The library was eerily still, the kind of silence that felt heavy in the air, almost as if the walls themselves were listening. The only sounds were the soft rustling of pages turning and the faint hum of the overhead lights, flickering every now and then. Cherry sat hunched over her textbooks, her eyes glued to the pages, fingers moving quickly across the rough surface of her notebook as she scribbled notes. Hours had passed, but she hadn't noticed. Time didn't matter when she was deep in the world of her books.
A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she stretched her neck, feeling the tension that had built up over hours of studying. She glanced up, rubbing her tired eyes, and looked out the tall arched window beside her. The night outside was pitch black, the only light coming from the street lamps that lined the winding paths of the campus. She glanced around. The library, once filled with the hum of quiet activity, was now empty. She was the only one left, surrounded by an ocean of books and a stillness that seemed to wrap around her like a blanket.
Cherry stuffed her notebooks and pens into her bag, ready to leave. But then, her eyes were drawn to something outside, just beyond the edge of the light cast by the street lamps. There was a soft, glowing light, faint but unmistakable. It wasn't the usual yellowish glow of the street lamps or the harsh flash of headlights from a car. No, this was different—strange and otherworldly.
Her heart skipped a beat, but it wasn't fear she felt. It was a curiosity. The kind of curiosity that made her feel alive, like an adventure was just waiting to be discovered. She hesitated for only a moment, torn between heading back to her dorm and getting some sleep before her early classes, and chasing the mysterious glow that seemed to call to her from the darkness. The pull was too strong.
With a determined sigh, she zipped up her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and without another thought, she walked toward the exit. Her footsteps echoed in the emptiness of the campus as she made her way across the stone paths, the night air cool against her skin. The farther she walked, the more isolated she felt, like the world was slowly fading behind her. The light, distant but steady, flickered and seemed to pulse as if it had a life of its own, urging her forward.
Minutes passed, but it felt like hours as she ventured deeper into the dark. Soon, she found herself standing in front of a small, old cabin, tucked away at the edge of the campus. The building was a crumbling relic, covered in vines and overgrown grass. It looked abandoned, its wooden walls warped and rotting, like it had been forgotten by time. But that strange, glowing light still shone from somewhere inside, flickering like a heartbeat.
Cherry hesitated, her breath catching in her throat. The cabin was silent, dark, and seemed almost… alive, as if it were waiting for her. The wind whispered through the cracks in the walls, and a shiver ran down her spine. Part of her wanted to turn back. This was stupid. But just as she was about to leave, the light flickered again, brighter this time, calling her closer.
Fear mingled with excitement, but her curiosity won. She reached out and tried the door, but it was stuck, refusing to open. She pressed her face against one of the grimy windows, peering inside, but it was too dark to see anything clearly. Only the faintest reflection of herself stared back at her—her messy black hair tight up to a bun while some strands falling in front of her face, her brown eyes wide with a mix of wonder and something else she couldn't quite name.
And then, as if the cabin had decided it was time, the door creaked open, slowly and almost reluctantly. Cherry froze. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath caught in her throat. The darkness inside seemed to breathe, a low groan of the old wood filling the air.
Without thinking, she pulled her phone from her pocket and switched on the flashlight, the narrow beam cutting through the darkness. She stepped inside, her footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust that covered the floor. The air was stale, the smell of old wood and dampness filling her nose. Everywhere she looked, there were forgotten things—old papers, broken furniture, and in the far corner, a dusty candle lamp, half-buried beneath a pile of forgotten objects.
Cherry crouched down and picked it up. The lamp felt surprisingly solid, despite its age. She ran her fingers over its surface, tracing the faded carvings on the metal. She hesitated for a moment, then, with a quick flick of her fingers, she managed to light the wick. A soft, golden light filled the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
With the lamp in hand, she began to explore. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books—old, leather-bound volumes with cracked spines and faded covers. Cherry pulled one off the shelf, feeling its brittle cover crumble beneath her touch. There was no title, just a strange symbol embossed on the front. Intrigued, she opened the book. The pages inside were filled with intricate drawings—maps, symbols, sketches of places and faces she didn't recognize. But as she flipped through the pages, something strange happened. The ink began to blur, and half the pages were blank, as if the story had never been finished.
Before she could make sense of it all, the pages began to unexpectedly glow. At first, it was just a faint light, but then it grew stronger, spreading from the paper like mist. Cherry blinked, trying to understand what was happening, but the glow only intensified, swirling around her like a living thing. Her heart raced as she tried to step back, but it was too late. The light was pulling her in, drawing her toward the book as if it had a will of its own.
She stumbled backward, but her feet wouldn't obey. The light surrounded her, pulling her forward, and before she could even scream, the world around her seemed to dissolve. The cabin, the dusty books, the old lamp—all of it faded into darkness.
When she opened her eyes again, the air was different. Crisp and fresh, filled with the scent of pine. She was standing in a forest, bathed in starlight. But this wasn't any forest she recognized. The trees stretched high into the sky, their leaves glowing faintly in the dark. The stars above were too bright, too close, as if they were watching her, waiting.
Cherry looked down at the book still clutched in her hands. The glow was fading from its pages, but the strange symbols and sketches remained. The words seemed to whisper to her, and she realised, with a sudden jolt, that she wasn't just holding a book anymore. She was inside the story.
And it was just beginning.