A mysterious sound emerges from a dimly lit room early one morning. An ancient wooden box engraved with Chinese characters starts shaking on a counter. Under the battered and scratched surface, centuries of secrets lie waiting. Its hinges creak as it reveals a book inside, a brown leather cover engraved with strange symbols. The cover flips open, and one by one, pages of thin papyrus fold over.

Trembling fills the room, warning of what lies ahead. Letters dance from the pages into the air, weaving the words: The Dilong Awakens. A cold mist engulfs the space. Seconds later, a golden key emerges and floats in the air. A sudden whirlwind of snow closes the book with a bang. The lid of the wooden box follows and catches the golden key on its surface.

All that remains in the room is silence.

An hour later, a young couple explores the streets of Chinatown, Washington DC.

Bert

@vanderpoel

Bert has not written a story.