Deception #YourStoryIndia

Secrets

Avery P.O.V

Having nothing left to do now that Sydney had left me, I decided to go explore the Bunker. The more I knew about the place the better right?

I left the room and aimlessly wandered down the corridor, trailing my hand to caress the wonderfully intricate pillars and stopping every few seconds to gape at the marvelous paintings hung on the walls. The sunlight streaming in from the huge French winfows illuminated the place up, giving it a rich look.

I smiled at a helper who walked down the corridor, holding a pile of neatly folded clothes atop her hands. She smiled back at me and went into one of the rooms. Apart from her, no one else seemed to be on the same corridor as me and the calming silence helped me think.

What was I doing? Am I even capable of doing what I was supposed to do? Is this even real? This was a huge task, and frankly speaking, I was scared. I wasn't ready. Bal hadn't given me the exact specific date I was supposed to bring out the big guns and go all Zero Dark Thirty on Fear's ass, but I knew that day was approaching soon. Maybe it was the tensed look on everyone's face, or maybr it was my own insecurities creeping up on me, but I knew that it was not long before Fear decided to destroy my family and everyone who I know and care about. Again.

I stopped suddenly, realising that I had walked into some sort of alcove at the turn of a corridor. Light curtains blew about due to the wind, but they were almost transparent so I could make out what was on the other side. Curious, I stepped through the flowing curtains and realised that I was right. It was a small balcony, which overlooked some sort of training ground. I peered down and saw that the field was huge, with weapons stacked in one corner, a ring enclosing them. No other thing was lying around anywhere. The grass was closely cropped in the ground than the other parts of the field, and two people were fighting just near the weapon ring. This place must be at the back of the Bunker, as I had never seen it before. Somebody give me a tour of this place already!

Due to my awesome eyesight, I couldn't exactly make out who was fighting there, but I knew one was blond and the other had brown hair. They were circling each other, each waiting for the right moment to strike. The blond guy suddenly lunged at his opponent. The other boy waited until the last minute before dodging right, making blondie stumble, but not fall. He stood up straight and tackled the brown- haired guy immediately, causing him to fall down. His shirt rode up a little and I could make out some tattoo just near his hip.

Luke.

Luke and the other guy, who I instantly guessed was Alex, got up and dusted themselves off. The got out of the training ground, walked over to the edge of the field and sat down, each mesmerised by the wonderful scenery that lay ahead.

"Wonderful fighters, aren't they?" A voice said right next to me, making me jump.

"Jeez, Bal, you scared me!"

Balthazar just chuckled lightly and leaned on the railing with me.

"Uh.. how did you find me?" I asked after a moment of silence, suddenly realising that my position wasn't exactly discoverable.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." He replied with the ghost of a smile lurking on his lips. I groaned.

He chuckled and said, "Aren't you supposed to be in training, young lady?"

In my three day stay here, I came to realise how much I liked Balthazar. He was a great motivator, brilliant orator, was never patronizing, and seemed to understand everyone inside out, even when they didn't know it themselves. Even now, his tone was not angry or disappointed, it was almost amused, as if he knew why I was here.

"Sydney bailed on me," I sighed, turning to look at Alex and Luke sitting there, doing nothing.

"It was Thomas, wasn't it?" He asked softly.

I stared at him in amazement, as he just proved my earlier theory right. He did know all of us inside out.

"She deserves Tom. She's just too blind to go for him. Well, after all she's been through, she deserves happiness." He said it in an almost-whisper.

"What happened?" I asked, curiosity taking the better of me.

He waited a few seconds before replying, "I believe that's her secret to share, not mine."

Again with the cryptic answer.

I looked at the two boys again and asked him, "What's their story? Have they always been so... angry with each other?" This question had been brimming in my head for the past couple of days, and I couldn't help but ask him this. It seemed as if every time Alex and Luke met each other, they would be ready to rip each others' throat out. With their bare hands.

Balthazar looked at me with a strange expression on his face, almost as if debating whether to let me in on their secret or not. Then he sighed audibly and said, "Natalie."

Natalie.

Luke had murmured that name several times in his sleep. Sydney had told me that Alex knew a certain Natalie. Were they both the same Natalie?

"What about her?" I asked, urging him to tell me anything-anything about this mysterious woman that haunted the walls of this bunker even though she was obviously not here.

Bal continued to look at me and then said, "Did you know that elementals can choose not to age?"

Wait. Hold up. Back a second. What?

"It's a special power, you see." He continued, seemingly oblivious of the baffled expression on my face. "Many of us choose not to age, to stay alive for an eternity in the age we want to. Well, they need to achieve that age naturally first, of course, but then they stay like that... forever. "

I was stunned. That means I could... stay sixteen all my life? Till eternity? But one question was nagging at my mind. "Then why didn't you stay young? Why grow old?"

He smiled, as if he anticipated this question. "I don't like to interfere with the events of nature, Avery. Nature is a dynamic phenomenon, and it should be allowed to carry out its processes without any disturbance. We don't have any right to change nature just because we want to. I know it's ironic, considering we control nature... but there should be at least something normal in this universe. I consider letting my body age naturally as one of the normal things in my extraordinary life."

I smiled. It had only been three days since I've been here, but I had already grown to respect the man. His words held a lot of wisdom... something that people nowadays don't have.

I was about to ask him something else when I heard the sound of running in the corridors. Balthazar furrowed his eyebrows and turned from the railing to stare at the curtains, which were now still due to the lack of breeze. I followed suit. Within a second, Ezra rushed through the curtains, panting loudly.

"Here you are," he said, in between breaths. When he regained his composure he stood up straight and looked Balthazar dead in the eye, a grave expression highlighting his handsome features.

"Bal, you need to see this."

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Ooohhhh! What do you think has happened that made Ezra so panicked? Well, we'll find out in the next chapter, won't we? *rubs gands together and smiles evilly*

So.. I wanted to ask you guys.. who do you think will be a perfect person to portray Balthazar? Send me your replies ASAP!!

----------> Pic of the tatto that Luke had on his hip bone (yummy).... just do me a favour and imagine it was on his hip ;)

Toodles!
~ Tahira.