The hidden room in the library was still completely silent. The footsteps that had echoed outside earlier had slowly faded away down the corridor.
Imama took a deep breath, but her heart was still racing.
"Could all of this actually be real?" she whispered.
Jihan glanced at her and gave a faint smile.
"It looks like it is."
Imama tightened her grip on the bag that held the diary.
"If the basement mentioned in the diary is real… then what?"
Jihan looked toward the back wall of the room, as if he had noticed something unusual.
"Then we need to find it."
They slowly began searching the room again.
Between dusty shelves and broken furniture, Imama suddenly stopped.
"Jihan…"
"Hmm?"
"Look over there."
Near the wall was a narrow staircase leading down into darkness. At the entrance of the stairs was a rusty iron gate, almost hidden from view.
As if someone had deliberately tried to keep it secret.
Jihan walked closer.
"I think… we just found the entrance to the basement."
Imama looked down the stairs.
The darkness was so deep it felt like light had never reached it.
Suddenly, a cold gust of air rushed upward from below.
As if someone down there had just taken a breath.
Imama froze.
"Jihan… I don't feel good about this…"
She instinctively moved closer to him.
Jihan gently placed his hand around her waist, steadying her.
For a moment, her fear eased.
But suddenly—
CLANG!
The iron gate shook violently.
As if something had hit it from the other side.
Imama grabbed Jihan in shock.
Then a faint whisper echoed from the darkness below.
"Leave… before it's too late…"
The room suddenly felt colder.
Jihan stared into the staircase, his expression turning serious.
"Looks like… we didn't just find a secret."
Imama swallowed nervously.
"Then what did we find?"
Jihan kept staring into the darkness.
"Something down there… knows we're here."
And in that moment, Imama realized something terrifying.
The basement wasn't just a place.
It was someone's home.