Story 965: The Devil’s Ledger

The door groaned open, revealing a chamber bathed in flickering candlelight. At its center sat a massive wooden desk, its surface littered with ancient tomes, bloodstained ledgers, and rusted quills dipped in something too dark to be ink. The air smelled of burnt parchment and decay.

Draven’s grip tightened around his blade. “A study?” He didn’t trust it. Nothing in this mansion was just a room.

Mira stepped inside, the Cursed Book in her hands burning cold. The presence of this place called to it, as if they were two halves of the same evil. The flickering flames of the candles wavered, bending toward the book.

Elias approached the desk. The ledgers were written in a language he couldn’t understand, but the names etched into the brittle pages were clear enough. His breath hitched. “These are people’s names.”