Veil One

The Grace Fields

Nate crossed the large, imposing mirror. Stepping onto the main concourse of the City of Grace.

“Wait! I’m still here?” he staggered. “I ran for days!”

“Reaching higher vibrations is what counts,” said Ethriel.

“I don’t understand.”

“Getting through One is not a destination. It’s a vibration.”

“Ah.” Nate pretended to understand. “Still. What a waste of time!”

“Nothing is a waste of time. It led to your surrender. So, it was good.”

They continued their walk.

Thoughts of Kenya returned, making his heart skip a beat. He concentrated on the pain. Putting his hand to his chest. Letting the pain expand. It moved through him, bringing lightness and steadiness.

Ethriel smiled.

The city colours were soft white and beige. There were celestial choirs in the distance. The smells of wild lilies in the fields. Everyone had peaceful stares and a loving disposition.

“I’m afraid of facing Kenya,” said Nate, searching for her.

With the sun setting, the mosaic windows of a building intrigued Nate. It illuminated the beige and white shapes with lights resembling dancing clouds. Then, sure enough, it dissipated into wisps of light.

There were a variety of entities. Energy-like entities. Sometimes they materialised into human form, at other times they were circles of light descending on the city or taking off. Many had their figures from their last human life, like Cairis and Ethriel.

“The lights are Arcuans?” asked Nate.

Ethriel nodded.

I am an Arcuan!

“My Mum. Will she have to cross the Grace Fields?”

“No,” said Ethriel.

“How so?”

“Your bond. Amplifying your vibration raises your mother’s.”

Nate gazed at Ethriel and squinched.

“You have raised your mother’s vibration because of your bond. Spiritual chemistry.”

“I think I understand,” he said. “Is she joining us here?”

“No. But she must cross with you, so we will return to Machia.”

“Er, wasn’t expecting that!” said Nate, going pale.

“I’ll be with you.”

“Will there be other fields?”

“A training ground, yes. You will learn our ways to get into Bellatorn.”

“Bellatorn.” He swallowed. “And you will go in with me?”

“I will.”

Nate clenched his jaw. A return to Machia made him shudder. But he had to help mum. It’s the only way. He took a long, steadying breath.

They approached the Arcuan Harmonium. The incredible place of singing delegates.

On arrival, the music and choirs were striking and Nate’s eyes watered. The Arcuan lights shone above them.

“Everyone agrees,” said Nate.

Ethriel nodded. His wise eyes watching the gathering. The delegates busied themselves discussing plans with each other. The strong connection between them was awe-inspiring.

Nate’s gaze darted from person to person, searching for Kenya. His cheeks burned with shame for running. He ached for her embrace. Then, a familiar-looking girl gripped his attention. She wore a blue cascade of fabric. He stood still, but when she turned, it wasn’t Kenya, and his heart sank.

A Veil One delegate leading a group of youth arrived through the halls of the Harmonium. He wore a draped turquoise cape over dark trousers.

“Alekee?” asked Nate.

“Everyone, we’ll stop here,” his cousin said.

His speech was fluid!

Alekee floored Nate. He could not take his eyes off his cousin.

“To answer your question. Machia Veil is stre-nuous,” he said, as his group made notes. “The place humans fall to in the worst of times.” He saddened.

Alekee struggled to pronounce some words, but overall, his pronunciation was impeccable.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

“A place of compulsive behaviours,” said Alee. “Deep coding lines abound there. We have the power to change the lines, as do the Archaemenes.”

“What is that enormous light?” asked a group member, pointing ahead of him.

Alekee explained how the Arcuan lights encouraged harmony in the congregation.

Nate came closer. He had his hand to his mouth. His cousin was eloquent. He was working. He was a confident guide. Nate followed his entourage.

Other guides were doing the same with groups of visitors.

“Where do the visitors come from?” asked Nate.

“Inspiration,” said Ethriel.

“People from Inspiration do tourism here?”

“No, they are being schooled to become RayCrests.”

“Woah, RayCrest trainees!”

Alekee glanced at Nate.

Nate ogled his cousin. “He doesn’t recognise me!”

“You’re a Kinslow only in Quotidian and Inspiration. Finch is a Kinslow here.”

Nate had a million questions when the conversation came to an abrupt stop.

A red cloud covered the skies.

Everyone became still.

“Follow me,” said Ethriel, heading towards the exit.

Alekee took his students through a corridor.

“The Archs have crossed the Loch Lorian,” said Ethriel.

“What!” he shivered. “Does that mean Ellis is here?”

“There is a protocol we must follow to ensure your safety,” said Ethriel.

They made their way to the exit. Ethriel proceeded down a heath towards the beach. People on the beach were coming together to form intricate shapes and patterns.

“It’s beautiful!” said Nate.

The crowd sat in silence, forming sacred geometrical shapes. Their eyes were closed, and they signalled with their hands.

“What are they doing?” asked Nate.

“Alpha meditations to raise the vibration of One until the red clouds dissipate.”

Nate averted his gaze to the clouded skies. The red hues filled him with dread. He shuddered; grateful he was with Ethriel.

They joined the outer edge of a group that sat in the shape of a hexagon. Next to them, groups formed other shapes. Nate followed what Ethriel did. It was hard to follow his graceful sign language.

The possibility of Archs catching up to him in One made him shiver.

The woman next to him leaned over. “We are signing the first letter of different alphabets,” she said. “For example, this is A in Chinese, now A in Latin, A in Greek, and so on.”

“Why?” asked Nate.

“We are recoding red Omega codes coming from the Loch Lorian. The opposite of Omega is Alpha.”

“Omega is the end and Alpha the beginning,” said Nate.

“Yes. At the end, there is always a beginning. This is what we are coding now,” she said.

Nate worked hard to replicate the graceful sign language.

“Is it black magic?” asked Nate.

“It’s related, but it’s the opposite. White magic,” she said.

“White magic!” said Nate.

“We have to, with Machia Veil.”

Ethriel was deep in the coding, and Nate gawked at his mentor.

Arcuan lights flew over them. They enlarged only to break up into the size of fireflies.

The surrounding groups moved with perfect synchronisation, their hands flashing symbols, as if part of one unified entity. Some smiled as they coded.

The power of the group was working.

The skies cleared. They restored order.

Ethriel came back from his deep trance. He stood up and Nate scuttled behind him.

They walked towards a group of dancers.

“Why are they dancing?” asked Nate.

“They are not dancing. They are coding. Securing the new start. The new Alpha.”

Above them, two floating RayCrests circled the skies in figure of eights. Others like Ying and Yang. Below them, two other RayCrests did acrobatic hoops in perfect synchronicity.

They advanced towards the acrobatic RayCrests south of the gathering. Nate held his breath.

The RayCrests created a passageway for Nate and Ethriel.

But upon crossing, an impressive RayCrest was waiting for them.

“Ethriel, we will take it from here. The Aurial summons you,” said the RayCrest.

Ethriel stopped, bowed his head, and nodded.

“What? Where are we going?” asked Nate. “More Archs are arriving!” shouted Nate over the mayhem.

Someone shouted, “Too many of them! They are fragmenting the groups. Dividing to conquer.”

“See! Stop Ethriel, stop!” said Nate.

“Spread the word. We reassemble and create group coding at all costs!” directed another.

“Nate. You’re safe. Trust,” said Ethriel.

***

They arrived at a place that resembled an airport terminal but unlike any terminal Nate had ever seen.

“This is called the Gran Cane sector,” said Alekee, leading his group of initiates as he came closer to them. “Today the Gran Cane sector is a busy international airport, as you can see. Otherworldly beings are arriving to help us. They are the ones condensing their light, awaiting the most magnificent presence, that of the Aurial Plenum,” said Alekee. “Hands up! Who has seen the Aurial before?” No hands went up. “Ah, well!”

Nate averted his gaze towards celestial attendants welcoming arrivals and leading them to their sectors.

“The Aurial Plenum works in mysterious ways,” explained Alekee. “To the sentient Arcuans, the Aurial are a cathedral blaze of inspiration, as they were to so many island universes in the past.”

Two RayCrests landed as a luminous ball of light that formed into their earthly figures.

“RayCrests often take the shape of figures to make it easier to see and direct their numbers. They choose their earthly figures based on their last human form,” said Alekee.

Nate, and two initiates who introduced themselves as Astrea and Jessamyn, gawked at the arrivals.

“Anyway, onwards, everyone!” said Alekee, directing his initiates to join the circle that was forming in the Gran Cane.

***

Alekee’s voice filled with excitement. “It’s a very rare sighting. A celestial celebration given to the very few.”

A stillness came over the congregation. All eyes focused on the sky. A bright star caught Nate’s attention with its flickering light. Gradually, it expanded in size, becoming more and more prominent.

Nate copied Ethriel as he bowed in the most profound humility at the Aurial’s magnificent radiance. The RayCrests created an energy field that catalysed them. The ethereal rays of light settled into a cohesive circle. It was a wise council of elders! All ages. From elders to babies!

A luminous human formed at the centre of the Aurial Plenum.

“The ancient Mireial!” said Alekee.

Mireial’s eyes formed into shapes. Mireial had his mother’s true likeness! Nate pushed forward from the standing congregation and stared up. Mireial observed Nate, and she hypnotised him with her magnetic and blissful expression.

“Mum?” he asked, as his jaw dropped.

“The sacred mother,” whispered Ethriel.

There was this graceful simplicity to all of them. There was eternity in their gaze. Their beautiful harmonics and the blinding light that lit up the Gran Cane in its entirety.

There were rising waves of angel choirs.

Nate questioned if the celestial choirs were within or outside of him.

Alekee continued his explanation like a professional air host. “The Aurial are a magnificent interstellar cluster. Composed of eleven infinite Veil energies in harmony with newly born energetic fields that radiate wisdom beyond measure. Ancient Mireial leads them.”

Alekee’s group were so captivated, they only half-listened to his words.

Then, the Aurial began their transmission. Not with language, but with energy harmonics that made Nate shiver in awe. Beams of colour travelled the space like waves through crystal clear waters.

A sudden discordant note cut through the otherwise peaceful gathering.

Alekee went silent in response to his students’ focus on him.

Next, thousands of RayCrests formed legions flying south. They waited for Aleekee’s explanation. He was speechless.

“We have been m-moved to pro-tect the Loch-lor-ean por-tal,” he said. “The Arch- the Ar-chae-menes are suc-cessfully breaking in. We have help from Ins-pira-tion figh-ters and Arc-uans.”

“What does this mean?” they asked, alarmed, as there was so much movement around them.

Downcast, Alekee said, “we all fight.”