Whispers In The Moonlight

The next day at school, I couldn't concentrate. My mind kept drifting back to the note we found at the observatory. Who had left it there? Why had they chosen me? And most importantly, what "truth" were they talking about?

"Earth to Eun-ji!" Hye-jin snapped her fingers in front of my face during lunch, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I blinked at her.

"You've been spacing out all morning," she said. "Let me guess—this is about Min-jun again?"

I shook my head. "It's not about Min-jun. Well, not entirely. It's... it's the journal."

Hye-jin raised an eyebrow. "The journal again? What happened this time?"

I glanced around, making sure no one was listening. Then I leaned closer and whispered, "Min-jun and I went to the old observatory last night. We found a note there."

Her eyes widened. "You what? And you didn't think to tell me about this sooner?!"

"Keep your voice down!" I hissed. "I didn't want anyone else to know. It's... it feels private, you know?"

Hye-jin looked at me for a long moment, then nodded. "Okay, I get it. But you can't keep me in the dark forever, Eun-ji. I'm your best friend. If something weird is going on, I want to help."

---

After school, Min-jun and I met up again to discuss our next move. We sat under the oak tree in the park, the journal open between us.

"Who do you think left the note?" I asked him.

He frowned, his fingers tracing the edge of the page. "I don't know. But whoever it was, they wanted you to find it. Maybe they know something about the journal's origins."

"Or maybe they're leading us into some kind of trap," I said, shivering at the thought.

Min-jun reached out and took my hand, his touch steadying me. "If it's a trap, we'll face it together. I promise."

His words gave me the courage I needed.

---

That evening, Min-jun and I decided to follow the next clue in the journal. It was another riddle, just as cryptic as the last:

"In the place where the past meets the present, look for the mark of the crescent."

"What do you think it means?" I asked, staring at the words until my eyes hurt.

Min-jun tilted his head, deep in thought. "The past meeting the present... it could be somewhere historic. Maybe a museum or an old building."

"And the 'mark of the crescent'?"

"That sounds like it could be a symbol. Maybe something shaped like a crescent moon."

We spent hours brainstorming and searching online for possible locations, but nothing seemed to fit. Just as I was about to give up, Min-jun's face lit up with an idea.

"The old library!" he said.

"What about it?"

"It used to be a town hall before it was turned into a library," he explained. "That's where the past meets the present. And if I'm remembering correctly, there's a crescent moon design on the front doors."

I stared at him in awe. "How do you even know that?"

He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I've spent a lot of time there. Come on, let's check it out."

---

The library was quiet and almost eerie when we arrived. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the floor.

Min-jun led the way to the front doors, and sure enough, there was a faint crescent moon etched into the wood.

"Now what?" I asked.

He pointed to the journal. "Check for anything that might give us a hint about where to look."

I flipped through the pages until I found a small drawing of a bookshelf with an arrow pointing to the top.

"Looks like we need to find this shelf," I said, holding up the journal.

We wandered through the library, searching for the bookshelf in the drawing. Finally, we found it tucked away in a corner, almost hidden behind a row of chairs.

"Do you see anything?" Min-jun asked as I climbed up to check the top shelf.

At first, it seemed like there was nothing there. But then my fingers brushed against something small and metallic. I pulled it out and held it up to the light.

It was a key.

---

Dear Diary,

We found a key tonight. A real, honest-to-goodness key.

I don't know what it opens, but I know it's important. Min-jun thinks it's connected to the journal, and I trust him.

Every step we take, it feels like we're getting closer to something big. I just hope we're ready for whatever it is.

Love,

Eun