Opening
ABOUT A DANCE OF WORLDS SAGA
A Dance of Worlds explores the enigmas of consciousness in eight standalone novels. Consider consciousness as a tapestry of infinite timelines.
Four timelines are explored in the saga, namely Veils One, Inspiration, Quotidian, and the Machia Veil, (pronounced Maki'a). Humans and all living beings switch between these timelines, often unaware of their existence.
ABOUT QUEST OF DESPAIR
Stagnation ruled in the alternate timeline of Machia Veil. A timeline where mortals lived in denial of an intolerable truth. That life meant suffering.
Within Machia Veil stood Club 7, an exclusive super club. A sanctuary designed to conceal their torment beneath the glittering facade of haute couture, and where the pursuit of social prominence reigned supreme.
One night, in the vaults of Club 7, a ritual took place. A frantic attempt to correct an oversight and return a young boy to Machia Veil. Failure to do so would doom two privileged sixteen-year-olds and their families. What emerged as an earnest effort to rescue a minor set off a disquieting chain reaction, tipping the equilibrium of consciousness and thrusting the four timelines into an unprecedented peril of extinction.
PART I: CLUB 7
Chapter 1: Nate Kinslow
The Quotidian Timeline
4 pm - June 22nd – Glidehaven Peak, South Downs, England
Nate Kinslow was sixteen, going on twenty-five. Standing on the edge of a precipice, fear etched his dark blue eyes. A brisk wind tousled his hair as he surveyed the sprawling English countryside. Behind him, a yellow paraglider lay flat thirty feet from him. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but, his parents were right. It was too soon after his accident six months ago. Getting to Glidehaven had been a tough sell.
“You okay, champ?” asked Wade Pearce.
“Sure,” he said, croaking.
“We are free to delay,” said Wade.
For over a decade, Wade Pearce had been his unwavering bodyguard. Impossible to fool.
“No, let’s do this.” He had to.
Why make such a fuss about today? Why did he do it? He longed to soar through the sky. Freedom was his sanctuary, and he needed the escape.
Wade checked Nate’s harness and comms before nodding in approval.
For months now, the hobbies he used to love lost their appeal. But today, he summoned the courage to step out of his comfort zone.
Wade took the lead, leaping off the precipice with the grace of a seasoned paraglider.
Heart pounding, Nate made his run towards the cliff, diving into the open sky.
Weightless. The canopy caught the wind, and he ascended, carried by the invisible force of nature.
They flew over lush, undulating hills that embraced quaint villages with thatched Tudor homes.
“Woo-hoo!” shouted Nate.
Freedom was his sanctuary.
You don’t deserve this!
He choked.
A replay of the raft accident unfolded before his eyes. The sound of Lauryn’s desperate plea for her life echoed through his mind, immobilising him with dread.
“No! Not now!”
Engulfed in overwhelming remorse, he wanted to land there and then.
“I am going to crash!” he shouted, failing to keep the canopy steady.
Wade’s voice crackled through his headset. “Nate, stay calm! I’m coming to you!” He manoeuvred his glider closer, positioning himself to assume control over Nate’s paraglider.
“We’ll crash!” Nate shouted. “Stop!”
“Everything is under control,” said Wade. His grip on Nate’s paraglider steadied them both. “I’ve got you champ. Remember to breathe.”
Nate tried. In. Count to six. Out. It was useless!
They flew through a fog. Without visibility, it forced Wade to lift the gliders again.
“No!” shouted Nate.
“We have to rise to find a landing field.”
They rose higher until the haze cleared, and the landscape came into focus. Obstacles abounded until another landing field came into view.
They descended in a series of zigzags, leaving them a wide margin to land safely.
The solid ground could not arrive soon enough.
Once their gliders touched down, Wade held him tight just as he did weeks after the accident.
“It’s okay, champ. We’re safe now. You’ve got this.”
He may have confronted his fears today, but he was a mere shadow of the fearless Nate he used to be.
Wade called Ajay, the family helicopter pilot, giving him coordinates to land.
“Will this ever end?” asked Nate. The shadows of his past never faded.
Wade’s eyes softened. “Without a doubt,” he said.
***
As the hybrid helicopter landed, the deafening roar of the blades filled his ears. He climbed into the passenger cabin, hiding his altered state from Ajay. Worried his parents would find out.
He scrolled through his phone when an alert from his mother’s spin committee popped up. A video of his mother slurring at a party had gone viral a week earlier. His parent’s film premiere that evening was a chance for his mother to save face. For the family to present a united front.
It was the worst timing for him. Despite the grandeur of the occasion, he had to hide his true state. He resolved to face it without the aid of drugs. A promise he had made himself after the tragedy that took Lauryn away from him.
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***
Nate’s ancestral home came into view. He sat with his shoulders sagging. A silent demeanour replaced his otherwise chatty presence. The helicopter landed, and its rotor blades slowed to a halt. Wade announced their arrival on his radio.
They approached the waiting vehicle. The familiar faces of the Bellaton staff always comforted him, and the smell of home – a gentle reminder of better times.
Inside the car, he fixated on the wooden pickets lining the gravel path that led to Bellaton Manor. He opened the window. He needed air. Rolling hills and serene landscapes surrounded the estate, projecting an image of tranquillity that felt elusive to Nate at that moment.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Martha’s voice broke the silence.
“Yes,” said Nate, his gaze briefly meeting Wade’s.
As they approached the third security post, the manor’s high stone walls came into view. Nate glanced up from his phone. The family’s crest glinted in the sunlight on the imposing emerald green gate. Unicorns flanked the armorial bearing with the motto Veni Vidi Amavi (we came, we saw, we loved). The grand estate stood as both a symbol of privilege and a guardian of the family’s history.
The guards opened the gate, Nate took a deep breath, steeling himself for the evening ahead.
A couple of Bellaton staff in a light area were clearing a lunch table. Aunt Matea was heading back to the house with staff and her youngest son, Alekee, who waved at Nate’s family car. Nate pressed down the window and waved back.
As they turned a bend, Bellaton’s breathtaking facade came into full view. The grand French Neo-Renaissance windows were an unusual clash of interior designs. His mother liked bright screens in contrast to Uncle Gare’s more traditional heavy tan drapes, with dark wood staircases and brandy filled decanters.
Martha parked the Jaguar in the main courtyard, and two shiny brown Labradors charged to Nate’s side, Aksel wagging his tail and squealing with joy. Tierra, his mum, followed.
“Hello Aksel,” he brushed his ears. “Hello! Haha” he included his beloved Tierra. A further two Beagles, Chess and Max, also rushed to greet Nate.
“Hahaha!” Nate almost toppled in the canine frenzy.
“Ma-tey!” Alekee Gell-Kinslow reached Nate and hugged him. “Aun-tie Jade got the pu-ppies!”
“Wicked!” said Nate.
“Welcome home, sweetheart!” said Aunt Matea, kissing Nate on the cheek, then continued her discussion with her crew.
Alekee shared Nate’s age and was born with Down Syndrome. The family anguished over his medical challenges during his childhood. Now, at sixteen, they embraced the disability as a precious and unique part of their lives.
Cabernathy, the family’s butler, stood at the door, ready to greet Nate. A valet took the luggage out of the car, crossing the raucous canines.
“Hello Cabby.” Nate was fond of him. He could not imagine a world where Cabernathy wasn’t in residence.
The new valet had to contend with the Gell family cat. She had slipped through from the east wing and followed them. She miaowed, rushed in front of him, and brushed herself against the luggage.
His mother’s personal assistant joined them, and Nate tensed. She was on the phone and signalled for the boys to follow her.
First, Nate dropped off his rucksack. Second, the puppies beckoned.
Alberta re-adjusted her glasses. “Let me call you back,” she said. “Nate!” she slipped as she approached the boys. “Nate, darling, your mother is waiting.”
Alekee paused, his eyes beaming. “Aun-tie A-ria is wai-ting!”
Nate smiled, though evading his mother was a more appealing option. He followed Alberta’s lead as they descended to the second floor, Alekee trailing behind. Making a right turn, they ascended to a higher landing. Colourful tropical wallpapers and raw wood furniture surrounded them. A captivating overhead image of Imai, a ballet dancer, seated on the ground in striking black tulle gazed up at them. Nearby, hung a picture of a seasoned man with a wistful half-smile, drenched in holi powder.
A mix of cigarettes and perfume wafted through the air as the voices of his mother’s entourage grew louder.
“The JVA will do the trick,” said one stylist.
“But we had decided on Victoria Beckham,” said her assistant.
“Keep up, Cher. We decided on the JVA.”
Nate entered the room, and his mother was admiring herself in the mirror. She wore a strapless dress with a train that flowed like liquid gold behind her. Their relationship was strained since the accident, and tonight’s film premiere only added to the mounting pressure.
Her room was spacious enough to accommodate eight staff without feeling crowded. Aria turned, smiling when she spotted them. She embraced Nate, who returned the hug with little enthusiasm. Alekee hugged them both, making Nate extricate himself.
“Give us a minute,” said Aria as Miles strolled in, holding a cup of tea. The crew greeted him as they departed, and the room settled.
“Hey Nutty,” Nate’s second nickname.
“What happened to you?” Nate asked his older brother.
“The Maclaren stopped. I wasn’t sure what to do.”
“Mo-dern technolo-gy,” said Alekee.
“Spot on, my darling!” said Aria. Shifting her attention to Miles, “why didn’t you ask Uncle Gare first? Imagine being stranded elsewhere!”
***
Nate, unable to sit still, headed to the door. “Rossmead beckons.”
“We need to talk about today—” Aria insisted.
He strolled back, hands in his pockets. “Yes. I left school early to go paragliding. I needed it,” he said, wishing he hadn’t made such a fuss.
A silence hung in the air. “I don’t approve of your extreme sports after Lauryn,” said Aria.
“Mum, please, I needed it today,” said Nate.
“Not according to Wade.”
Great. Thanks Wade!
“You asked me to go to the premiere today. Let me do it my way, without resorting to drugs,” said Nate with an angry tilt.
Aria averted her gaze. “Don’t start…”
“The press is digging into this. They’ll focus on what a fake I am,” said Nate.
“You’re paranoid! It would be out by now!” she said.
“It’ll be fine,” said Miles.
“You don’t understand the pressure we’ve been under,” said Aria.
“Pressure? Of your own making!” Nate said, taking a deep breath. “You slurred, and it went viral. We warned you again and again. Now you want us to be the happy family and pretend all is okay. Well, it’s not. Addictions are destroying you, and it has already destroyed me.”
“That’s not fair. You took those drugs,” said Aria.
“You normalised it.”
“Stop it!” she screamed, covering her ears.
“Nuts, stop,” said Miles.
“Knock, knock!” Alekee blurted.
“Not now, Alee,” Nate shot back.
“Who’s there?” asked Miles, gesturing for Nate to stop.
Alekee’s eyes gleamed. “A note!”
“A note what?” he asked.
“A note from the doc-tor to get a-long!” said Alekee.
“Haha. I adore you,” said Aria.
Nate took a deep breath.
“Nutty,” said Miles, breaking the reverie. “Sadly, this will hang over you for the rest of your life.”
“Thanks, that’s really helpful.”
“You’ll have to face the press at some point,” said Miles.
“We’re going in circles. I’m leaving,” said Nate.
“It’s the nature of the game, darling. Learn to navigate it,” said Aria.
“A game I never chose to play!” Nate said, leaving.
“Here we go again,” she said, rolling her eyes.
Alekee fidgeted with the edge of his shirt. He blinked and swallowed as he ran after Nate. “Bye - I love you.”
“We love you too. - Be back by six!” said Aria.
The dogs were at the bottom of the steps. Tails wagging, they followed the teens across the lush green hill towards Uncle Tim and Auntie Jade’s. An inviting corner of the estate. A couple of puppies were aiming to jump over a small gate. Out of the house came Gitta, the housekeeper, drying her hands on her apron. An aroma of homemade cake followed her. Gitta let the puppies out. The manor dogs were unsure whether to lick them or put them back in the pen. Nate and Alekee sat to play. But soon after, Alekee got up and headed straight into the kitchen.
“And where have you been?” said Auntie Jade, hugging them.
Alekee froze.
Nate shook his head. No, not about that.
“Playing vi-deo games,” said Alekee.
“They are so sweet!” said Nate, shifting his gaze to little Wesly. A boxer wiggling his tiny limbs. His fragile eyes peering up. “What did you call the other one?”
“That’s Minty. Little naughty Minty!” said Gitta, laughing and running after her.
Nate strolled through the house with the puppy.
“Hello dear boy!” said Uncle Tim, who was busy cleaning their pool. “How was school? Did I hear something about a special someone?”
“Didn’t want to come back. She is hot!” said Nate.
“You’ll enjoy tonight, though. You always do.”
“I would appreciate it if Mum didn’t use us to calm her story, especially now.”
“Everything will be okay. Trust the spin committee.”
Nate perked up. “Is Laine back?” he missed his cousin Laine whilst he was away.
“Next weekend.”
“Argh, I don’t want to go tonight,” he said, placing little Wesly on the grass. The puppy became transfixed by a ladybug.
Uncle Tim chuckled.
Nate took off his shirt and jumped into the pool.
Alekee came back, pushing a tray of homemade Madeira cake, ice cream, plates, and cutlery. The puppies followed him.
“Straw-berry or vanilla?” asked Alekee.
“Vanilla, thanks Bud.”
Nate perched on the edge of the pool, eating Gitta’s luscious dessert. The puppies were happy. Wincing, he shifted his gaze to the garden dotted with flowers. He lifted the platinum pendant lying next to his dry clothes. How he longed for Lauryn to be there. She would have loved the puppies.
Life is change, and how we adjust will make or break us, he read.
“Is that Lauryn’s pendant?” asked Uncle Tim.
“It’s always with me. The Ashfords had it engraved for her.”
“Poor Ashfords. I hope they are well.”
Nate drew in a breath.
Tonight, he was going to be subtle. Maybe he had to be subtle for the rest of his life. Goodbye to the picture-perfect son, the one who smiled at the cameras and played his part in the orchestrated performance of their fake lives.