Ethan woke to a bright, sun-filled morning, the warmth streaming through his window a stark contrast to the darkness that had shrouded his night. He stretched, feeling the fatigue of last night still clinging to his body. His mind, however, remained razor-sharp, replaying the events of the previous night.
The symbol on Julian's wrist and his windowsill continued to haunt him. Ethan's thoughts lingered on the Mesopotamian mythology book, wondering if he would ever uncover a crucial clue.
As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, his gaze fell upon the book, still open on the floor. The yellowed pages seemed to glow in the morning light, inviting him to continue his research.
Ethan rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his mind racing with possibilities. He needed to talk to Lena, share his findings, and see if she had discovered anything. The memory of Julian's enigmatic smile lingered, fueling Ethan's determination.
With renewed purpose, Ethan began his morning routine, the familiar rituals providing a sense of comfort. As he showered and dressed, his thoughts never strayed far from the mystery.
Downstairs, his dad had bin using the coffee maker, filling the morning air with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Ethan walked down the stairs, holding his laptop in his hand. He went straight towards the coffee maker, took out a mug near the rack and poured himself some coffee, feeling the rich flavors revitalize his senses.
Ethan, although now full awake, didn't realize that he was late for school.
He settled at his kitchen table, laptop open, ready to dive deeper into the symbol's secrets. His fingers flew across the keyboard, searching for connections between Nimrud's Seal and the Devouring Dark. Ethan still wasn't aware that he had to go to school instead he sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee and researching.
Just as Ethan was getting absorbed by his research, footsteps approached. His mother, dressed in her usual warm smile and a hint of concern, entered the kitchen.
"Ethan, honey, you've been up all night, haven't you?" She glanced at the scattered books and notes. " You didn't even eat yesterday ", she added.
Ethan hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. He wasn't too sure how his parents would react, so he decided not to say anything about it.
"Just researching for a project, Mom. I actually forgot about the food. Sorry about that ", Ethan responded smiling profusely.
His mother's eyes narrowed as she gazed upon him, sitting at the kitchen table, wearing house clothes. She became confused and eventually muttered
" Ethan, you know you have school today, don't you? "
Ethan's gaze dropped, realizing he'd lost track of time.
" Shit! ", he exclaimed as he looked towards the clock and noticed that it was already 50 minutes past 7
" I'll be down in a second ", he assured knowing very well it was possible. Atleast he had freshened up so all he needed to do was to put on some clothes for school.
His father, sipping coffee beside his mother, chimed in:
" Stop this behavior of yours Ethan, you can't keep skipping school. You need to focus on your studies, not just this...hobby of yours ".
" I'll go prepare... "
" ... Go quickly!! Do you want to lose your scholarship? "
" Huh ", his Mom gasped," He won't lose it dear, calm down ", she said trying to calm down.
" I hope so ", his Dad says responding to his Mother.
Ethan felt a sudden surge of frustration. They didn't understand and they wouldn't have been able to understand either. This wasn't just a hobby; it was a mystery that needed unraveling. It was like he was living in a mystery and he was the detective that would uncover it.
"I'll go, Dad. I promise." Ethan reassured in order to reignite the hope they had in him.
His mother's expression softened. "We just want what's best for you, sweetie. Get ready, and we'll talk about this later."
Ethan nodded, reluctantly closing his laptop.
As Ethan headed upstairs to get ready, his mind still seemed to run around the symbol, Nimrud's Seal, and the Devouring Dark. His mind never seemed to think of something else. He couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out.
Just as he reached the top step, that would lead him to his room, his phone buzzed. It was a text from an unknown number:
" They're watching you, Ethan. Drop the investigation."
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Who was this? How did they know?
It was easy to figure out now, that he was being watched.
With trembling hands, Ethan typed out a response; looking around in hope to see who was watching him.
"Who is this?"
No reply came
Instead, the screen went dark, leaving Ethan staring at the ominous message.
" Why won't they give me answers? ", Ethan asked himself.
Then his phone buzzed again
" You're not ready, Ethan "
" I don't care about my readiness, I need answers! ", Ethan demanded.
Bzzzz bzzzz
" Be careful with what you say, Ethan "
Suddenly, the lights in the hallway began to flicker. Ethan's breath caught in his throat.
"What's going on?" his mother called out from downstairs.
Ethan's voice barely above a whisper, "I don't know."
The flickering stopped, plunging the hallway into an eerie silence.
Ethan's heart pounded in anticipation. What was coming next?