Celestial: Fallen

Chapter 43-The Unseen Bond

"How did it happen?" Papa asked, his voice low yet filled with concern, as we sat in the living room.

They surrounded me—Mom, Papa, and Michael—each of them wearing a different expression. Mom's eyes were worried, Papa's stern but calm, and Michael... his gaze was intense, as though he was trying to decipher what was happening through me.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady the tremble in my hands. "I was resting, and suddenly I felt this tingling in my fingers... It spread to my hands, then my arms, and eventually my entire body," I explained, still struggling to understand it myself. "Then I heard a voice. It was calling me, but I couldn't tell where it was coming from. It wasn't... normal."

Michael leaned forward slightly, his jaw tight. "I felt something too," he said, his tone urgent. "It was like a hum, a kind of buzzing that wouldn't stop. It kept getting louder, and that's when I panicked. I knew I had to find you, Arwen. I found you on the rooftop."

I turned to him, confused. "But how did you know? I didn't tell anyone where I was. I said I was going for a run, remember?"

Michael hesitated, searching for the right words. "It's not something I can easily explain. When you start trusting in the circle—believing in me as the leader—I can feel it. I can sense your presence, your essence, just like I did with Nick. That's how I knew he was still alive, even though I couldn't tell where he was."

Papa leaned back, nodding solemnly. "Michael's right. It's how it's always worked, even before him. When his father led the circle, he could sense all of us. When he passed the mantle to Michael, the connection didn't happen instantly. We had to trust Michael, and he had to trust us in return. That bond... it takes time."

"So... you can sense all of us?" I asked Michael, bewildered yet fascinated.

"Yes," he replied, his voice calm now. "Your parents were the first. Then Grae, because we spent a lot of time together. Eventually, Nick. And now, you—when you started to trust me, to trust what the circle stands for. I know you've had doubts about Azrael and Talisa's story. I understand that. But after the incident—when you glowed—something changed. You started to believe, didn't you?"

His words struck a chord deep inside me. I had questioned everything—the circle, the connection, even Michael's leadership—but something had shifted after that strange glowing event. I had no logical explanation for it, yet I was beginning to believe.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah... I've been thinking about it. I'm starting to believe, even though it's hard to accept everything."

Michael's expression softened. "You don't have to understand it all at once. Just trust the process. The connection is real, and I'll help guide you through it."

I smiled weakly at Papa, then turned my attention back to the main topic. "When I connected with Nick, he told me he was okay. He didn't know where he was, but he was fine. Then suddenly... our connection was severed. I don't know why."

Mom and Papa exchanged a look—a flicker of relief crossed their faces. Even though they couldn't explain it, knowing Nick was alive brought them some peace.

"I believe you'll connect with him again," Mom said softly. "You've always had a special bond with Nick."

"I hope so," I replied, though uncertainty gnawed at me.

Later that evening, I retreated to my room, my thoughts racing. I picked up the journal Miel had given me—the one about Azrael and Talisa. As I read through the pages, something clicked. The journal wasn't just a collection of historical notes—it was deeply personal, written by Azrael himself.