Time: 5:00 PM

The late afternoon sun cast an orange glow through the dusty windows of the old house, illuminating the room where Ava and her friends had gathered. The tension was palpable, a shared unease that none of them could shake. In front of them lay the tattered book and the mysterious journal they had found earlier—each filled with strange symbols and an unreadable language.

Ava could feel her heart racing as she glanced around the room. Dionna, sitting at the table with the book in front of her, looked uncertain, her fingers tracing the edge of one of the pages. Ignatius leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the book with a furrowed brow. Zaire stood by the window, staring out at the horizon, while Rai paced back and forth, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” Dionna finally said, breaking the heavy quiet. She looked up, her eyes wide with uncertainty. “These symbols... they don’t match any language I recognize.”

Rai stopped pacing, turning to face her. “But you work at the archaeological department, right?” he asked, a note of hope in his voice. “You know how to translate old languages. Maybe you can help us.”

Dionna hesitated, her eyes darting away. “I do, but... it’s not that simple,” she said, her voice soft. “I have access to tools that could help, but they’re confidential. I can’t use them for personal reasons.”

Ava leaned forward, her hands clasped together in a plea. “Please, Dionna. We need to understand what this is. It could be the only way to find Samera.” She could feel her voice breaking, the fear for her missing friend creeping in. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

Dionna looked at Ava, her heart aching at the desperation she saw there. She knew she shouldn’t use her work resources for something like this—it was a violation of the rules, and if anyone found out, she could lose her job. But Ava’s words echoed in her mind, and the thought of Samera, lost somewhere, possibly in danger, made her decision clear.

“Okay,” she said, her voice trembling slightly as she nodded. “I’ll do it. But we have to be careful. If anyone finds out I used these tools, it could be serious trouble for me.”

Rai’s face softened with relief. “We’ll be careful,” he promised. “No one will find out.”

Dionna gave a small, uncertain smile and gestured to Ava. “I don’t have my laptop with me. Ava, can I use yours?”

“Of course,” Ava said, rushing to grab her laptop and bring it over. She opened it, setting it in front of Dionna. “Whatever you need.”

Dionna took a deep breath, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed in her credentials, accessing the secured translation site she used for her work. The seconds felt like hours as they waited, the tension in the room growing with each moment. The old book lay open before them, its symbols mysterious and ominous.

The program began scanning the text, and Ava watched anxiously as lines of translated words slowly appeared on the screen. Dionna’s face grew pale as she read, her eyes widening in shock.

“It’s... working,” she said, her voice filled with both relief and dread. “But the language—it’s ancient. I wasn’t sure it would even translate.”

Ignatius moved closer, his eyes narrowing as he tried to read over her shoulder. “What does it say?” he asked, his voice tight with impatience.

Dionna hesitated, her eyes scanning the words, her heart pounding. “It says something about... sacrifices... and power,” she began, her voice cracking. “It’s written like a poem... or a riddle.” She took a deep breath, reading aloud while her friends watched anxiously.

"The sea will call, the chosen few,
To gain a power old and true.
A secret beach where shadows dance,
Only they may take the chance.

But heed this warning, all others stay
Those unworthy will be swept away.
The waves will rise, the lost will fall,
Taken by the ocean’s call."

A heavy silence filled the room as Dionna’s voice trailed off. The ominous words seemed to echo, filling the space between them with an invisible weight.

Dionna’s face was pale, her eyes wide as she looked at the others. “It sounds like some kind of ritual,” she said, her throat tight. “Those who aren’t chosen... they’re taken by the sea. Never to return.”

Ava’s hands were trembling, her heart pounding in her chest. “Samera,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. She could feel tears welling up, and she blinked them away, trying to stay strong. “She didn’t know. She had no idea.”

Ignatius frowned, a deep crease forming between his brows as he studied the translated text. “A ritual? A hidden beach?” he muttered, his voice filled with skepticism. “What kind of power are they talking about?”

Zaire turned away from the window, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. His usually calm demeanor was shattered, replaced by a look of unease. “And why would anyone want to go there?” he asked. “If there’s a chance of being... lost to the sea? I don’t want to end up like Samera.”

Rai stepped closer to Dionna, his gaze fixed on her. “Does it say anything else?” he asked. “Anything about where this ‘secret beach’ might be? We have to find it. We have to save Samera.”

Dionna scrolled down, her eyes scanning the rest of the text. She felt a chill run down her spine as she read the next part. “There’s more,” she said, her voice unsteady. “It talks about a hidden path... a trail that leads to the true beach. Only those who follow the signs will be able to find it.”

She looked up at the group, her eyes filled with fear. “But it says the path is dangerous. That only the chosen will be allowed to pass.”

Ava’s heart sank, a sense of hopelessness washing over her. The idea of a dangerous path, of Samera being lost somewhere out there, terrified her. But she couldn’t let that fear stop her. She had to be strong—for Samera, for all of them.

Ignatius leaned over the map they had found, spreading it out on the table once more. He traced the faint red line that snaked across the worn paper, his expression thoughtful. “This must be the path,” he said. “The one that leads to the hidden beach.”

Dionna nodded, her eyes still on the translation. “But it won’t be easy. The text says there will be trials. Tests that will determine if we’re worthy.”

Ava swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on the map. She could feel the weight of their situation pressing down on her, the fear, the uncertainty. But there was also a spark of determination. “We have to do it,” she said, her voice firm. “We have to follow the path. If there’s any chance of saving Samera, we have to try.”

Rai nodded, his expression mirroring Ava’s resolve. “We’re in this together,” he said. “We’ll find the hidden beach, and we’ll bring Samera back. No matter what it takes.”

Dionna looked around the room, her friends’ determined faces giving her a sense of courage she hadn’t felt before. She nodded, her fear slowly being replaced by hope. “Then let’s get ready,” she said. “We’ll need to be prepared for whatever we might face.”

The group exchanged glances, the fear in their eyes now tempered with determination. They were scared, but they were united. Together, they would face whatever lay ahead, and they wouldn’t stop until they found the truth—no matter what it cost them.

And as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the room, they knew one thing for certain: the secrets of Zyla Beach would not remain hidden for long.