Maxine and Daniel left the dark basement and stepped out into the cold night air. The city was usually noisy and lively, but tonight it was eerily quiet. It was as if the city knew something was wrong and was being very still.
Maxine hugged herself tightly, trying to shake off the fear that was still with her. She looked at Daniel, who was scanning their surroundings with a worried expression. He was trying to be brave, but Maxine could see the fear in his eyes.
"What's the plan?" Maxine asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"We need to find an old man named Victor Hale," Daniel said. "He's an expert in the occult and might be able to help us understand what's happening."
Maxine nodded. "How do we know him?"
Daniel hesitated before speaking. "My grandfather used to talk about him. They were friends. My grandfather was interested in the occult, and he always said that Victor was real good."
Maxine nodded. "Then let's go."
As they walked to Victor's bookstore, the city was very quiet. The only sounds were their footsteps and the wind rustling through the trees. Maxine felt like they were being watched, and she kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see something lurking in the shadows.
When they reached the bookstore, it looked old and abandoned. The sign above the door was almost invisible, and the windows were covered in dirt and cobwebs. But Daniel knocked three times, and slowly, the door creaked open.
Inside, the bookstore was dimly lit, with shelves of old books and strange objects all over the place. An old man with a long, wild beard and mismatched clothes was sitting in a chair, looking at them with piercing eyes.
"Daniel Royce," the old man said. "I didn't think I'd see you here."
Daniel nodded. "Victor, we need your help."
Victor's eyes narrowed. "I can see that. Come in quickly. The night is full of shadows."
Maxine and Daniel went inside, and Victor locked the door behind them. The bookstore was cluttered and smelled like old books and incense.
Victor led them to a small sitting area and told them to sit down. He sat across from them, his eyes never leaving their faces.
"Tell me everything," Victor said. "Don't leave anything out."
Daniel took a deep breath and narrated the events that had happened.
Daniel told him about how they had found a curse and broken a stone called a monolith, which had set the dark force free.
Victor was very serious and looked worried. "You made a big mistake," he said. "The monolith was like a lid on top of something terrible. It was a seal that kept something really bad locked away."
Maxine felt scared and her voice trembled when she spoke. "We didn't know what else to do," she said. "We thought breaking the monolith would make the curse go away."
Victor shook his head. "The curse was just the beginning. What's under it is much more frightening. It's very old and strong. It feeds on fear and sadness, and it gets stronger with each person it controlled."
Daniel asked, "Then how do we stop it?"
Victor looked at the fireplace, where the flames were casting spooky shadows. "It won't be easy," he said. "The dark force is very powerful and has been locked away for a long time. It was put away by a powerful magic trick a long time ago, but it took a terrible sacrifice."
Maxine felt sad and asked, "What kind of sacrifice?"
"A kind that no one wants to make," Victor said. "The original magic trick needed someone to agree to be locked away forever, trapped in a prison of darkness. That person would have to suffer forever to keep the dark force from getting out."
Maxine felt her stomach drop at the thought. "We can't do that to someone," she said.
Victor looked at her and for a moment, his face looked kind. "I don't want to either," he said. "But if we don't do something, the dark force will get stronger and will destroy everything."
Daniel became angry and clenched his fists. "There has to be another way," he said. "We can't just make someone suffer forever."
Victor looked uncertain, but he said, "There may be other ways. There are old books that talk about other magic tricks that might help. But time is running out. The longer we wait, the stronger the dark force becomes."
Maxine knew they had to make a hard choice. They could either let someone go through terrible suffering or risk everything.