The soft hum of Meilin's phone broke the stillness of the room. She blinked, sitting by the window as the last rays of the afternoon sun stretched across her living room. The golden retriever, Yuvi, lay beside her, snoring softly as if he hadn't a care in the world.

With a sigh, Meilin picked up her phone and saw Mira's name flash across the screen. She smiled faintly. Mira always seemed to be surrounded by her own chaotic energy, a whirlwind of words and laughter that Meilin couldn't help but find comforting.

"Hey, Mira," Meilin answered, her voice calm, though she could already hear Mira's excited chatter on the other end.

"Meilin! You answered! Finally!" Mira's voice bubbled with enthusiasm. "I was starting to think you'd ghost me!"

Meilin chuckled softly. "I was just...busy. What's up?"

"I was trying to figure out those old riddles from the book!" Mira's voice was a mix of excitement and frustration. "You know, the ones from that ancient language. The ones I've been working on forever."

Meilin's smile faded slightly. The riddles had become a silent, creeping reminder of the past. Something about them didn't sit right. "The ones from the old book? How's that going?"

"I'm almost there," Mira said, her voice dropping into a more serious tone. "I've got most of it deciphered, but...I need to read through the rest of it with someone. Just to be sure I'm not missing anything important. Could you come over? I think we might be able to figure out what the riddles are really pointing to."

Meilin hesitated. She had a million things to do, but something about Mira's urgency tugged at her. "Sure," she said finally. "Give me a bit, and I'll be there."

As the call ended, Meilin stood and stretched, yawning quietly. Yuvi looked up at her, his big, brown eyes filled with calm, unspoken trust. She gave him a pat on the head and whispered, "You wanna go on a little adventure, boy?"

Yuvi thumped his tail softly, as if he understood every word.

The drive to Mira's house wasn't long, but it felt like Meilin was going back in time, to a place where everything seemed simpler, quieter. The ancient riddles had been lurking in the shadows of their minds, but now it felt as though they were clawing their way into the present.

When she arrived, Mira greeted her at the door, looking as chaotic as ever. A mountain of books sat on the coffee table, each one looking as ancient as the riddles themselves. The air smelled faintly of coffee and something sweet-Mira had clearly been in research mode all day.

"Meilin! You made it!" Mira pulled her inside, almost knocking over a stack of papers. "Come on, sit down. Coffee?"

"Always," Meilin replied with a small smile, sitting on the couch. Yuvi lay down beside her, his tail thumping gently.

Mira bustled around the kitchen, pouring two cups of coffee, mumbling to herself about how complicated everything had become. Meilin leaned back and let the sound of Mira's rambling wash over her. It was comforting in a strange way-Mira's energy always did have that effect.

"Here," Mira said, handing Meilin a mug. "Black, just the way you like it. No sugar, no cream. Because you're mysterious like that."

Meilin laughed softly. "Thanks, Mira."

They sat in silence for a moment, sipping their coffee, the only sound Yuvi's quiet breaths.

"I think something's missing," Mira said, breaking the silence. "The book. The ancient one with the riddles. It was right here-where I left it last night." She gestured to the table, where the book had been sitting. "But now... it's gone."

Meilin blinked, setting her coffee down. "Gone? Are you sure?"

Mira stood and paced the room, her hands moving in quick, distracted motions. "I'm sure. I left it here, opened to the last page. I checked everything." She stopped suddenly, turning to Meilin. "Do you think someone took it?"

Meilin frowned, trying to suppress a chill. "But who? No one comes here..."

Mira sighed and sank back into her chair. "Exactly. It's not like the book could walk off on its own." She ran a hand through her disheveled hair. "I feel like... something's watching. Something's always been watching."

Meilin glanced at Yuvi, who lay quietly, his ears perked slightly. For a moment, it felt like the air itself was holding its breath.

A sudden noise from the garden made both of them jump. Yuvi's head snapped toward the window, his tail now stiff.

"What was that?" Meilin whispered.

"I don't know," Mira replied, her voice trembling slightly. "But... maybe it's just the wind."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Meilin nodded, forcing herself to break the tension. "Let's take a look."

The two of them walked to the back door, the creak of the floorboards loud in the quiet. Meilin opened it slowly, the cool night air rushing in. They stepped outside, the garden bathed in soft moonlight.

The trees swayed gently, their leaves rustling like whispers. Yuvi padded along beside them, his ears twitching with every sound.

Mira frowned and glanced at Meilin. "I could have sworn I saw-"

A flicker of movement caught Meilin's eye. In the distance, behind a bush, something small and dangerously fluffy moved.

"Wait," Meilin murmured, stepping forward.

She moved closer, her breath quickening. The rustling sound grew louder, but when she reached the spot, the figure was gone. Disappeared.

Meilin took a shaky breath, stepping back inside. She could feel Mira's eyes on her as they shut the door behind them.

Back in the living room, the flickering light of the candles reflected off the empty space where the ancient book had once sat.

Mira rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath. "I feel like we're missing something. Something huge."

Meilin nodded, her mind racing. The riddles-whatever they were-were still waiting. And now, with the book gone, they felt more elusive than ever.

As Mira gathered the books scattered around her, Meilin's gaze fell on a strange shadow that flickered at the corner of the room. For a moment, she thought she saw movement-something that didn't quite fit into the quiet, ordinary space.

But then it was gone, leaving only an unsettling void behind.

Meilin tightened her grip on her mug, her heartbeat quickening.
Something wasn't right.
And she knew it.

Mira broke the silence once more. "We'll figure it out," she said, though her voice wavered. "We have to."

Meilin didn't respond. Her eyes stayed fixed on the empty spot where the book had been. That feeling-the one that had been gnawing at her since the riddles had begun-had only grown stronger.

Something was watching.
Something was missing.
And neither Meilin nor Mira could shake the sensation that
the truth was just beyond their reach.