the golden inscription

Noah stared at the book until sunrise. Each time he tried to focus on what he needed to do, his thoughts grew murky, as if something was clouding his mind.

As the first rays of light seeped through his window, he sighed and set the book aside.

He got up swiftly and headed to check on Talia.

On his way, he ran into his father in the hallway.

His father was preparing to head out to sea, but as soon as he noticed the exhaustion on Noah's face, he paused, his hands frozen on his belt, his expression tightening with concern.

"Noah, son, why are you up so early?" his father asked, his voice laced with worry as he took in the dark circles under Noah's eyes.

Noah forced a weak smile, dodging the weight of his thoughts. "I'm fine, Dad. Just a mild headache… I'm heading to the library with Khaled later."

But his father's gaze was unconvinced. His eyes flickered toward Talia's open door, where she remained asleep. Something about the scene unsettled him.

"Wait… why haven't you woken Talia yet?" he asked, his expression shifting to one of disbelief.

Noah hesitated, a flicker of unease crossing his face. "I… I couldn't wake her up. I thought she was just exhausted from the past few days… that maybe she needed the rest."

His father stiffened for a moment, then cast another glance at Talia's door before turning back to Noah, his eyes darkened with deep worry.

"Something's not right, Noah. Talia doesn't sleep this deeply for this long. Something unnatural is happening to her."

Then, after a long breath, his voice grew quiet but strained. "Do you know what's going on? Have you seen anything strange lately?"

Noah hesitated, his gaze drifting before he finally answered in a low voice. "I don't think so… but something is definitely off, Dad. Talia isn't herself. She's exhausted in a way that doesn't make sense, like… like she's fading away."

His father closed his eyes, as if the weight of Noah's words crushed something inside him.

After a moment, he looked at Noah and spoke with a sorrowful tenderness: "You know how much I loved your mother. Every time I look at you both, I remember the days we had together… I had hoped I'd never see those days return."

Noah's throat tightened, questions swirling in his mind. But his father continued.

"You two are everything to me, and every time I have doubts… every time I sense something wrong… I fear losing you both, just as I lost her."

Silence stretched between them before his father added, "But this time, I can't protect everyone on my own. The fear in my heart… it tells me you may be facing the same fate she did. And, Noah, you have a responsibility now."

Noah took a deep breath, his mind clouded with confusion and dread.

"Dad, what do you mean? Is there something we don't know?"

His father closed his eyes again, his voice trembling slightly. "Damn it… Maybe you haven't realized it yet, but something dark is creeping into your lives. Something is hunting you. I saw it in your mother's eyes… and now, I see it in Talia's."

As his father spoke, Noah felt the weight of his words pressing against his soul.

Deep down, he knew—things were about to become far more complicated than he had ever imagined.

His father exhaled slowly, as if each word freed him from an ancient burden.

"I've kept many things from you, but it's time you understand. The curse that plagued your mother… it came from that damned book. And now, time is running out.

You and Talia… you will bear the consequences of what happened."

Noah looked at his father, his eyes a mix of shock and fear.

He wanted to ask more—to understand why his father was only revealing this now—but the words stuck in his throat.

"But what about Talia? Does this mean she's cursed too?"

His father's face turned ghostly pale.

"I feel it. Even before you noticed, things have already begun. I can't explain it… but I know. There's something in my gut. I fear that what started with your mother… has come back for her.

And Talia… she's the next target."

Noah's chest tightened. The world around him suddenly felt much heavier.

He had been searching for answers about his mother's death.

But now, it was no longer just about the past.

Now, it was about survival.