The book was lost for decades

★★★★

As the following day arrived, three of them sat under a tree quietly on the campus. Yesterday was a mess for them. They hadn't talked about it yet with anyone. Neither anyone would believe them.

"Do you think Casey's father knew or how they didn't report her missing?" Bethany asked. She didn't know what happened because she had been sleeping all night and it wasn't natural. True To be told, she knew that someone had done this intentionally.

"I don't know," Danny whispered. "I am wondering about how we failed to understand Casey. She used to be a sweet, quiet girl. How did she end up in a cult group?" Danny added, drawing her brows together with deep thoughts.

"This proves that we are still naïve," concluded Bethany. She took his phone out of her bag and opened her Instagram account to study Casey's account to obtain some information about her involvement with the cult. She must have been with the cult group longer. Maybe she had left some information that could lead them to Casey because Bethany wanted to punish her. They were on the verge of death yesterday.

"Do you know there's a strange book in our college library?" Isabella mumbled, looking from afar, where a swarm of bees was flying together in a pattern. Neither of them broke the line. Each time when the pattern changed, they followed it perfectly.

"What sort of?" Danny asked and turned to Bella.

"Supernatural," Bella mumbled, letting out a sigh.

"Yea... But why say weird? Isn't it normal for the library to have entertaining books?" Danny said.

"No, that book felt ancient when I read it. Even the calligraphy was unique. And I want to know if Casey had ever read it," Bella said and stood up.

"So what? Maybe she had read it. But what is the connection between these two things?" Danny asked, and got up too.

"I don't know. I have a feeling that there is some connection between that book and Casey," Isabella spoke out of her heart.

"I don't think a book can influence a girl to this level. Conceivably, she's been into these things for a long time and we didn't understand because we are callow," Danny answered furiously. She hated the fact they trusted a girl who had arranged the trap well to send them to hell.

Casey deserved good beatings, and she will get it once she catches her neck.

"Why don't we go and check the damn book Isabella is speaking?" Bethany followed suit and suggested Danny.

"Alright, let's go," Danny said and Isabella nodded. After that, they all headed to the library.

On their way, Isabella gazed at the certain chamber which was closed. Probably the person hadn't come yet. And sadness passed through her heart.

Wasn't she the one who rejected him? And tragically, she was the one who was hoping to see him.

"The game is drawing near. When will you talk to the principal?" Danny asked while walking.

"I don't know. Today, perhaps," Isabella answered. "They had already sent the invitation later to my father," Isabella added.

"That implies that they are confident about you," Bethany said, sounding reasonable. Although they were not against the college pushing Bella to play because they wanted that old Bella who loved to play soccer. On the other hand, they wanted the college to respect her decision, especially since the girl was as fragile as Isabella.

Isabella couldn't refute Bethany's words. She was correct the college was confident about her playing the game, while she didn't want to look at the playground.

They entered the library and followed Bella to where she was going because only she knew where the book was as she was the person who safely hid it.

Nonetheless, when they reached that certain niche, Isabelle was dumbfounded as the specific place was empty. The book wasn't there.

"Where did it go?" Isabella muttered and searched the nearby rack. Her palm touched her forehead and the other hand rested on her waist as she blew a tense breath.

"Probably someone took it," Danny said, wandering her eyes.

"Who? Don't you think it's unusual? Look at the rack and look at the place and how dusty it is. No one has come here for decades," Isabella said, frowning at the situation.

"Yes, someone has taken an interest in the book. The person may have already read it or seen you hiding it here. And undoubtedly it piqued their curiosity, and they took it to their home. My simple thinking leads me to this conclusion. I didn't find anything dubious in it," Danny said and shrugged her shoulder.

"Dude, leave it. We can look for it in the bookstore. Do you remember the book's name?" Danny asked. "Yes, the book's name is Lilith," Isabella answered. "We can check the record from the librarian who took the book," she added in the next second.

"Yes, genius. Let's go," Bethany said and grabbed a normal book, then headed to the librarian, who was reading something with his glass on. He was strict and grumpy due to old age but also loved by everyone.

"Hello, handsome Manny," Danny call him and blinked rapidly to annoy him.

His full name was Manterio and called Manny in short. He refuted it many times, which no one bothered to listen to. After that, he accepted his short name, which sounded cloy and he hated it.

"Do not waste my time. Sign and leave," Manny the librarian ordered them.

"How can you be so rude to beautiful girls?" Bethany said and shot a glance at Isabella, who got it immediately and opened the record book where they needed to sign it before taking the book from the library.

"In my eyes, only my wife is beautiful. You are all ugly," Manny replied, snickering at them.

Simultaneously, Isabella saw the list of students who had taken the books for the past few days. She looked at the history of the month and she didn't see Casey's name. Nor was the black book mentioned anywhere.

She turned page after page when Manny shouted, "What are you watching so carefully? It will not come to your exam. If you're done with signing, just take your book and leave the library."

"Yea, yes," Bella answered and signaled to her friends to go out as she took the book and walked out.

"Did you find it?" Danny asked quietly as they come out.

"Nope. Nothing," Isabella answered distressingly. Her thoughts were complicated. If Casey hadn't taken that book or anyone yet, then where did the book go?

"Don't worry. Let me google it first," Bethany said, taking out her phone, and they were all outside the library conversing with each other when Alexy ran into them.

"Good day, everyone," Alexy greeted. Thankfully, she hadn't started ridiculing them yet, but she would.

"We are busy, so move," Danny said with an annoying look. She did not want to pollute their mood.

"You venomous girl, I come here to ask how Isabella's preparation is going for the game," Alexy asked, twirling a knot of her hair on her finger while chewing gum.

"I am not ready to play. So, there is no preparation. Thank you for asking," Isabella politely answered.

"Pity. Our college won't let you go easily. Also, I have heard the president will not come to this college for a few days and our principal can't accept your plea without his permission. Ultimately, you have to play," Alexy smugly said, and her eyes were dancing with satisfaction as if she had been holding herself to spew out this news.

"Where he has gone?" Isabella unconsciously asked. Danny glanced at Bella in suspension as Bella's voice peal differently.

"How do I know? I've heard he has gone out of town for a few days. And he took that lady, too. What's her name?" Alexy said and ran her brain to collect that woman's name.

"Angela." It was Isabella who mentioned the name and Alexy immediately agreed, "Yes, that ultra-dramatic woman."

Isabella's heart skidded, and her expression became flat. The truth was in front of her eyes and she was binding fake strings.

"Okay, excuse me. I need to practice my dance. It is hard to rehearse every day and maintain a desirable figure," Alexy said, which was far from necessary. No one had asked her. But how could she let go of to opportunity when she could show her unsavory finesse?

"Yea..it's tough to jump with a heavy load," Danny said, and Bethany coughed to hide her laughter and turned around.

"Excuse me," Alexy asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing. Just a friendly joke," Danny replied nonchalantly.

"Whatever," Alexy said and walked away after sneering.

"O, god. That was good," Bethany said and laughed, except for Isabella, who didn't enjoy it. All her mind was occupied with the news Alexy told them.

"Bella," Bethany pushed lightly when they found Bella was out of the chat, didn't hear what she said.

"Is this the book?" Bethany showed the picture on her phone. Although they were a lot of books with the same name, guessing by the last detail, this must be the book she was talking about.

"Yes," answered Bella and confiscated Bethany's phone.

"The book was written by a demon. When he descended on Earth, he created a cult group where they worshiped Lilith. The mother of demons and vampires. But over time, the book got lost, and no one has found it to this day.

This was the brief description they found on Google, along with the picture of the book. When they checked the link, they found it to be broken.

"Bella, what does it mean?" Bethany asked and looked at Bella questioningly. Because it was mentioned that the book was lost for decades. How did Bella read it?