The flickering candlelight in the small, dimly lit room cast long shadows over the table where Evelyn, Marcus, and Claire sat, their faces illuminated by the warm glow as they huddled together, deep in thought. The weight of their recent encounter with Selene hung heavily over them, filling the air with tension. Though the mysterious figure had disappeared into the fog, the questions she left behind continued to swirl in their minds.
Lucian, their former ally turned enemy, was still out there, plotting his next move. And while Selene's offer of an alliance tempted them with the possibility of gaining an advantage, none of them trusted her completely. Still, Selene had hinted at something powerful, something tied to ancient knowledge and curses. It had been enough to plant the seeds of doubt in their minds, especially for Evelyn, who could not shake the feeling that there was more to their situation than they understood.
Evelyn's thoughts were interrupted by Claire, who had been quietly flipping through a weathered old journal they had taken from the Library of Secrets weeks before. The journal, filled with faded ink and cryptic notes, had been one of their first clues about The Source. However, like the other texts they had recovered, much of it had disappeared after The Source was sealed.
"What is it?" Evelyn asked softly, sensing that Claire had discovered something important.
Claire's brow furrowed as she turned a page, revealing a strange symbol—a swirling, spiral pattern that seemed to shift slightly as the candlelight flickered. The symbol felt oddly familiar, like something Evelyn had seen before in the ancient ruins of the Lost City.
"This symbol…" Claire began, her voice hesitant. "It keeps appearing in the journal, over and over again. And it's always accompanied by references to something called 'The Curse of the Pages.'"
Marcus leaned in closer, his expression skeptical. "The Curse of the Pages? What does that mean?"
Claire bit her lip, clearly unsure herself. "I don't know, but it feels like it's connected to everything we've been dealing with. The Source, the vanishing knowledge, even Selene's appearance. It's as if there's an ancient force at work—something that's been affecting these texts for centuries."
Evelyn's heart raced as she reached out to touch the page, her fingers brushing over the swirling symbol. The moment her skin made contact with the paper, a strange sensation washed over her—a cold, creeping feeling that sent shivers down her spine.
"There's something wrong with these pages," Evelyn whispered, her voice barely audible. "I can feel it. This curse, whatever it is, has been slowly consuming the knowledge we've uncovered. That's why the texts have been disappearing. The curse was meant to keep the secrets of The Source hidden, even after the Source was sealed."
Marcus frowned, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as if ready to defend them from some unseen threat. "But who would place a curse like that? And why?"
Evelyn's mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information they had gathered over the past few weeks. The ancient civilization that had once controlled The Source had left behind layers of protection—rituals, artifacts, and now, it seemed, curses—to prevent anyone from accessing its power. The Curse of the Pages must have been one of those safeguards, ensuring that the knowledge tied to The Source would fade away, leaving behind only fragments and forgotten memories.
Claire flipped to another page in the journal, her eyes scanning the faded ink with urgency. "It says here that the curse was placed by the original keepers of The Source—the ones who first discovered its power. They feared that the knowledge would be used to control reality itself, so they created a spell that would erase it over time."
Evelyn nodded, her heart sinking as the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. "That explains why everything is disappearing. The curse was designed to erase the knowledge once The Source was sealed, so that no one could ever use it again."
"But why are some pages still intact?" Marcus asked, his brow furrowed. "If the curse is so powerful, why hasn't it wiped everything out?"
Claire shook her head, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I don't know. Maybe the curse wasn't perfect. Or maybe some knowledge is too deeply ingrained to be erased completely. But it's clear that whatever is left is dangerous."
Evelyn's stomach twisted as she stared at the journal in front of her. The curse had been slowly unraveling the knowledge they had fought so hard to uncover, and now they were left with only fragments of a much larger, darker story. And with Lucian still out there, seeking to control whatever power remained, they couldn't afford to let any of that knowledge fall into the wrong hands.
"We need to figure out how to stop the curse," Evelyn said firmly. "Before it destroys everything."