Malice

That night, sleep eluded Starlet and Alexandra. The room was cloaked in shadows, illuminated only by the pale light of the moon filtering through the arched window. Yet neither sister could close their eyes. Their thoughts churned restlessly, tangled with the mystery of the *Luminarin* book and the strange map it revealed.

Starlet sighed and sat up, her crimson-red hair shimmering in the moonlight. "I can't stop thinking about it," she whispered.

"Me neither," Alexandra admitted, her voice soft but eager. "What if we missed something?"

They exchanged a glance—one filled with the unspoken agreement that curiosity could not wait until morning.

Quietly, Starlet reached for the brass candleholder on the bedside table. Striking flint to wick, she coaxed a flame to life. The warm glow flickered, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

With the candle in hand, they tiptoed to the desk where the enchanted book rested, its golden patterns gleaming faintly as though waiting for their return.

Starlet's fingers hovered over the cover. "Ready?"

Alexandra nodded. "Always."

Carefully, Starlet flipped open the book. The illustrations sprang to life once more, shimmering with ethereal light. Fairies fluttered through enchanted forests, ancient ruins stood bathed in starlight, and mysterious symbols pulsed along the margins.

But this time, something different happened. As they turned the pages, the shimmering illustrations began to shift and rearrange, as if responding to their presence.

"Look!" Alexandra gasped, pointing to a swirling pattern that had appeared in the center of the page. "It's moving."

The pattern twisted and spiraled, forming a glowing portal-like circle. Symbols around its edges pulsed with rhythmic energy, as though urging them forward.

"Do you think it's... opening?" Starlet whispered, her voice tinged with both awe and trepidation.

"I don't know," Alexandra breathed, her blue eyes wide with wonder. "But I think it's showing us something important."

The candlelight flickered wildly, as if caught in a sudden gust of invisible wind. The book's magic pulsed in harmony with their racing hearts.

Starlet's hand trembled slightly as she traced the glowing edge of the portal. "We've come this far," she said resolutely. "There's no turning back now."

As the night deepened, the sisters knew that their lives were about to change forever. The book was more than just a guide—it was a gateway to a destiny they had never imagined.

Their journey had already begun, even before the first light of dawn.

As Starlet carefully turned the next page, the flickering candlelight danced across the parchment. The whimsical illustrations they had admired moments ago vanished, replaced by something far darker.

Both sisters gasped, their breath catching in their throats.

Staring back at them was a sinister figure — a witch, cloaked in swirling shadows. Her face was angular and severe, with sharp cheekbones and skin as pale as moonlight. Dark, hollow eyes gleamed with malice, as though she could see directly into their souls even from the page. Wisps of black smoke curled around her like living serpents.

In her gnarled, bony fingers, she clutched a crooked staff crowned with a jagged crystal that pulsed with ominous light. Symbols writhed in the air around her like ancient spells waiting to be unleashed.

"She looks... alive," Alexandra whispered, her voice barely audible.

Starlet's heart raced. "It's as if she's watching us," she said, unable to tear her gaze away.

The witch's twisted lips curled into a smirk as though she had heard their words. The ink on the page shimmered unnervingly, the edges flickering as if they might dissolve into smoke.

"I don't like this," Alexandra said, her voice trembling.

Suddenly, the candle flame flickered violently, casting wild shadows across the room. A cold gust of wind swept through the chamber, though the windows were tightly shut.

The book trembled beneath Starlet's hands, the image of the witch warping and twisting as if the page itself could no longer contain her presence.

"Close it!" Alexandra urged, panic rising in her chest.

But Starlet hesitated. There was something compelling about the image — a strange energy radiating from it, like a warning or perhaps a challenge.

"We need to know who she is," Starlet said, her voice steadier than she felt.

Alexandra's blue eyes flickered with fear. "What if she's dangerous?"

"She already is," Starlet murmured, "but we can't run from this."

The witch's smirk faded into a grim expression, as though the sisters' resolve had surprised her. The symbols around her dimmed, retreating back into the shadows.