Ripples
At first, it didn't look like destruction.
It looked like inconvenience.
The kind of small, irritating disruptions Jake Norman had built his entire life learning how to fix.
A delayed payment.
A postponed meeting.
A minor miscalculation in a report that should have been flawless.
Nothing more.
Nothing alarming.
At least… that was what he told himself.
The Illusion of Control..
Jake sat behind his desk, eyes fixed on the glowing screen in front of him.
Rows of numbers.
Clean.
Precise.
Organized.
That was how his world had always been.
Predictable.
Controlled.
Safe.
He tapped his pen lightly against the desk, his expression unreadable as he reviewed the latest financial summary.
Something was off.
Not enough to panic.
But enough to notice.
He leaned back slightly, narrowing his eyes.
"This shouldn't be happening…" he murmured.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
His assistant stepped in, her posture slightly tense.
"Sir… there's been a small issue with the shipment from Europe."
Jake didn't look up immediately.
"What kind of issue?"
"A delay, sir."
Jake nodded slowly. "How long?"
"Indefinite."
That made him pause.
Now he looked up.
"Indefinite?"
"Yes, sir. They couldn't give a clear reason."
Jake stared at her for a moment.
Then gave a short nod.
"Fine. We'll reroute. That's not a problem."
"Yes, sir."
She hesitated.
"There's… something else."
Jake's patience thinned slightly. "Say it."
"The Singapore investors… they've requested to withdraw."
Silence.
Jake blinked once.
Then twice.
"That deal was already secured," he said slowly.
"I know, sir… but they said they've reconsidered."
Jake's jaw tightened.
"On what grounds?"
"They didn't specify."
Jake leaned back again, this time slower.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Leave me."
As the door closed behind her, the silence returned.
But this time—
It felt heavier.
A Pattern Forms
By the end of the week, it was no longer coincidence.
It was a pattern.
Deals began slipping through his fingers.
Calls went unanswered.
Emails that demanded urgency were ignored.
Partners he had trusted for years suddenly became…
distant.
Unreachable.
Unreliable.
Jake stood in the middle of his office one evening, staring at nothing.
His phone buzzed again.
Another notification.
Another problem.
Another loss.
He exhaled slowly.
"This is not normal."
For a man who prided himself on logic, patterns, and cause-and-effect…
This had no clear cause.
And that disturbed him more than anything.
Home… But Not Peace
That night, the mansion felt different.
It always did when something was wrong.
Jake stepped inside, loosening his tie, his mind still trapped in numbers, losses, and unanswered questions.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then he saw her.
Naida sat by the window, her silhouette framed by the faint glow of the moonlight.
Still.
Unmoving.
As if she had been there for hours.
"You're back," she said softly.
Jake dropped his keys on the table.
"Yeah."
He watched her for a moment.
"You've been sitting there long?"
Naida didn't turn.
"Time moves differently depending on what you are waiting for."
Jake frowned slightly.
"You always talk like that?"
She turned her head just enough for him to see her profile.
"Like what?"
"Like everything you say has a hidden meaning."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Maybe it does."
Jake shook his head lightly, trying to brush off the unease.
"Work has been crazy," he said.
"I can feel that," she replied.
That made him pause.
"You can… feel it?"
Naida turned fully now, her eyes resting on him.
"You carry it with you."
Jake let out a quiet breath.
"Business problems. Nothing new."
Naida watched him closely.
"Are you sure that is all it is?"
Jake held her gaze for a moment.
Then looked away.
"What else would it be?"
Naida didn't answer.
She simply turned back to the window.
And somehow—
That silence said more than words.
The First Dream
That night, Jake did not fall asleep easily.
His mind refused to settle.
Numbers blurred into thoughts.
Thoughts into questions.
Questions into unease.
When sleep finally came—
It came deep.
And cold.
He was standing in water.
Endless water.
Dark.
Still.
Silent.
The kind of silence that pressed against your ears until it became unbearable.
Jake looked around slowly.
There was no shore.
No sky.
Just… water.
Then—
A ripple.
Small.
Barely noticeable.
But it spread.
Widened.
Moved toward him.
Jake's breath slowed.
"Hello?" he called out.
No answer.
Only the faint sound of something moving beneath the surface.
Then—
Whispers.
Soft.
Unclear.
But close.
Too close.
"Jake…"
He froze.
The voice was not familiar.
Yet it knew him.
"Who's there?" he asked, his voice echoing strangely across the water.
The whispers grew louder.
Layered.
Overlapping.
Calling.
Watching.
Waiting.
The water began to rise.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Reaching his knees.
His waist.
His chest.
Jake's breathing quickened.
"This isn't real…"
But it felt real.
Too real.
Then—
Movement beneath him.
Fast.
Circling.
Closing in.
His heart pounded violently.
"Naida!" he called out.
The whispers stopped.
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Deep.
Cold.
Ancient.
"Not everything that calls you… is yours to keep."
Jake's eyes widened.
Before he could react—
Something grabbed him.
From beneath.
Pulling.
Dragging him down into the darkness.
Awakening
Jake shot up in bed, gasping for air.
His chest heaved as though he had been drowning.
Sweat soaked through his shirt.
His hands trembled slightly.
He looked around.
Room.
Walls.
Reality.
But his heart refused to calm.
Then—
He felt it.
A gaze.
Watching him.
Jake turned slowly.
Naida was awake.
Sitting upright.
Looking directly at him.
"You saw them," she said.
Jake swallowed.
"Saw who?
Her expression didn't change.
"The ones beneath."
A chill ran through him.
"That was just a dream," he said quickly.
Naida tilted her head slightly.
"Was it?"
Jake looked away"
"I don't have time for this."
But even as he said it—
He knew something had shifted.
The Call to Wilson
By morning, Jake had made up his mind.
He needed something real.
Something logical.
Something he could understand.
So he called the one person he trusted to stay grounded.
Wilson.
The call connected almost immediately.
"Don," Wilson's voice came through, calm and composed.
"You calling me this early? Something must be wrong."
Jake exhaled.
"I need to see you."
Wilson paused.
Then—
"Alright. I'm coming."
Wilson Arrives
Wilson walked into the mansion like he owned it.
Sharp suit.
Controlled expression.
Everything about him screamed stability.
The opposite of what Jake felt inside.
Wilson took one look at him and frowned slightly.
"Don… you look like you haven't slept in days."
Jake gave a dry laugh.
"Feels like it."
Wilson sat down.
"Talk to me."
Breaking It Down
Jake didn't hold back this time.
He explained everything.
The business failures.
The strange patterns.
The feeling that something unseen was interfering.
Then—
The dream.
Wilson listened without interrupting.
Not once.
When Jake finished—
There was silence.
Then Wilson leaned back.
"Okay," he said slowly.
Jake frowned. "That's all you have to say?"
Wilson raised a hand slightly.
"Relax. Let me think."
A pause.
Then—
"From a business angle, this looks like coordinated pressure."
Jake shook his head. "No."
Wilson raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"This feels… different."
Wilson sighed.
"Don… not everything is mysterious. Sometimes people just want to bring you down."
Jake leaned forward.
"And the dream?"
Wilson paused.
Then smirked slightly.
"That one… I can't explain."
Jake didn't smile.
Wilson's expression softened.
"Look… I'm going to be honest with you."
Jake watched him.
"I understand business. Power. Control."
Wilson paused briefly.
"But love? Marriage?"
He shook his head slightly.
"I know nothing about that."
Jake blinked.
Wilson rarely admitted weakness.
"I'm 26," Wilson continued, "rich, successful… yet I don't even understand what it means to have someone like you have."
Jake leaned back slightly.
Wilson looked at him directly.
"But one thing I do know, Don…"
Jake waited.
"If something is happening in your life—whether it's business or personal—you don't ignore it."
A pause.
"You face it."
Jake exhaled slowly.
Wilson added:
"And maybe… start by understanding your wife."
Unseen Presence
From the hallway—
Naida stood.
Listening.
Silent.
Her expression calm.
But her eyes…
Carried something deeper.
Something ancient.
The Collapse Deepens
Later that day—
Jake returned to his office.
Determined.
Focused.
Ready to regain control.
But the moment he sat down—
His screen flickered.
Then stabilized.
A new report appeared.
He frowned.
Opened it.
And his blood ran cold.
Losses.
Massive.
Sudden.
Untraceable.
Jake stood up slowly.
"No… no, this isn't possible…"
Then—
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
The air felt… damp.
Heavy.
Then—
A sound.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Jake turned slowly.
The room was dry.
But the sound continued.
Closer.
Louder.
His heart began to race again.
"This has to stop…"
His phone buzzed.
He looked down.
Another alert.
Another account—gone.
Completely wiped.
Jake whispered under his breath:
"This is not business anymore…"
The Truth Approaches
Behind him—
Naida stood.
Silent.
Watching.
"The ripples have begun," she said softly.
Jake turned sharply.
"What does that mean?"
Naida stepped closer.
Her gaze steady.
"What is taken from you… is not random."
Jake's chest tightened.
"Then what is it?"
A pause.
Then—
Her voice dropped slightly.
"It is the beginning… of what you must lose."
To Be Continued… 🔥