Anya gestured towards a worn rug in the center of the room. "Sit," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "There is much to discuss."
Isla and Kai settled onto the rug, their eyes still darting around the room, taking in the strange and wondrous objects that surrounded them. Isla felt a mix of excitement and trepidation. She was eager to learn the truth about Thane, about the amulet, about the strange connection she felt to Kai. But she was also afraid of what she might discover.
Anya sat opposite them, her expression serious. "I know you have many questions," she began. "And I will answer them as best I can. But first, you must understand that the world is not as it seems."
Isla and Kai nodded, their curiosity piqued. They had already glimpsed a hidden world, a world of shadows and secrets. They were ready to learn more.
"Thane is not human," Anya continued, her voice low. "He is something ancient, something powerful. He has lived for centuries, preying on the innocent, manipulating events to his own twisted ends."
Isla gasped. She had suspected that Thane was different, but she hadn't imagined anything like this. He was a monster, a predator hiding in plain sight.
"But why?" Kai asked, his voice filled with urgency. "Why is he doing this? What does he want?"
Anya's gaze turned to Isla. "He wants you, Isolde," she said, using the name that Thane had called her. "He wants your power."
Isla's eyes widened in confusion. Her power? What power? She was just an ordinary girl, a struggling artist. What could she possibly have that this ancient being would desire?
Anya saw the confusion in her eyes and smiled sadly. "You are not ordinary, Isla. You are the reincarnation of Queen Isolde, a woman of great strength and courage. And Thane wants to possess that strength, to use it for his own evil purposes."
Isla's mind reeled. Reincarnation? It was the same word from the library, the same legend that had mirrored her dreams. Could it be true? Was she really the reincarnation of a queen, destined to battle an ancient evil?
Kai, too, was stunned. He looked at Isla, her face pale with shock, and he felt a surge of protectiveness. He would protect her, no matter what. He would stand by her side, fight alongside her, against this ancient enemy.
Anya's words hung heavy in the air, the weight of their implications pressing down on them. They were not just ordinary people caught in a strange and dangerous situation. They were players in a centuries-old game, a battle between good and evil that had spanned lifetimes. And the fate of the world might very well rest on their shoulders.