THE SEER'S REVELATION

Chapter 6:

The morning fog hung heavily over the village as Johnny and Anabel made their way down the narrow path toward Elias's cottage, their newborn daughters cradled in their arms. The damp air clung to them, thick with the scent of salt and earth. Every step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by the uncertainty pressing against their chests.

Ella stirred first, her tiny fingers curling around the edge of the blanket wrapped around her. A moment later, Isabella let out a soft whimper, her delicate face scrunching in protest. Anabel instinctively rocked her, whispering soothing words, though her own heart was far from calm.

Johnny glanced at her, his expression set in quiet determination. He reached for her hand, his grip firm yet reassuring. "Whatever Elias tells us," he murmured, locking eyes with her, "we'll face it together. No matter how difficult it is, we won't back down."

Anabel nodded, though fear gnawed at her resolve. The crescent-shaped birthmarks on their daughters' wrists had unsettled her from the moment she noticed them. They weren't just markings, they felt like something more. Something ancient.

As they reached the small cottage, the wooden door was already slightly ajar, creaking softly in the evening breeze. A familiar scent drifted from within, burning herbs, damp earth, and something faintly metallic, like the charged air before a storm. The atmosphere felt thick with anticipation. Elias had been expecting them, his presence almost tangible in the dimly lit interior, where shadows flickered against the walls.

Stepping inside, they found him seated by the fire, his aged eyes sharp despite the years etched into his face. He wasn't just an elder of the village. He was a seer, a man whose wisdom stretched beyond ordinary understanding. And tonight, they needed that wisdom more than ever.

Elias's gaze flickered to the twins, lingering for a moment before he spoke, his tone measured. "You've come with questions, and I suspect you already fear the answers."

Anabel swallowed hard, adjusting her hold on Isabella as if drawing strength from the warmth of her child. "Yes," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "It's about the girls… their birthmarks. There's something different about them, something I don't understand. And I need answers, before it's too late."

Johnny stepped closer, his grip firm around Ella. "We need to know what they mean."

Elias didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gestured for them to sit. The fire crackled, casting shadows along the wooden walls as the tension in the room thickened.

When he finally spoke, his voice was measured, careful. "Those marks are not ordinary."

Anabel's breath hitched. She had feared as much, but hearing it aloud made the reality settle deeper into her bones.

Johnny's jaw clenched. "Then what are they?"

Elias leaned forward, his hands clasped together. "They are a sign. A connection to something older than this village, older than any of us." He paused, studying the tiny girls wrapped in their blankets. "The moon has always held power, but only a few are chosen to bear its mark."

A shiver ran through Anabel. "Chosen for what?" she whispered.

Elias sighed, his gaze distant. "It is said that those born with the crescent marks are tied to the moon's will. That they carry a power linked to its cycles, to forces beyond human understanding." He looked at Johnny. "Your daughters were not born ordinary, Johnny. They are part of something much greater."

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the soft, rhythmic breathing of the twins.

Johnny's grip on Ella tightened slightly. "What does that mean for them?" His voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it, a father's fear wrapped in determination.

Elias exhaled slowly, his gaze distant, as if seeing something beyond the present. "It means their path will not be easy," he said, his voice heavy with unspoken truths. "The moon's power is not gentle; it is not kind. It demands sacrifice. There will be trials, relentless and unforgiving. Choices that will shape them, mold them into something new. They will be tested, not just in strength, but in heart and soul. And not everyone survives the test."

Anabel's heart clenched. She looked down at Isabella's peaceful face, her tiny hand resting against her chest. "Tested how?"

Elias shook his head. "I do not know. The moon does not reveal its secrets until the time is right." He met their gazes, his expression unreadable. "But I do know this, when the time comes, they must be ready to embrace their fate."

Anabel's breath came in short, uneven bursts. She felt Johnny shift beside her, his warmth grounding her, but it wasn't enough to steady the storm inside her.

"So what do we do?" Johnny asked, his voice low.

Elias's expression softened, though the weight of his words remained. "For now? Love them. Protect them. Teach them strength, for they will need it." He glanced at the twins once more, something almost like sorrow flickering in his eyes. "But you must also prepare yourselves. The world will not always be kind to them."

Anabel's grip on Isabella tightened. "Are they in danger?"

Elias didn't answer immediately, but the silence spoke louder than any words could.

Finally, he said, "Not yet."

Johnny exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand down his face. "And when that time comes?"

Elias's voice was steady, unshaken, yet laced with a quiet gravity. "Then they will have to choose who they are meant to be, warriors or victims, light or shadow. Destiny will not wait."

The fire crackled again, casting shifting shadows across the room. Anabel looked at her daughters, feeling the weight of the unknown settle deep within her chest.

They had come seeking answers. Instead, they had found a prophecy.

And though the night remained quiet, Anabel couldn't shake the feeling that something, some unseen force, was already watching. Waiting.

Because their daughters weren't just children.

They were something more.

And soon, the world would know it, too.