It was an ordinary day in Duskmire. The clock had just passed 9 a.m. when a boy woke from his restless sleep. He was around 22 years old, not particularly handsome , just someone you'd glance at and immediately forget. There was nothing striking about his face, nothing to make people turn their heads. Slim and frail, he carried the appearance of someone in poor health, his posture slightly slouched, as if the weight of life pressed heavily on his shoulders.
But his eyes told a different story.
Dark, almost black, his pupils seemed to swallow the light around them. There was a peculiar depth to them, a magnetic pull that could drown anyone who looked too closely. A quiet charisma lingered there, hidden beneath layers of ordinary.
After a simple breakfast, Adrian Valthorn-his name as unremarkable as his appearance, got ready to leave. His destination: Ashweld Hollow.
Ashweld Hollow was a place draped in shadow, both literally and figuratively. Once a thriving industrial hub, it had become a decaying skeleton of its former self. Crumbling buildings stood like broken teeth against the sky, remnants of an era long gone. Most people avoided it, whispering tales of curses and hauntings. Rumors spoke of a tragic gas leak in the easternmost part decades ago—an incident that left survivors physically intact but mentally shattered. Some claimed it was the trauma of the event; others whispered of something darker, something that seeped into their minds like poison.
Adrian had read about these stories online, his curiosity piqued, but he didn't dwell on them for long. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
When he opened it, three figures stood outside. His gaze settled on the tallest , Kael Dravenhart, a man built like a walking fortress. Standing nearly two meters tall with muscles that strained against his clothes, Kael was the kind of person you'd expect to see lifting cars for fun. They weren't friends exactly, but Adrian had worked with him before, enough to know he wasn't just brawn; there was something sharp beneath the surface.
Before Adrian could speak, a hand extended from behind Kael. Pale and elegant, it belonged to a man whose face was strikingly handsome, all sharp angles and effortless charm.
"Hi, I'm Jaxon Stormwind. People call me 'Jax.' You've heard of me, right?"
Adrian simply gave a faint smile, ignoring the question. "Adrian Valthorn. You can call me Adrian."
Jax's grin faltered for a brief second, as if expecting more, but he quickly recovered. He gestured to the third member of their group. "This is Maria. Maria Vale."
Adrian's hand moved for a handshake, but the girl didn't respond. She didn't need to. Her icy gray eyes met his for less than a heartbeat before shifting away, dismissing him without a word. Adrian lowered his hand slowly, masking the awkwardness with a dry chuckle.
Of course, he knew who she was. Everyone in Duskmire Crossing did. The Vale family was practically royalty here, wealthy, influential, and ruthless in business. Adrian had even been to their estate once, hired to create a portrait of the youngest daughter, Rose Vale. That sprawling mansion with its manicured gardens felt like another world compared to the cramped apartment Adrian called home.
Maria Vale was an enigma wrapped in elegance. An online star with a reputation for her cold demeanor, she was both admired and feared. Her beauty was undeniable ,tall, graceful, with porcelain skin and jet-black hair that shimmered like ink under the sun. But her presence felt like standing in the shadow of a glacier: breathtaking, but cold enough to burn.
The carriage rattled to a stop near The Forgotten Span, its iron wheels groaning against the uneven stone. The bridge loomed ahead , a relic of a lost age, its rusted beams twisted like skeletal remains. Cracks splintered across the pavement, and jagged railings stood corroded by time, whispering of past tragedies.
Beneath it, the Ironveil Canal stretched like a sluggish beast, its murky waters thick with silt and secrets.
Adrian was the first to step out. The air here was wrong. A damp, metallic scent clung to the breeze, laced with something faintly bitter. A dull ache pulsed behind his eyes, an echo of the dream he'd had the night before. He forced it aside.
Kael was already surveying the area, his sharp gaze sweeping the landscape like a hunter marking its prey. Jax, usually lazy and grinning, stood there, hands shoved into his coat pockets. Even he could sense the atmosphere beyond the bridge .
Maria didn't speak. She moved past them without a word, her footsteps light yet deliberate, as if even the ground itself wasn't worth her presence.
Adrian found himself walking beside her, though she gave no sign of acknowledgment. Her silence wasn't just quiet, it was heavy, like an unseen force pressing down on the space around her. He considered breaking it, but words felt fragile in her shadow.
So, instead, he focused on the task ahead.
Kael led them toward the bridge's edge. Then, without a word, he climbed down the side, boots scraping against damp stone.
"This is the place," Kael murmured. His voice was barely above a whisper.
Adrian's brow furrowed. "What exactly are we looking for?"
Kael didn't answer immediately. He scanned the ground for what felt like an eternity, until at last, his fingers brushed against something half-buried in the dirt.
"There's something here," he finally said. Something buried.
He dug carefully, hands moving with precision, and after a moment, metal glinted beneath the grime. A box.
The others remained on the bridge level, but Kael stayed crouched below. From up here, they couldn't see what was inside.
Kael ran a hand over the metal lid, whispering something under his breath. Then, reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a small key.
Click.
The lock released.
Kael opened the box just enough to retrieve something from within, then immediately shut it again. The lock snapped back into place.
When he climbed back up, he wasn't holding the box. Instead, he unfolded a piece of paper and held it up for them to see.
It was a map.
Adrian leaned closer. It wasn't the type you'd find in any store, it was hand-drawn, covered in cryptic markings and symbols that made his skin prickle.
His gaze landed on one symbol in particular,a spiral, surrounded by jagged lines.
"What's this?" Adrian asked, tapping the strange marking.
Kael's jaw tightened. "It's not important."
But it felt important. Adrian could feel it in his bones.
Jax let out a nervous chuckle, breaking the tense silence. "Great. A treasure hunt with creepy symbols. What could possibly go wrong?"
No one laughed.
The group returned to the carriage, but before Adrian could climb inside, Kael placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
His voice was low, meant for Adrian alone.
"Don't try to go after that box. The people behind it are far more dangerous than you can imagine. And…" He hesitated. "It's not just them you should be afraid of."
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
Kael's gaze darkened.
"The box has its own defense." His voice barely rose above a whisper. "If anyone tries to take it, something will happen. Something irreversible."
Adrian felt a strange chill creep up his spine. "What do you mean?"
Kael exhaled slowly.
"It won't let itself be taken." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "If someone tries to force it open… they won't live to tell what they saw inside. And if it's moved too far from here, " His fingers curled slightly. "Well… let's just say, no one has ever succeeded."
Adrian's grip tightened at his sides. Kael wasn't just warning him.
He was telling him a truth that had already claimed others before him.
And Adrian understood.
If he so much as reached for that box, it would be the last thing he ever did.
Author note: I am an amateur in writing and have read a few webnovels. As a beginner, I am very nervous. So, please support me. Your support can be motivation for me. I am in the middle of my exams, and making time to write is really tough.