SILVER-HAIRED-Chapter 164: Hollow

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Nicklaus stood, the wind whistling around, an intense cold to it, his eyes still lingered on where Yelena disappeared along with the portal. His eyes saddened, his once green orbs lost their light and now only darkness filled it.

"Why did she leave?", was the only word he could utter, as a feeling so strong consumed him, eating him from within, his looks mixed with confusion and extreme sadness. He wanted to understand her reason, why she would turn her back without giving him an explanation, and why all this was happening right now, had his greatest nightmare come true?

"Nicklaus," Celeste said gently behind him, her eyes sad, she had never seen her brother like this, he seemed so lost, from this angle even without seeing his face, she could feel the hollow feeling radiating from his body, it was all around him and it weakened his aura, the very first.

"I believe something must be wrong," Alaric began. "I know Lena, I know she cannot leave you just like that, she loves you", he nods. "Like the world itself", even if he didn’t want to admit it but that was the truth because when he held her during her panic attack before she fainted, the only name she called was HIS and then he understood just how much fate has brought them together, his petty feelings cannot be compared to what they have or what they shared or even come between them.

Nicklaus gave a heavy sigh before facing them. "The Mother goddess came to me"

"What?!" Celeste said stunned that she would do such, she should fear Nicklaus’ wrath if she did, she was crazy.

"In her spirit form," he adds.

"Why would she do that?!" Celeste demands.

"She must have found out her daughter is here and no longer in the Mortal Realm," Alaric said sternly. "All this mess must be her doing", he added through clenched teeth, her mother was set to haunt her again, THAT WITCH!

"Like a bloody bitch she is... she still hates my existence, she went as far as threatening me, and it worked"

"What are you saying, Nicklaus?"

"Her statement; You will never see her again, she will never come to you again, as long as I deem so that will never happen again"

"A curse?" Celeste said with wide eyes.

"I think so"

"It must be why Lena is acting strange, we need to find out what curse she has done now," Alaric said as anger boiled within him, her own mother never wished for her happiness and that angered him so.

"She said something... again" he began once again gaining their undeniable attention. "About what happened 2 thousand years ago... the truth"

"What could she possibly mean?" Alaric said, puzzled.

Nicklaus looked away. "I do not know" he began walking past them.

"Nicklaus!" Celeste called.

"I will find her," he said, not stopping in his steps. "Even if I have to flip the bloody Realms", he came to a halt before facing them with furious eyes and the weather was just as cold as ever. "I will not let her take my beloved away from me again!"

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I slowly opened my eyes, groaning, when I entered the portal, the next thing I knew was darkness, I must have passed out. I forced my body to sit up, and then I realized I was still in my Fox form. Great, just great, how will I reverse back? I had no idea how to, it seems like this will be my convenient form for a while, although it didn’t sound right to me.

At the sound of the clamorous thunder, I snarled thinking it was a potential danger but then I gaped at the heavens, heavy with dark clouds, and then I finally took notice of my environment, further away was a dark forest, at the very center ahead of me was a thin line glowing like strings in a straight line showing an opening, the very line reaching the skies, the area was so quiet that it seemed like a cemetery, the clamorous thunder that shook the earth continued like something ominous was about to happen.

The realization struck me as my eyes went wide, this was the Border between Realms like Nicklaus told me in his tale, the very border that connects all Realms, the center of it all, I must have portaled here... then that means.

I turned my head and spotted a pavilion, beneath a tree, the land on which the pavilion was on... was in a circle format and the grasses were the greenest of them all, at the edge of the land was a stream with lotus flowers on then, it was a wondrous sight and then I saw him, the very man I was hoping to see... the Handler, an ancient being tasked with the duty of guiding anyone through the border to whatever destination they wanted to be, although some magical beings possess abilities to portal to other Realms, some Realms were not able to be located except they use the border.

Exactly as Nicklaus told me, an elderly man with a long beard and hair, milky white, his clothes white too and jewelry graced his neck, gods it was playing so well before me, and he was enjoying himself like he was on a picnic, sipping his tea.

I gulped as I began sauntering towards the pavilion, my eyes on him.

I heard him laugh as he read something from a scroll and ate a biscuit. He has maybe been a Handler on his seat for many millennia but he was surely making the best of it.

He spotted me as his brown orbs landed on him. "My word! Is that a Fox I see?" he said blinking multiple times, seeming like he was trying to wake from a dream, have a Fox never come here before? I smirked nervously and he raised an eyebrow. "An intelligent one at that" he waved his hand signaling me to come to him and then I crossed the small bridge and stepped into the Pavilion, I lowered my lower body to the seat, the rest of me upright. Now I am sitting like an animal now... Great! 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Hmm... a shifter, what is a magical being like you doing here, last I know Foxes are capable of portaling to anywhere they please, it’s rare to see one such as yourself here," he said as his eyes landed on the crescent moon tattoo on my forehead.

"My word... a half goddess"

I froze at his revelation.

"Does one even exist?" he said in amusement. I was stunned by his words, I had thought the awakening of my Fox blood meant I was now a full-blooded goddess but it seems like I was only half.

"And a lonely one at that"

My body still, as my eyes slowly went wide, my golden orbs trembled, and then they turned sad. Yes I was lonely, I made a decision that would forever haunt me. My eyes were on the verge of tears, sorrow like the deepest part of the ocean overwhelmed me.

"A set of mysteries have found me in my home... What are you, child?"

I looked up at him with my sad eyes. I do not know who I’m anymore, for I’m lost.

He smiled. "Lost you say?"

I froze. "You heard me?" I placed my paw on my mouth, I just spoke!

"I’m an ancient being I understand all languages and I can clearly hear you speak right now, it’s just a small spell" he shrugged like it was no big deal.

I forced a smile.

"So tell me dear fox, why say you’re lost?" he asked with curiosity sparkling in his brown orbs.

"It’s worth saying I’m lost, I cannot be with the man I love. I should love him, I should crave him, I should want to spend every bit of my essence with him but I can no longer" a tear slid down my cheek brushing against my fur, and I sniffled.

"Ah love... a very mysterious thing and yet so powerful and yet so destructive"

My gaze well on him.

"It depends on whoever wields this power called love, for in any hand it serves as salvation or darkness"

"Then I guess the love my own Mother claims to have for it is darkness and destruction, she wants nothing more than to set me apart from my mate, to the point she laid her own life to curse me for eternity" I spat, the anger evident in my tone.

"Ah, a mother’s love... I have read books and seen understanding, a Mother’s love is yet another powerful thing, says to be even greater than mere love"

"She doesn’t love me, then why would she curse her own daughter for eternity... I cannot go back to my mate because of this, for my fate of love has been mismatched to a man I do not love or even see that way, what greater curse is that? When your own mother wishes you unhappiness, tell me! Is that a Mother’s love?"