Romania 1999 …

The man woke up with a start. He was drenched in sweat. The dreadful "thing" was happening now. Oh! So fast. He slowly breathed in and out, and sat down, facing a mirror. The man was in a little room. The room was dark, heavily guarded with soldiers outside and completely locked up. He turned from the mirror and faced the other end, deep in his thoughts.

He contemplated within himself to give in to what he heard, just before dozing off; that he was to be killed in a few minutes! He had been locked up for the past two years and his fate had been decided. A question popped into his head; Should he do it? These people don't understand what's going on, he thought. The said people had misunderstood his prophesy, well it had been decided and there was no turning back. But who would blame them? His prophesy had been about a female, who would come but, would lose her mother in the process. Thinking the female was the king's daughter, he had told his best friend, Erica. But waking up from this vision, everything now seemed clear. It wasn't the king's daughter. It was something different and much more dangerous. What would he do? There was only one answer to that: correct the prophesy.

The man was very sure about what he had seen. This was the true prophesy and then pass it to someone he trusted. He wondered if it was right for him to pass it to his trusted student, who was just 15 years old. Erica was no longer with them, she had gone to the world beyond. Who then was the best option to pass on his message? The man wasn't prepared when the soldiers had apprehended him, two years ago. But who had sold him out? No one else knew right? He had made sure. Only Erica knew and she would never betray him. Oh! Magnus came to his thoughts, his 15-year-old son. Could it be his son? He had heard of some unpleasant things his son did. There was no love lost between father and son. At fifteen, Magnus had always been against his principles and his student always tried to correct his son's wrongs. But one thing the man was sure of; his son would never be against him to the extent of wanting him dead , so who was it?

He just sat thinking. Well… if he didn't pass it down to someone, the true prophesy would die with him. People needed to be warned. There was no pen to write, so he opted to use his blood. There were two sheets of paper right by him and he wrote:

"The end has just begun! A flower; a score and four, from sun set, paves way for the beast through the pil. Gasum and wit evades it. Take heed!"

The man didn't want to spell it out, for fear it fell into the wrong hands. Only the right person would understand it. His friends had been banned from seeing him in prison. How then, would he pass on the prophesy? There was no other way, but to wait. He did just that. Minutes passed then,

"Theophilus?" A whispering voice called out. The man's back stilled in shock. It wasn't possible. How did his close student walk past the guards? Wow! A very good talent at sneaking.

"Adrain." He called back, smiling. At least he would give the paper to the teenager.

"There's something you want to give to me teacher, I do not have time." Adrain said hurriedly as he coughed.

"Yes Adrain," Theophilus said as he walked towards the gate of his little room, to meet Adrain. The room was dimly lit and so couldn't clearly see Adrain's face. He was in a hoodie. "This might be my last time talking with you."

"Why do you say that teacher? You're on trial, it's going to be okay." He coughed again.

"I overhead the soldiers saying that. Moreover, what happened to your voice Adrain?"

"I inhaled a gas, as I sneaked in here teacher."

"It will be okay."

"Sure, so how about what you said you would give to me?"

"Oh … but I never said anything about giving something to you. How did it occur to you that I would?"

"I know Theophilus, you have been my teacher, there was something you wanted passing on to me before the soldiers apprehended you."

"Okay Adrain, that prophesy has changed, I wrote down the new one."

"And what does it say?" Theophilus smiled to himself. His student was always eager to learn. A very good trait. As he and Adrain were still talking, movements were heard.

"I think it's the soldiers, they are coming to take me. Promise me this will not fall into wrong hands." Theophilus said holding Adrain's hands. His student knew what "wrong hands" meant.

"I promise Theophilus." So the man went back to where he first sat and took the note written in his own blood. He handed it to Adrain.

As he did this, things happened so fast. As the student stretched his hands to take the note, Theophilus saw a sign on his wrist; "PrE". This wasn't Adrain , who was this? The movements from outside got closer.

"Who the hell are you?" Theophilus was furious, he had been played.

"Its me." The person removed his hood and came to a little source of light. And what he saw almost paralysed him. The fake Adrain smiled evilly at Theophilus' expression.

"Farewell teacher." He said and whisked off so fast, the man could only blink.

Theophilus now alone, closed his eyes for a moment and reopened them, this time, smiling. He already knew who it was. The liar wasn't smart and wanted painting someone else black. He hoped his furious expression looked real. He had given the false prophesy to the liar and held the true one. And so, Theophilus sat down on the floor waiting. It was in this position the soldiers met him. They bound him hands and feet, and led him to be condemned.

The boy who had pretended to be Adrain, removed his mask as he walked. He had deceived the old man. Smiling, he remembered the look of betrayal on the man. So hilarious, let the old man think it was someone else who had betrayed him, he thought. Theophilus might escape death, so no one would suspect him. No one would know it was actually him who had done it…

************

Far away, in San Diego, at that same time, a woman was in the delivery room. She felt very tired, had used all her energy to push the baby. It had felt like ages. At last, the cry of a baby was heard. The woman breathed in softly.

"Oh such a lovely baby." One of the nurses who attended to the woman said.

"Let me feel him." The lady said slowly and weakly.

"Okay … but it's not a him, it's a her." Said the nurse.

"Oh…her …"

The nurses laughed softly as the baby was handed over to the woman.

"My sweet baby … mummy loves you." She said to the crying baby. And that was it. She didn't move, went still.

"Oh so sad … hush little one." The nurses said, doing their best to calm the baby, when they realised the woman had passed on.

"She came alone right?" The same nurse asked.

"She came with her sister, I guess. They really look alike." The other nurses replied.

"Its okay my poor baby," The nurse said. "I will ask to raise her."

The other nurses nodded sadly and then a sound broke the silence.

"Oh no …"