Chapter 10 :The Final Piece

The air was colder than usual as we stepped out of the chamber. The key glowed faintly in my pocket, and the new piece of the map revealed the last location—a remote lighthouse far beyond the village, surrounded by cliffs and crashing waves.

"I don't think anyone's lived there in years," Zeeshan muttered, squinting at the faded drawing on the journal's map.

"Exactly," I replied. "Which makes it the perfect hiding spot."

We packed quickly. I wrote a note for my grandfather, saying we were going to explore the village outskirts. He didn't ask questions anymore—he somehow knew we were on a mission bigger than ourselves.

The journey to the lighthouse took nearly a day. The path was rough, filled with twisted roots and steep slopes. When we finally arrived, night had fallen. The lighthouse loomed above us, its windows dark and its door slightly open.

Inside, the air was damp and full of dust. Every step echoed. As we reached the spiral staircase, we noticed carvings along the walls—symbols from the journal, etched by hand.

At the top, we found a circular room. In the center, a pedestal stood with a shallow bowl on it. Above it, something shimmered—a hologram-like projection of the full map, glowing and pulsing.

I placed the crystal key into the bowl.

The light from the projection shot upwards and filled the room with spinning images—locations, faces, messages. The final pages of the journal floated in the air, forming slowly.

"This is everything," I whispered. "Every secret. Every clue. Every truth."

Zeeshan stared in awe. "We actually did it…"

But before we could celebrate, the room shook violently. A warning flashed through the projection: "Unauthorized presence detected."

A hidden panel in the wall slid open—revealing a narrow tunnel leading deeper underground.

I turned to Zeeshan, my eyes wide with adrenaline. "The journal… wasn't the end."

He nodded. "It was just the beginning."

We exchanged a look—then stepped into the tunnel, not knowing what waited for us next.