The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. Sunlight peeked through the curtains, filling my room with a soft glow. The ground outside was still covered with snow.
After getting ready, I packed my sketchbook and slipped the old map inside it. I didn't really know why, but I felt like keeping it close. Maybe it was just curiosity — or maybe a small part of me felt it was important.
When I stepped outside, the air was cold but fresh. I zipped up my jacket and started walking toward the town hall. On the way, I saw people cleaning snow off their driveways, kids making small snowmen, and a few shopkeepers opening their stores. Everything felt normal, yet my mind was still stuck on the map and the treasure hunt.
By the time I reached the town hall, Chakshu was already there, waving at me from the steps. He looked way too energetic for a winter morning.
"Hey! You actually woke up early for once!" he said, laughing.
"Yeah," I said, rubbing my hands to warm them. "Didn't want to miss the fun you dragged me into."
Before he could reply, Palash showed up, walking calmly like always. He had his hands in his hoodie pockets and looked half asleep.
"Morning," he said in his usual quiet tone.
"Morning," I said back. "You ready for this?"
"As ready as I can be for something we know nothing about," he replied.
Chakshu rolled his eyes. "You both act like this is an exam. Come on, let's just enjoy it."
We walked inside together. The town hall was busier than yesterday. People of all ages were standing in line near a small desk where a few officials were giving out forms. A big banner hung above them that said:
"Treasure Hunt Registration — Team Up and Discover the Hidden Secret!"
"Hidden secret?" Chakshu read out loud. "That sounds mysterious."
Palash said quietly, "Or like a cheap way to make people excited."
I couldn't help but laugh. "You never change, do you?"
When it was our turn, we stepped up to the desk. A middle-aged man with round glasses looked at us and said, "Team name?"
"Team name?" I asked, surprised. "Uh… we didn't think of that yet."
Chakshu quickly said, "Let's call ourselves The Legends!"
Palash looked at him blankly. "No."
"Come on!" Chakshu said. "It sounds cool!"
"Cool for a superhero movie maybe," I said. "How about something… like Warronz?"
Palash thought for a second and said, "That's fine. At least it doesn't sound like a cartoon."
The man behind the desk nodded and wrote the name down. "Alright, you're registered. The event starts three days from now. All teams will gather at the old field near the river. Be there by 9 a.m."
He handed us a small card with our team name printed on it. Chakshu took it proudly like it was a trophy.
As we stepped outside, he said, "Three days, huh? We have enough time to plan!"
"Plan what?" I asked.
"You know," he said with a grin. "Strategies, maps, food, tents—like real explorers!"
Palash sighed. "It's a town event, not a jungle expedition."
"Still!" Chakshu said. "We should at least be ready. What if the treasure's hidden far away?"
I looked at both of them and smiled slightly. "Alright, fine. Let's meet tomorrow at my place and figure out what we need."
Palash nodded. "Sounds good."
We all went our separate ways after that.
I reached home, I dropped my jacket on the chair and took out my sketchbook. The old map was still tucked safely inside. I placed it on the table and looked at it carefully under the yellow desk light.
When I reached home, I dropped my jacket on the chair and took out my sketchbook. The old map was still tucked safely inside. I placed it on the table and looked at it carefully under the yellow desk light.
The paper looked even older now — its edges were rough and burnt, and a few parts were torn off completely. The lines on it were faint, drawn with something that looked like charcoal or pencil. Some areas were smudged, and there were tiny marks that looked like old water stains.
I sat down and began to study it, tracing the lines with my finger. Half of the map showed what looked like a mountain range and a few rivers flowing around it, but the other side was completely missing. I started to imagine what the rest of it could look like. Maybe there was a hidden path leading to something, or maybe it showed where the treasure was buried.
Time passed slowly. I tried sketching out what the missing part could be, drawing different shapes and guessing where the lines might continue. I erased and redrew several times, but nothing seemed to fit. It was like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces gone.
At one point, I even held the paper against the light, thinking maybe something hidden would appear, but there was nothing — just the same faded lines and marks.
Hours went by like that. My desk was filled with rough sketches and crumpled papers. I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes. "This is impossible," I muttered to myself.
But then, as I looked again, I noticed something small that I hadn't seen before. Near one of the rivers, there was a tiny mark — almost like a symbol — that looked like a circle with a line through it. It was faint, easy to miss, but it felt important somehow.
I leaned closer. "What's this?" I whispered. It didn't match anything I had seen before. Maybe it was just a random mark, or maybe it was part of something bigger.
I opened a fresh page in my sketchbook and copied that symbol, circling it for later. It wasn't much, but it was at least something — a small clue in a puzzle I didn't understand yet.
By the time I looked at the clock again, it was already evening. My head felt heavy, and my fingers were covered in pencil dust. I cleaned the table a bit, put the map back inside the sketchbook, and sat quietly for a while, staring at the faint symbol I had drawn.
After almost giving up on the map, I leaned back in my chair and sighed. My eyes felt tired from staring at the same half-burned paper for so long. I was about to pack everything up when a small idea popped into my head.
"What if this place is somewhere near our own town?" I said quietly to myself. "Maybe it matches with something on our map."
I stood up, went to the shelf, and pulled out the town map I had bought last year for a school project. I spread it open on the table next to the old one. The difference was clear — the new one looked bright and neat, while the old map looked dark, burnt, and rough.
I started comparing the shapes carefully. The old map had a mountain drawn near one side, so I checked the same area on the town map, but nothing matched. I moved my finger across the paper, checking rivers, roads, and forests — still nothing.
For a moment, I thought maybe it was from another place, maybe even an old version of the town before things changed. But even then, the layout didn't make any sense. The rivers didn't line up, and the mountains on the old map looked too sharp and high compared to the small hills around our area.
I sighed again. "Great… so it's not from here."
I folded the town map and kept it aside, feeling a bit disappointed. My head was full of questions that had no answers. Where was this map from? Why was it buried in the snow behind my house? And why did it look so ancient?
I sat quietly for a few minutes, staring at the two maps lying side by side — one new and clean, one old and broken — like they belonged to two completely different worlds.
Something about that thought gave me chills.
Then, suddenly, I heard a faint knocking sound coming from the back door. It was strange because I wasn't expecting anyone, and the sound came right when I was lost in thoughts about the map.
I turned my head toward the sound and listened again. Knock… knock…
It wasn't loud, just soft enough to make me uneasy. I slowly got up from my chair and walked toward the back door. The wind outside was quiet, and everything seemed still. When I opened the door, there was no one there — only the cold air brushing past my face.
I looked around carefully. "Hello?" I called out.
No answer. Just the quiet sound of snow melting from the roof. I frowned and took a small step outside, checking around the corners, but everything looked normal.
Then, out of nowhere — "BOO!"
I jumped back instantly. My heart nearly stopped when I saw Chakshu laughing so hard that he almost fell to the ground.
"Are you serious!?" I shouted. "You scared me half to death!"
He held his stomach, still laughing. "You should've seen your face! That was priceless!"
I took a deep breath and shook my head. "One day, your jokes are going to get you in trouble."
"Oh, come on," he said, still smiling. "You looked so focused inside, I couldn't help it!"
"Yeah, yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "Anyway, since you're already here, make yourself useful."
He walked inside, brushing off snow from his jacket. "So, what are you doing this time? Still working on that mysterious paper?"
"Yeah," I said, sitting back down at my desk. "I was trying to match it with our town map, but it doesn't fit anywhere. It's like it's from another place entirely."
Chakshu leaned over the table, staring at the map with curiosity. "Hmm… it really does look old. Maybe it's not just a map — maybe it's part of a bigger one."
"That's what I've been thinking too," I said. "But I can't find any clues. There's just this strange symbol near the river mark."
Chakshu looked closer. "This circle thing? Yeah, that's weird."
We both sat quietly for a few seconds, studying it together. Then he said, "What if we try to find this spot in real life? Maybe it's not from our town, but close enough. There are some hills and forests a bit further north."
I looked at him and said, "You really think it's worth checking?"
He smiled. "Of course! What's the worst that could happen? A little adventure won't hurt."
I thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright… but we'll need Palash too. He's good at reading directions. Maybe he can help figure out where this leads."
"Deal," Chakshu said, clapping his hands together. "Tomorrow morning then?"
"Tomorrow morning," I agreed.
As he sat back, still smiling from his successful prank, I couldn't help but laugh too. It felt nice having company, even if it came with freaking jumpscares.
After we talked for a bit more, Chakshu finally stood up and said, "Alright, I should get going. Tomorrow's going to be interesting."
"Yeah," I said, walking him to the door. "And next time, try knocking like a normal person."
He laughed and waved as he left. The house felt quiet again once the door closed. I looked around the room — papers and sketches were still spread across the table, the old map lying in the middle of it all. For a moment, I thought about cleaning everything up, but I didn't have the energy.
Instead, I grabbed a quick dinner from the kitchen — just some leftovers and a glass of water — then went to my room. The night outside was calm, with soft wind brushing against the window. I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind still busy thinking about the map and the strange symbol.
No matter how much I tried to sleep, my thoughts kept circling around the same thing — Where did that map come from? What if it actually leads somewhere real?
After a while, a dull headache started building behind my eyes. I turned to my side, closed them tightly, and finally drifted off into sleep.
It wasn't peaceful though — it felt heavy, like my mind was pulling me somewhere far away.