The rain tapped steadily against the windows of the small, cluttered shop nestled between two towering buildings in the city's oldest district. Inside, shelves overflowed with dusty tomes, strange relics, and ancient artifacts.
Detective Monroe, Amanda, and Shawn stepped cautiously inside. The musty air smelled of old paper and something metallic—like iron and rust.
An elderly man looked up from behind the counter. His eyes were sharp and alert beneath thick silver brows, and his long, white beard almost touched the floor.
"Detective Monroe," he said, voice gravelly yet calm. "I've been expecting you."
Amanda's breath caught. "You know who we are?"
The man smiled faintly. "Names and faces come and go, but the darkness you're chasing is eternal. I am called Elias, the Keeper of Secrets. I study objects and stories like this"—he gestured to the parchment Monroe held—"to understand the shadows that bind them."
Monroe nodded, setting the doll and parchment carefully on a worn wooden table. Elias picked up the note, holding it up to the flickering candlelight.
"These words," he murmured, "are a binding charm—old magic, from a time when wishes came with terrible prices."
He traced the words with a delicate finger.
"'Wish. Obey. Become.' Simple, yet potent. The child wishes for something, the collector gains obedience, and in time, the child becomes part of the collector's eternal collection."
Amanda swallowed hard. "So Mira… she's trapped?"
"More than trapped," Elias said. "Her soul is tethered to the doll's realm. The collector harvests youth and hope like a gardener harvesting fruit. The parchment is the key to her power."
Shawn clenched his fists. "How do we break it? How do we save Mira?"
Elias's eyes grew serious. "The charm can be broken, but only if the child's will is stronger than the collector's spell. And if those who love her can sever the collector's hold by confronting her in both worlds."
Monroe looked at the doll again. "How do we find the other world?"
Elias sighed. "That is the question. The collector hides her lair behind illusions and grief. You'll need more than courage—you'll need a way to bridge the gap between realms."
He reached under the counter and pulled out an old, leather-bound book, its pages yellowed and brittle.
"This contains rituals and protections used by those who fought similar darknesses before. But beware—the collector will not go quietly."
Amanda looked at Monroe and Shawn. "We have to try our best ." Elias volunteered to join even before they could ask.
Monroe nodded. "Then we start tonight."
Outside, the rain intensified, as if the world itself was holding its breath.