Max never believed in strange stories.
Not the ones old people whispered. Not the ones children feared at night. And definitely not the ones about cursed books.
He was the kind of person who laughed at those things.
Binu was the opposite.
"You shouldn't joke about everything," she said, walking beside him on the narrow forest path. "Some things… we don't understand."
Max kicked a small stone ahead of him. "Yeah? Like what? Ghosts? Monsters? Ancient curses?"
Binu didn't answer immediately. The wind moved softly through the trees, and for a second, everything felt… quiet. Too quiet.
"Like things that wait," she finally said.
Max smirked. "That sounds like a bad horror movie."
They had come here for something simple.
A small adventure.
Nothing more.
The forest near their village wasn't supposed to be dangerous. People came here for wood, herbs, sometimes even picnics. But lately, strange things had been happening.
Animals disappearing.
Footprints no one could explain.
And one story—repeated again and again.
A book.
Max didn't believe it.
Binu did.
Are you sure this is the place?" Max asked.
Binu looked at the old map in her hand. It was torn, yellow, and smelled like dust.
"Yes," she said. "The man in the village said there's an old ruin deep inside. That's where the book was last seen."
Max sighed. "You really trust that drunk old man?"
"He wasn't drunk," she said quietly.
Max didn't argue. But he didn't believe her either.
They walked deeper.
The trees grew taller. Thicker. The sunlight barely reached the ground now.
Something felt wrong.
Even Max noticed it.
"Okay…" he said slowly. "Why is it so quiet?"
"No birds," Binu whispered.
No insects.
No wind.
Just silence.
Max swallowed. "That's… not normal."
Binu folded the map. "We're close."
They found the ruins almost by accident.
A broken stone structure, covered in moss and vines. Half of it had collapsed. The entrance was dark, like a mouth waiting to swallow them.
Max stopped walking.
"Yeah… I don't like this."
Binu stepped closer. "This is it."
"Or we go back," Max said quickly. "You know… like smart people."
Binu looked at him. "You can go back if you want."
Max frowned. "You're really going in there alone?"
"Yes."
She didn't hesitate.
She stepped inside.
Max stood there for a moment.
Then cursed under his breath and followed.
"Great. This is how people die."
Inside, the air was cold.
Not normal cold.
It felt… heavy.
Max rubbed his arms. "Why does it feel like this place is alive?"
Binu didn't respond. She was looking around.
Ancient carvings covered the walls. Strange symbols. Some looked like eyes. Some looked like… creatures.
Max leaned closer to one.
"Hey… this looks like—"
He stopped.
The carving wasn't just a creature.
It was wrong.
Too many limbs.
Too many eyes.
Its mouth stretched wider than its face.
Max stepped back. "Okay… I officially hate this place."
Binu moved deeper inside.
"Look," she said.
At the center of the ruin, there was a stone table.
And on it…
A book.
It was black.
Not just the color.
It looked like it absorbed light.
The cover was rough, almost like skin. Strange patterns moved across it—no, not moved… but it felt like they should move.
Max felt his chest tighten.
"Don't touch it."
Binu stepped closer.
"Binu," Max said again, louder this time. "Don't touch it."
She stopped just inches away.
"It's… calling," she whispered.
Max felt a chill run down his spine.
"What do you mean calling?"
"I can hear it," she said. "Not words… but something."
Max grabbed her wrist.
"No. We're leaving. Now."
But Binu didn't move.
"It's not evil," she said softly.
Max almost laughed. "That's exactly what evil things would feel like."
Then—
A sound.
From behind them.
A slow… dragging noise.
Max turned.
"Did you hear that?"
Binu nodded slowly.
The sound came again.
Closer.
Something was inside the ruin with them.
Max's heart started racing. "We're not alone."
The darkness behind them shifted.
Not like something moving.
Like the darkness itself was changing shape.
Then—
Eyes.
Dozens of them.
Opening.
Max froze.
"What… is that…"
The creature stepped forward.
If it could even be called a creature.
Its body twisted in unnatural ways. Its limbs bent wrong. Its skin looked wet, like it had just crawled out of something.
And its eyes…
They didn't look at Max.
They looked at the book.
Binu whispered, "It's protecting it…"
The creature let out a low sound.
Not a growl.
Not a scream.
Something worse.
Something that didn't belong to this world.
Max grabbed Binu's arm.
"RUN."
The creature moved instantly.
Too fast.
Max pulled Binu, and they ran toward the exit.
The creature's limbs hit the ground with sickening sounds behind them.
Closer.
Closer.
Max didn't look back.
He didn't want to see it again.
They burst out of the ruin into the forest.
"Don't stop!" Max shouted.
They ran.
Branches cut their skin. Roots tried to trip them.
But they didn't stop.
Behind them, the creature followed.
Then suddenly—
Silence.
Again.
Max slowed down.
"Wait…"
Binu turned.
The forest was empty.
The creature was gone.
Just like that.
Max bent over, breathing hard. "What… what was that thing…"
Binu looked at her hands.
She was holding something.
Max's eyes widened.
"Binu… what is that?"
She slowly raised it.
The book.
Max felt fear like never before.
"You took it?"
"I… I didn't mean to," she said. "It just… came with me."
Max stepped back.
"Throw it away."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Binu looked at him.
Her eyes… felt different.
"I think it chose me."
The wind returned.
The forest felt normal again.
But nothing was normal anymore.
Max knew it.
Something had started.
Something bad.
And deep inside the ruin…
The darkness moved again.
Watching.
Waiting.