FOREVER BOUND

sault, each drop a tiny, icy hammer

coat, its icy breath a chilling reminder

plation, now felt like a monstrous maw, its s

in the relentless drumming of

The prophecies swirled, a chaotic tempest of imag

e safety of my small apartment, a haven of quiet

claustrophobic, the walls closing in, the air thick

ts familiar fabric offering little

ared into my mind, pulsed with a relentless rhyt

silver locket, its cool surface a stark cont

surface, felt strangely alive, pulsi

a desperate anchor in the face of overwhelming f

ish blur of fragmented tho

evious night as a bizarre dream, a figment of an overac

illing certainty in Karen's eyes, they

ressed down on me, a crushing burd

ues of bruised purple and somber gre

d to understand, to act. I needed an

a drawer, a map of the old city, a labyrint

nous red ink, pulsed with a sini

exus of forgotten lore, a place where secrets were traded in hush

ere, but it was my only lead, my only

shadow seemed to writhe with menace, ever

, a strange mixture of antic

ing, tucked away in a narrow, grimy alley, it's d

e energy, a tangible sense of the unkno

ng with a mournful creak. A tarnished brass bell, its

dust, aged paper, and something else... something anci

ked with a morbid rhythm, their relentless pulse a hyp

usly like human skin, lined the shelves,

ingers, lay scattered on the counters, their purpose a my

s and silver hair as white as moonlight sat readin

assessing, judging. A faint smile played on her lips,

e a low, resonant hum that vibrated in m

he know?" But in her eyes, despite the chilling intensity of her g

g in the far corner of the shop, a fleeting glimpse of so

ld and violent, extinguished the flickering gas

ntic beating of my own heart and a low, guttural gro

sent a fresh wave of fear through me. "Welcome, Belle," t

seemed to grow louder, its words more distinct. "Welcome, Be

shadows on the walls. The shop owner, her eyes glinting wit

ious. "Let us discuss the Codex Obscura. Y

this enigmatic woman. But something ab

then another, until I stood

ion as she reached beneath the counter a

ge symbols and markings that see

" is like the Codex Obscura. A book of sec

book. But as my fingers made contact with the cover, I felt a su

ing wen

oor, my head throbbing with pain. The shop owner s

t to happen. But you must understand, the Cod

tions. What secrets did the book hold? And what