The book lay open, its golden glow flickering like a candle in the wind. Ethan’s breath caught in his throat. The last thing he remembered was the words forming before his eyes—words that shouldn’t have been there.


    “You have been chosen.”


    The letters shimmered, shifting as if they were alive. His hands trembled. He should close the book. He should turn away. But he couldn’t.


    Then, the pages turned on their own.


    A breeze swept through the room, though no window was open. The air smelled of aged paper and something electric, something Ethan couldn’t place. His heart pounded as the ink on the page shifted again, forming new words.


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    “Read… and remember.”


    The words weren’t just on the page. They echoed in his mind, like a voice whispering from the depths of the unknown. A chill crept up his spine.


    Still, he couldn’t look away.


    The text before him spoke of something impossible.


    “Beyond the world you know lies a forgotten path. Those who seek it must prove their worth. The choice is yours: walk away, or step into the unknown.”


    Ethan’s fingers twitched. This was no ordinary book. Was it a warning? A test? Or something else entirely?


    He should close it.


    He should walk away.


    But instead… he reached out and turned the page.


    The room tilted.


    A force, deep and unrelenting, wrapped around him like invisible threads. The air shimmered, bending like heat waves rising from pavement. The book’s glow intensified, swallowing the room in golden light.


    Ethan barely had time to gasp before the world shifted beneath his feet—and he was falling.