The underground tunnel fell into complete silence.

Ryan could hear nothing except his own heartbeat.

Above them, heavy footsteps echoed through the old house.

One man spoke.

“Split up.”

“Search every room.”

“The diary must not leave this house.”

Oliver quickly switched off the small lantern.

Darkness swallowed the underground chamber.

Mrs. Martha whispered,

“Don’t make a sound.”

Ryan hugged the black diary against his chest.

He had no idea why strangers wanted it so badly, but one thing was certain.

It was far more valuable than money.

---

A loud crash echoed from upstairs.

Someone had kicked open a door.

Another man shouted,

“Nothing here!”

Ryan slowly crawled behind a pile of old wooden boxes.

Oliver pointed toward a narrow tunnel at the far end of the basement.

“Emergency exit.”

Ryan frowned.

“There’s another way out?”

Oliver nodded.

“My grandfather built it during the war.”

Mrs. Martha smiled.

“I told you this house had secrets.”

Ryan whispered,

“I’m starting to think this house has more secrets than walls.”

Even Mrs. Martha couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

---

The footsteps above became louder.

Dust began falling from the ceiling.

Someone was walking directly above them.

Ryan carefully opened the black diary.

The first page was covered with beautiful old handwriting.

January 17, 1978.

If anyone is reading this…

My name is Detective Henry Blackwood.

If I fail… innocent people will die.

Ryan’s eyes widened.

He turned the page.

There were maps.

Photographs.

Newspaper cuttings.

Names connected by red ink.

It looked like Detective Blackwood had spent years investigating something.

“What is it?” Oliver whispered.

Ryan pointed toward one page.

Across the center, one sentence had been written in large letters.

The Ghost Doesn’t Haunt The House.

The House Protects The Secret.

Ryan looked confused.

“What does that even mean?”

Before anyone could answer…

A loud metallic noise echoed through the tunnel.

Someone had discovered the hidden staircase.

“They found the entrance.”

Oliver whispered urgently.

“We have to move.”

---

The three of them hurried through the narrow escape tunnel.

It was so small they had to bend while walking.

Spider webs covered the walls.

The air smelled old and damp.

Ryan kept the diary safely inside his backpack.

As they walked, they noticed strange markings carved into the stone walls.

Circles.

Triangles.

Numbers.

Mrs. Martha stopped suddenly.

“I’ve seen these symbols before.”

“Where?”

“In my husband’s old notebook.”

Ryan looked surprised.

“Your husband knew about this place?”

Mrs. Martha nodded slowly.

“He worked with Detective Blackwood.”

Ryan and Oliver stared at her.

“You never told us that.”

“Because I promised never to.”

“But promises become difficult when people start breaking into houses.”

---

Suddenly…

Oliver bumped into something.

“Ouch.”

Ryan pointed the flashlight forward.

Standing in the middle of the tunnel…

Was a life-sized clown statue.

It wore a bright red nose.

A colorful hat.

And an enormous painted smile.

Ryan laughed nervously.

“Please tell me that’s decoration.”

Oliver shook his head.

“I’ve never seen it before.”

Mrs. Martha walked closer.

“Wait…”

She noticed a small sign hanging around the statue’s neck.

It read…

Smile Before You Continue.

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

“That’s oddly specific.”

Oliver grinned.

“Well…”

He gave the statue the biggest smile he could.

Nothing happened.

Ryan laughed.

“My turn.”

He smiled.

Still nothing.

Mrs. Martha rolled her eyes.

“You two look ridiculous.”

The moment she accidentally smiled…

CLICK!

The clown’s head slowly turned.

A hidden stone door opened beside them.

Ryan burst out laughing.

“I can’t believe…”

“The secret door only opens if someone smiles.”

Oliver folded his arms proudly.

“See?”

“Even this house has a sense of humor.”

---

Beyond the hidden door…

They discovered a small underground office.

Everything inside had remained untouched for decades.

An old wooden desk.

A typewriter.

Shelves filled with dusty files.

And dozens of framed photographs hanging on the wall.

Ryan’s flashlight stopped on one photograph.

He froze.

The picture showed Detective Henry Blackwood standing outside House Number 13.

Beside him…

Was a little boy.

Ryan looked closer.

The boy looked strangely familiar.

Oliver stepped beside him.

“What is it?”

Ryan pointed at the picture.

“Doesn’t this child look like…”

Before he could finish…

Mrs. Martha gasped.

“Oh no…”

Ryan turned.

“What happened?”

She was staring at another photograph.

Her hands were shaking.

It showed four people.

Detective Henry Blackwood.

Mrs. Martha’s late husband.

A young Oliver.

And…

A man whose face had been completely scratched out with a knife.

Only one sentence was written underneath.

Never Trust The Fourth Man.

At that exact moment…

A loud gunshot echoed somewhere above the tunnel.

Everyone jumped.

Then came a voice.

“We found them.”

Ryan’s heart nearly stopped.

Someone had discovered the secret room.

And this time…

The intruders weren’t planning to leave empty-handed.