In a faraway and unknown galaxy, there was a creature made of pure black energy in a place that is impossible to understand. The creature only had a face, but it had no noticeable features except for a pair of closed eyes.
All of a sudden, as if something inside it had been triggered, the creature's eyelids opened, and one eye opened for a very short time. In that brief moment, a burst of dark energy exploded from its body, scattering in all directions faster than the speed of light.
However, the creature seemed unconcerned, and it did not seem to know or care how much this tiny action would affect billions of lives. The creature was a mystery - it existed beyond what we know about space and time and beyond what humans can understand.
***
As I sat behind the wheel, caught in a snarl of vehicles inching forward, my impatience grew with each passing second. I needed to reach home swiftly, but the traffic was not cooperating. Frustration clawed at me as I watched the red light flash on and off, taunting me.
In an attempt to distract myself, I glanced to my right and caught sight of a black book showing on the pawn shop which is on the other side of the road. The book exuded an air of intrigue, as though it held secrets that were begging to be uncovered. My heart quickened its pace as I felt a tug towards it.
But I resisted the temptation. The memory of my last purchase of a similar nature was still fresh in my mind. Neha, my wife, had given me an earful for wasting money on things that held no practical use. I couldn't afford to add another item to that list. So, I averted my gaze, unwilling to succumb to the lure of the mysterious book.
...
'In the end, I bought it, it only cost 1000 rupees, so why not?' I looked down at the black book in my hand.
Upon entering my house, I was greeted by the sight of my wife, Neha, sitting at the dinner table. She was a vision of beauty, her mid-20s pregnancy giving her an ethereal glow. I watched as she meticulously cut an apple, her focus unbroken as I entered the room.
"Welcome home," she said, still slicing the fruit.
"Are you alright?" I asked with a hint of worry in my voice.
"Yes, how many times must I tell you that I'm fine?" she replied, a hint of annoyance in her tone. My concern for her was unwavering, especially as she was so close to giving birth. "I just worry about leaving you alone while you're pregnant. Maybe I should call my mother to come and help you while I'm at work," I suggested firmly.
"If you're that worried, why don't you quit your job?" she teased me, a smile playing on her lips.
"If only it were that easy," I chuckled. "Who would provide for us then? Your unemployed brother?"
Neha's expression fell at the mention of her brother's jobless state. "He's trying, you know," she retorted, her tone defensive.
"I know, I know. I shouldn't have said that," I quickly apologized. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, especially when she was pregnant and dealing with enough already.
"What's that?" Neha asked, noticing the black book in my hands.
I grinned, holding it out like it was a treasure. "It's just another mysterious thing I bought today."
She looked intrigued, her curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
"Well, the Guru I met today said that if I bought this book, your brother will soon get a job," I replied, trying to sound serious. Neha's eyes widened in surprise, but it quickly faded into anger when she realized I was joking. "You..." she started, but I cut her off before she could say anything else.
"I'm sorry from now on, I won't say anything about your brother," I promised. Neha seemed appeased with my response, but I could still sense her waiting for something more. "Okay, this is the last mysterious thing I'll buy," I said, finally giving her what she wanted.
She nodded her head in satisfaction and headed towards the kitchen with a proud look on her face, as if she had won a battle. I couldn't help but smile at her retreating figure, feeling grateful for the wonderful life I had been blessed with.
***
As I placed the mysterious black book on my study table, I couldn't help but feel a tingle of excitement mixed with trepidation. It was as if the very air around the book crackled with a sense of mystery, begging to be unraveled.
Taking the book in my hands, As I ran my fingers over the strange markings etched into the cover, I closed my eyes and attempted to tap into the book's energy. Suddenly, particles of light materialized before me, coalescing into a bright burst of energy that enveloped me. I felt a new memory implant itself in my mind, that of an incomplete novel that was now embedded in my consciousness as if I had read it countless times.
When the visions finally subsided and I returned to my senses, I found myself on the floor, holding my head in agony. It was as if the very fabric of my being had been stretched thin, pulled taut by the intense experience.
Fearful of alarming Neha, I suppressed the urge to scream and instead tried to regain my composure. My mind raced with questions, each more confounding than the last. What was this book? What secrets did it hold? What was that incomplete story And, perhaps most troubling of all, why this happened with me?
Gathering my courage, I knew I had to seek answers. Ramesh, my friend, was the only person I knew who could help me make sense of the strange events that had unfolded.
Carefully slipping the book into my office bag, I knew I wouldn't be able to rest until I had uncovered the truth. But as I lay down to sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling that the book's power would continue to haunt me, long into the night and beyond.
...
"Neha, I am going to the office early today," I said to Neha, who was sitting on the couch.
"Don't tell me you are having an affair behind my back," she said in a serious tone with a scary face. I looked at her face she was looking at me like she can kill me anytime. I told her many times to not watch dark series online but she never listen to me and now that's the result of it I thought as I observe her expression.
"No, never ever," I screamed at the top of my lungs, which made Neha laugh out loud.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. How can you get a girl? You know I got married to you because of my parents, otherwise, I would never marry someone like you," she said while laughing. She laughed as if she had played an amazing prank on me, but everyone knew that no matter what I did, I would ultimately lose in the end. This might have been her way of getting back at me for what happened yesterday. Joking about someone's family is risky, but that's what I like to do.
"Hey, you are still looking for a girl for your brother, but I think if he just get a good job, he will be able to get a good girl, like I got you," I said with a serious tone, then laughed.
"You promised that you would not say anything about my brother," she said with a face that showed she felt betrayed by her lover. I point my finger toward her to show that she was the one who started it first.
"Alright, Don't you need to go early today? Why are you wasting your time then?" she said while pointing at the clock. She has nothing to come back at me with, that's why she wants me to get lost "It's because of you," I said while running towards the door.
***
'He agreed to meet me. I just need to show him this book and ask him' I thought while taking out the black book from my bag while still waiting for the traffic light to change so that I could cross the road.
When the traffic light changed color, I hurriedly started walking towards the place that we decided to meet, but suddenly, I was struck by a truck and dropped on the ground lifeless. The only thing I could see was that black book that destroyed my happy life then I lose consciousness or life, I don't know.