#Chapter218Sound of the world-03Althea Zoella Castellanos SilvermoonA dozen of hands suddenly holds me back, holds me down. “Let’s put it to test, shall we?” He growls as he speeds forward and jumps high up in the sky, to pin my body to land. I watch him as he slowly brings his arm up, my eyes wide motile, but my limps immobile, I watch him as he hovers in the space right above me.Ah, this is the end.I think to myself as I await the piercing of my flesh. As I await death.Giving up the hopes to live, I slowly close my eyes shut. But the moment I do, a piercing blue orb forces them right back open and I inhale a sharp breath. Aries. My mate.I just found him. I just met him. I couldn’t be so cruel and just leave him all alone. He would be lonely. He would be sad. And as the time freezes, I go back in the past to listen to the story of the goddess and the wolf, whose ending I had yet to know. I see all these images in my head, of our first encounter, his messy hair, his
#Chapter219A world with no one-01HarmonyDay. Night.One after the other. A continuous cycle of life. I cannot remember when I stopped counting. Time waits for no one. Time heals no one. And with time comes centuries of loneliness. The kind of loneliness that makes you wonder what you are living for.I guess I was tired of living now. Waking up every morning to the same blue sky, life became dull. The once starry nights became just dark, ordinary, empty. Even the brightest of the stars invisible. The moon just another dot amidst that vast empty sky. All alone. All by itself.Somehow just like me.But somewhere deep within, I hoped for a miracle. For a falling star to make my impossible wish come true. To send me just a little fragment of life. Something to hang on. Something to hold on. Something. Anything.A century became two and I stopped wishing. I now know that there was no deity above. The heaven above was just a place in name only. But even if it did exist, its i
#Chapter220A world with no one-02HarmonyAnd like always, I extend my hand forward, putting the best smile on my face, as I wait for her to take the bait. “It was nice talking to you. But do let me know when you remember though. I would love to hear it.” She looks at me for a minute longer before she finally bites the bait and reaches for my outstretched hand. But upon the contact of our hand, I see someone else through her and I get a little startled, but I quickly pull my lips across into a smile when her eyes start to question. “Too bad, some other time I guess.” I just nod slightly, shaking her hand, forcing my way into her mind. However, unlike others, she still blocks me, unknowingly so. It was hard to pass through her solid defence. She was the only person to ever fight back my gift and almost win. But unlike her, I knew of the power hibernating in her, deep in sleep, unconscious, unaware of it. I saw a darkness in her but something much purer hidden beneath it all. S
#Chapter221A world with no one-03HarmonyI knew the scent of Lycans invades the air too, but something else makes me to take a step back and hold my breath, for my lungs had started to inhale everything the air carried, too quickly, too much. Or was it just a specific scent. For the first time in the longest decades, my heart raced with the fear of unknown. And with the drumming of my heart and the tension in the air, I force myself to retreat away from the scene.Locking myself back in the room, I make full use of the one-way mirror. Aries stands there with someone tucked away in his arm and judging by that possessive hold, I figure, it was her. He had finally found her.And once again, even though unconsciously, something in me reaches out to the non-existent goddess. To thank her for finally ending his misery. Because it was about time, he had his happy ending too, someone had to eventually end his endless heartbreak.I stare at them for a while, admiring, feeling a li
#Chapter222Feelings of the world-01HarmonyI open my eyes after what seemed to be from my deep slumber. Turning around, I reach for my phone by the table only to realise that days has passed since. My body was indeed not strong enough to house this gift. Grunting at my fatigued self, I get up, throwing my phone back on the bed. Finally slipping out of my outfit from that night, I head for a cold shower, reeling into the freshness it filled me with, rather than the tiredness it took away from me.When I had spent enough time refreshing my blank thoughts, I step out and carry myself in my usual clothing, a pair of dark jeans and an equally dark vest. Taking my belonging, which was just my purse and my phone, I lock the doors of my so-called hideout, hidden within the coast, in between all the others.I put my dark shades on to conceal the rusty copper in my eyes which glimmered golden in the daylight and head for a café further ahead, across the street. A perfect camouflage I
#Chapter223Feelings of the world-02HarmonyAnd there he stands. Few feet away from me with eyes so brown, so rich and so warm, it calms my heart just like that. His brown hair shines brightly, sometimes reflecting a light blond and other times a deep red. That broad shoulder from nights ago stands firm and strong, shoulder that I called out to me, as if inviting me back home.I inhale silently, secretly loving the scent of home radiating off him. He reminds me of a place, warm and cosy, brimmed with happiness, something silver, something radiant. But I knew better than to believe the lies of my eyes, for my home was long gone, long lost, forgotten, broken. It had fallen down, fallen apart. Home was no more for Harmony as was the world.I look down at the golden sand and blink several times, yelling myself to come out of my head. And when I eventually do look up, he still has his soft brown eyes on me, looking at me the same way I did a few seconds ago. Not knowing the feelings
#Chapter224Feelings of the world-03HarmonyNo sign of the burnt marks. And I look further beneath, at the shiny surface as I bring my hands down. I close my eyes, controlling my breathing, calming my heart to once again be numb. I try to form words but even it betrays me now. The only thing that I could always rely on.But I had nothing now. Not even my voice.“What did you do?”I flutter my eyes open to his accusing grey eyes, a hint of anger to them, but nothing more, nothing else. I smile at his innocent accusation and exhale loudly, forcing my tense body to look relaxed.“Nothing, I promise.” Holding my hands in the air, I try to ease his anger and he immediately relaxes. Innocent indeed. The boy knows no hate. He reminds me of myself long before time.I walk back to my car, with its door wide open and take a seat. My legs weak to my knees, tiredness had finally taken a toll to this body. I don’t think I can remain standing for long. “Anyways, what is Aries doing with
#Chapter225Sweet melody of Harmony (1)HarmonyHe looks at me, his eyes now soft, his hold delicate.“She needs you.” He whispers again. His voice now tender. “The kingdom needs you.”Putting my hand on his chest, I exert a slight push as I shake my head while staring deep into his eyes. The land will no longer hold the stain of the name Artino and its sin. Let it all be gone with them and me. “They had been victorious in the past and they will be this time around. They do not need me on their land.”I pull away, a small smile to my face as I take a step back but the tight hold of his hand on my shoulder and my face stops me. “If you think I’m letting you go, you are very wrong.” And just like that, the chains that hold my resolution together comes loose. I stand frozen as I look between his eyes, ice cold but they hold so much warmth in them.“Cleo now.” He shouts as he pulls me along with him, bringing me back into the now spinning world. He strides towards the golden l
#Chapter237Forged (4) (Special)Aries BlackwoodLike a magnet pulled by its other half, I walk towards her. “This is where she offered herself to save your soul. You didn’t even know her, yet she was so keen on being with you. I had asked her why she was so willing to love someone that doesn’t even know her existence?” Then she looks at me with a sad smile on her face. “You know what her answer was?”I shake my head, my eyes still on hers as I try to control these emotions wanting to pour out of me once again. “She told me she could hear your soul. That she could understand your heart. Said she would womb your sin and find a place where you both can be together in this loop of infinity.She was willing to sacrifice herself just to hear you laugh. I warned her. But my daughter is too stubborn for her own good.” She too shakes her head and chuckles softly. “I told her that just because she wants to be with you, doesn’t mean that you too would want the same. And you know what sh
#Chapter236Forged (3) (Special)Aries BlackwoodI open my eyes to the darkness.Pitch black darkness was all I could see. And I doubt if my eyes were even open at this point.But then I see something glimmer distance away and so I reach towards my only source of light which guided me to a land, painted in red, soaked in blood. Piles and piles of dead bodies covered the entirety of the land and there he stood, a boy with a sword pierced right through his heart.He holds his ground until no heart beats the land. Then he too falls on his knees. Swinging his sword up and onto the ground, he holds his wounded body upright as if proving the land that he was invincible even in death.And as something in that blood-soaked golden hair spurs my curiosity, I inch closer towards him, studying the lines of his equally bloodied face but his piercing blue eyes stops me from going any closer. For I see a replica of my own eyes. For I see myself in him. Baffled at the image of my younger se
#Chapter235Forged (2)Althea SilvermoonA group of rogues that wished to live in a pack again.With no place to return, no place to call home, they had chosen to remain on this barren land until their bare bone was the only proof that they once lived. And as my father’s words chanted itself over my head for the uncountable time, I had healed the hurt and guided them home as promised. Maybe that’s the reason they could bear to be with me. For they only saw me as their saviour and nothing more.I sigh softly as I feel the warmth of the flames. The only proof that I lived was the light rise and fall of my chest. Although alert, the only melody I was interested in listening to was the soft crackling of the wood as it sacrificed itself and burned into ashes.Thump.All of a sudden, I hear my heart thump loudly.Once. Just once.But it was enough to break me out of my empty thoughts. Lifting my chin higher, I place my palm over my heart to feel that lost sense once more. Sadly,
#Chapter234Forged (1)Althea SilvermoonMy feet digs deeper into the scorching golden sand as I make my way further into the land of dunes. The sun sits hot on the crown of my head, and my forehead beading with sweats, trickles down, dampening the white cloth covering my eyes as I advance further into the land with no direction. With no aim.I don’t know how long or how far I had travelled. I have passed through lands, crossed the ocean. I have even travelled across the universe with Alex always by my side. The essence of my life now engraved on the entirety of the vast universe.Had it been a century? A millennium? Or had it only just been years?I look up to the sky, feeling the sun hard against my face and I exhale tiredly.I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.The only thing that I knew was that I was once again back on this deserted land, occupied only with silence and the occasional howling of the wind. But my soulless body preferred its silent words anyways
#Chapter233Free (Special)Third personShe sits frozen still while the rest of the world moves on. Chaos finally gone along with both darkness and happiness. The land sits silent, too quiet to be called alive. And when everyone thinks that she will never come out of her grief, she stands herself tall, although tiredness evoking of her, she moves even though forced.With face as empty as her heart, she carries herself forward, towards the edge of land and Alex comes forth from her shadows. Taking her in the strong hold of his arms, he descends, wings spread wide, down to the land where flowers bloomed beautifully all around. And when he lands, Althea moves out of his hold, her eyes solely to the front as she gracefully glides through the narrow path. Ignoring all eyes on her, she continues to move forward to where her mother sleeps within that vast tree, her pale skin now as white as the snow covering the mountains. She stands before her mother and the man, she once loved as
#Chapter232The goddess of life (2)Third personShe whispers the name of mate as pain becomes too much for her to bear and in a silver flash, appears a man, wrapping his arm around her defeated shoulders, holding her tall. And with a swing of his arm, he dismisses the darkness floating the land, as if it was nothing but a heavy mist.He stands dressed in white and like the goddess, he too holds the brilliance of heaven, the halo in his silver hair, and supremacy on his silver eyes. But those silver orbs remain on the girl, searching for the light, the innocence she once radiated with.He had failed to protect his little girl, one whom he loved before heaven.“My sweet, little Althea.” But Althea looks back with hard eyes, blaming him for her loss as she pulls Aries tighter in her arms, in fear that he too was against her being with Aries. “What has this world done to you, my little Althea?”She keeps her glare on him even though, Randolph, her father, held the softest gaze of
#Chapter231The goddess of life (1)Third personShe lowers her head a little. And finally, the Lycans and wolves could see the light in her eyes that now shines through the world, as those silvers torches the darkness around.But on the other hand, her coal back eyes become one with the so-called darkness. Hatred, it holds all. Slowly making the silver dull which only holds the pain, the sadness. It grieves its loss and gradually the light in them too starts to fade along.“I will destroy this land that does not hold your breath. I refuse to reside in a universe that does not accept your heart. And I will never ascend to heaven that does not house your soul.” Gruesome words roar throughout the land as the war halts, as if time froze still petrified of the rise of the dark goddess. One by one, the creatures starts to dissipate as the darkness touches its core. Until there was none that lived apart from the man called Vyncent. Staggering on his feet, he moves forward, wounds
#Chapter230The dark goddess (2)Althea Zoella Castellanos SilvermoonThe wind blows hard as a loud roar echoes the field. A divine beast soars through the blue sky with his silver wings, beating on his back. The girl chuckles softy as she looks upon the beast and stretches her arm forward. And he lands inches away from her and strides with power, his marvellous wings spread high, until his furry head touches the small palm of the girl. “Would you like to join me on this journey, Alex?”He grunts softly while nudging his furry face against the palm of her hand, making a sweet giggle erupt out of the girl. The goddess walks towards them with a small smile on her face now as she looks at them both. Then her eyes shift on the silver of his wings and she steps forward. Gently stroking the soft feathers, she seems to be deep in thoughts. “I better prepare for the worst then. Who knows when you might need some kind of harmony in your life? I’m sorry to burden you with such weight,
#Chapter229The dark goddess (1)Althea Zoella Castellanos SilvermoonThen I hear the loudest roar of all, every other feeling in the air dull compared to it. I sit numb as I look up at the sky, but my vision far from it. My pitiful lips torn apart, pulled away from one another. It was me. My grief. Echoing to the heavens.Then I’m pulled into a land, heavily filled with green, blooming beautifully with tulips that stretched beyond, meeting the peaceful blue horizon. Then I see a girl dressed in white, her perfectly sliver hair blending into the pureness that she exuded. She sits on her knees as she hovers over the pond. Hesitantly, I move forward, pulled by the curiosity that held the girl’s keen eyes tightly to the pond. I stand just behind her and look over her shoulder at the clear colourless water. But instead of both our reflections, I see a man. One that looks very much like Aries with his golden hair now shorter, trimmed and his face void of the light stubbles. He loo