The Dusty Corner Discovery

Rohin pushed his glasses up his nose as he wandered through the narrow aisles of Bookmark Corner, Mountain City's oldest bookshop. The afternoon sun streamed through tall windows, casting dancing shadows across towers of books that reached nearly to the ceiling.

"Looking for anything special today?" asked Mrs. Chen, the shop owner, her silver hair pinned back with a pencil.

"Something adventurous," Rohin said, running his fingers along the spines. "Maybe mountain climbing or exploring caves."

Mrs. Chen smiled. "Third shelf from the bottom, way in the back corner. There might be something perfect for you there."

Rohin squeezed between two bookcases and found himself in a forgotten corner where dust motes floated like tiny dancers. His hand stopped on a leather-bound book with no title on its cover. The moment he touched it, the book felt oddly warm.

He opened to the first page and read: "Chapter One: The Treacherous Ascent of Mount Kalar." His heart skipped—this was exactly what he'd been hoping for.

When Words Come Alive

Rohin settled into the reading chair by the window and opened the mysterious book. The first sentence made his pulse quicken: "The ice cracked beneath Jakob's boots as he struggled up the final ridge of Mount Kalar."

He turned the page eagerly. "The storm hit without warning, howling winds threatening to tear him from the mountainside."

Suddenly, Rohin felt a sharp bite of cold air against his cheeks. He looked up, confused. The bookshop was warm and sunny just moments ago. Snow was falling outside the window now, thick and heavy.

"That's odd," he muttered, returning to the book. "Jakob's rope snapped, sending him sliding toward the deadly crevasse below."

The chair beneath Rohin lurched sideways. He grabbed the armrests as the floor seemed to tilt. His heart hammered as he realized he could smell pine trees and hear wind howling.

"Mrs. Chen!" he called out, but his voice sounded distant and echoing.

He looked down at the book again. The words were glowing faintly on the page. As he watched in amazement, new text appeared: "A young boy with glasses found himself trapped in the same perilous situation as Jakob."

Rohin's hands shook as he slammed the book shut.