Flashback

2003

Blue Cross Hospital,

Lagos, Nigeria.

Wednesday, April 9

Aaron grinned as he entered the hospital. He was getting a little hungry with the scent of blood everywhere but swallowed it. Picking up her scent, it led them to the children’s ward. He was a little dumbfounded by the sight they all beheld. The priestess was sprawled on the floor and he then gestured to one of his men to check on her.

“She’s not dead sir!” he confirmed on checking her pulse.

“Check her basket for the pearl!” he ordered, when he caught a strange scent from amongst the babies. He was just about to investigate when one of his men called out.

“S-s-s sir…?” he stuttered.

“What?”

“It’s empty. The pearl is gone!”

“What?” he exclaimed, snatching the basket to confirm it.

“Sir, we have to leave they are coming!” said one of his men, keeping a lookout.

“Who?”

“Spirit Warriors!” he sneezed.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust as I tried to suppress a sneeze.

“Sir?”

“What?”

“What should we do about the priestess?”

“Take her body.” he ordered half-heartedly “Let’s get outta here before they show up.”

The Chaos Conference Room

Demon Realm,

Hell,

Underworld.

Sunday February, 13

(Carson)

I sipped my wine as Aiden, Belial and I silently watched our fellow crowned princes bickering and hurling insults at one another from across the table. Sometimes, I wonder whether we were truly fit to be the next heirs to the Ten Thrones of Hell when we still behave like preschoolers fighting over candy. Well…most of us.

Our fathers were quite busy on earth so they made us represent them at this meeting, alongside their Gammas, as part of our “training”. Alex, the chairman of the search committee, was currently being grilled by the rest, and trust me you’d not want to be in his shoes.

“I told you it would be a wasteful venture!” Ethan roared. “I would have used the money instead to buy a new Mercedes Benz Maybank Excelo.”

“Tsk, tsk tsk…” I thought, “What else do you expect from the Crowned Prince of Greed?”

“Why? You have seventeen already?!” Dennis exclaimed.

“Classic envy!” Aaron muttered.

“There’s nothing bad in looking good!” Memphis smirked, glued to his mirror.

“Classic Vanity!” Belial muttered, lazily.

“Have patience, Ethan!” Alex said. “Our men are still searching…”

“And yet they’ve found nothing!” Aiden interrupted.

“Like seriously, do you have to always dampen hopes!” he snapped.

“What else do you expect from the Prince of Despair?” Dennis muttered darkly, rolling his eyes.

“Besides, we’ve been searched everywhere”

“Our fathers were this close to getting it if not for that b***h who covered her tracks.”

“My fellow princes bear with me…” Alex began.

“We’ve searched everywhere what more do we have to do?” Aiden complained.

“Give us more time and support.”

“Hell no!” Ethan roared, slamming his fist on the table causing it to crumble to bits.

“What the hell, man!” Belial grumbled, as he was being helped up.

Due to boredom, he had propped his elbow on the table which was why he fell face-first into the debris. Rolling his eyes, Aiden muttered something under his breath and the table slowly reattached itself back.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I can do better!” Dennis retorted.

“Then, what do you suggest we do?” Aiden said, ignoring Dennis.

“How about we call off the search?” I said softly, turning to face the rest.

“What?!” Alex snapped, flabbergasted to the marrow.

“Like you said we’ve searched everywhere yet we can’t find it so how about we devote our time and resources to our main essence in life – File X!”

I paused letting my words sink as several gasps erupted.

“We-we’ve never done that before!”

“There’s no harm in trying.”

“What about..? But we need it!” Alex whined.

“Not necessarily – I say we forget about it." I said.

“How can we just abandon something so priceless after decades of investment?”

“Is it just me or has anyone noticed that the Dragon Shifters have been inactive for decades?”

“That’s true!” Memphis reaffirmed, looking up from his mirror for the first time since the meeting began. “Our men haven’t clashed with them in years.”

“Let me guess… you’re out of dragon skin, again." Dennis said, rolling his eyes.

“So?”

“If Long Mu’s soul is as priceless as you claim Alex, why haven’t they been on our necks to prevent us from finding it? Has it occurred to any of us that this might have been a wild goose chase to distract us from our main mission?”

I smirked in victory as I was replied by subdued silence. Alex only muttered something unintelligible and averted his gaze on me.

“Corson’s right!” Aiden said, breaking the silence.

“But…”

“Let’s take a vote. All those in favor of executing File X, say ‘Aye’…”

“Aye!” Aaron, Memphis, Ethan, and I chorused.

“Those against say, ‘Nay!' "

“Nay!” Dennis and Alex chorused.

“The ayes have it!”

“Belial didn’t even vote!” Dennis complained.

“You should know me by now, dude,” he murmured lazily.

“Take heart, Alex,” I said, patting his shoulders. “It’s best we all forget about her. Maybe it’s even a lost soul.”

“Maybe…” he murmured stubbornly.

“Lagan!”

“Yes, my prince.” said a young man who appeared beside me with a bow.

“Get me File X!”

“As you wish my lord!” he said lowly, with a bow before disappearing.

I felt more at ease as we settled down to focus on more serious issues…

Our essence since creation…

Our way…

Destruction and Chaos…

The Demon Way!

At the same time,

The Werewolf Realm,

The Underworld.

(Carolina)

I sighed as I sank my teeth into my buttered toast while Dad and my brother roared at each other.

"Dad, why can’t I just marry Liza?"

"You know too well why you can’t marry her!"

"But I love her..."

"And the law states that you can never be king without your mate!"

This isn’t the first time this argument has broken out over breakfast... And lunch... And dinner. Always on the same topic.

My older brother and Dad have been on each other's necks ever since my brother returned from his trip to the human world after graduating from human college and claimed to be in love with a blonde bimbo he befriended while on campus. He's been obsessed with a blonde bimbo he met on campus. I know... I don't like her but I feel sad for my big bro who's head over heels for Elizabeth Mackenzie. But as the next in line to the position of Supreme Alpha, any hope of them being together is futile because he can only marry her when he marks his mate.

"But mum?!" he whined

"You can't break our way of life..."

"Oh, bleep the bond!" he spat, causing gasps to break out in the dining room.

"Every servant should leave the dining this instant!" ordered Dad as calmly as he could.

I chuckled a little as they all dashed out like harassed rabbits. Who would dare disobey the king? Who would dare disobey the king? Father then faced him squarely immediately after they all left, silently convulsing in rage.

"How dare you!" Father roared after recovering from the shock his statement had caused.

"Dad..."

"How dare you defy the great Moon goddess?”

"I..."

"I don't care if it's the new style of maturity but don’t you ever in your existence defy the goddess!" he boomed ballistically banging the table at each word and stormed off.

"Mom, what did I say wrong?"

"How will I know when you just insulted the power behind your existence?"

It was just then he realized that he had insulted our parents’ marriage.

"Mom I didn't mean..."

She wasn't listening as she dramatically flung out of the room.

"Are you happy now?" one of my baby twin brothers muttered.

"Shut it Bede." Bane snapped, before turning to Conan. "Bro, are you okay?"

"Of course not!"

“C’mon Bro," I cooed taking him by the arm. "Let's go make things right."

We hurried to the garden where we met Mother pruning some roses. She sensed our presence but didn't turn to acknowledge us.

“You know..." she started. “When I first met your dad we didn't have much in common, we used to argue every time. I was scared on our wedding day but during his vow, he gave me a white rose. He told me that we were just like the rose, sweet and full of thorns but together, with a lot of patience, love, and a little faith, we could make it blossom."

“I’m sorry I didn't...”

“It's okay, darling!” she beamed, turning towards us.

“I know you've waited for your mate for so long but I want you to just exercise more patience,” she said, taking his face in her palms

“How long do I have to wait?” he grudgingly admitted, with a sigh, and removed my mother’s hands from his face before carrying a watering can to shower the roses.

“Just trust me it would be sooner...”

Mom was then interrupted by a groan from my brother who clutched his chest.

“Son, son what's wrong?!” cried Mother.

“My chest…it hurts!” he moaned, before passing out.

I sensed my mom's mind-linking dad who rushed in a soon enough flagged with the Supreme Beta Lucius and Supreme Gamma Ivan as she shook my brother’s lifeless body.

“WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM!”

“I don’t know… we were just talking suddenly he started clutching his chest and he passed out.” Bede sobbed.

“He was fine not long ago,” Father murmured as he knelt down to inspect his body.

“He’s still alive he announced, standing up. “Take him to his room and summon the doctor.”

“Are you sure he’s okay?”

“Don’t worry, Pudding. He’ll be fine.” Father cooed as some servants carried him out to his room.

Somewhere else,

In an ancient temple,

(Omniscient)

An aged bald shaman is deep in mediation, in a circle of candles, surrounded by hundreds of initiates who were meditating alongside him. Suddenly, a great gust of wind barreled into the room, blowing out the hall’s only source of light. The startled new initiates started tittering over the strange occurrence.

“Master, this isn’t ordinary.” a student said, near him.

“What is going on?”

Lazily, their wizened master opened his eyes and stood up causing a hush to fall over the hall but before he could open his mouth to speak the room was reverberated with 5 earsplitting peals of thunder causing the weak ones to clutch their neighbors in fear.

“Master what was that?”

“That…was just mother nature announcing her arrival.” He said, before slowly getting to his feet and exiting the hall.

They all agreed in whispers, all agreeing on the confirmation of a great one by Mother Nature but question on everyone’s mind was: “Who?”

Still in my church,

By the lavatory,

10:17 AM.

(My POV)

"Thank goodness it’s almost closing time. I grunted softly as I led the kids to pee.

I’ve kind of fallen head over heels with two of the foreign kids, Ari and Benjiro Long, over the last couple of hours. We’ve bonded so well… Jiro even gave me a nickname.

“Big Aunty, what’s wrong?’ asked Jiro, taking my hand.”

“Yeah, why are you sad?’ said Ari, taking my other hand”.

"Oh nothing… I’m really going to miss you guys when you go back to America.”

“Me too!”

“Me three!”

The church has only three restrooms so I let the others enter so Ari and Ben could keep me company and tell me more about their family.

I was just about to ask them about their cold uncle when I heard a twig snap behind me. Alarmed, I turned back to find myself face to face with three well-built ninja assailants armed to the teeth with their guns pointed at me.

“Run kids! Get out of here!” I shrieked, blocking them from the attackers view. The others scurried away but Jiro and Ari refused to move.

“Bin, Cleo, why are you guys still here?” I whispered “Go, you guys can make it without me!”

“What about you, Angie?” asked Jiro, clutching me tightly.

“Forget me, go!”

“There’s no need for drama, Miss!” said the blue masked ninja who seemed to be their leader. “Step aside we’re only here for the kids…”

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” said one of them, who had a large X on his right breast, as he inched forward, causing the kids to squeal as they hid behind me.

“Shut it, Agent X!” hissed the other one, holding Agent X back.

“You can have them…over my dead body!” I said, defiantly puffing my chest.

“Have it your way. I’ll give you till the count of three to change your mind…” he warned.

“One!”

“Bin, Cleo, please go!” I whispered “Your grandpa would never forgive me if something happens to you…”

“Two!”

“No, big aunty, we’re not leaving you…” sobbed Ari.

“C’mon, this is your last chance!” drawled Agent X. “We won’t hurt you…”

“They’re lying!” cried Ben.

“I know… they’ll kill me either way, that’s why you guys should go…”

“Then, let’s go together!” cried Ari, and with that they hugged my sides even tighter.

I felt so touched I couldn’t dam the tears coursing down my cheeks as they cocked their guns at us

“Three!”

About a thousand tiny darts pierced my chest and neck as they opened fire on me. Sleeping darts I thought dizzily as I tried to steady myself but I fell to my knees. I tried to hang on to ben and Ari as my head began to spin and everywhere had started to turn dark.

“No! Don’t! Leave them alone!” I wheezed as they pried the kids off me and kicked me away.

“Jiro, Ari…I’m sorry!” I croaked as I crawled towards them, my arms getting heavier by the second. They kept on screaming my name as I fought to keep my eyes open still everything was getting dim.

“Big aunty…”

My lids are getting heavier.

“Big aunty…”

I felt my body embrace Mother Earth.

“Big aunty…!”

TBC