The hidden chamber

"Second room in," Soren thought as he looked at the map, then moved forward in a crouching run. The first room was a dining room. A long table filled with different kinds of utensils ran through the room. Several chairs lined up on it's sides. At the center of the table, was a basket filled with fruits. Soren's stomach rumbled with the thought of food. He hadn't eaten today.

"Risha must be starving." he whispered. "I have to move quickly"

Stuffing an apple in his pocket, he made his way out of the room. He paused at the next doorway, noting it's lighted outline. It matched. In a flash, he threw the door open and ducked inside. Blinking against the light, he steadied himself, ready to escape on the first sign of trouble. The room however, was empty. It was obviously a study room. A lantern burned on each wall beside shelves, that were filled with books. A long and dark desk lay on the corner.

Soren took out the map again. There was a large safe in the corner of the room, but the map pointed to a way through the wall. Soren approached the wall. It was painted in a soft mural. One was the painted of a red moon under which, a group of men appeared to be fighting against a man shrouded in darkness. Under it were the words; " The Dark War".

Risha had once talked of the Dark War, but he had been too lazy to listen. He could only remember parts of it and that it had been the darkest times of humanity when the faced off against the Demo king. Nobody knew how he was defeated, only that he had mysteriously disappeared and the world was finally in peace.

Brushing the thoughts of war, Soren glanced at the other painting. It was of a handsome man, who was in his forties, with golden hair and blue eyes that seemed to stare right into Soren's soul. Shuddering, looked at the lantern next to the picture. He had been instructed to rotate the lantern three times then pull it, so as to access the passage.

His spindly fingers closed around the hilt of the lantern, and he rotated it three times, then gave a slight pull. With a sudden click, the wall parted to reveal a set of stairs that wend down into the darkness.

"The hidden passage!" Soren exclaimed. He took one of the lantern from the wall and made his way down.

The steps opened up into a chamber, larger than the study room above. A musty scent wafted tot he entrance. Squinting in the darkness with his lantern held aloft, he could see shadowy shelves lined with dusty books and strange artifacts. It was clear that whoever owned this place, had abandoned the room. He stepped into the room, the lantern light pushing back the darkness.

The ceiling was lower than the other rooms above, but it was still high. Slowly, Soren wound his way into the corridors searching for his target. The further he travelled from the entrance, the more closely he held the light to himself. The silence was ominous.

He stepped softly and breathed quietly, afraid that something might hear him. The place was the definition of the word creepy'. He saw no treasures or mystical weapons. Something in there must have mad the place to be hidden. His path eventually led him to a small reading area with a single desk and chair sculpted from black wood. On top of the desk was a small box.

"Finally!" Soren squealed in delight. Setting his lantern on the desk, he picked up the box and dusted the cobwebs on it. H e then took out the piece of paper and compare the image on it to the box. They were exactly the same. He let out a sign of relief.

Keeping the box in his pocket, he picked up the lantern and turned to make his way back when a dark feeling suddenly came over him. Raising his lantern in a trembling hand, Soren tried to make his way back to the entrance only to realize that the corridors had disoriented him.

He attempted to double back tot the reading area, but it was as if it had disappeared, leaving no trace of it's existence. Steeling himself, he tried moving forward hoping that he would soo come to the end of the path, but instead, he came to a different area.

A plush dark red carpet, woven with the imagery of skulls covered the floor. On the center of it, was a black pedestal, surmounted by a huge book. The surface of the pedestal was slanted, making the book rest at an angle facing Soren. Shocked curiosity carried him towards the book. On one side of the pedestal, were words, half hidden in the dust. Upon clearing the dust, he founf out htat they had been carved in extravagent calligraphy. They read; "The Grimore of Zavator, Bound inhis flesh, Scribbled in his blood."

Upon close examination, Soren found out that indeed the book seemed to be covered in flesh. On the center of the book cover, was a skull. It felt as if the skull was calling out for him. Tentatively, he touched the surface with his finger, with drawing it immediately. The book had felt alive!

"How is this possible? Who is Zavator? Why is this book here?" Questions swarmed inside Soren's mind as he put the lantern o the pedestal to have a closer look. Rubbing his face, he found out that his hands were trembling. It wasn't because of fear but of morbid fascination. The book had felt warm to the touch, with a yielding texture that suggested more thickness than he had expected.

He took a peep at the dim shelves at the edge of the lantern. Beyond his light, the darkness and silence had seemed more oppressive than ever. As he turned back tot he book, his hand brushed over the lantern, accidentally knocking the lantern down. It fell with a crash, breaking it's glass and plunging the room into complete darkness.

"Oh no!" Soren gasped as he bent to pick up the lantern. A broken glass bit into his flesh, drawing out a trickle of blood, "Ouch!"

He quickly pressed his finger to his mouth, sucking at the blood but a single drop of it managed to fall on the skull. That's when he heard the screams. It was faint at first but grew louder within seconds. As his heart thundered in his chest, he felt a tugging in his mind, at first tentative, then insistent and so powerful he fell to his knees.

When he lifted his head up, he saw the cover of the book glimmering. With fear, Soren realized that the screams came form the skulls mouth. His eyes widened as the skull opened its mouth and it's eyes shimmered with a red radiance. Suddenly, the book started floating right in front f him, shinning with a green glow. It hovered there, it's glow growing so bright that Soren had to avert his

eyes, then covered them with his hands as the radiance intensified. A roaring sound, clamored in his ears, sending waves of pain to his skull. He could feel a fiery heat washing over him as if he was drowning in molten lava. Then with suddenness, Soren's world turned to black.