STUCK IN TIME

(xxxiv) Book 2: Chapter 7- Leaving the past behind

Natalia's Pov

I felt like I knew where I had to go. I felt drawn to my destination and soon enough, I was where I was supposed to be.

I reach the gates of this residential property whose traditional architecture adorned with a beautiful gardens and a fountain in front of it makes it look more like a palace.

A guard takes me inside and makes me wait for a while. And soon enough I am meeting a grey haired, long bearded old man.

He has an air of authority and power around him and his presence could make you fear him. But somehow I could connect to him. I felt like I am at the right place. And awkwardly enough instead of asking me who I was and why I wanted to see him, he asks something unexpected.

"Good to finally see you Natalia. Are you ready for what lies ahead?"

I have had feelings in these last two three days that someone telepathically communicates with me but I was never sure. I know a powerful spiritual connection brought me here, but I wasn't sure what. I do understand science and mysticism to their extremes and possibly more than anyone else alive, maybe except the one standing in front of me.

"I am ready for whatever my destiny is but I want some closure. I have traveled a lot to finally reach where I belong. And I have reasons to believe that this is it. Yet, I don't know what I am up for." I answer.

The old man just smiles, "If you could know then you would be the wrong choice for this place. Follow me." He says as he starts walking out of that room and takes me to a concealed basement which is a small library. I look around expecting secret books but its all but an account of history and religion.

"Don't be surprised. I don't keep secret informations here. All that I have is here." he says pointing towards his head.

"Bit by bit I will transfer it all that I know to you. And after knowing it, I will give you the leadership of this society."

"Which society?"

"The secret society which protects the truths that are meant to be protected. The same secrets that The Seekers are searching, and for which they tried to use you.  I took no trial or tests from you because you already proved yourself capable by deciding to stay in the past and not disclose secrets to anyone."

"How do you know all of this?"

"It is my job to know the things that concern my work. When evil is born the Almighty creates an equal force to mitigate it. Hence since the day the seekers have been searching those mystical objects to expoloit them and use them for evil purposes, we have been protecting them."

After a month I knew everything I was supposed to know for my job. After that I was taken to the secret headquarters where the elders of the society crowned me as the queen of this society which consists of just a hundred but extremely capable minds who were ready to sacrifice their lives for the cause that we stood for as well as for protecting their queen. All were influential people at high positions. Thus the funding of society came from its members themselves.

I have been the only one so far who could travel in the past. All of the elders had some powers, and all other members had enough spiritual wisdom to know what they stand for without exact details. Exact details were tge privilege of the leader only, hence what I knew now was known only to me or to the previous leader, who now was one of the elders of the society. But all leaders have had one power in common, that of reading minds. So that we can always know anyone with ill intentions.

Three days after being crowned I found out I was pregnant. I was happy and felt protected. Zaroon's last and most beautiful gift for me. I planned to raise this child with me over here in the sheltered environment where no one except few trusted ones would find out about us. I couldn't meet my other two children or my husband but I would have one part of him always with me. I hoped it would be a boy but I would be equally happy if its a baby girl. Excitedly I rush to Master and tell him. He immediately calls the meeting of elders who tells me that,

"The manifesto of the society is simple, that all members find their way to us through spiritual connections. None come because of kinship and no sons and daughters of members or leaders even know about the existence of this society. Master has two sons who don't know about the society. All elders have children and grandchildren who don't know. " Says one of them during the meeting.

"If your children are chosen they will find their way here just like you did. You cant raise a child here. You could go and meet your children and husband if the seekers had not found out and tried to use you. They will do it again, so you know you can't leave. Its better that we send the baby to his father after his birth. And maybe along with some confirmation that you died of childbirth." Adds another elder.

And the decision gets final that I should send her back home, shattering my hope of having a shred of normality in my life. But I know that patience is what I am required to practice. So I send her home along with a letter that the mother died of child birth. Leaving the assumptions on Zaroon, maybe he will assume that I ran away, maybe he will assume taht I was kidnapped and while in captivity and malnourished died of childbirth. With tears in my eyes and pain from childbirth still in my body I kiss my newborn baby girl and take a last look at her. She too has unique eyes. Like me and Ayana.

I later find out that Zaroon named her Afifa.

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