The team arrived at Liam's house, relieved to be farther away from the cursed palace. They opened the doors wide, letting in fresh air and bright sunlight.
Each member picked a room and carefully hung their dreamcatchers above their beds, hoping for protection.
Liam smiled. "At least here, we're safer."
Yui nodded quietly. "We need to be extra careful—and honest with each other. Especially about what Grandma might be hiding."
Akiko looked thoughtfully out the window. "If we want to break the curse, we have to uncover the whole truth, no matter how dark it is."
Ethan stood in the doorway, gazing at the sky. "This is just the beginning. The curse and the mystery are deeper than we imagined."
---
Back inside the room, the four of them—Liam, Yui, Akiko, and Ethan—gathered around the old leather-bound book. Their faces showed confusion and worry.
Ethan flipped through the pages slowly. "We've read everything carefully, but nothing matches what's really happening."
Liam frowned. "What if the book is fake? Or maybe someone is trying to mislead us."
Yui whispered, "Could Grandma be hiding something? She says the curse doesn't touch us during the day, but with the fake grandma, maybe that's not true."
Akiko nodded. "The fake grandma... Maybe there's more going on than she's told us."
The four shared uneasy glances.
Ethan sighed. "We're missing pieces. Maybe Grandma is keeping secrets that could help or harm us."
A gentle breeze blew through the window, carrying the faint scent of pine and mystery.