Chapter 2: Death!

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...

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