The leader sat on his old wooden chair, holding the book firmly in both hands. His eyes moved slowly across the faded lines written in ancient ink. He read with intense focus, as if every word carried a dangerous secret.
You must take enough supplies to last a full month.
All your clothes must be black—no other color is allowed.
After midnight, climb to the top of the mountain where a small cave awaits.
Bring a source of light and vegetarian food that will last for a month.
Do not bring meat or fish under any circumstances.
You must be brave. There is no place there for cowards.
The cave will seal itself once you enter, and you will not be able to leave until you finish reading the book.
There… you will encounter other people—and other worlds.
You must learn the crafting of charms and talismans in order to escape.
If you fail…
you will remain there forever.
The leader suddenly stopped reading and slowly closed the book.
His heart pounded violently.
Fear crept across his face.
He whispered to himself,
Am I truly capable of such an adventure… or will I enter that cave and never return?
He lay down on his bed, trying to sleep.
But sleep refused to come.
Instead, he stared at the dark ceiling while countless thoughts battled inside his mind.
How could he escape such a fate?
Was the risk truly worth it?
After a long moment of silence, he suddenly sat up.
I must do this, he said firmly.
I am strong enough to endure it. I want absolute power… the power to control everyone.
At sunrise, the leader went out to buy everything he needed for the journey.
Vegetarian food for an entire month.
Completely black clothes.
A sturdy backpack.
He spent the rest of the day carefully preparing his supplies.
But when night finally came, he decided to enjoy one last night of pleasure before beginning the dangerous quest.
He went to a nightclub.
Music filled the air while dim lights danced across the faces of the crowd.
There, he met a woman who worked at the bar.
They sat together and talked for a long time while the leader kept drinking glass after glass.
One drink…
Then another…
Then another.
Until the room began spinning around him.
Finally, he lost consciousness.
The woman helped him to his feet and guided him to his luxurious car.
She drove him to his house.
With some effort, she managed to bring him inside and lay him on the bed before removing his shoes.
Within moments, he fell into a deep drunken sleep.
The woman stood silently in the room, looking around.
Then a faint smile appeared on her face.
She began searching his pockets and wallet.
She found five hundred dollars.
But that was not all.
She continued searching the wardrobe until she discovered a hidden stash.
Her eyes widened.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
She placed the money on the table.
Then she removed the diamond watch from his wrist and the golden necklace from around his neck.
At that moment…
Her eyes fell upon the book.
It lay quietly on the table.
Its ancient cover immediately caught her attention.
Curious, she picked it up and flipped through its pages.
She opened the first page.
And saw the warning.
Just then, the leader moved slightly on the bed.
Startled, the woman quickly grabbed the money.
And the book.
Moments later, she rushed out of the house.
Stealing his luxurious car.
And disappearing into the night.
At dawn, sunlight streamed through the bedroom window and fell directly on the leader's face.
Slowly, he woke up.
He turned on the bed and opened his eyes.
Instinctively, he looked toward the table.
Something was wrong.
He stared harder.
The book…
Was gone.
He jumped to his feet in shock.
Looking around, he noticed the chaos in the room and the open wardrobe.
But none of that mattered.
Only the missing book.
He began searching frantically.
He flipped the table.
Threw clothes out of the wardrobe.
Looked under the bed.
Every corner.
Nothing.
Finally, he stopped and pressed a hand against his forehead.
She did it… he muttered angrily.
That whore stole the book… and the money!
His anger exploded.
He began smashing everything in the room.
I will find you! I swear I will!
His fists clenched so tightly that the veins in his hands bulged.
He quickly put on his shoes and coat before rushing outside.
Standing at the door, he looked left and right.
Then he froze.
His car…
Was gone.
She had stolen it too.
His fury grew even stronger.
He grabbed his phone and called his gang members.
In a cold, terrifying voice, he said,
I want the woman who usually works at the bar.
A brief pause.
Then he added,
I want her alive.
He sent them her picture from the security cameras in his house.
The gang spread across the city searching everywhere.
Hours later, one of them called.
Boss… we couldn't find any trace of her.
The leader roared into the phone,
That's your problem! If you don't bring her to me within 24 hours…
His voice turned ice cold.
I will kill every one of you.
Then he added quietly,
The countdown… starts now.