows you, you must not look back!" Fanni said as a challenge.

That night... a rainless night, but with lightning flashing in the sky. Himari walked alone. "Thud... thud... thud..." The sound of footsteps. She didn't listen to what her friend had said and didn't turn back – no one was there. But the sound continued, now surrounding her like the shadow of a demon. In the middle of the street, a red book gleamed, its corners stained like blood, its pages turning on their own. "That... that book?" she muttered in her mind.

"Don't touch it... or you'll become like me!" the voice warned.

She ran in fear, but her legs pulled her toward the book. The next day, that red book was in her bed. Himari looked at it in fear, then its pages opened on their own.

She ran to her mother. "Mom! This book..." Her mother, Yuko, looked at her. "What's wrong?" she asked. Himari asked, "Who brought this book here?" "You brought it yourself, Himari," her mother replied.

Himari was stunned, silent. She thought it would be better to read it with her friend than alone, so she went and told Fanni what had happened. Then, together, they opened the book. The first page read: "My name is Himari... I am not alive... but I still follow you."

Thud... thud... thud...! The door rattled. They froze. Himari opened the door – a shadow, a woman's shadow, holding the red book.

"Mom!" Fanni said. "Tell the kids to have tea," Yuko said casually, but there was fear in her voice.

The book spoke: "Please... save me... or you will join me in death!"

The pages burned, and ash spread across their faces. They tried to run, but the doors were shut. The book floated toward them. Lily's shadow appeared, her face distorted, and she screamed, "You did not free me, but now you will die with me!"

The terror reached its peak, and the curse of the red book surrounded them, a hell they couldn't escape...

Himari ran in fear through the house. Her heart raced. Her mother, Yuko, was busy in the kitchen, focused on something.

"Mom! Mom!" Himari screamed in panic.

Yuko turned around. "What, Himari? What's wrong?"

Himari struggled to catch her breath. "That book... it... it..." She was holding the red book in her hands.

Yuko's face grew serious as she looked at it. "How did you get this book?" she asked, concerned.

"I don't know, Mom. It... it just appeared in my bed!" Himari said, terrified.

Yuko took the book and examined it. Her eyes widened in fear. "This book... it's not good. You should never touch it."

"But, Mom... what is it doing? Why is it scaring me?" Himari asked.

Yuko was silent for a moment, as if hesitating to say something.

"Mom, please tell me. I'm scared," Himari begged.

Yuko sighed deeply. "This book carries a curse. It's an old story. But I fear it might be true."

"What curse, Mom?" Himari asked.

"Anyone who touches this book will be followed by a dark force. That force will destroy them," Yuko said.

Himari trembled in fear. "Then, what should I do, Mom?"

"We need to destroy this book immediately. Call Fanni. The three of us need to do something," Yuko said.

At that moment, the door shook violently. Both of them froze in fear.

"What... what is that, Mom?" Himari asked in a soft voice.

Yuko motioned for her to remain silent and slowly moved toward the door.

Himari hid behind her mother, trembling in fear.

Yuko opened the door. There stood a shadowy figure, holding the red book.

"Mom!" Himari cried out.

Yuko pushed Himari back and stood facing the shadow.

"Please... leave me alone," Yuko pleaded.

The book began to speak: "If you don't release me, you will die with me!"

The pages of the book turned into flames. Ash spread across their faces.

Himari and Yuko screamed in fear. They tried to run, but the doors had locked. The shadowy figure approached them. It was Lily's shadow. Her face was mangled.

"You didn't release me. Now you will die with me!" Lily screamed.

The three of them trembled in fear. The curse of the red book surrounded them, trapping them in an inescapable hell.

How will they solve the mystery?

What will they discover about Lily's past?

What challenges await them as they try to break Lily's curse?

To find out how Himari and Fanni will solve the mystery of Lily, read Chapter 2: Death!

To be continued...

The curse of the red book surrounded them like a dark shadow. The horror they had momentarily thought was a dream was now a living ghost, ready to devour them. The walls of the dark room were all covered in white sand dust that had settled over time. A strange smell of old paper hung in the air. Amidst that stench, the red book glowed as if burning in a deadly swirl.

Suddenly, Yuka rushed forward with lightning speed. "Lily Smith... I'm the reason for all this!" she shouted in an exploding voice. The cry echoed through the silent room. Himari pierced Yuka with her sharp eyes. "Lily Smith...? So he's a boy?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her tone.

Yuka's face was frozen in terror, deep sorrow, and anger. Once again, she screamed, "Hey Himari, step back! Quickly!" In Yuka's face, Himari saw a fear she had never witnessed before. That fear shattered Himari in an instant, like a broken mirror. She instinctively took a step back.

Yuka screamed as if her body was about to burst. At that moment, the red book suddenly flew upwards, its pages spreading wide in the air. Each page glowed red, like embers of a fire. Then, all the pages converged, encircling Yuka like a cage. "No... please... leave me... please...!" Yuka cried out. That scream pierced Himari's heart like a spear. She stood frozen, watching helplessly. Beside her, Fanny screamed in terror and tried to run. But the next moment, both of their heads spun. They stumbled and fell to the ground. The red book slowly closed with a dangerous silence, as if nothing had happened. The room was quiet.

Ten o'clock the next morning. The golden rays of the sun entered the room through the window and fell on Himari's face. Slowly opening her eyes, Himari looked around. She saw Fanny lying unconscious beside her. "Fanny... wake up," she said softly, shaking her gently. Fanny slowly opened her eyes. The next moment, she screamed, "Aaaaaah!" "What happened?" Himari asked anxiously. Fanny took a breath and said slowly, with worry, "Nothing... how are we going to save Yuka's mother?"

Himari composed herself for a moment in silence. Then, looking at Fanny with her sharp eyes, she said in a firm voice, "We are going to read that book again." Those words froze Fanny's heart. She stumbled backward, trying to run. But Himari said with a faint smile, very slowly, "If you don't like it... you can leave from here." Those words crushed Fanny's spirit. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Forgive me... I was just saying... I can't leave you alone," Fanny said in a trembling voice. Himari nodded slowly. "Okay... then are you ready for death?" Fanny gave a brave smile. "Hmm... okay, let's go."

Himari opened the red book again. A new story greeted them on its pages:

"My name is Lily Smith. I was born on March 27, 1995. My mother left me in front of a bookstore. Seamus, who was there, raised me. Seamus was very affectionate towards me. He taught me how to read books. I started to love books. But when I was 13, he died of a heart attack. On that day, the store where I was left alone became my life. I started talking to the books. To overcome my loneliness, those books became my life. The red book was a friend, a brother, a life to me.

One day, a beautiful girl came to the store. Her name was... Himari. The moment she looked, my life completely changed. My heart started to explode. A strange energy seemed to spread through my body. I asked her name to make a bill for the book she asked for. She said 'Himari'. As soon as I heard that name, my mind leaped with joy. I don't know why, but it felt like some kind of curse. That meeting became the last meeting in my life."

Himari's heart beat fast as she read the book. A shadow of worry crossed her face. Fanny hesitated and asked, "Your name is in this... please, close it..." But Himari said in a firm voice, "No, Fanny, I will do anything to save Mother." Fanny nodded. Both of them started reading the book further.

Then some questions arose in their minds:

* Who is Yuka really?

* How did Lily Smith die?

* Why is Himari's name written in that book?

* Is Himari's family connected to this mystery?

* Can these two break Lily's curse?

To know the answers...

Chapter 3: Dream!

To be continued...