The cursed book

The Cursed Notebook 

The storm raged outside the small town of Elmridge, hammering against windows, rattling the old wooden frames, and drowning the streets in sheets of rain. Inside a dimly lit library, fourteen-year-old Aric leaned over a desk, staring at the ancient box he had found hidden beneath the floorboards.

It was no ordinary box. The wood was blackened, almost charred, yet smooth as glass. Strange golden symbols ran across its surface, glowing faintly whenever his fingers brushed against them. And at its center—embedded like the heart of a puzzle—was a lock shaped like an eye.

Aric’s pulse raced. In his trembling hand rested a small key, silver and cold, with jagged edges that shimmered as though alive. He had discovered it three days ago inside the pocket of his late grandfather’s coat. Attached to the key had been a note:

"When the storm calls, the door will open. Trust the light. –E.D."

Aric had no idea what it meant. His grandfather, Elias Drayden, had always been strange—collecting dusty maps, cryptic books, and speaking in riddles. But Aric had never imagined it would lead to this moment.

He slowly slid the key into the eye-shaped lock. The box trembled. With a sound like a sigh, it opened.

Inside lay nothing but a folded piece of parchment. Aric unfolded it and froze.

It wasn’t a map. It was a letter.

"To the one who holds the key,

You are chosen to guard the passage. The key unlocks not treasure, but truth. Beneath Elmridge lies a door. Behind the door lies power beyond imagination. But beware: once opened, it can never be closed again."

Aric’s hands shook as he read the final line:

"Only the pure of heart may wield the Secret Key. If you are not, the darkness will claim you."

He swallowed hard, lightning flashing through the window. Darkness? Passage? Power? It sounded like something out of the fantasy novels he loved. But this was real.

The next night, unable to resist, Aric followed the parchment’s instructions. He snuck out past midnight, clutching a lantern in one hand and the key in the other. The rain had stopped, leaving the town eerily silent. He made his way to the old chapel ruins at the edge of Elmridge.

There, hidden beneath shattered stone slabs, he found it.

A door.

Not a normal one—it was carved directly into the earth, made of black stone with more glowing golden symbols etched across its surface. At the center of the door was the same eye-shaped lock.

Aric’s breath caught. He pressed the key into the lock. The ground shuddered. The stone door cracked open with a deafening groan, releasing a gust of icy wind that smelled of ash and forgotten centuries.

Lantern in hand, Aric descended into the darkness.

The passage twisted deep underground. Strange whispers echoed along the walls, though he saw no one. Symbols glowed faintly in the stone, guiding his steps. Finally, he emerged into a vast chamber, and what he saw made him stagger back in awe.

A library—greater than any he had imagined. Towering shelves rose into shadows, packed with books that pulsed faintly as though alive. In the center stood a pedestal, and upon it rested a single book bound in crimson leather.

The book whispered his name.

"Aric…"

He approached, heart pounding. The letters on the cover shifted, rearranging themselves until they formed words he could read: The Book of Eternity.

As his fingers brushed the cover, visions filled his mind. He saw wars long forgotten, empires rising and falling, inventions not yet created. The book didn’t just hold knowledge—it held the future.

And then came the voice.

"You have the key, child. But do you have the heart?"

The shadows of the chamber twisted, forming into figures—men in armor, women with crowns, beasts with burning eyes—all staring at him.

Aric felt the weight of destiny pressing down on him. This was what his grandfather had guarded. This was the truth of the Secret Key. Whoever controlled the Book of Eternity could shape history itself.

But in the whispering darkness, another voice slithered into his mind.

"Take it. Rewrite the world. You deserve it."

Aric froze. The temptation was overwhelming. He thought of everything he hated—bullies at school, the loneliness since his parents had died, the endless struggle to be strong. With this power, he could change it all.

But then he remembered his grandfather’s words: Trust the light.

He looked at the lantern in his hand, its flame flickering. And suddenly he understood. The key didn’t just open doors—it tested hearts. The darkness would always tempt. But only light could protect.

With trembling resolve, Aric stepped back from the crimson book.

"I won’t take it," he whispered. "Knowledge belongs to everyone, not just me."

The chamber shook violently. The shadows screamed. But instead of collapsing, the shelves blazed with golden light, books opening and releasing pages like glowing birds. The figures vanished, replaced by warmth that filled the air.

The voice returned, softer this time.

"You have passed. The Secret Key remains with you, Guardian. Protect the truth until the next storm."

The pedestal crumbled, the crimson book dissolving into light that flowed into the shelves around him. The library sealed itself, leaving only silence.

Aric turned, lantern still burning. The path behind him reopened. He climbed back into the ruins, the night sky waiting above.

As dawn broke over Elmridge, he stood at the edge of town, the key cold in his hand. He knew life would never be the same. He was no longer just a boy.

He was the Guardian of the Secret Key.

And somewhere, far beyond the hills, another storm was already forming.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***