Tug of Fate | When Stars Align Book one

Bonfire stories

Logan

It is surreal. And I don't even know if it's just me, but Ananya looks so fucking ethereal in this light, with the water's reflection falling on her. She is beautiful. She does turn heads. But her physical beauty is beautifully complemented by her quiet strength, wisdom, and exotic aura blended all blended into one. She is laughing at something Julian said. I take a moment to look at Julian and realize something. This morning when Andrei'd sat close to her, my hackles had risen like nobody's business. But nothing, no jealousy, no hackles rising when she laughs in such an intimate way with Julian or James. If anything it is soothing to know that she is with people I can trust to keep her safe.

I frown. Where did that come from? I have known Julian and James what a day! But maybe that's the whole point, isn't it? I can see how close Ali had gotten to them right from the moment they'd entered our Australia offices. Ali had called us on a conference line and had thanked us profusely for giving them the budget to make this trip possible.

Maybe there is some merit in this souls knowing each other from previous lifetimes thing.

Julian speaks up for everyone to hear, "Okay, everybody. I am going to tell you all a tale, and then ask you some questions. This is what we call a connecting ceremony. Where you connect to yourself, the people around you, and the land. The story I am going to tell you is about this land is eons old but still relevant. So listen up and absorb everything. Okay?"

We all nod. I remember reading about storytelling sessions listed for every evening in the hike confirmation email. The girls are visibly excited to hear the story. Liam and I catch each other's eyes and smirk. We look at James at the same time as he turns his head towards us and he smirks too. He drapes his hand over Becca's shoulder. I scowl. Neither Liam nor I are sitting close to Ananya. She is sitting between Julian and Ali, but she is too engrossed in her wine and is so excited at the prospect of the story that it wouldn't have mattered even if we were sitting closer to her. I sigh and wait for Julian to start.

"This is the story of a family, a family by choice, a commitment made by their souls, and battle of wills and honoring others' willingness to exercise their choices and vice versa. Long long ago, there were no countries or just one world, as we have now. There was the whole galaxy as one region, the whole universe and the different galaxies had different rulers. There was no concept of marriage. There was only soul, will and choice. People's choices were honored, without judgement. Travel between the galaxies was as easy as taking a flight is now. The different galaxies had their own cultures and civilizations. Unlike popular belief, it is said, that every alien looked similar. Meaning, everyone had the same biological composition and looks. Just like there are countries and territories right now, these different galaxies formed the territories, if that makes sense to you.

" The entire Universe was made up of hundreds of galaxies and was ruled by one Emperor. They worked with representatives of the different worlds to rule it all better. The ruling would pass down to the family if the ruling emperor chose to step down. But it was a rotation. Every millennia, the crown would pass from one family or from one emperor to the next. Look at it this way, one president ruling the Earth. But every 10 years that title gets passed down to another country or continent. No elections, nothing, everything pre-decided. Makes sense?"

He stops to ensure we are following. We all nod.

"So this is how it happened. Every galaxy had a ruler, and every thousand years, one galaxy rules over the Universe. It just was. The Stars predetermined the order of ascension to the throne. When one emperor is getting on the throne, the sky would be lit with the names of the next ten emperors and their galaxies for a whole 50 years. So everyone, at any given point in time, would know whose turn it was to rule next. Everyone was said to have some power or skillset. There were some who didn't have any outwardly power. But there was no discrimination on the basis of powers or skill levels.

"It was a peaceful time, or so everyone thought. The ruling emperors can make whatever changes they want. The galaxies can choose to go with it or fight it. But in millenniums, there was never an Emperor or an Empress who didn't do good by the people. There were some who were loved way more than others, sure, but there was never anybody who was downright evil or bad."

He looks at us with a fire burning in his eyes. Tilting his head up, he looks back at the sky and continues. "Everyone was said to be immortals. Not invincible. Meaning, can still be killed, but not with old age, as they didn't age. Because of this, the need to procreate was not insistent, because we know that deep down people want their progeny to carry on their names. But when you have millenniums to live your life and do right by your name, that pressure of leaving your mark on the world is almost non-existent. When a couple did eventually have kids, it was celebrated for a good decade. Because kids weren't everywhere. And any kid born was born by choice. Not by the society standards or peer pressure.

"Because everyone was immortal, the ones who started touching 5,001 years of existence, took voluntary eternal calm and let themselves go into the empty spaces between the galaxies. This was done primarily to ensure that their planets did not get overcrowded. They believed in maintaining a healthy balance between the people and their resources. So when their time came and if they chose to, they would bid their goodbyes to their family, then hop on one of their carrier crafts, and jump off into space, into nothingness. It is believed that their bodies, their essence is bundled up by the atoms present in space, condensed, then burns like a star. The stronger the personality, the purer your soul, the more you were loved - and therefore the brighter your star. The darker your personality, less your luminosity as a star. Yes, it is believed that the stars are these ancient warriors, burning bright in the night sky, with their wisdom and knowledge.

"That is why sometimes when you look up at the night sky, your mind starts whirling, or you find peace and calm, or the answers you were looking for. There are many beliefs for that – may be it is the essences of that star connecting with your consciousness and imparting part of their knowledge, or it's your subconscious finding solace in strangers and ancients, quite literally. Whatever the reason, the stars are said to have an effect on our minds and our thinking.

"The shooting stars, are these ancients falling into space. It is said that these shooting stars grant you your wishes because that's the last act of that soul or essence. Their existence as a sentient being is being snuffed out after that, and hence, they have the power to grant your wish during their last moments. Depending on what their actions had been while they lived, their granting of wishes can either be potent or latent. Nobody knows. There is no reason for it. It just is. So the next time you look at the stars or make a wish at a shooting star, keep this in your mind. Maybe you will connect with it? Maybe it will show you a glimpse of their lives." He looks at us with an indulgent smile.

By this time, every head is tilted up. Ananya and Becca have tears running down their faces and Ali is just staring at the stars with an open mouth.

So all those times I wished for a shooting star, I was actually wishing for someone to take a voluntary plunge into nothingness? If this is to be believed then how many times do we wish for things unknowingly, that could lead to some another's loss?

A shudder runs through my spine, and I am left feeling quite cold at the thought.