After a quiet dinner filled with shared memories and lingering sadness, Ethan excused himself and made his way upstairs to his room. The house felt heavy with grief, the walls echoing with the whispers of his family as they tried to comfort one another. Ethan closed his door, hoping to find solace in sleep, but as he lay in bed, his mind raced with thoughts of his grandfather.
He tossed and turned, unable to escape the weight of the day. Finally, he gave up on sleep altogether. Instead, he decided to visit his grandfather's study on the third floor. Ethan slipped out of his room and quietly walked down the dark hallway, careful not to wake anyone.
The stairs creaked softly under his feet as he ascended to the third floor. The air was cool and still, and a faint smell of old books lingered, bringing back memories of afternoons spent with his grandfather, listening to stories about history and family. When Ethan reached the door to the study, he paused for a moment, hesitating. It felt strange to be in that room without his grandfather.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan gently opened the door and pressed the light switch. The study lit up, brightening the dim space. It looked just as he remembered it, large and welcoming. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books, and a sturdy wooden desk with an old chair stood in the center of the room. To the side, sofas rested near a small table, inviting visitors to sit and stay a while.
As he stepped further inside, a wave of comfort washed over him. The familiar smell of old paper and leather filled the air, wrapping him in memories of time spent here with his grandfather. Ethan walked over to the desk, where papers and books were scattered across the surface, reminders of his grandfather's hard work.
In the corner, a framed picture caught Ethan's eye. It was a black-and-white photo of his grandfather and grandmother, their faces bright with smiles that seemed to leap from the frame. Ethan had never met his grandmother, but he had heard countless stories about her from the Foster family. She was always described as graceful and intelligent, a woman who shared her husband's passion for knowledge.
Looking around, Ethan spotted several recent works from his grandfather and his Uncle Richard. They were both renowned scholars in their fields, having made significant contributions to history and literature. His uncle, a respected historian, had written volumes on ancient civilizations, while his grandfather's work focused more on obscure and mysterious topics, blending history with legend.
As Ethan continued to explore the study, something unusual caught his eye. Behind a row of thick books on the bottom shelf, he noticed a small, hidden panel that didn't seem to fit. His curiosity sparked, he knelt down to take a closer look. After a few moments of shifting the books and carefully pressing the panel, he heard a faint click.
A hidden compartment slid open, revealing a small metal safe. Ethan blinked in surprise. He had no idea this safe existed, but it seemed his grandfather had gone to great lengths to hide it. His hands trembled slightly as he inspected the front. There were no locks or keyholes, just a smooth surface with an odd pattern that looked like a puzzle.
Driven by a mix of excitement and uncertainty, Ethan ran his fingers across the surface, tracing the grooves of the puzzle. After a moment of thought, he pressed one of the raised symbols, a small, intricate knot that reminded him of the Foster family crest. To his amazement, the safe made a soft mechanical sound, and with a quiet snap, the door creaked open.
Inside the safe was a worn leather-bound diary, unmistakably his grandfather's, and another book. This one, however, stood out. It had a black cover that seemed to absorb the dim light in the room. The title was embossed in shimmering gold, written in an elegant, old-fashioned script: The Rise of the Useless Illegitimate Son.
"Strange," Ethan murmured to himself. The book had no author or publisher listed, which felt odd to him. He carried both the diary and the black book to the nearby sofa, sinking into its soft cushions.
Ethan started with the diary, flipping through its pages. His grandfather had made notes about the mysterious black book, and it became clear that the book had originally belonged to Ethan's great-grandfather.
His great-grandfather had found the book passed down from his father. Like his great-grandfather, his grandfather had spent years researching who wrote it and where it came from, but neither had been successful in uncovering its origins.
Setting the diary aside, Ethan picked up The Rise of the Useless Illegitimate Son and began reading. Almost instantly, he became engrossed in the story. It followed Kaelan Winchester, the illegitimate son of a powerful duke, who was dismissed as useless by everyone around him. But as the plot unfolded, Kaelan proved his worth by overcoming impossible challenges and ultimately saving the world from a great evil. Despite his heroism, Kaelan's journey ended in tragedy, with him dying at the end.
When Ethan finally finished reading, he looked at the clock on the wall. It was 3 a.m. He stretched, feeling tired after the long hours. He stood up, put the diary and the book back where he found them, and then closed the safe. After that, he turned off the lights and shut the door, ready to head back to his room.
But as he was descending the stairs, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. His eyelids grew heavy, and he didn't see when his foot slipped off a step. Before he could regain his balance, he tumbled forward down the stairs. A sharp pain struck his head as his surroundings blurred, and then Ethan fell into unconsciousness.