INTRO
Name: Theo
Age: 20
Occupation: University Student
Theo was a 20-year-old university student—quiet, introspective, with dark, thoughtful eyes and unruly brown hair that constantly fell over his face.
He had grown up almost entirely alone in a small apartment at the edge of the city.
His mother had died in a car accident when he was just four. All he remembered now were fragments—her soft voice, the warmth of her embrace.
His father remarried a few years later and moved abroad with his new family, leaving Theo behind.
At first, there were phone calls.
Then fewer.
Then none at all.
Theo eventually stopped expecting anything—not even a simple birthday wish.
His father's absence became a hollow space in his life… a quiet, aching emptiness he carried everywhere.
But Theo learned to live with it.
He found comfort in books—especially stories of ancient legends, forgotten kings, hidden worlds, and creatures that lurked beyond reality.
Maybe because those worlds felt more alive than his own.
After classes, he would spend hours in the library, completely lost in stories.
On weekends, he wandered the city alone—sketching strangers in parks or sitting quietly in small cafés with his headphones on.
He didn't have many friends. He preferred silence… it felt safe.
---
Beginning…
The night everything changed began like any other.
Theo had been studying late at the old city library—a grand, echoing place filled with towering shelves and the faint scent of ink and aged paper. It always calmed him.
With exams approaching, he had completely lost track of time.
When he finally looked up, his eyes tired and burning, the large clock above the entrance read 12:07 AM.
The library was silent.
Too silent.
No whispers.
No footsteps.
Just the ticking of the clock.
A chill crept down his spine.
Theo packed his things quickly and walked to the exit. He grabbed the handle and pushed.
Locked.
He frowned and tried again.
Still locked.
"Hello?" he called out. "Is anyone there?"
No answer.
He knocked harder.
Nothing.
Theo exhaled shakily.
"Maybe the security guard fell asleep… I guess I'll have to wait till morning."
The words sounded braver than he felt.
Because deep down—
He knew.
He was completely alone.
---
Trying to distract himself, Theo wandered through the dark aisles of the library. His fingers brushed against old book spines as his footsteps echoed softly across the marble floor.
Then—
Something caught his eye.
A faint glow.
Hidden between ancient books on demonology and folklore was a small leather-bound book.
It pulsed softly… like it was alive.
Theo slowly pulled it out.
It was warm.
Strange symbols twisted across its cover—symbols he couldn't understand, yet somehow… they felt familiar.
"This is weird…" he murmured.
"What language is this?"
The book was locked.
A small brass clasp shaped like a serpent biting its own tail held it shut. Beneath it was a delicate puzzle—interlocking metal pieces forming an intricate design.
Theo stared at it, fascinated.
"…A puzzle?"
Without thinking, he sat down on the cold floor.
His fingers moved instinctively.
Twist.
Turn.
Click.
It felt natural.
As if… he had done this before.
Then—
Click.
The clasp opened.
The book fell open in his lap.
A burst of light exploded from the pages—blue and silver, swirling like liquid moonlight.
Theo gasped.
"What… is this?"
The light wrapped around him, soft yet overwhelming.
And then—
A voice.
Not outside.
But inside his mind.
Deep. Ancient.
Familiar.
"Welcome back… my love."
Theo froze.
His heart stopped.
"W-what…? Who's there?"
---
To be continued…