Chapter 3 The unlocked Truth

Ethan waited until he was back in his room to open the box. The key turned with a satisfying click, and the lid creaked open. Inside was a leather-bound journal, its pages yellowed but intact, and a small vial of dark liquid that shimmered unnaturally. Ethan's pulse quickened. He opened the journal, expecting answers, but the writing was in a language he didn't recognize-sharp, angular symbols that made his eyes ache.He texted Marcus a picture of the pages. Dude, what is this?Marcus replied instantly: Looks like code. Or some ancient nerd language.

Bring it tomorrow.At school, they showed the journal to Lila, a junior who was a wizard with languages. She frowned at the pages. "This isn't Latin or Greek. Maybe cuneiform? But it's not exact. Where'd you get this?"Ethan dodged the question. "Can you crack it?""I'll try," Lila said, her curiosity piqued. "But it'll take time."Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that the journal was dangerous. That night, he dreamed of the mill, but it wasn't abandoned. Shadows moved in the corners, whispering his name. He woke up sweating, the vial glowing faintly on his desk. He hadn't imagined it this time.The next day, Lila had a breakthrough. "It's a cipher, not a language. I decoded the first page. It talks about a 'circle' that protects Willow Creek. Something about a 'guardian' and a 'price.' It's creepy, Ethan."Ethan's mind raced. Guardian? Price? He didn't like the sound of it. He decided to return to the mill, this time with Marcus and Lila. The basement felt colder than before, the air heavy with something unspoken. They found more carvings-names, dates, all from decades ago. One name stood out: Eleanor Carter."That's my great-aunt," Ethan said, his voice hollow. "She disappeared when my dad was a kid."Marcus clapped his shoulder. "This is getting wild, man. What's your family into?"Ethan didn't know. But he was going to find out.