The heavy doors of the city library creaked open, and Yamino and Hikaru stepped inside, their footsteps echoing against the polished marble floor. The faint scent of aged paper and leather-bound tomes filled the air, mingling with the sterile smell of polish. A muffled silence blanketed the space, broken only by the occasional rustle of pages being turned. Determined to find answers, they exchanged nods and split up, each heading to different sections of the library to scour its extensive collection.
Hours passed in exhausting repetition. Yamino sifted through shelves in the history section, his eyes straining as he scanned spine after spine for anything remotely connected to the village or the villa. Meanwhile, Hikaru delved into the catalog archives, flipping through dusty index cards with meticulous focus. The effort was taxing, and frustration mounted as the minutes stretched into hours. Finally, after nearly three hours of fruitless searching, Hikaru's triumphant voice broke the tension.
"Found it!" Hikaru exclaimed, holding up a thick, dusty volume with gold-embossed lettering on the cover: The Lost Chronicles of Minaska. Yamino hurried over, his heart pounding with a mixture of relief and nervous anticipation.
They found a quiet corner in the library and carefully opened the fragile book. The pages were yellowed with age, the faint smell of mildew clinging to them. As they read, a grim and unsettling tale began to unfold, shedding light on the dark history of the land where the villa now stood.
According to the book, the village had once been a thriving part of the Minaska Empire. The empire's king, a man of great power and ambition, was revered by his people but ruled with an iron fist. Disaster struck when the king left to wage war against neighboring kingdoms, leaving his younger brother in charge. Fueled by jealousy and a thirst for power, the brother orchestrated a brutal coup. He slaughtered the royal family, the palace staff, and anyone loyal to the king, turning the palace into a site of unspeakable carnage.
When the king returned victorious, he was greeted not by celebrations but by the bloodied remains of his empire's heart. Devastated and enraged, the king vowed revenge that would transcend death itself. He performed a forbidden ritual known as the Maha-Mritu, or "The Greatest Death," within the desecrated palace walls. The ritual's purpose was to bind his brother's soul to the palace, ensuring it would endure eternal torment for its betrayal.
Yamino's fingers trembled as he turned the page. "This is… intense," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Hikaru nodded grimly. "It gets worse. Look at this." He pointed to the next section, where the narrative shifted to the aftermath of the Maha-Mritu ritual.
The book described how the king, consumed by his thirst for vengeance, descended further into madness. In his delusion, he attempted a second, more dangerous ritual to summon a demon. This demon, he believed, would serve as the eternal warden of his brother's trapped soul. However, the ritual went horribly wrong. Instead of containing his brother's spirit, the ritual tore open a gateway to the underworld, unleashing chaos upon the land.
The palace became a nexus of supernatural activity, the book explained. Spirits from the underworld were drawn to the rift, turning the once-magnificent palace into a cursed and haunted ruin. Generations of villagers avoided the area, leaving it abandoned and shrouded in fear.
"So the villa… it's built over that palace," Yamino said, his voice tinged with disbelief and dread.
Hikaru's expression darkened. "Seems like it. But if all of this is true, how has it stayed hidden for so long?"
They continued reading, uncovering more sinister tales. One chapter detailed the arrival of a British governor during colonial times. The governor, known for his brutality, established his residence on the cursed land. Local rumors painted him as a sadistic tyrant who exploited and murdered villagers. After his death, his ghost reportedly roamed the area, adding another layer of darkness to the land's already grim history. The villagers' whispers suggested he had fled the villa in madness before meeting a violent end elsewhere.
"It's like every tragedy in history piled up in one place," Yamino said, his voice heavy with unease.
Hikaru closed the book carefully. "This explains a lot… but it doesn't tell us how to stop it."
Yamino frowned. "Why didn't we know about this sooner? I mean, if the villa's so dangerous, why didn't anyone warn us?"
Hikaru hesitated before replying. "Because we only moved to the villa a week ago. And before last night, nothing strange had happened. We never thought to dig into its history… until now."
The weight of Hikaru's words hung in the air as Yamino processed them. The villa's dark history had remained buried for so long, only to resurface now with chilling clarity. Whatever forces were at work, they were far beyond anything the two boys had ever imagined.
Later, as they left the library, the afternoon sunlight did little to lift their spirits. Yamino's mind raced with questions, none of which had clear answers.
Yamino's heart skipped a beat. Aoi is coming towards him. The realization sent a chill down his spine. If she is coming here, then the lines between reality and fantasy were more blurred than he'd thought.
As if sensing his confusion, Aoi handed him a folded piece of paper with a wink, but without a word before walking away. Hikaru leaned in with a teasing grin. "What's that? A love letter? Hmm?"
Ignoring him, Yamino unfolded the paper. The message inside was simple but chilling: "Come to the central plaza at 11:30 PM."
The cryptic note raised more questions than answers, but one thing was clear—their night was far now and adventurous too.
Hikaru start to tease him more. Hikaru said witha teasing smile, "It seems someone will find love tonight. Well I won't be a dick and go with you."
Yamino look at him and said, "You will come with me. That is final."