Ancient Power

Ethan felt a shiver run down his spine as he finished reading the prophecy. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. An ancient civilization, predicting the return of an ancient power? It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel.

But as he looked around at Anna Maria and Professor Orion, he saw that they were just as stunned. The professor's eyes were wide with wonder, and Anna Maria's mouth was hanging open in shock.

"This is incredible," Professor Orion breathed. "The ancient civilization that wrote this prophecy was thought to be long extinct. And yet... and yet, it seems that their predictions have come true."

Ethan felt a sense of unease creeping up on him. He didn't like the feeling of being in the middle of something much bigger than himself.

"We need to tell Elara and Victor," Anna Maria said, snapping him out of his reverie. "They need to know what's going on."

But Ethan hesitated. He didn't know what to make of the prophecy, or what it meant for their own lives. And besides, there was something about it that seemed... personal.

"Wait," he said, holding up his hand. "I think we should keep this to ourselves for now."

Anna Maria's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't we tell them?"

Ethan hesitated. "I don't know if they'll believe us," he said finally. "And even if they do, I'm not sure we're ready to deal with whatever this means."

Professor Orion frowned. "Ethan, this is a discovery of immense importance," he said. "We can't keep it to ourselves. We have to share it with the world."

But Ethan was stubborn. He knew that Elara and Victor would never take him seriously, not after all that had happened before. And besides, there was something about the prophecy that made him feel... uneasy.

"I'm not going to tell them," he said firmly.

Anna Maria looked at him with concern, but Ethan just shook his head.

"I'm not going to risk being ridiculed or dismissed," he said. "Not until we know more about this prophecy and what it means."

Professor Orion sighed, rubbing his temples. "Very well," he said. "But we need to be careful with this information. We can't let anyone else get their hands on it."

Ethan nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation wash over him. He knew that he had made a big decision, one that would have far-reaching consequences.

And as they left the storage room, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

As they left the storage room, Ethan couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced over his shoulder, but there was no one there.

"Let's get back to the others," Professor Orion said, his voice low and serious. "We need to discuss this further."

Ethan nodded, following the professor and Anna Maria out of the room. As they walked, he couldn't help but wonder what lay ahead. What did the prophecy mean? And what did it have to do with him?

When they arrived at the living room, Elara and Victor were sitting on the couch, looking worried.

"What's going on?" Elara asked, noticing the look on their faces.

Ethan hesitated, unsure of what to say. But then he decided to keep his secret to himself, for now.

"Just some old books we found," Professor Orion said smoothly. "Nothing too exciting."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Old books?"

Anna Maria nodded. "Yeah, just some ancient texts we're studying."

The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Ethan couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched, and he wondered if he had made a mistake by keeping the prophecy to himself.

But for now, he just smiled and nodded along with the others, pretending that everything was normal.

And as they chatted and laughed together, Ethan felt a strange sensation building inside him... a sensation that seemed to be connected to the prophecy... and to the ancient power that lay dormant within him...