CHAPTER 6

A Conversation with Destiny

As I followed Kai's steady feet across the camp, I could feel the eyes on me. Every glance appeared to be a mix of caution and interest, as if they were picking up on something new about me. On the other hand, I was an outsider who had into their life, their world, and their secrets.

"In this manner." Kai's soft words shocked me out of my reverie. He took me to a clearing with a big wooden building that looked out over the camp. His eyes softened as he remarked, "Here, our traditions are important." "We are a family, united by loyalty and trust, not just individuals."

His words had an unusual warmth to them, so I nodded. I had never considered myself to be a member of such a family. Whether in this incarnation or well, the idea of another existence still hung over me like a spooky whisper, I'd always been more of a lone wolf. I ignored it and concentrated on Kai's steady, reassuring voice.

Members of the pack formed a half-circle as we got closer to the clearing. Kai took a step forward and joined me. My heart raced at his proximity, but I maintained a composed demeanor and concentrated on what he was saying as he started to describe their pack's traditions.

We get together once a month, which gives us an opportunity to catch up, exchange tales, and deepen our relationships. His tone was full of pride as he added, "It's a centuries-old tradition." "This is our legacy, not just a pack."

There were murmurs of agreement from the throng, and I saw a few looks, some cautious, others appreciative. I moved uneasily but made myself look them in the eyes so they would know I wasn't here to mess with their life.

I think Kai picked up on my anxieties. His voice was like a gentle wind, calming my racing heart as he said, "You're doing fine." Perhaps it was simply the intimacy of his voice, but I had an odd inward shock as if I had recognized his whisper from ages before.

“We welcome a new soul to our family tonight, one who has fought for survival, who has shown courage and strength,” he declared. For a while, I thought he was searching deeper, as if attempting to reveal secrets even though I was unaware I had, as he halted and met my stare.

Then he reached for my hand, which startled me. As the pack kept a close eye on us, he said, "Trust goes both ways," and I felt the warmth of his palm steady me. More instinctively than consciously, I clasped his hand back, and when I glanced at him, a glimmer of astonishment appeared in his eyes.

Kai led each element of the chants and stories that followed in the ritual. He put a hand on my shoulder once and led me through the steps as though I had performed them a thousand times. But with each phrase and stride, I sensed that subtle murmur once more the unnerving sense of familiarity, of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Later, as we made our way back toward the camp's perimeter, I made the decision to speak up. "Do you also sense it? That... weird sensation, like if I've been here before?

When he looked at me, his expression softened entirely for the first time. His voice was no more than a whisper when he acknowledged, "You're not the only one." "I feel like I've known you longer than I should sometimes." His gaze swept across mine, and the world appeared to dim in that moment. Kai and I were alone in a place that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar.

The moment between us was broken by a howl that punctured the quiet. Kai's stance tightened and his demeanor changed. "Remain near," he continued, his tone abruptly solemn. As he guided me to the location of the sound, I could feel his palm pressing down on my shoulder.

Following the sound of voices that became louder as we got closer to the edge of the woodland, we proceeded swiftly. There, I observed pack members around an unidentified person in a circle.

“What’s going on, Kai?” A mixture of eagerness and terror made my heart beat.

He walked forward without responding, his jaw clenched in a rigid line. When the throng dispersed, I was able to see what or rather, who they were around.

In the middle was a lady, her face white and scarred with anxiety. Her eyes, which were wide with recognition and locked onto mine as if she had seen a ghost, were what really drew my attention.

"Who are you?" Though I suspected I already knew the answer, I inquired in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper.

Her eyes darted from Kai to me as she gulped. "I... I recognize you," she stumbled. "I know you from a past you can't recall."

As my knees become weak, Kai's grasp tightened around my arm to support me. "What are you discussing?" Despite the fact that my voice was shaking, I demanded.

With a low, urgent voice, the lady stepped forward. "You're Luna... from a long-buried past." I was your sister, too.

My heart stopped beating. The world whirled, the familiar turning strange, as though the earth had suddenly moved beneath me. My mind was racing as I gazed at her, searching for some semblance of a recollection. But where recognition ought to have been, there was nothing but blackness.

My astonishment was broken by Kai's voice. With his hand still on my shoulder and his eyes on the woman with a mixture of wonder and distrust, he said, "This is not possible."

The woman inhaled deeply as her eyes were filled with an incomprehensible sadness. "Luna, I came here for you. to aid with your memory. and to caution you. The life you left behind is still going strong.

I felt Kai tighten next to me, and a cold went down my spine. "Warn me?" I was able to speak it, but it was no more than a whisper.

With a gloomy gaze, she nodded. Something someone followed you from that previous existence. Until you recall and have made amends for the mistakes of that life, they won't stop.

With the weight of her words weighing down on me like a smothering cloud, I stumbled backward. Was this the cause of the odd attraction I had felt for Kai? Was it the reason this existence and this planet seemed so broken and unfinished?

Although calm, Kai's speech had a steely undertone. With a fierceness that even astonished me, he fixed the woman with his stare and said, "You will tell us everything." "We are entitled to the truth."

The woman only shook her head, though. "Kai, it's not that easy. There are forces at work that are beyond your comprehension. Additionally, the truth might destroy you both if you go too near to it.

Kai's palm tightened on my shoulder as though to center himself, and his jaw hardened. I felt a chill go through me as he added, "Then let it try," with a calm resolve.

And when I stood next to him, I sensed the beginnings of something more: a link that was more than words, a trust. However, a glimmer of fear lodged in my breast when the woman's eyes darted to the darkness. No matter what, it was not going to be simple.

I was completely chilled by the woman's last remarks, which lingered in the air. "Get ready. The past tends to catch up with us. and you're not as far away as you believe.

With a question in his eyes, Kai looked at me, and I could see he was unsure of my readiness to confront whatever evil was concealed in my history.

With a furious resolution blossoming in my breast, I looked him in the eye. "I'm not running anymore, but I'm not sure what's coming."

He took a step back and nodded, his hand dropping from my shoulder as his eyes remained fixed on mine. Then let's get to the point. Together.

However, when we turned to confront the woman, she had disappeared, vanishing into the darkness as if she had never existed, leaving just the weight of her warning to reverberate in the quiet.