THE OLD TALES

After the chilling encounter with the old woman yesterday, Avery and Ethan knew their next step was to dig deeper into the history of Ravenshore. This morning, they decided to visit the town's library, a place that might hold historical records offering further clues about the curse that had gripped the town for so long.

The sky over Ravenshore was still gloomy as they walked down the main road, heading toward the old library located at the far end of town. The building stood tall but neglected, with large windows covered in dust and vines creeping up its walls. A rusted plaque, barely legible, hinted that the building had once been the town's intellectual hub.

As they reached the front door of the library, Avery felt something was amiss. The large wooden door appeared tightly shut, and there were no signs of life inside. Ethan, his brow furrowed, tried pushing the door, but it didn't budge.

"Seems locked," Ethan muttered, frustration evident in his voice.

Avery knocked gently on the door, hoping someone would hear and open it. The knock echoed inside the empty building, heightening the tension. They waited for a few moments, but there was no response.

"We have no other choice. We need to get inside," Avery said firmly. "There's something important in there, and we have to find it."

Ethan nodded in agreement. He scanned the surroundings, looking for another way in. As they circled the building, they found a slightly open window on the side, shielded by the shadow of a large tree. Though narrow, the window was just big enough for someone to squeeze through.

"I guess this is our only option," Ethan remarked, eyeing the window.

Avery approached it and carefully pushed it open wider. After ensuring there was no immediate danger inside, she climbed in, followed closely by Ethan. They landed in a small room filled with dusty shelves and old books. The dim light filtering through the window cast eerie shadows on the walls, adding to the mysterious atmosphere. They exchanged glances and cautiously began exploring the room. But before they could move further, a deep voice sounded behind them.

"What are you doing here?"

Avery and Ethan spun around to find an old man standing in the doorway. He wore a long dark coat, with a hat obscuring part of his face. His expression was stern, but there was a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"We're... detectives investigating the strange occurrences in this town," Avery replied calmly, though her heart was pounding. "We need access to the town's historical records."

The old man frowned, clearly unimpressed. "This library has been closed to the public for a long time. No one is allowed inside, let alone to read the documents here."

Ethan stepped forward, trying a gentler approach. "We understand your concerns, but this is about the safety of many people. We just want to find information that might help stop all of this."

The man eyed them both with suspicion. "You don't understand what you're dealing with. The books here... they aren't meant to be read by just anyone. They're too dangerous."

"That's exactly why we need to know," Avery said firmly. "We won't touch anything we don't need."

The old man fell silent, seemingly weighing the situation. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he said, "Alright, but be careful. And if you come across something you can't explain... don't try to understand it too deeply."

With that, the old man turned and began walking toward the main library room. Avery and Ethan exchanged a glance, then cautiously followed him. They passed through dark corridors lined with neatly arranged bookshelves until they reached a large room that was brighter than the rest of the library.

In the center of the room stood a large wooden table, piled high with old newspapers, history books, and documents that seemed to be decades old. The old man gestured toward the table.

"This is where you can search for what you need. But remember, don't go too deep."

Avery and Ethan nodded, then immediately began sifting through the piles of documents. They found old newspaper articles reporting various strange events in Ravenshore, from mysterious deaths to bizarre incidents that occurred annually.

Avery came across an article that caught her attention. Dated more than twenty years ago, it told the story of a young man who mysteriously disappeared near the woods on the outskirts of town. According to eyewitnesses, the young man was last seen walking alone at night, heading toward the forest. However, no one ever saw him again. A massive search was conducted, but all they found were footprints that abruptly ended, as if the young man had vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile, Ethan uncovered another article that was just as terrifying. This one reported on a family found dead in their home, with no signs of physical violence. Neighbors reported hearing strange noises and seeing mysterious shadows around the house the night before the incident. The family, known for their deep religious faith, was found with expressions of sheer terror on their faces, as if they had seen something beyond explanation.

They continued digging deeper, until finally, Ethan found an article that was particularly suspicious. It mentioned "Project Raven," a government experiment conducted in Ravenshore about thirty years ago. However, the article was extremely brief and provided little detail. It only stated that the project involved scientific research carried out by a group of government-funded scientists. There was no further information about the purpose of the project or what exactly they were doing.

"What are they hiding?" Ethan muttered, staring at the article in disbelief.

Avery examined the document carefully. "There's something huge behind this. The Raven Project... it sounds like a secret experiment that might be tied to the curse."

The old man, who had been silently watching them, finally spoke. "The Raven Project... it was a nightmare that brought ruin to this town. The people involved... they didn't care about the consequences. They only wanted power, and they got far more than they bargained for."

Avery approached the man, trying to probe further. "Do you know more about this project? What were they really doing?"

The old man looked at Avery, his eyes filled with regret and exhaustion. "I know a little, but not enough to explain everything. The project started with good intentions, like many things do. They were trying to manipulate something they didn't fully understand. Something related to... another dimension."

Ethan was shocked at the revelation. "Another dimension? Like a portal opened by those scientists?"

The old man nodded slowly. "They thought they could control the power. But they were wrong. Whatever they opened, it brought something into this world that shouldn't be here. And now, we are all paying the price."

Avery felt a chill crawl up her spine. The more they learned, the darker and more terrifying the situation seemed. "Is there any way to stop this curse? To close the portal?"

The old man shook his head sadly. "I don't know. There might be a way, but it would mean facing a force far greater than us. And one thing is certain—if you choose to continue this investigation, you will face dangers beyond your wildest imagination."

They stood in silence for a moment, absorbing the old man's words. Fear began to creep into their minds, but they knew they couldn't turn back now. Too many lives were at risk, and they felt responsible for finding a way to stop the curse.

Avery took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "We have no choice but to continue," she said firmly. Ethan glanced at her, then nodded in agreement. They knew the risks, but the sense of duty and the drive to save Ravenshore outweighed their fear.

After thanking the old man, they returned to the pile of documents on the wooden table. They resumed their search for more information about the "Raven Project." However, the more they read, the clearer it became that details about the project were deliberately limited and hidden.

Ethan uncovered a small note among the stack of old newspapers, seemingly from a government archive. The note listed the names of scientists involved in the project, but most of the information had been redacted or censored. Only one name remained visible: Dr. Gregory Harlow.

"This might be the person who led the project," Ethan said, pointing to the name.

Avery examined the name closely. "We need to find out who he was and what role he played in this. Maybe he left behind other clues we can follow."

They continued their search, but information about Dr. Gregory Harlow was also scarce. There were only a few references in old articles that mentioned he was a prominent scientist in experimental physics. However, after the Raven Project ended, Harlow's name seemed to vanish from public records entirely.

"Something is definitely off here," Avery muttered. "It's like he was deliberately erased from history."

Suddenly, they stumbled upon another article that made their hearts race. The article, a small column in the local newspaper, reported that several people in Ravenshore began experiencing the same recurring nightmare after the Raven Project started. They described seeing dark shadows, hearing strange voices, and being haunted by a mysterious figure in their sleep. Even more terrifying, some of the people who reported these dreams were later found dead under mysterious circumstances.

"These nightmares... maybe this was the beginning of the curse we're dealing with now," Ethan said gravely.

Avery felt a cold chill wash over her. "If this curse was caused by their experiment, we need to figure out how to reverse or stop it. But how? We don't even fully understand what they did."

The old man, who had been watching them intently, finally approached again. "You won't find the answers here. But there's another place that might hold the clues you're looking for. Beneath this library, there's an older archive. It's where they store documents that no one has looked at for decades."

Avery and Ethan exchanged glances. "Is there something specific down there that could help us?" Avery asked.

The man hesitated but finally spoke. "I've never dared to go down there myself, but from what I've heard, there's an old journal written by one of the scientists who worked on the Raven Project. That journal might give you more insight."

Ethan stood up, looking toward the door that led to the library's basement. "Then we have to go down there."