Great! 😄 Here's **Chapter 7 – "The Cost of Knowledge"** in its full literary form: ---

 

## **Chapter 7: The Cost of Knowledge**

Lena felt the weight of night in the air as she returned to the streets of Skalin. The Maze of Dreams had left scars on her – both mental and emotional. Nightmares still haunted her, and every shadow seemed to be watching her movements.

"This isn't just an investigation anymore," she murmured to Marek, who was riding alongside in an old police car. "This is a game I can't afford to make a mistake in."

The new victims were linked to ritual locations from the alchemist's old journals. Lena discovered that the antagonist chose people based on their ability to absorb knowledge, intelligence, and sensitivity – each was "part of a pattern," an experiment conducted with surgical precision.

"See those patterns on the map?" Lena pointed to a diagram of the old and new rituals. "Each dot corresponds to a person whose life is in danger. Each symbol is a riddle, the solution of which will cost someone their life."

Crime in the city had taken on a new, subtle form – disappearances, strange illnesses, hallucinations, and symbols on the bodies of young people. Lena knew that every decision required extreme caution. She also understood that the cost of her knowledge and intuition could be the life of a loved one.

Among the missing was her old friend, Marta. Lena felt a sudden surge of panic – if she didn't solve the mystery quickly, Marta would become another victim of the ritual.

"I can't let her die," Lena whispered, her hands clenching the steering wheel. "The cost of this knowledge may be greater than I ever imagined."

That same evening, Lena stumbled upon a mysterious package at her doorstep. Inside was a small box containing a fragment of a city map, runic symbols, and a note:

> "Sometimes knowledge is a burden too heavy to bear. Choose wisely if you want to survive."

Lena realized that the antagonist wasn't just testing her abilities, but also her morality. Every decision, every answer to the code, every clue—everything had consequences.

"The cost of knowledge..." she repeated mentally. "But if I'm to save Marta and the others, I can't go back."

The fog enveloped the city again, and Lena felt the time for action approaching. The game was becoming increasingly dangerous, and the shadow of Skalin's past was beginning to creep into the present with full force.

--

I can now write **Chapter 8 – "The Ritual's Climax"**, where the tension reaches a breaking point and Lena faces a dramatic confrontation.

Would you like me to continue?