Chapter 4 The Truth in the Shadows

As Lucas's spell ended, the air in the library seemed to freeze. The glow of the silver chain gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared between the book pages. Alex felt an invisible force dissipating from the room, as if some ancient seal had been touched. Isabella and Lucas exchanged a glance, both with a hint of relief and tension in their expressions.

"Did we succeed?" Alex asked in a low voice, his gaze wandering between the silver chain and the magic book.

Isabella stepped forward, gently flipping open the magic book. The pages turned lightly under her fingertips, as if being guided by some invisible force. Her gaze stopped at a passage written in ancient Latin, and she recited in a low voice: "'When the silver chain combines with the book, the path of light will appear.'"

"The path of light?" Alex frowned, trying to understand the meaning of the sentence.

Lucas nodded, his voice filled with a hint of fatigue: "It means we've taken the first step. The combination of the silver chain and the magic book has given us a direction to unlock the curse."

"What's next?" Alex asked, his gaze scanning the room, trying to find more clues.

Isabella was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "We need to go to the dungeon. That's where the core of the curse is, and it's the key to unlocking everything."

"The dungeon?" Alex felt a sense of unease. "You mean the underground room beneath the old castle?"

Isabella nodded: "Yes. That's where the family's secrets are hidden, and it's the source of the curse. Only there can we completely unlock the curse."

Lucas looked up, his eyes filled with determination: "I know the location of the dungeon. Follow me."

The three of them left the library, walking along the corridors of the old castle. Alex felt a sense of oppressiveness, as if every inch of the castle's air was telling ancient secrets. They passed through a narrow passage and finally arrived at the entrance to the underground room. Lucas stopped, took out an ancient silver badge from his pocket, and gently placed it on the symbol at the entrance.

As the badge was placed, the symbol began to glow with a faint light, and the stone door of the underground room slowly opened. A damp breeze flowed out, carrying a hint of decay. Alex felt a chill, knowing they had entered the core area of the curse.

"Be careful," Isabella warned in a low voice, her hand holding a silver staff with a glowing gemstone on top.

Lucas led the way, entering the underground room, with Alex and Isabella following closely. The passage was narrow and winding, seemingly endless. They walked downward until they reached a huge empty room. In the center of the room was a massive crystal ball, surrounded by a circle of silver symbols that emitted a faint glow.

"This is the core of the curse," Isabella said in a low voice, her tone filled with reverence.

Alex's gaze was fixed on the crystal ball, and he could feel a powerful force emanating from it, as if it was summoning something. His heart filled with unease, he knew they had touched the deepest part of the curse.

"What's next?" Alex asked, his gaze moving between Isabella and Lucas.

Lucas stepped forward, gently touching the crystal ball. His voice was filled with a hint of fatigue: "We need to unlock the seal of the crystal ball to completely unlock the curse. But this process is extremely dangerous. If we're not careful, the power of the curse may lose control."

Isabella nodded: "We need a ritual to reseal the power of the curse. But this ritual requires powerful magic and sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?" Alex felt a sense of unease, unsure what Isabella meant by sacrifice.

Isabella was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice: "Yes. Unlocking the curse requires a price. Maybe it's someone's power, or maybe it's something important."

Lucas looked up, his eyes filled with determination: "I'll bear this cost. As the last male heir of the family, I have the responsibility to unlock the curse."

Alex felt a sense of shock, unsure why Lucas would make such a decision so easily. But he knew Lucas's sacrifice might be the only hope to unlock the curse.

"Are you sure?" Isabella asked in a low voice, her tone filled with concern.

Lucas nodded: "I'm sure. We have no other choice."

With Lucas's decision, the three of them began to prepare the ritual. Isabella took out a silver feather from her pocket and gently placed it on the crystal ball. The feather glowed in the light of the crystal ball, as if being drawn by some force.

"This is the family's sacred object," Isabella said in a low voice. "It will help us guide the power of the curse."

Lucas stepped forward, placing the inherited silver chain on the other side of the crystal ball. The symbols on the silver chain began to glow, intertwining with the light of the crystal ball. Alex felt a powerful force flowing through the air, as if the entire underground room was responding to the ritual.

"Now, we need to recite the incantation," Isabella said in a low voice, her tone filled with tension.

Lucas nodded, then recited in a low voice: "'In the name of the family, seal the dark power, and let the light reappear in the world.'"

As the incantation was spoken, the glow of the crystal ball grew brighter, and the silver symbols glowed in the air, as if weaving an invisible net. Alex felt a powerful force emanating from the crystal ball, directly targeting Lucas's body.

"Lucas!" Alex exclaimed, seeing Lucas's body begin to tremble, as if enduring immense pain.

"Continue!" Lucas's voice was filled with a hint of pain. "We can't stop now!"

Isabella nodded, then recited in a low voice: "'In the name of the witch, seal the dark power, and let the light reappear in the world.'"

As she spoke, a silver glow shot out from her staff, intertwining with the light of the crystal ball. The air in the underground room began to vibrate, as if the entire castle was responding to the ritual.

"Alex, you must recite the incantation too!" Isabella exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency.

Alex nodded, then recited in a low voice: "'In the name of humanity, seal the dark power, and let the light reappear in the world.'"

As he spoke, a warm force flowed out from his body, intertwining with the light of the crystal ball. The glow in the underground room grew brighter, as if the entire world was being illuminated.

With the completion of the ritual, the glow of the crystal ball gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared into the air. Lucas's body stopped trembling, and his face showed a hint of fatigue but relief. Alex felt an invisible force dissipating from the underground room, as if the curse had been unlocked.

"We succeeded," Isabella said in a low voice, her tone filled with relief.

Lucas nodded, then said in a low voice: "Yes. The curse has been unlocked, but our task is not over yet."

Alex felt a sense of confusion, unsure what Lucas meant by their task.

"We need to find Victor," Lucas said in a low voice, his tone filled with determination. "He's been manipulating everything from behind, trying to use the power of the curse to achieve his ambitions."

"Victor?" Alex felt a sense of shock, unsure why Victor would be related to the curse.

Isabella nodded: "Yes. He's been searching for a way to unlock the curse, trying to use its power to control the town. We must stop him."

Alex nodded, his heart filled with determination. He knew they had stepped onto a path from which they could not return, and Victor's conspiracy might be the final step to unlocking the curse.

"Let's go," Lucas said in a low voice, his eyes filled with determination.

The three of them left the underground room, walking along the corridors of the old castle. Alex felt a sense of unprecedented determination, knowing they had uncovered the secrets of the curse, and their next task would decide the fate of the town.