Encounter

It wasn't impossible to have been controlled by the Beast. But most of the time, the Beasts preferred to transform into their own form. The Beasts rarely took control of the body. 

Young Arella woke up stiffly from her bed, wore a cloak to hide her face and clothes, and went out of the villa mechanically. Compared to the free moving child Arella had been following for an hour, this person looked more like a puppet to her.

Young Arella's movements were extremely slow as if she wasn't akin to walking. But even the darkness could not stop her. She kept on walking without stopping until she reached a crowded place. 

People stood in twos or threes, all looking in one direction, ahead. Older Arellacame out of the shock of seeing a Beast controlling her younger self and looked ahead. 

She became perplexed because in front of her was nothing but a plain wall. The wall didn't have any inscriptions or anything to make it different from a regular wall.

Older Arella looked around and examined the people. All of them stood silently, ignoring their neighbors as if waiting for something with bated breath. The anxiousness, nervousness, and excitement leaked from the eyes. The palpable silence made Arella a little confused.

Nobody paid attention to the silently standing cloaked child. Older Arella wanted to move around and check the surroundings but a sudden sound stopped her.

"It's here!" Arella didn't know who spoke, but everyone started looking upward. Arella too stretched her neck to follow their gaze. All she saw was a red bright moon, silently and slowly being covered by a shadow.

Within a few seconds, the entire moon disappeared and the entire surroundings got submerged in darkness. Older Arella could feel her core vibrating at a mad pace. Her breathing stilled and she, along with a waiting anxiously in the darkness.

Soon, a bright light started cutting the darkness like a sword. It came from the wall from ahead. A crack appeared in the wall and the bright light filled the cracks. A few minutes later, the light covered the entire wall.

Jubilant expressions broke out of the silent watchers. They couldn't see anything in the blinding light. Older Arella stood firmly, but a strong force pulled her in and flew towards the bright wall. Afraid of being crashed into, she instinctively closed her eyes.

She awaited the crash, but nothing happened. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a dark forest. Young Arella kept walking, taking each step with a determined expression.

Older Arella silently followed behind. If she was correct, this should be the outer world and that should be the Red Moon Eclipse. Older Arella kept her eyes on the young Arella, fearing that some animal would attack her. 

But her worries were for naught. Nothing happened in the dead of the forest. The animals ran away as soon as young Arella stepped into their terrain. They acted as if they feared such a young child.

Young Arella successfully crossed the forest with measured steps and soon, a familiar barrier came into Arella's sight, making her mood more complicated.

This…wasn't this the spiritual barrier around her home? Arella was flabbergasted. 

Was she near her home now? Would she meet Adrian? Why did young Arella who was from Star Alliance come to this place in the dead of the night? Did she know Adrian? Countless questions attacked her.

Ahead, young Arella raised her hand, trying to pass through the barrier. But the barrier rejected her advances. It didn't damage her but stood in front of her like a wall. She tried once again, without any success. Then again and again and again, till a slight chuckle broke her trance.

"What's such a young child doing here?" A voice called out from behind. Both young Arella and older Arella turned around simultaneously, only to come across three elders.

The Scott ancestors? 

Arella's mind flashed with surprise! Weren't these the Scott family's ghost ancestors? They looked exactly the same!

"Oh! You are from the inner world? Out here to meet your family?" The only Lady, Amelia Scott, asked curiously.

"But, this is the Scott family. You are not one of us! Speak why are you here?" Elias Scott questioned alertly.

Faced with their queries, young Arella raised her head and looked at them blankly.

Looking at her eyes, burning like magma, all three ancestors stilled. They knew it wasn't a child, but the Beast they were talking to!

"Who are you here for?" Rubius Scott asked straightforwardly. They knew Beasts' were not good with words. So, they asked in a way that could be answered in minimum words.

"Soul companion." The blank girl answered in a hoarse voice.

Amelia Scott had a shocked expression on her face while the other two Scotts remained expressionless. 

"Are you our darling's soul companion?" She asked incredulously. She couldn't believe her ears! Her darling had a soul companion who came from the Star Alliance. She knew her darling had a great future!

Nobody doubted her words, because Beasts are incapable of lying. They only act on impulses. If the child said that she was a soul companion, then she must be. The concept of a soul companion in itself was mysterious, so the Scott family ancestors happily invited her in. 

They were expecting to witness a core melting reunion of soul companions. But as soon as the barrier disappeared, what met their sight wasn't core melting, but core shattering!

Because in front of them, lay the cold and lifeless body of the current ruler of the Scott family! Their breaths hitched. They went to check the situation at once. 

Only young Arella moved in a different direction. A distance away, lay another body, still and cold, but still breathing with difficulty. Looking at the sight, the flame in young Arella's eyes burned brightly.

Older Arella couldn't even believe her eyes any longer…was this person, hanging on a breath…Adrian?

Older Arella's eyes fogged up with unshed tears and her legs became weak. She trembled furiously. In front of her, Adrian lay besmeared with blood. 

He had his eyes closed, brows furrowed, looking as if he was only asleep. His breathing was shallow. And whimpers of pain broke out his throat every now and then.

Multitudes of cuts filled his frame. His legs had deep wounds that were bleeding continuously. But it wasn't the most fatal. The scariest would be on his stomach. There was a gaping hole in there. 

Older Arella faltered, falling next to his cold head. She tried to heal his wounds, but she just couldn't call forth her healing powers. She wanted to touch him, but her hands passed through. Never in her life had she felt so anxious and helpless.

Tears fell like rain. 

In her hindsight, she saw the young Arella's eyes turning red.