Great! 😄 Here's **Chapter 3 – "Secrets of the Past"** in its full literary form: ---

 

## **Chapter 3: Secrets of the Past**

Lena spent the entire day in the city archives, sifting through hundreds of old documents, maps, and books that had languished in dusty shelves for decades. The city of Skalin held more secrets than anyone had suspected – ancient alchemical societies, secret literary clubs, chemical and mystical experiments that modern science refused to acknowledge.

"These notes…" Lena murmured, running her finger across the yellowed pages. "They're not just history. Someone from the past left clues… as if they knew someone would decipher them someday."

The most disturbing were the chronicles of one of the alchemists, who described a "shadow passage" – a ritual intended to enable the transfer of life energy between people. There was no literary fantasy involved – the detailed descriptions of chemical substances, precise moonlight hours, and runic symbols formed a pattern that could be recreated in the present.

“So it’s no coincidence…” Lena said, looking at Mark, who had accompanied her into the archives. “The new perpetrator didn’t come up with this from scratch. Someone had been planning the next phase of the rituals for a long time.”

At the same time, Lena discovered a map of the city marked with old ruins, warehouses, and underground passages. Most of the places were now abandoned, but their locations corresponded to the points where victims began experiencing strange nightmares and visions.

“It’s like a game…” Lena murmured, pointing at the map. “But someone knows my every move. Every step I take in the city… and they’re leading me exactly where they want.”

Deep in the archives, Lena also found letters from former members of the literature club. They were written in tiny handwriting, full of alchemical symbols and ciphers. One of the letters caught her eye:

> "Shadows never leave. Only those who know the past can tame them. But will courage be enough to prevent themselves from becoming part of the pattern?"

Lena felt a chill run through her. This was no coincidence – someone from the past had left warnings that now took on significance in the present.

"We must move on..." Lena said to Marek, tucking the documents into her bag. "This is only the beginning. The past of Skalin holds dark secrets that could change everything."

As they left the archives, the city was enveloped in an ominous silence, as if the very air were holding its breath for what was to come. Lena knew one thing: to stop the rituals and protect the inhabitants, she must first understand the ancient shadows that had roamed the streets of Skalin for centuries.

--

I can now immediately write **Chapter 4 – "Old Club, New Threat"**, introducing a new antagonist and the first actions of the modern group continuing the rituals.

Do you want me to continue?