Once upon a time-3

Good Evening, Aldus.”

Eden curtsied to the Mage as he explained briefly, “Eliza Claire Gold is here to get your blessing so that she can officially join the pack tonight.”

Aldus’s young voice echoed again, “Come inside. Let me have a glimpse of her destiny.” 

The room was dark still now but the moment we stepped in, a bright light filled the room and I found an old man with long white hair and dark eyes, sitting on a couch with a heavy book in his hand.

He had a very gentle smile, peeping through his silky grey beard. Looking up at me, he greeted me warmly, “Good Evening, Miss Eliza. May I?”

He raised his hand in front of me as he asked for my hand. He had a very unique aura, powerful yet mysterious and unpredictable. I felt awkward and slightly scared. But, he added again, “Don’t be scared, Young Lady. It will not be as painful as your first transformation.”

Smiling nervously, I placed my hand on his, “I am not scared at all.”

Chuckling, the old man covered my hand with his as he closed his eyes and started to murmur some incoherent words which I couldn’t understand. I felt like the bright light of the room began to tremble instantly. 

A sharp pain ran through my veins, reaching to my heart. It was painful but endurable.

With a puzzled expression when I looked at Eden who was still standing next to me, he calmly mumbled, “It’s okay. Stay calm.”

“What is he-”

I couldn’t finish my sentence. Aldus let out a long, audible breath and then he added in a harsh and raw voice, “Destruction! Massacre! Bloodbath!”

Aldus’s eyes opened sharply as he glared at me. His dark eyes turned blood red and his calm expression changed miraculously. He continued, looking at me, “I can see only chaos in your destiny, Miss.”

“Chaos? What do you mean?”

He answered in that same harsh tone, “You will bring destruction for the pack. Everyone will suffer, numerous will be burnt to death and your life will be full of misery.”

An icy fear twisted around my heart as I mumbled, “I will cause all these?”

Aldus closed his eyes for a moment and then blurted out, “Yes!”

I gasped, panting in terror. Eden noticed my dark face. He hastily pulled me away from Aldus, taking a step forward as he asked promptly, “How can we stop this, Aldus?”

“You can’t! None can change the fate,” Aldus’s cold voice echoed.

Eden pulled me closer to him as he asked worriedly, “Are you sure that your prediction is correct?”

“Yes, I am sure. She will start a new era for the Underworld. The enemies will collide, the families will be broken, bonds will be tested- everything will change, Young Lord. We can’t stop it but we must endure it.”

I asked in a small frightened voice, “Should I leave the pack then? Maybe my absence can protect the pack.”

Aldus paused for a moment. Then his face relaxed with a calm and tiny smile as he explained, “It’s your destiny, Young Lady. In your presence or absence, the pack and you will share that fate surely. We can’t change our destiny but I will advise you to be cautious with your decisions. You must not give up. When the time will be right, you will be the cause of the biggest harmony of the Underworld.”

Eden asked worriedly, “Aldus, will there be any life risk for her?”

“Yes, for all of us. For the whole pack.”

Aldus sighed as he continued, “But, we can’t change. it, Young Lord. We should just keep fighting until the storm passes. Each of us must fight to survive or our ending is near.”

“Ending!”

I searched anxiously for the meaning behind the words, “What should I do, Aldus! How can I stop this? I don’t want-”

Aldus approached me suddenly and patted my head affectionately, “Eliza, none of us can stop it. Always remember, you mustn’t give up and stay true to yourself. Your purity will bring revolution for us.”

Panic was rioting within me. I didn’t understand half of his prediction. But, I was sure about one thing that my presence wasn’t good for our pack. Aldus looked at Eden as he advised, “Keep this prediction a secret for now and protect our young lady always.”

Eden looked very worried yet suppressing his feelings, he murmured, “I will keep it a secret. Aldus, we should go back to the ball now or Father will start searching for us.”

Patting my head one more time, Aldus declared, “I accept Eliza Claire Gold as a loyal member of the Golden Heart Pack. May your glorious presence change our fate, Young lady. Follow your heart till the end.”

Bowing to him, I replied obediently, “I offer my body and soul for the welfare of the pack, Aldus.”

Taking our leave from Aldus when we took the path of the hall once again, I couldn’t control the spasmodic trembling within me. My heart was throbbing rapidly, thinking about my uncertain future.

Even Eden looked stressed as I could hear his frequent sighs. However when he noticed my tormented expression, he gently wrapped his protective arm around my shoulder and asked in his soft tone, “What’s wrong with your expression, Missy?”

“Hmm.. I am just thinking if-”

Eden cut me in the middle, “Who has asked you to think so much, Missy? Don’t trouble your little brain or it will stop working.”

I groaned in an upset voice, “Brother! How can you joke even now?”

Eden pulled me closer to him as he answered affectionately, “Why? What is bothering you so much? Those silly predictions?” His lips curled up with his usual calm smile as he teased me, “Eli, you are so dumb! Half of the time, those predictions don’t come true and you are worrying about it. Seriously?”

I was still scared.

My thoughts were dull and disquieting. I mumbled uneasily, looking at our vast porch, “What if they come true? What if I really cause trouble for the whole pack?”

Eden chuckled softly.

While tousling my hair, he assured me warmly, “Then, you will get the chance to witness your brother’s awesomeness. Eli, I will always be here to protect you with everything. None can touch a single hair of yours.”

“Really?”

I asked, tilting my face and looking up at him.

Raising one of his brows, Eden asked promptly, “Do you have any doubt?”

While giggling, I nodded my head positively to enjoy his squinting eyes.