The Eternal smile - the burned book reveals a terrifying clue

The three of them didn’t stop running until their lungs burned.

Only then did Marcus finally slow to a walk.

The hallway was gone.

The applause was gone.

The glowing smile had vanished into the darkness behind them.

For now.

Caleb leaned against a nearby wall, breathing heavily. Serah rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Nobody seemed eager to break the silence.

Finally, Serah straightened and looked at Marcus.

“Please tell me we actually got something out of that.”

Marcus frowned.

“What?”

Serah pointed directly at the object still tucked beneath his arm.

“The book.”

Marcus froze.

In all the chaos of escaping the auditorium, he had almost forgotten he was carrying it.

Slowly, he looked down.

The charred book sat firmly in his hands.

Blackened edges surrounded the cover. Burn marks crawled across the leather like veins. Yet somehow the thing remained perfectly intact.

Caleb stared at it.

“That’s the one from the office?”

Marcus nodded.

“Yeah.”

Serah folded her arms.

“Then let’s hope nearly getting murdered by a smiling nightmare was worth it.”

Marcus carefully turned the book over.

The cover was badly scorched, making most of the title impossible to read.

Most.

A few faded gold letters still remained beneath the soot.

Caleb leaned closer.

“What does it say?”

Marcus brushed away a layer of ash with his thumb.

The remaining letters slowly became visible.

His stomach tightened.

“No way…”

“What?” Serah asked.

Marcus looked up.

His face had gone pale.

The expression immediately worried both of them.

“Marcus?”

He swallowed.

Then quietly read the surviving words aloud.

“‘Elias Crowe.’”

​

The book will be published in 2 days on amazon

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