Devil's Whisper Chapter 17: Dark Verses

"It’s truly astonishing," Lenah remarked, her amazement evident.

"As I said, the original Rubaiyat became a gateway to satanism, a way to commune with Satan. Followers of Satan gained wealth and power, enticing others toward their beliefs. Aiden understood he couldn’t protect the Rubaiyat alone. So, he selected ten individuals who had intelligence, strength, unwavering beliefs, and influence in their fields."

"He shared all he knew about the Rubaiyat with them and bound them to a solemn oath to protect it and keep it hidden. This group of ten, led by a designated head, was named 'The Watchers,'" Jira explained, glancing at Lenah.

"Oh, The Watchers have been around since the 19th century!" Lenah exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, my dear. The Watchers have been safeguarding the world for over a century. Aiden founded the group and trained its members to combat satanic forces and keep the Rubaiyat out of their reach," Jira elaborated.

"The ten members of The Watchers were tasked with protecting the Rubaiyat and mentoring successors, ensuring the group’s mission continued beyond their lifetimes."

"After years of vigilance, The Watchers successfully kept the original Rubaiyat hidden. But tragically, someone killed Aiden in a rage for withholding its location. His brother, Akama, became the new leader and took the Rubaiyat with him to Australia, where it eventually vanished without a trace."

"Fifty-five years ago, Akama was murdered, and the book was stolen from him, disappearing before The Watchers could intervene. Since then, the original Rubaiyat has remained lost—until now. The person who has it has reignited the cycle of life and death," Jira concluded, leaning back in his chair, the weight of the story heavy on his shoulders.

"Jira, how do you know all this about the Rubaiyat and The Watchers?" Lenah asked curiosily. She leaned forward, sensing there was a deeper layer to the story that Jira had yet to reveal. The connection between the Rubaiyat, The Watchers, and the Yarrabura Tribe was becoming clearer, but she needed more pieces to complete the puzzle.

Jira’s expression hardened as he met her gaze. "Because, Lenah," he began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something older, something inherited, "A member of the Yarrabura Tribe of Australia journeyed to Iran to read the original Rubaiyat and later helped establish The Watchers. It was also a member of the Yarrabura who brought the Rubaiyat to Australia after the murder of the former leader."

Lenah’s heart skipped a beat, her mind racing to piece together the implications of what Jira was saying. "What are you saying?" she asked, astonishment filling her voice, her breath catching in her chest. "Are you saying Aiden and Akama were members of our Yarrabura Tribe?"

Jira’s expression softened, a trace of something like regret flickering in his eyes. "Yes," he confirmed, his voice low and deliberate. "Aiden and Akama were indeed part of our Yarrabura Tribe, which has lived in Australia for thousands of years." There was a reverence in his tone as he spoke of his people, a quiet pride mixed with sorrow. "The tribe has always been protectors, keepers of knowledge that stretches beyond time, beyond borders."

Lenah sat back, stunned. "I had no idea," she murmured. "But Jira, how do you know all this about events that happened before you were born?"

Jira’s eyes clouded with sadness. He took a deep breath before speaking again, the words coming out slower, like he had said them too many times to count. "I know these facts because Aiden was my uncle, and Akama—his younger brother—was my father." He paused, letting the words settle, and in that silence, Lenah could feel the gravity of the revelation. The history was not just a story; it was his story. It was blood, it was legacy.

"I never imagined that your ancestors discovered the hidden powers of the Rubaiyat and formed The Watchers to protect it from falling into the wrong hands," she whispered.

"Yes," Jira replied. "A wise man from the Yarrabura Tribe uncovered the Rubaiyat's hidden truths and devised a plan for its protection. He met his end while safeguarding it. Then my father, chosen as the new leader of The Watchers, also fell victim in his attempt to protect the cursed Rubaiyat."

"That's why I've always sensed your deep attachment to The Watchers and the Rubaiyat," Lenah observed. "I understand you have conflicting feelings about the Rubaiyat. Part of you appreciates its beauty and messages, while another part despises its dark meanings and the tragedies it has caused."

"Lenah, there are still many things you don’t know about the Rubaiyat," Jira said quietly, taking a deep breath before continuing. The weight of his past seemed to settle heavier in the air as he spoke, each word dragging him back to painful memories. "The Rubaiyat took my father from me, and in the attempt to save him, I also lost my two older brothers to slaughter." His voice faltered briefly, and Lenah could hear the unspoken pain in the words.

She remained silent, her heart aching for him as the depth of his loss washed over her.

"But my losses didn’t end there," Jira continued, his eyes clouding with the grief that had never truly left him. "When I received news of my father and brothers' murders, I rushed to see their bodies and perform their last rites. You know, Lenah, at that time, you were expecting our first child." He paused, his gaze drifting to the floor as though he could still see that time as vividly as if it had happened yesterday.

Lenah’s breath caught in her throat. She knew the pain Jira had carried for years—the pain they had both carried—but hearing it spoken aloud, hearing the details she had never fully understood, brought a new heaviness to her heart.

"While I was away, you fell down the stairs, and we lost our baby girl," Jira whispered, his voice breaking at the memory. "If only I had been there during those crucial days, I might have saved her. But the Rubaiyat and its dark powers took her from us, and we never had another child." A tear escaped his eye, betraying the years of quiet sorrow he had carried alone.

Lenah’s chest tightened as she reached out, taking his hand in hers. She had never known how deeply that loss had affected him, how the Rubaiyat had cast such a long shadow over their lives. She had felt the emptiness of that moment, but hearing it from Jira—hearing the weight of his words—left her feeling hollow inside.

"Yes, I remember it all now," Lenah said softly, her voice full of understanding and grief. "And I finally understand how your father and brothers met their tragic end. You never shared the full story before." She paused, her fingers gently squeezing his hand. "Jira, I can’t help but wonder how the Rubaiyat created such chaos in the past. What was in it that blinded people and led to the murder of so many innocents?"

"You see, whenever someone misinterpreted the Rubaiyat and drew the wrong meaning, it set off a chain of unforeseen consequences. This often resulted in mysterious deaths and inexplicable phenomena. As the reader struggled to control the malevolent force unleashed by the Rubaiyat, they became haunted by visions of the past and tormented by the spirits of those they had wronged. Eventually, they were consumed by darkness," Jira explained solemnly.

As the truth behind the artifact's power unfolds, Lenah and Jira find themselves increasingly ensnared in a web of intrigue and danger. The more they uncover, the closer they edge toward the brink of madness. The Rubaiyat, once just a book of poetry, reveals itself to be a dark force—its cryptic messages and symbolic imagery stir primal fears and hidden desires within them, pushing them to question the very fabric of their reality. The verses twist and contort, like shadows that beckon from the corners of their minds, leading them further into a labyrinth of distorted visions and supernatural terrors. With each passing day, the world around them begins to feel less real, as if the veil between dimensions is thinning, and the impossible is creeping into their lives.

Lenah, feeling the weight of it all, could only murmur in disbelief, "It’s all quite complex indeed. Now I finally understand why you’ve always been so preoccupied with the Rubaiyat and The Watchers." Her voice trembled slightly. She had known Jira to be a man of secrets, but this—this was beyond anything she could have imagined.

Jira turned to her, his face set with a quiet resolve, his gaze distant as if he was seeing something only he could. "Yes," he said, his voice carrying the weight of a long-buried truth. "I am the current leader of The Watchers. I took this position the day my father and brothers were killed." His expression softened for a brief moment, a flicker of sorrow flashing in his eyes, before it hardened again,. "Now, I need to find someone to take my place, but first, I have to locate the Rubaiyat and rein it in. The power it holds is too dangerous to remain uncontrolled."

He stood from his chair, the finality of his words settling in the room like a storm cloud. Jira’s movements were slow, deliberate, as if every step he took carried the weight of generations past. "I have a meeting tomorrow," he continued, his voice quieter now, filled with a sense of purpose. "Someone I’ve longed to see. Perhaps they hold the key to what we need."