Chapter 4: The Book of Secrets

The next morning, Ava’s mind raced with images of the basement—old shelves laden with strange artifacts, jars filled with mysterious liquids, and the symbol glowing faintly behind the tapestry. She barely touched her breakfast, stirring her cereal absently as she tried to piece together what she’d seen. The name Verdantine kept echoing in her mind, tugging at her like a half-remembered dream.

“Ava, you’re going to be late!” her mom called from the front hall.

With a quick glance at the clock, she grabbed her bag and darted out the door. The walk to school felt surreal, the trees lining the street casting long, twisted shadows in the early morning light. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone—or something—was watching her, hidden just beyond her sight.

As she approached Ashwood High, Leo was already waiting by the front steps, his face a mix of exhaustion and excitement. “You didn’t sleep either, did you?”

“Barely,” she admitted. “I kept thinking about that room—and that symbol on the wall. I feel like it’s some kind of key, or maybe a warning.”

Leo nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. “It’s definitely weird. I mean, there’s no way all that stuff in the basement is just old storage, right? And that tapestry... who would put something like that in a high school basement?”

Ava shrugged, casting a glance at the building. The stone walls of Ashwood High seemed darker today, the shadows deeper, almost alive. “We need to go back,” she whispered, a thrill of fear and excitement running through her. “But first, I want to see if there’s anything in the library about that symbol. Maybe it’s something historical—something to do with the school’s past.”

Leo nodded slowly. “I guess that’s safer than sneaking back into the basement during the day.”

They headed to the library during lunch, weaving between tall shelves until they reached the dusty section devoted to local history. The library was nearly empty, only a few students scattered at tables, and the air was thick with the scent of old paper. Ava began scanning the spines, her fingers trailing over worn, leather-bound volumes with faded titles.

“Look here,” she murmured, pulling a book from the shelf. The cover read Legends and Lore of Ashwood, the pages yellowed and fragile. As she opened it, a strange thrill of anticipation prickled her skin, as though the book held secrets meant only for her.

Flipping through the pages, she paused at a chapter titled The Guardians of Ashwood. It described a mysterious group that supposedly operated in secret centuries ago, a group dedicated to protecting something ancient and powerful hidden within Ashwood. A faint drawing of a key symbol appeared in the corner of the page, surrounded by winding vines, just like the one she’d seen on the wall in the basement.

“Leo, look at this,” she whispered, her voice hushed with awe. “This symbol—it’s right here.”

Leo leaned over, squinting at the page. “Guardians? That sounds intense. What were they guarding?”

Ava scanned the text, her brow furrowing. “It doesn’t say exactly. Just that they were sworn to keep something safe from… it doesn’t say what. But it’s like they were protecting a secret, something that couldn’t be allowed to escape.”

Leo looked skeptical, but his eyes were wide with curiosity. “So, you think that room is connected to this ‘Guardians’ thing?”

“Maybe,” Ava said, biting her lip. “Or maybe it’s just a coincidence. But something tells me it’s not.” Her fingers traced the outline of the key symbol, feeling a strange, familiar warmth.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the library—a book thudding to the ground from a nearby shelf. Both of them jumped, turning toward the source of the noise. A lone book lay open on the floor, its pages fanned out like wings.

Ava picked it up, feeling an odd chill as she read the title: The Book of Secrets.

“This wasn’t here before,” she murmured, glancing around. The library was still empty, no one near the shelves. She looked down at the book, the cover worn and smooth under her fingers. “Leo, I think this… I think it wants us to find it.”

Leo laughed nervously, glancing around. “You mean… the book fell by itself because it wants us to find it? Ava, that’s crazy.”

Ava shrugged, feeling a strange certainty settle over her. “Crazy or not, I think we should take a look.”

They carried the book to a quiet corner and opened it to the first page. The handwriting was spidery and elegant, as if written with an old-fashioned quill. The opening lines sent a shiver down Ava’s spine.

Within these pages lie the secrets of Ashwood—the knowledge kept hidden, the truths buried deep. Those who seek the secrets must tread carefully, for what they uncover may never let them go.

Ava and Leo exchanged a look, their excitement laced with a hint of fear. She flipped the pages carefully, her eyes scanning passages about strange rituals, symbols, and hidden doors scattered across Ashwood’s history. But one passage caught her attention, describing a hidden room known as The Chamber of Shadows.

The Chamber of Shadows can be opened only by those who bear the mark of the Verdantine, she read, her pulse quickening. “Leo, this is it. The room we found—it’s the Chamber of Shadows.”

He leaned closer, eyes wide. “What’s a Verdantine? And what do they mean, ‘those who bear the mark’? Are we supposed to have some kind of… symbol on us?”

Ava frowned, her hand instinctively going to the inside of her wrist. For some reason, it ached, a dull, pulsing sensation she couldn’t explain. When she pushed up her sleeve, her breath caught. There, faint but unmistakable, was the outline of the key symbol she’d seen in the basement—a mark she was sure hadn’t been there before.

“Leo, look,” she whispered, showing him her wrist. His eyes widened, his face paling.

“Okay, that’s… creepy. Why is that on your wrist, Ava?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice shaky. “But I think it means I’m connected to all of this—somehow.”

They fell silent, the weight of the revelation settling over them. The secrets of Ashwood High were no longer just mysteries—they were intertwined with Ava’s very being. She felt a strange sense of destiny, an inescapable pull toward the hidden door in the basement.

The final line of the page held her attention, a warning etched into her mind.

Once the Chamber is opened, the shadows awaken. Beware the power that lies within.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, but neither Ava nor Leo moved. They sat in silence, the weight of the book heavy between them. Finally, Leo broke the silence, his voice barely a whisper. “What do we do now?”

Ava looked down at the symbol on her wrist, feeling the pulse of energy beneath her skin. She was terrified, but she knew she couldn’t turn back now. “We go back. Tonight. We open the door, and we see what’s inside.”

Leo swallowed, looking torn between fear and loyalty. “You’re sure about this?”

Ava nodded, her gaze steady. “We have to. If the secrets of Ashwood are connected to me, then I need to know why.”

He took a deep breath, nodding. “Alright. But we need to be careful. Whatever’s down there, it’s been hidden for a reason.”

As they left the library, the weight of the book’s warning echoed in Ava’s mind, chilling her to the core. They were venturing into unknown darkness, and whatever they found in the Chamber of Shadows would change them forever.

And somewhere, deep in Ashwood High, the shadows waited, as if sensing that their time had come at last.

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