A nervous and panic filled vibe swept throughout the room.

Victor.

There was no-one else that it could be. They knew that even if they made one sound, he would easily be able to know that they were in the antechamber.

"Text Jerome. Tell him to create a distraction, maybe play some music upstairs. As long as he doesn't get caught." Nina got up swiftly, but quietly all the same.

"Nina, why does Jerome need to play music. It's not like we are having a dance party with Victor."

"Amber, for crying out loud-and no do not start to cry out loud. I'll explain later, just somebody needs to let Jerome know that we need loud music. And by loud, I mean very loud." Everyone scrambled, positioning themselves in such a way, that they would be ready for a dashing escape.

"Nina, can you pl—"

Suddenly, music started blaring, and the vibrations could be heard all the way down in the cellar.

"What are you miscreants up to?" Victor's voice boomed in the cellar.

"Amber, please tell me you have a mirror!"

"Duh! What type of question is that?" Amber pulls out a sparkly pink compact mirror, hidden in her robe's pocket. The group rolled their eyes, and Nina grabbed it out of her hands.

"Let's just hope this works. Otherwise, we are doomed." Nina says lightly, borderline jokingly and worried. Feet shuffled both inside and outside the antechamber.

She grabs the book, and spins around with the bookcase. Turning around, swiftly, she flashes the mirror, before it reaches her eyes. If this doesn't work, she'll be blind for a day, and they will all be in serious trouble with Victor. Luckily, the light is reflected back on itself, and it busts the trapping mechanism.

"Guys! I want you to all come in here two by two. Quickly!" Slowly, and as quiet as the ancient book shelf can be, it turns, and Sibuna enters the tunnels, in groups of two. Once their whole group had entered the tunnels, they took up all the immediate room in the first corridor.

"We're waiting it out here guys. Unfortunately. Unless any of you are up to going up to the tunnel that leads to the library?"

"Nah, let's just wait it out." The second American voice rang clear, and cut the air clearly. It was tense, as nobody in Sibuna was used to having another American input. Especially someone who was meant to be there, not someone who elected to be. This was going to take some adjusting to.

"Why don't we finish story time? I'm extremely intrigued in the details." Patricia interrupts, both sarcastic and snidely. The group manages to sit (after dealing with Amber's "The floor is dirty. I don't do dirty Nina!") and nervous glances are passed in the makeshift circle.

"So the mark….what does it mean?" Joy, seemed to be one of the only people acting rationally, and decided, that if they were to wait it out, they might as well get some info.

"We don't know. All we know, is that it is fully developed, now that I'm at Anubis. But the thing is, Eddie doesn't have one. We checked."

NINA

That was so the wrong thing to say….

"What do you mean by you checked?"

"Well…when Eddie spent his first half of the summer in America, with me, we started researching…"

"You spent your summer with her? Not your girlfriend?"

"Yacker, I spent the second half here, with dad and you…"

"Is this because I couldn't make it over the summer, Nina?"

"No Fabian, it isn't. We were curious. Wouldn't you if you were suddenly thrown into a relationship with someone you barely knew, based on Egyptian lineage?" That shut them up…who knew damage control was this ridiculous…?

"This isn't the time to jealous you guys. We can't let our relationships get in the way. Now, will Patricia and Fabian, shut up for the rest of the evening. We want to hear the rest of the story, otherwise we have no idea what we're dealing with."

The group glanced at Alfie, surprised, that he was suggested something in a level-headed mindset.

"Always the look of surprise! C'mon guys, you know there's genius up in here. I know you'll be worshipping me, when the aliens come."

"There he is, again." Joy muttered under her breath, jokingly.

"The dreams are extremely vivid. Almost real. We've gotten burns from them. On my side of the equation, mine are dependent on Eddie. Without him, I'm either stuck and can't get out, or I have to fend for myself. I've gotten dizzy a couple of times, and that usually means a nightmare is streaming into my mind, while I'm awake."

"In the beginning of summer, they were all just really weird dreams, that we were in together. Then later, they started having Senkhara and Rufus."

"What do Senkhara and Rufus do? They must be terrifying. I've dealt with them enough to last a lifetime."

"Amber, that's not helping!"

"We're aren't going to force you guys into anything, but if you are up to being a part of Sibuna, and helping us figure this out, then raise your hand?" Eddie asked, doubting himself towards the end. To his surprise, (Nina was pretty convinced otherwise), every single person raised their hand, amused.

"Told you!" I casually mentioned, while whacking Eddie's bicep, triumphant, that I was right this whole time. Clearly the gesture wasn't seen as casual to the rest of the group.

"So, we'll start researching tomorrow then? The mark, anything about linked Osirian - Chosen One dreams, and more on Senkhara, Rufus and the afterlife." Fabian summed it up nicely, and the group nodded.

"You think it's safe to go out?"

"Must be, we've been here for a good 2 hours. I've been checking my phone." Amber added, feeling the need to let everyone know how she had kept track of the time. Everyone got up, with Eddie and I, lagging behind. Coincidence, or on purpose? Don't ask me.

"Nins, I really think tha—"

"Stop it Ed, you told me I got to decide. I want them in on it. As long as they want to that is." I reply curtly, I'm not up to rehashing our past arguments.

"I still think we would have been better off doing it between the two of us." He whispers as he passes me to join Patricia farther ahead. Why is he so adamant on it just being the two of us?

Once we all get out of the cellar, we dispersed, girls going upstairs, with the boys retreating to their rooms like usual.

"Come on Nina, I need to get some beauty sleep if anything!"

The thing is, I don't know if I will be getting any sleep at all.

EDDIE

"Jerry, get out of the bathroom already! The rest of us have to use it too!" I pounded my fist on the door for the third time. Screw this. I'm using the girls bathroom. I jogged up the stairs, taking two at a time. I scanned the hallway, making sure I wouldn't be caught redhanded by any of the girls. I turned the door knob and quickly entered, as it was after all not locked. The girlish shriek called to my attention that there was another inhabitant.

"OH! Nina!" I dropped my towel, and I could hear footsteps coming to the bathroom.

"What's wrong Nina?" Amber opened the door, some hair thingy in her hand.

"A curling iron, really Amber?" Nina asked, amused. I opened my mouth, ready to say something, but Joy, Patricia, and Mara all stood behind Amber peering in.

"I swear to God, whatever you are thinking, stop it right now!" Nina says, exasperatedly.

"I just wanted to use the bathroom!" I add innocently, as after all I am innocent.

"You're timing is quite impeccable, don't you say Junior?"

"Jerry! This is all your fault."

"Because I forced you to enter the bathroom when our dearest friend Martin is inside…sure. C'mon Mara, let's grab some breakfast."

"I give up!" I throw my hands in the air, and leave hastily, ready to do my hair with a spoon.

AMBER

"I'm just gonna go get ready and dry my hair." Nina exited the bathroom and ran to our room, shutting the door behind her.

"What a morning, I mean the entertainment here is better than those American shows!" I jokingly say, throwing in a couple of forced laughs and quickly turned around and rushed into my room leaving Joy borderline entertained and amused, and Patricia fuming.

Shutting the door behind me, I noticed Nina who was furiously brushing her hair with a wide toothed comb. She had already slipped on jeans, and a cute floral top, that screamed 'AMERICAN', I think it was surely from one of those brands I know from there…Aero and Fitch? No… Abercrombie? No… HOLLISTER! That's it! Ugh I digress. I swear to god if my own brain is mocking me for using such a big word then I am going to be super pissed. Even more pissed then when I had an allergic reaction to the cute but deadly raspberry cupcakes.

"Nins, wanna go down and grab some breakfast? We have to initiate Eddie and Joy, AND research!"

"Yeah i'm coming." There was however no american pep that I was so used to hearing. Once we head down, all heads turned to look at us. As much as I would love to think it was because they were admiring my latest outfit my daddy had gotten me from the Milan Fashion Week, that was not the case. I decided to slightly tug Nina into a seat that seemed to resemble the usual arrangement somewhat.

"Now that we're all here, what in bloody hell was that ruckus last night?" Mick asks cluelessly as always, while piling his plate with whichever breakfast good, sorry more like with every food item on the table.

"That, Mr. Campbell, was one of your dear friends daring to test my patient last night. As the sound ceased before one of you hooligans were caught, I am going to let this time go off with a warning. Try this again, and I will see to it that you all face dire punishments." Victor's chilling voice boomed through the dining hall and I could see surprised looks in Sibuna's and Jerome's faces while Mara and Mick just looked confused.

"Nina, would you mind coming into the hallway for a second?" Patricia was being too polite, especially at 8 a.m in the morning.

"Uh Sure."

"Yacker, what's this ab—"

"Shut up Weasel, it does not concern you. If it did you would be coming too."

NINA

"I just have one question for you Nina, I need to know if you harbor any feelings towards Eddie that mean more than friendship. I'm asking this out of courtesy to both our friendship and my relationship with him, so I can only hope you'll do the same." Patricia started off blunt. Like always. Go figures.

"Oh my god Patricia, no way! I get that the way we're acting may pose some questions, suspicions even, but I swear on myself that I am in no way in a relationship with Eddie in that sense." Okay…that burst may have come out a little too loud and passionate than I was going for, so now I was almost certain they all heard us.

Quieting my voice down, I added, "It's completely crazy to find out someone is destined to be your protector, that your lives are literally tied together, and not in a lovey-dovey, nor figurative way! I mean this in the most literal sense, my life and his are intertwined, and you honestly can't blame us for trying to make sense of this. I know I know, its hard to see it, even understand it, but it's the exact same for us. Hell, I would've sworn my Osirian would have been Fabian because he's been there always, but that isn't what the Egyptian Gods had in mind. We have been researching a ton of this relationship, and we have gotten closer, but in no way that you are so blatantly suggesting. We need to trust each other, more than all the trust you KNOW I have in the rest of Sibuna because this is different. I am no longer the only one who was meant to be in Sibuna by destiny. And my life is no longer singular, my fate, my whole existence is intermingled with Eddie's and I need both you and Fabian to understand that. If you can't than this whole Sibuna thing this year, is going to be much much harder." Out of breath, I hoped my rant had been controlled and only between the two of us. I never realized how annoying it was to have people constantly insinuating something between us. Of course, it didn't matter when it was light and meaningless but throw in the counterparts of both Eddie's and my relationships and it became all the more annoying.

"Nina, I—"

"I need some air." And with that I marched out of the house, heading straight to woods, to the one place I had always found solace in.

—

"How did you find me? I haven't even shown you this place before."

"Can I use my amazing Osirian powers as my excuse?" Eddie asked. That cheeky bastard. Sitting down next to me on the log, he made me look at him. Unshed tears glistened in my eyes and he looked at me for a few seconds before opening his mouths.

"I will concede to the point that if we had gone through with Sibuna on our owns this time it would have risen way more than just a handful of suspicions regarding our relationship. That being said, I still need to make it clear to you, I still prefer us doing this along. Nina, I honestly believe there is something entirely different with our "mission", for lack of better term, this time around. And as much as I love Sibuna and our friend's input, the last thing I want to do is put them in more danger. I just think it is safer if we leave out the part about us being in direct danger, until we have some actual information."

"Fine." I grumbled, albeit a tad bit touched at his concern. This whole big-brother, Osirian role of his was starting to grow on me, BUT that didn't mean it was any less annoying.

"Okay, enough of this sappy conversation, I want my spitfire Nina back! Now, what's this about an official initiation?"

"You need to bring your most prized possesion and meet us at our Sibuna spot in the forest." Amber chirped from behind, but for once in a pretty decent time, didn't seem at all apprehensive that Eddie was comforting me. I could only hope Amber have the oversight to see that Eddie and I were friends, and it was still Fabina all the way. Leaves continued to crunch, and that was when I noticed that the rest of Sibuna was in tow behind Amber, ready for our next move.

"As we initiate Joy and Eddie, there is one thing I would like to add. I know I am seen as the leader of Sibuna, and with that being said, Eddie assumes the same role given any situation. He is as much of a leader of Sibuna as I am. And I need you all to trust me on this. I am doing everything for a reason."

"I don't know what to say N."

"Say yes you doofus! We all support your decision Nina. Okay?" And with that, Patricia smiled and me, and smirked at her boyfriend. I glanced around, and saw that everybody was okay with this decision, Alfie even shouting a, "Congrats mate!"

After initiation, we all split up into smaller groups in hopes of finding some tangible evidence regarding the weird stuff that was happening. Was it wishful thinking? Let's hope not, for my sake and Eddie's, which by extension also meant Sibuna's.

—

HEY GUYS!

OKAY OKAY I KNOW, YOU ARE ALL PROBABLY READY TO PUMMEL ME, AND I AM SO SORRY TO HAVE JUST ABANDONED THIS STORY AND MADE IT SEEM LIKE I FELL OFF THE EARTH. I HAVE MADE IT A GOAL OF MINE TO WRAP UP ALL HOA STORIES WHICH INCLUDE CASCADING CLUES AND THE PROPHECY, BUT YOU ALL ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO BE A LITTLE PATIENT WITH ME HERE. BUT I PROMISE, I DO NOT INTEND TO LEAVE YOU ALL WITHOUT AN ENDING.

SO PLEASE EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN A WHILE, GIVE MY STORIES ANOTHER CHANCE, AND RE-READ IF YOU HAVE TO! YOU ALL KNOW I WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!

I WILL BE JUMPING MORE INTO THE INFO BEHIND THE MYSTERY FOR THIS IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS BUT I THINK THIS CHAPTER STILL ESTABLISHED SOME IMPORTANT THINGS:

EDDIE AND NINA'S RELATIONSHIP — AND HONESTLY I SEE IT MORE AS BRO-SIS, BEST FRIEND TYPE OF DEAL ESPECIALLY WITH THIS STORY

BUT DONT THINK THAT BECAUSE NINA DRILLED IT INTO PATRICIA'S HEAD THE FIRST TIME THAT SUSPICIONS AREN'T GOING TO ARISE AGAIN, AND THE REASON BEING IS I FEEL LIKE THIS PLAYS A HUGE PART OF THE CHOSEN ONE - OSIRIAN DYNAMIC SO I CAN'T LET YA'LL OFF THAT EASY!

JOY AND EDDIE ARE OFFICIAL MEMBERS! YAYYYY

EDDIE IS CO-LEADER AND IS TO ASSUME TO POSITION IF THE SITUATION ARISES

AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR HOLDING OUT FOR ME, AND I PROMISE THAT I WILL GET THESE BOOKS DONE. I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO GIVE YOU A TIMELINE WHEN I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW IT, BUT PLEASE, KNOW THAT I MEAN IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

WITH LOVE,

XOXO

JUSTAGIRLWITHWORDS