THE SHORELINE PROPHECY

I had my fill and took the porridge upstairs, the warmth of the bowl comforting against my hands. The silence of the house felt thick, almost oppressive, as if it were waiting for something to break it.

When I opened the door, I found Uncle James still in bed, his eyes close and his breathing steady. I placed the porridge on the table beside him and sat on the edge on the bed, watching him for a moment. I felt a wave of exhaustion, the kind that sank deep into your bones, but I couldn't afford to rest yet.

I had to keep Ruth away from him, keep her from the dark whispers of Assey that still echoed in her mind. As much as she claimed to be free, I couldn't let my guard down. The thought of Ruth slipping back into his control sent a chill through me.

I glanced at Ruth, still lying unconcious on the floor. The heaviness of her words lingered in my mind. A prophecy? My mind spun with the implications of it. If my Father is truly behind this, if he feared the prophecy….. What did it mean for me? Was I the one who was meant to fulfill it?

I stood up and walked over to the window, pulling back the curtains just enough to see outside. The day had already began to fade, casting long shadows across the yard. It felt as though the world was holding it's breath, waiting for something to happen, for some kind of change.

And I feared that change might come faster than I was ready for.

I heard a groan and quickly went near Uncle James.

"What's going on? How long have I slept?" He mumbled, placing his palm on his throbbing head. I helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water.

"Thank you Ruth" he said.

I blinked confused. "It's Anaya, not Ruth." His eyes fluttered open fully, meeting mine with surprise. He looked at me carefully, as if trying to process the situation.

"Uncle, we're in great danger. My father—Assey— is using everyone as a pawn in his game. Would you believe me if I told you he's Ruth's Uncle?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.

Uncle James eyes darkened. His face hardened. I hoped for a flicker of belief, some sign that he understood. But instead, I received a sharp doubtful glare. I sighed and held his arm.

"I know it's hard to believe. But there's more. Ruth…Ruth told me something important. She mentioned a Prophecy. A prophecy about me." I paused, letting the weight of the words sink in. "My father is afraid of the prophecy. He's trying to stop it from coming true. And it involves me. If I don't stop him, he might end up taking my life .He might control Ruth to harm me ."

The air seemed to freeze as I finished speaking. For a moment, Uncle James said nothing, his face unreadable. Then, he shook his head. "Ruth hasn't even recovered from her burns, and you're already involving her into something related to that wicked man?" His voice laced with disbelief.

"No, Uncle! Ruth fainted, and I don't know what exactly happened, but she told me that's she's Assey's niece. She admitted she was on a mission to bring me to him. Have you truly lost trust in me?" I asked trembling while wiping the streak of tears on my face and continued. "I'm in danger but. I see all you care about is Ruth."

He raised his head and looked at me while rubbing his hands on his forehead before saying "let's wait for Ruth to wake up. We'll ask her ourselves.

My heart sank. He didn't understand.He didn't see what I saw.

And worse —he didn't know that when Ruth woke up, she might not be the same. Would it be her own mind this time? Or under Assey's control?

I clenched my fists, my thoughts racing. If Assey had regained control over her, she would deny everything. And uncle James would believe her.

I swallowed hard. I had to prepare, because if Ruth woke up under Assey's control again, I might loose my only chance to prove the truth.

I looked down and replied "Okay, let's wait for her."

Uncle James looked at me and said something "I know Assey very well and I know he's in to harm you.

Relief washed over me as I calmed down. Even though that's not exactly what I needed to hear, I was assured. Before I could speak again, a groan interrupted us. We turned to see Ruth stirring, her eye lids fluttering.