The keeper's warning

Episode 2

The morning air in Elmridge felt sharper than usual. Aric walked home after the stormy night, his shoes damp, his hair plastered to his forehead. The Secret Key hung cold in his pocket, heavier than it had ever felt.

Though the world around him looked the same—the bakery’s chimney puffing smoke, children chasing each other across the square—Aric knew something had changed forever.

He had opened the passage. He had seen the Book of Eternity. And he had refused its temptation.

But what now?

Shadows at the Window

Aric tried to sleep, but dreams clawed at him. Whispers echoed in his mind—the same voices from the underground chamber.

“Guardian…”

“Protector…”

“… or betrayer?”

He bolted upright in bed. The lantern beside him flickered though there was no wind.

That’s when he saw it.

A figure stood at his window, motionless. Cloaked in tattered robes, its face hidden by a hood. For a terrifying moment, Aric thought it was one of the shadow creatures from the library. But when he blinked, the figure was gone.

Aric’s chest tightened. He wasn’t alone anymore.

The Stranger

The next day, while returning from the library where he often hid to read, Aric noticed someone following him through the cobbled streets.

He ducked into an alley, clutching the key in his pocket.

“Who’s there?” he demanded, his voice shaking.

A tall man stepped into the light. His eyes were pale gray, his cloak damp with morning mist. He bowed slightly.

“You’ve awakened it,” the man said, his voice low but steady. “The key has chosen you.”

Aric backed up against the wall. “Who are you?”

The man lifted his hood, revealing sharp features lined with age. “My name is Corvan. I was once what you are now… a Guardian.”

Aric froze. “A Guardian?”

Corvan nodded. “The Secret Key doesn’t belong to a person. It belongs to the world. Each generation, one is chosen to protect it—until the next storm.”

Aric’s throat went dry. “Then why are you here? Why follow me?”

Corvan’s gaze darkened. “Because the key has enemies. And now… so do you.”

The Keeper’s Warning

They sat in the old chapel ruins, the same place Aric had entered the hidden passage. Corvan’s voice was steady as he spoke, but Aric could hear the weight of years in it.

“The Book of Eternity is more than knowledge. It is history itself. It remembers what was, what is, and what might be. Those who touch it are offered temptation—rewrite the world, bend it to their will. Most fail.”

Aric’s fists clenched. “I didn’t.”

“That is why you still live,” Corvan said simply.

He leaned closer, eyes sharp. “But understand this: refusing once does not end the trial. The shadows will return. They will whisper. They will offer you power when you feel weakest. The test is never over.”

Aric shivered. “And if I… fail?”

Corvan’s voice dropped. “Then you are consumed. Your body becomes a vessel for what lies in the dark. I’ve seen it happen. Guardians turned into monsters.”

Aric swallowed hard, the memory of the whispering shadows twisting in his chest.

The First Attack

That night, Elmridge wasn’t quiet.

Dogs barked without reason. Lanterns flickered on the streets. The air felt heavy, like before a storm—but the sky was clear.

Aric was at his desk, trying to sketch the glowing symbols he remembered from the passage, when he heard scratching at his door. Slow, deliberate.

His heart pounded. He grabbed the lantern.

“Hello?”

The scratching grew louder. And then—silence.

Aric reached for the handle. Before he could touch it, the door splintered open, and a shadow burst through.

It wasn’t human. A swirling mass of black mist shaped like a wolf, its eyes glowing crimson. It lunged at him, jaws wide.

Aric stumbled back, lifting the lantern. The flame flared bright, blinding the creature. It shrieked, recoiling.

The Secret Key in his pocket burned against his hand. Without thinking, he pulled it out. The silver shimmered with golden light, striking the creature like lightning. The wolf-shadow howled and dissolved into smoke.

Breathing hard, Aric stared at the key in his hand.

It wasn’t just for unlocking doors. It was a weapon.

Corvan’s Revelation

Corvan arrived minutes later, as though he had known. He found Aric pale and shaking beside the shattered door.

“They’ve already come,” Corvan said grimly. “Faster than I expected.”

Aric’s voice cracked. “What was that thing?”

“A Harrower,” Corvan explained. “They feed on Guardians who falter. And they won’t stop until they consume you or the key.”

Aric’s grip tightened around the silver key. “Then I’ll fight them.”

Corvan studied him with sad eyes. “Bravery is good. But remember—courage without wisdom is suicide. The Harrowers are only the beginning. The real enemy still waits in the shadows.”

“Who?” Aric asked, heart pounding.

Corvan’s gaze drifted to the storm clouds forming on the horizon. “The Keeper of Night. The one who lost the test centuries ago. He was once a Guardian like you… but he chose darkness. And he has waited ever since for the key to open again.”

Aric’s blood ran cold. The shadows weren’t just random monsters. They served someone. Someone who had once stood where he now stood.

The Choice Ahead

That night, Aric couldn’t sleep. He sat at his window, the key glowing faintly in his hand. Somewhere beneath Elmridge, the Book of Eternity still waited. Somewhere beyond the hills, a storm brewed. And somewhere in the shadows, a fallen Guardian watched.

He remembered his grandfather’s words. Trust the light.

But light alone wouldn’t be enough. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to protect Elmridge—and the world—he would need to uncover the truth behind the Secret Key.

And soon.

Because the storm was already coming.

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