Chapter 17 #3
I can’t help but wonder if this explains all the intense feelings I’ve had since Zayne has entered my orbit.
I mean, I’m no stranger to relationships, and I have had boyfriends, but I’ve never had this kind of pull towards another like I do with him.
This attraction is almost uncontrollable.
It’s as if my own soul calls out to him.
Being in his presence, if I’m honest, has made it difficult to concentrate on his words, but I remain focused.
The way he looks at me...it’s almost as if he can feel the buzzing electricity throbbing through my veins.
“You know,” Knox snorts, “it’s all that fucking ‘You complete me,’ bullshit.”
Knox’s comment breaks the trance with Zayne.
“So,” I say, clearing my throat and shifting in my seat. “Basically, the soulmate thing is a big deal.”
Zayne nods.
“It’s powerful,” he continues. “But with all the emotions we have, balance comes with both good and bad. This also proposed an issue that the Gods had to find a solution for.”
“A solution for what?”
“Souls, for the most part, shine brightly. But occasionally, the more afterlives a soul went through, the more their energy started to dim. Because this dimming ultimately implied some failure or flaw in their design, the Gods invented Aetheriem. Aetheriem was created to help nurture and build a struggling soul back to full potential.”
“What would constitute a struggling soul?” I ask.
“These would be the souls that just lost their way. So criminals, drug users, or perhaps the humans that made the decision to take their own life. They weren’t hopeless, they were just lost, and before they could move on to the next afterlife, they needed a bit more growth and development.
So, Aetheriem was created to give them a place of safety and stability where their soul could rest and recharge. ”
“Or that’s what it was supposed to be,” Knox says with destain.
“What do you mean?” I ask, looking between him and Zayne.
“This is where it gets a bit…muddy. Aetheriem could not run on its own accord, so the Gods assigned immortals to assist. Two of these immortals were put in charge of Aetheriem: Jasper and Jess.
Jasper was appointed leader and was in charge of overseeing the overall balance in the realm.
Jess had more of a hands-on role, working in the realm to make sure everything was working in sync.
The other immortals worked beneath Jasper and Jess to assist in the rebuilding of the human souls within Aetheriem until they were ready to journey to their next life.
“Are there souls that can’t be saved?” I ask.
“It’s rare, but it happens. To our knowledge, there have only been a handful.”
“What happened to them?”
“Their light would eventually goes out,” Zayne says quietly.
“Oh wow,” I whisper.
“Yeah, Jasper took those losses hard, and stayed with them until their light dimmed forever. For hundreds of years, Aetheriem remained peaceful and productive.”
“... Until it wasn’t,” Knox adds sarcastically.
“What do you mean until it wasn’t? What happened?” I ask. “I thought it was supposed to be a safe haven?”
Zayne sighs heavily, closing his eyes.
“A lot happened,” he whispers, shaking his head.
“Understatement of the fucking year right there,” Knox whispers loudly.
“What?” I ask, confused.
“So, I can only tell you what I have been told by Jess and Steph,” he states.
“Steph?” I question. I feel like I’m going to need some kind of whiteboard at this point to map all this out.
“Steph is Jess’s soulmate, and they run the rebellion.”
The rebellion…I remember hearing something about that from Lily. But I’m not ready to say anything, so I just let him continue.
“Everything was peaceful, from what Jess told us, and after hundreds of years, Jasper finally met his soulmate. Jess said it was the happiest he’s ever seen Jasper. Their love was unmatched, and he protected her with everything he had.
“Until one day, it all changed, and she vanished. It changed him. The more obsessed he got trying to find, her the more he cursed the Gods. And that is the Aetheriem we see now. What once was bright and beautiful is now a twisted world of decay that shifts with shadows and darkness.”
“Oddly, this makes sense,” I mumble.
Zayne and Knox both look at me in question.
“How so?” Zayne asks.
I lightly run my fingertips down my arm, where the scar is fading but still visible—a constant reminder of that night.
“He went on a rant the night this happened. About a woman. I confronted him, and he didn’t like that. Hence…” I hold my arm up for a second before tucking it back under my sweater.
Zayne’s jaw ticks.
“Yeah,” he says, taking a calming breath.
Changing the subject, I ask, “How can…”
Unsure if the dots I’m connecting are right, I ponder a second.
“Originals?” He smiles.
“Yes. How do originals cross over?” I ask.
“True Originals have the ability to pass through the frequency of worlds from their afterlife to Aetheriem. Something we are told started within the last year, but I’m not sure if it’s a ripple effect of what happened when Jasper lost it, or it was something the gods put in because of what’s been happening with Jasper, or if the worlds are trying to build their own balance, but I don’t think we will ever know the truth.
“Jasper went down a rabbit hole in the archives to find a way to save a fading soul. He came to some sort of warped conclusion of how he was going to consume souls to gain power, to be able to shift through worlds to burn it all down.” Zayne pauses for a breath.
“Basically, Jasper is a poster child for party pooper. Look it up, in the dictionary it has his face and everything.” Knox snickers.
Zayne rolls his eyes as he smirks at Knox. “You can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Nope, and you wouldn’t have me any other way.” Knox puffs his chest out proudly.
I contemplate what Zayne said about Jasper’s revenge to ruin all the worlds, and Jasper’s words come back to me from the last encounter.
And here I thought you would need the help of Jonathan to get here.
“Who’s Jonathan?” I ask.
Zayne and Knox’s banter quickly fades. Zayne’s pale expression startles me; it’s as if he’s seen a ghost, and he rubs his chest as if it pains him, but when I look over to Knox for answers, he dodges my gaze.
Looking back at Zayne, I see the vulnerability in his eyes, and it tugs at my chest. His distant stare, as if he’s remembering something, causes me to wonder if they knew him. All I want to do is touch him, hug him. Do something to make the pain in his eyes going away.
“Where did you hear that name?” he asks quietly.
The look on his face makes me wish I’d never asked. “The last time I saw Jasper, he said he was surprised I got there on my own, that Jonathan didn’t help me.”
I’m regretting bringing this up, and both of them have become somber. All of this has been a lot to process, but maybe it’s better to get it all out now. No secrets, that’s one thing I can’t stand.
“Jonathan was an Original, and unfortunately, his first encounter into Aetheriem made him Jasper’s first victim,” Zayne says somberly.
A knock at the door startles us, and all three of us jerk our heads towards it. Zayne gets up to open it.
“Hey, boss, it’s almost time to open,” I hear a man at the door say.
“Thanks, Jack, we will be right down,” Zayne says as he closes the door and returns to sit back down in front of me.
Clearly trying to break the uneasy tension in the room, Knox speaks up.
“Now to recap, let’s have everyone in the room who’s an Original, raise their hand.” Knox smirks, raising his hand in the air proudly, and when Zayne doesn’t do anything, Knox quickly nudges him. Zayne whips his glare in his direction rolls his eyes, and slowly raises his hand.
“But that’s not all, folks,” Knox smirks as he motions for me to raise my hand as well. If what they’re saying is true, then that would make me one too, wouldn’t it?
The knock on the door may have interrupted our little story time, but it wasn’t just a story. This nightmare I have been living is real. Jasper is real, and he is holding my sister’s soul captive in exchange for my own. But now, after all this, would I be willing to give that up?
I am an Original. It’s a declaration to myself, as I, too, raise my hand in recognition.
It's nice to finally have some sort of framework for everything that has been happening to me, but a tear escapes me as I think about my sister’s situation and I lower my hand again.
Suddenly, I can feel Knox's hand on mine, and I look at him.
The questions are still spiraling out of control in my mind.
“Myssa? Are you ok? I know this is a lot to take in.”
I look up at Knox and then at Zayne. Knox’s forehead is creased with concern and sympathy, but Zayne’s scowl is confusing. I follow his glare to where Knox’s hand is on mine. Could he jealous? I shift slightly, taking my hand out of Knox’s and wiping away the tear that escaped.
“I’m ok. It’s just a lot.” I look between them both again, asking the most important question of all.
“So, what now?”
Zayne’s focus from before has changed, his demeanor softer as he looks at me.
“First, we need to help you learn the balance between your emotions and their tie to the frequency. You are able to not only shift easily into Aetheriem, but you can pull another Original with you. That can be a unique advantage, but it can also put you right in the path of Jasper.”
I tilt my head slightly furrowing my eyebrows. If all three of us are Originals, why would I be able to do something different?
“Ok. I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little confused. Can’t any Original end up in Aetheriem whenever they want? Also, what do you mean by pull with me?”
He shifts awkwardly before standing up and striding to his desk.