SECRET TRUTH

CHAPTER 22.

Secret Truth 

Following the incident of the past day, I've now learned to be more careful while expecting the worst to happen.

As I walked through the dark atmosphere, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Akira, as a result of yesterday's drama.

However, I was going to meet her, and I believed that I'd get answers to my inquisitiveness.

As I walked along the lonely paths, I couldn't help but notice the shivers and cold sensation that pierced through my skin. Indeed, the entire atmosphere was cold, and I could feel it in my soul.

That was it. It was the moment that I'd been waiting for.

After walking for what seemed like an eternity, I could finally see the abandoned oak tree, the venue for our meeting.

Standing there and waiting for me was Akira. 

Immediately when I walked out of the darkness, to the warehouse, I finally heard the voice of Akira, speaking to me. 

At that moment, the color of her hair illuminated the entire atmosphere, as I took my time to process what I had seen at that instant. 

There she stood, shining bright like the sun, and with a fair glow like a diamond.

However, despite the serenity that enveloped the entire area, I could still tell for sure that something was amiss. I could feel it in the atmosphere. 

It was electrifying.

“Rory!" she called out to me with a calm, yet firm voice that embodied a lot of emotions.

“Akira...!” I responded to her in a shaky voice. “Following what happened yesterday, I didn't know that you'd be here this early. " I even thought that I was already late," I mumbled.

“Rory, there's absolutely no time for that,” she said in a sharp and firm tone. “There are a lot of secrets that you need to hear. Secrets which would change what and how you look at the pack. Secrets that would unveil your true nature."

Immediately, I walked close to her with an inquisitive gaze, as I tried to understand what she meant by what she had said. “What do you mean by that? What truths are you talking about?"

At that instant, she took a deep breath as she was preparing herself for an answer. “Since the past generations, the people of the past have hidden certain cultures and secrets from us. They include rituals, traditions, cultures and most especially, the ancestral Prophecy.”

“Ancestral prophecy?” I asked with a sudden surge of inquisitiveness and confusion, as I needed to process what I was feeling at that moment.

“Yes,” she nodded in affirmation, as she continued to speak. “It is an ancient prophecy that speaks about an emerging leader. A leader whose birth would be embedded in mystery. A leader who would stand for good, and against evil. That leader would be the one who would save our pack."

At that moment, I began to feel the tension that was building up in the entire atmosphere.

“And what do I have to do with this prophecy?”

Immediately, Akira stepped forward with a fierce gaze. "As I continued with my quest to answers, I was able to discover that yours was more than just a simple rejection, Rory. It was a cover-up to prevent you from discovering your true potential—the potential tied directly to this prophecy. They fear that you might understand your role before they’re ready for you to.”

At that instant, I became overwhelmed with undeniable fear. “What do you mean by' they're afraid’? " What is so special and dangerous about the supposed prophecy?"

“Rory, the truth is that the leaders fear that if the pack discovers this secret, and the possibility of your powers, they'll likely revolt. And if they do, it'd destroy a lot of things. Most of them would rather dwell in the past, even if it'd tear the pack apart, other than to accept change."

As she spoke, the dawn of realization soon hit me, as I realized the weight in her words. “Wait...!" I mumbled in confusion. "Is Thane aware of this? Is he involved?"

Akira paused for a slight second, before responding to me. “Rory, he is aware. As a matter of fact, he's been the mastermind behind trying to suppress all of these events."

Immediately she said that, my heart sank in fear and unbelievable rage. "But, why would he even do that?"

"Rory, it isn't even as personal as you think,” she interrupted with a calm, yet firm voice. "Or maybe, it could be personal, because he believes that the best way that he can protect you is by distancing himself from you. He does these things because he also believes that" if you become the leader as shown in the prophecy, it'll put you in great danger."

Immediately she said that, I stepped back in fear. “What danger? What would happen to me?”

“Rory, the leaders are very dangerous. They wish to withhold power at all cost, and they'd definitely stop at nothing in keeping their secrets hidden. At this instant, you're now a pillar of hope, and you possess great powers, even more than you can imagine. However, this same power could still be dangerous or lethal at the same time."

“But, I'm not interested in power. " I don't want it,” I protested in a shaky voice. “I just wanted to be treated with respect." I just want to be accepted in this pack."

“Rory, truth be told, your desire for acceptance is quite understandable, but you must realize that there are external forces at play here, and, as such, your purpose may not tarry with the kind of life you might want for yourself.” As she spoke, her eyes lit up in excitement and paranormality. “I believe that it is time for you to unapologetically embrace who you are, because the prophecy night be the pathway to your true potential."

At that moment, I felt like cold shivers ran down my spine. Deep down inside my mind, I felt both frustrated and tired of the circumstances that surrounded me.

What if I had a place in this pack?

What if all these things were just meant to test me?

“But, what am I supposed to do now?” I asked as my heart raced in fear. “What if I don't want to be a part of this whole thing?"

At that moment, Akira let out a mischievous grin.

“Rory, if truth be told, this is part of your destiny, and you can't run away from it. However, I can help you to navigate the path ahead, if only you agree to learn more about your cultural heritage, and ancestral dynasty. There are people who are willing to stand by you."

“Like...? Who are they? " Where can I find them?” I paused, as I began to imagine who they could be, and the kind of help they might offer to me.

“Rory, your greatest weapon at this moment, should be trust...” She paused, as she scanned through the entire atmosphere with a serious gaze. “It’s not just about the people who would support you, or the allies, but those within the pack, who would do anything, even if it entails eliminating you, just to keep their position." I'm sure that they might even be watching us, right now."

Immediately she said that, my heart raced in panic.

 “What do you mean by watching us right now? How did you know?”

“As you evolve, you must learn to sense their presence,” she responded to me in a hushed tone. “Rory, can't you feel the shift in the atmosphere? Can you sense it? Listen to your instincts, Rory. They'll always guide you when words fail, and when no one is there for you."

Suddenly, a loud rustle broke out of nowhere, and my heart skipped.

Immediately, a fierce figure immediately emerged out of the darkness, looking very evil.

At that instant, I stepped forward, trying to take charge to defend myself. 

Did Thane send one of his numerous followers to drag me back?

At that instant, I saw a familiar sight.

It was Kaiden, a supposed friend of mine, whom I hadn't seen in weeks or so...

 “Akira! " Rory!” he called out to us with a soft, yet urgent voice.

Immediately, he began to rush towards us like he was expecting some enemies to emerge out of the darkness.

“What are you doing here? " What brought you to this place?” I asked him with fear and panic in my voice. “You're not supposed to be seen around here."

“Rory, it's very urgent, and that prompted me to come. I overheard some of the pack leaders discussing you. And I must be honest, they're planning something big... " Something extremely evil... You have to prepare your mind.” For a slight second he paused, as he slowly glanced through the area, before walking into the cave.

Suddenly, my heart began to bang in fear. “What kind of preparation are you talking about?”

“They're about to begin a ritual that will give them full control over the pack, and also destroy potential threats. Rory, I'm afraid they know something about you. From what I heard, they'd never let anyone disrupt their powers."

Immediately, Akira placed her right hand on my shoulder, as she began to speak to me.

“Rory, he's absolutely right. This was even what I was trying to warn you about, and I feel bad because it's even worse than I expected."

“What are we going to do now?" Kaiden looked at both of us, with a confused expression. From the way he was behaving, I could tell that he was also concerned about all that had been happening. “I think we have to act now, before it's too late."

As I stood there in confusion, I kept trying to process everything that'd happened in my life. I didn't even know what I could do to help myself. 

Even the ground I was standing on seemed absolutely uncomfortable for me.

“Kaiden, they must not find you,” I whispered to him. "We have to find out what they're up to, all their plans, and stop them beforehand. Even if it means confronting the leaders, we'd do that."

Immediately, Kaiden nodded with a firm expression.

“If that is the case, then we'd have to get to the root cause of this matter. We must destroy all their evil plans by tomorrow night."

Suddenly, the echoes from the branches of the trees filled the entire atmosphere.

Immediately, the three of us turned back in panic, to see what might be hanging there. At that moment, my leg muscles began to pull.

“I can feel a strange presence in this place. " We're not alone here," Akira muttered, barely beyond a whisper.

And just at that instant, strange figures began to emerge out of the darkness, with their eyes glowing like sparkles of light.

They were literally uncountable, as they were.