Maximus's POV
I should have walked away. Closed the book. Left the room. Pretended I never saw it.
But I didn’t.
Because something deep inside me—something restless, and stubborn—refused to listen.
The red book sat in front of me, silent and heavy, the unlocked padlock hanging loose at its side. The faint mark on my thumb still stung from where my blood had fallen.
I stared at it for a long time, the only sound in the room the low hiss of the dying fire.
Don’t do it, a voice inside me whispered. Whatever’s inside—it’s not meant for you.
But I couldn’t stop.
My fingers brushed the edge of the cover. It was warm, almost alive beneath my touch. The warmth crept slowly into my skin, spreading up my wrist like a pulse.
My heart pounded harder with every second.
I drew in a slow brea
