Simply Eternal (18+) Simply Series Final Book

The Void

*Ian*

I woke this morning feeling the same way I felt yesterday, and this has been recurring for a very long time. I feel like someone is watching me, observing my every move, and it is making me paranoid. Am I losing my mind?

After a shower, I read my emails and then the news. I get some breakfast and I sigh as I rub my eyes. I might need to take a nap after my daily stroll.

Suddenly Sol knocks on my door and I feel her frustration. Why didn’t I feel her before? The lack of sleep is affecting me. I rush to open for her and she walks in frowning. “Ok, cut it off… what the hell is going on with you?”

I blink in surprise; she is not the kind of girl who will treat me badly or be angry like this. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

She frowns even more. “I want to know what is going on as well… I had nightmares last night, again! And all because of you! I keep feeling you are under some kind of stress but you are not telling us! And believe it or not, we are siblings, and I feel it…”

I am speechless. Of course, she feels me, but I never thought it would be this intense. Then again, after what happened to Xavier in the past, I should have guessed.

She looks at me with worry, but after a few seconds, I see her sad. I hug her, I can’t feel her this way. “I am sorry if I didn’t say anything, sister… but I don’t understand what is happening to me as well…”

She doesn’t let me go, she hugs me tighter. “If it is something troubling you, it will also trouble the rest of us. Xavier is also concerned, but he agreed to let me be one to come to talk to you. He is a man who, like you, doesn’t know how to handle emotions...you know?” She chuckles and lets me free.

I smile at her and kiss her forehead. “You are the sunshine in our lives, sister…” She makes a funny gesture as if my comment was obvious and I roll my eyes at her.

Her giggle makes me smile wider. “Now, come sit with me and tell us what is happening…”

Only then I feel my brother’s presence. He doesn’t usually open the channel of communication between us all the time, but he waited for Sol to give him a clue of when to do it.

I guess I can no longer hide what has been happening. So I better come clean to it. ‘A few days after your Halloween event, I started to feel like something was watching over me… I mean, we are surrounded by the pack, we have watchers and enhanced senses, but it is only me who feels it?’

Xavier speaks through our minds. ‘Did you try to find the origin? Does it come from a direction or near a certain person?’

I sigh and shake my head. ‘I have done all that and was left with nothing. I feel a strange constriction in my chest, and when I look for the source of… whatever this is… it is gone… But I know is real.. My wolf is alert, restless. I feel my skin tense as well as the rest of my body… there is something happening...’ Sol gives me a serious look. She doesn’t like what she is hearing. However, I also know, after over a month I am not imagining this. Whatever it is, I feel it more and more intense. ‘I know our parents are arriving tomorrow, so perhaps they will help me out… I only have to cope with it one more day…’

Sol sighs. ‘Or maybe we can do something about it…’

I frown. ‘No. Sol, you are not using your powers. It is too risky and we are safe. I know I am safe.’

Xavier objects as well. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, Sol. You can wait just a bit longer…’

I close my eyes and sigh. Here it goes, Sol is frowning and I know something will happen. ‘Something stupid? Like what I did to save your ass? Gee… thanks!’

She stands up and turns around, I grab her hand and squeeze it. ‘Sister, please… he is trying to protect you…’ I plead to her.

She looks down and closes her eyes. ‘If he really tries to protect me, he is only pissing me off…’ And as she lets go of my hand, she walks away and closes herself to us. ‘One day, you will be a great leader. One day, brother… but that won’t happen until you learn how to treat people, especially your own sister… the way you say things will have a different effect on different  people, always.’

I feel him angry and sad at the same time, he knows I am right, but won’t admit it. I can only pray to the goddess that I will survive until our parents are here. It saddens me to admit it, but we are just too young and inexperienced to deal with things beyond our knowledge.

ღ ~~~~~~~ ☽ⓈⒺ☾ ~~~~~~~ ღ

*Solveig*

I have been locked in my room, holding back the tears and trying my best not to cry, almost all day now. I haven’t said anything to anyone about that day years ago, but then again, I have never felt the need to use my powers or whatever is that I have until now. I haven’t felt this way before, the helplessness that seems to be taking over my brother.  The change in his emotions is taking a toll on me.

Ebony and Ivory watch me in silence, they don’t understand what is happening to me, but they are here to watch over me from a distance. I love how they respect my privacy, they haven’t knocked on my window nor tried to communicate with me so far, and this is for the best. I watch them hover over my house protectively.

It is late now, the sun has set and I feel hungry. But I don’t feel like eating anything at the same time. I sigh and crawl out of bed, walking out on the balcony. Both of my angels get closer to me and wait silently. I don’t want to be like this, but I can’t stop it either. I feel I need to make something. “Will one of you, please, look after Ian?”

Ebony nods to me then to his brother, and he hovers away. I sit on the floor and hear Ivory’s soft whisper. “We are not part of your pack… we can not read your thoughts, sweet princess… so you have to tell us what is troubling you…”

I nod at him. “Something is happening to my brother, something we don’t understand… I offered to help but they shut me down…”

He gives a step closer to me an immediate sense of peace fills me. “Perhaps, they are not shutting you down, but only trying to protect you…”

It is hard to feel any anger when Ivory soothes me, but I can still share my thoughts. “Sometimes you need to let people make their own mistakes… I want to help them, I want to ease my brother’s worries… we share a bond, and what affects him also affects me… so we are in this together, like it or not…”

He nods, I know he understands what I am saying. “The stronger the bond, the harder to have a life of your own… especially with creatures that are so emotional like you…”

I know he doesn’t mean to offend, and I chuckle while nodding. “Yes, we are very emotional, I know you are right…” He gives me a small smile and I sigh. “Thank you, for being here. I think I will go to sleep now, our parents and some others more will be joining us in the morning... I missed them so much.”

He extends a hand and helps me up. “Good night, sweet princess. Rest well…”

I kiss his cheek and smile, as I turn and go back into my room. I lay down and between seconds, I am lost in a sea of confusion and unsettling dreams.

It has been only minutes since I fell asleep I believe, or maybe hours, but either way, I wake up with some discomfort. I look around me and then I remember what happened the day before. I sigh and look at the window. It is morning already; another restless night. I am sure Ian felt the same way.

I walk to the balcony after taking a shower, feeling refreshed with some light mood. I wave at Ivory and he nods at me, yet his gesture makes me think something is wrong. I follow his glance and I see Ebony at my brother’s house, he looks worried. I tense and open the channel to my brothers and I feel like a wall of nerves hit me. I fall to the floor as I lose balance. “Ian!” I scream as loud as I can. ‘Ian!’ I send to him through our bond.

Ivory rushes to his house but stops mid-air, he turns to look at me, and only then I realize I am at the edge of the balcony once more. My hands tight in a fist to the edge; my wolf alert, my mind locking on whatever is chasing Ian. I see Ebony fly away after being hit by, something. I don’t lose my time. I did this before, and I don’t care what my brothers have said. Something is hurting my brother, and I need to save him.

I close my eyes and let go; my energy, my essence, everything I have is sent to him. I feel, just like the last time, myself lifting my body and connecting to my brother’s. I reach to him and become one with him, feeling my skin his. A vortex is open, and dark eyes follow him. He was afraid, but now he feels me. ‘Oh Sol, what have you done…! If they hurt me, they’ll hurt you…!’

I concentrate on what he is feeling now, and that is my energy with his. ‘Fight… back…’ I manage to say and he shifts to his wolf quickly, growling and exuding that aura only he is capable of. The one he refuses to use, the one that becomes a barrier that scares any creature alive.

The vortex shifts form and the eyes seem more distant. So I push myself one more time, focusing my essence to blend with his, and this time his howl shakes the vortex and it begins to close. We stand together, threateningly, waiting until the last second that threat disappears completely, then Ian shifts back to his human form, and I make sure he is well. ‘Sister!’ He screams as I start to come back to myself. I feel numb.

I hear my mother’s voice. ‘Oh Sol, what have you done?! Babygirl… I am coming to you…’ And I smile, they are here, all will be ok.

Then I hear another voice that is unfamiliar to me. ‘Please… please hold on, please survive… I just found you, I can’t lose you…’

Who is this? Why is he able to get into my thoughts? And many other questions cross my head briefly, but I am too tired, and I open my eyes to feel my body abandon me. I collapse to the ground with a single thought in my head. They are here.