The Secret City of Games

By BOUMMI

"The Secret City of Games" follows Leo and Maya, two children who stumble upon a mysterious, glowing map leading them to Aethelburg, a hidden city brimming with magical games. As they play, facing challenges of courage, friendship, and imagination, they uncover Aethelburg's forgotten history—a city born from a lonely child's belief, now dormant due to fear. Their journey culminates in the startling realization that they are the key to reawakening Aethelburg, not by winning a final game, but by reigniting the city's spirit through their shared belief, becoming its new guardians and carrying its magic back into their own world.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BOUMMI
• Release date: Oct 9, 2025
• ISBN: 9798232340100

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Secret City of Games

The Whispering Woods and the Fading Map

Leo traced the intricate, almost invisible lines on the ancient parchment, his brow furrowed in concentration. The map, found tucked away in the forgotten attic of his grandmother’s sprawling, creaky house, hummed faintly with an energy he couldn’t quite name, a low thrumming that resonated in his fingertips. It wasn’t the kind of hum an old radio might make, but something far more ethereal, like a whisper against the silence of a deep, old forest. Dust motes danced in the slivers of sunlight piercing through the attic window, illuminating the forgotten treasures around him, but Leo’s gaze remained fixed on the enigmatic drawing.

The edges of the map were frayed and softened with age, the once vibrant inks now faded to subtle, earthy tones of sepia and charcoal. A curious symbol, resembling a stylized, interwoven compass rose and a blooming flower, marked its very center, glowing with a barely perceptible, inner light. This was no ordinary treasure map, Leo instinctively knew. This felt like a doorway to something extraordinary, something pulled directly from the pages of the fantastical adventure books he devoured late into the night. It felt... important.

Beside him, Maya, ever the pragmatist, leaned closer, her usually skeptical eyes wide with an unusual glint of wonder. Her sleek, dark hair, usually meticulously braided, had escaped its confines, framing a face usually reserved for assessing logical problems. Even she, with her unwavering dedication to facts and figures, seemed captivated by the silent power emanating from the parchment. The dust motes seemed to swirl a little faster around them, catching the light like tiny, fragmented stars.

It looks... old, Maya murmured, her voice uncharacteristically soft, betraying a hint of awe. She reached out a hesitant finger, tracing a path that snaked through what looked like a dense, stylized forest. The line felt cool beneath her touch, sending a shiver of anticipation down her spine, a strange sensation for someone who rarely indulged in whimsy. This map was definitely unlike any she had seen, or any antique she had cataloged during her summer research projects.

Leo nodded slowly, his heart quickening its pace. More than old, Maya. It feels... alive. He pointed to a small, illegible inscription at the bottom, written in a script neither of them recognized, a series of looping, elegant characters that seemed to shift and dance if you stared at them too long. It was as if the language itself held secrets, whispering tales of forgotten eras and unimaginable wonders. The attic suddenly felt less dusty and more like a gateway.

The map depicted a sprawling landscape, rendered in exquisite detail despite its age. Towering, gnarled trees with impossibly wide canopies dominated one section, labelled simply The Whispering Woods. Further on, a shimmering, impossible lake, its surface rippling with an ethereal glow, was marked The Lake of Echoes. At the very heart, where the compass-flower symbol pulsed, was a blank space, tantalizingly empty, as if the destination itself was too grand to be fully drawn.

A strange scent, like damp earth mixed with a hint of something floral and electric, wafted through the attic. It was a smell that spoke of hidden places and ancient magic, stirring a deep, primal curiosity within them both. Leo took a deep, shaky breath, the scent filling his lungs, awakening senses he hadn’t known he possessed. This was more than just an old map; it was an invitation, a challenge, a beckoning finger from an unseen world.

Do you think it’s real? Maya asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes still scanning every intricate detail. The question hung in the air between them, heavy with unspoken possibility and burgeoning excitement. It was a question born of both hope and a lingering, scientific skepticism, a battle waged within her logical mind against the undeniable pull of the map’s magic. The answer, they both knew, would change everything.

Leo met her gaze, his eyes shining with a mixture of fear and unadulterated joy. I think... we have to find out. His voice was firm, resolute, echoing the conviction that had suddenly blossomed within him. The world beyond the attic walls, the mundane world of summer homework and predictable routines, suddenly seemed dull and colorless compared to the vibrant promise of the fading parchment. An adventure was calling, clear as a bell.

The very next morning, armed with backpacks filled with snacks, water bottles, and their shared sense of daring, they set off. The sun was a hesitant orb in the sky, casting long, distorted shadows as they walked. The air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of dew-kissed grass and distant pine. They had studied the faded map meticulously, comparing its landmarks to the familiar woods bordering their small, quiet town. The map seemed to align, impossibly, with the paths they knew.

Their journey began at the edge of the Whispering Woods, a place locals usually avoided, whispering tales of lost hikers and strange, unsettling