**Brace yourself, for Katiandra's intrusion into the Oracle's domain has shattered the veil of time. The price she must pay? A horrific glimpse into a bygone era, forced to watch as a Lorelei's fate unfolds... but with the terrible knowledge that she can do nothing but witness its heartbreaking conclusion.
Prepare to witness the echoes of choices not already made . Katiandra's present torment, a grim reflection of a path someone else walked for her, the price of love. The truth unfolds: the burden she bears is the weight of her soulmate's sacrifice, their love a shield against the darkness she would have unleashed.
Lorelei's choice has already been made, the price paid in full. Now, Katiandra will bear witness to the cost exacted upon her soulmate, a harrowing truth revealed through the Oracle's eyes.**
Three days before the death
of the king Arthur
in Lorelei's bedroom...
Lorelei rolled onto her back, the plush comforter clinging to her clammy skin despite the cool air whispering through the air conditioning. An inexplicable edge crawled up her spine, prickling the hairs on her arms like a spider's web. She squeezed her eyes shut and massaged her neck, the faint tic tac of the clock , the only sound that dared to break the unsettling silence.
Thirty minutes had passed since sleep eluded her, each tick of the antique grandfather clock in the hall parallel to her bed, echoing like a death knell in the stillness.
"This isn't right," she whispered to the darkness, a chill in her voice. "There's something wrong with Katia."
A sudden, vivid image of Katia flashed in her mind, her usually vibrant eyes clouded with despair. A surge of guilt, sharp and piercing, flooded Lorelei.
She rose abruptly, drawn towards the vast, moonlit expanse visible through the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. The full moon, a luminous orb hanging heavy in the velvet darkness, seemed impossibly close, beckoning her with an almost hypnotic glow.
An unfamiliar warmth pulsed through her body, resonating with the moon's ethereal light, as if an unseen current connected them.
"Maybe it's just a lack of sleep," she thought, trying to rationalize the pull she felt. But the disquiet wouldn't subside.
Compelled by an unseen force, Lorelei found herself kneeling on the terrace, bathed in the moon's cool luminescence. There, visions of Katia, her beautiful face etched with sorrow, flooded her mind.
In another vision, she saw her lover hands, stained crimson despite being clean, the blood a chilling reminder of a past she couldn't grasp in the vision.
Lorelei, from where she was standing, could feel energy she could not fight trying to overtake her, bracing herself for what felt inevitable, she applied what she knew had always work, channeling her breath to no issues.
Resigned, she let go, a wave of warmth, like a tidal wave of energy, engulfed her, sharpening her senses to a painful degree. Tears streamed down her face as a surge of power coursed through her, leaving her breathless and trembling.
It was as if a part of the moon's light had become embedded within her, a sliver of celestial power woven into the very fabric of her being.
"Protect her, my God," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "Protect my love. You reunited us, just as you brought me back to her. Divine love, ABBA, shield her from harm, from herself. Don't let them take her soul."
As the last words left her lips, a faint, ethereal whisper seemed to brush against her ears, carried on the cool night breeze. "The night holds the key, Lorelei. But beware the price." The words vanished like smoke, leaving Lorelei shaken and confused, but with a newfound resolve to unravel the mystery shrouding Katia.
Lorelei gasped, a jolt running through her. The way she focused on her breath to not fall unconscious, had her lost focus of what all of this was about, in fact she knew nothing of it, she had learnt to have faith in herself as much as she could trust the Divinewood, that as much as she could stay conscious.
Like an input of strength, she started breathing normal again but with that she  was connected again to the other end. The voice was back, a faint whisper in the recesses of her mind, but clear as day. "Do not eat for three days. Pray." It felt like an echo from a forgotten dream, yet the intensity was undeniable.
This time, the energy surge was overwhelming, a white-hot thrumming that vibrated through her bones. Pain lanced through her, threatening to drag her unconscious for real this time. Just as she teetered on the brink, a sense of weightlessness lifted her. A voice, warm and familiar, resonated within her spirit.
"You can do it, Añada. You can do it."
Though her body was frozen, Lorelei willed a nod. A groan escaped her lips, raw and primal. Digging her heels into the cool stone, she fought to stand. The image of Katia, etched with sorrow, flashed in her mind, a surge of fierce determination replacing the haze of pain.
The voice continued, a steady mantra propelling her forward.
Sweat slicked her skin as the moon, a torch celestial, cast its silvery light upon her. With a herculean effort, Lorelei rose, her body swaying like a reed in the wind. As she straightened, a single, brilliant star winked into existence in the vast canvas of the night sky.
"Secured her heart, God," Lorelei rasped, her voice weak yet resolute. "Protect my love."
Her gaze lingered on the star before a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her body, still humming with residual energy, felt like a lit ember as she crumpled onto the outdoor sofa. Despite the fatigue, an undeniable power coursed through her veins.
~~~~~
Miles away, Alesha, the Oracle, jolted awake, a jolt of electricity sparking through her. Centuries had passed since she last felt the call. Without a conscious thought, she rose and moved with practiced ease, her steps echoing on the wooden floorboards. Reaching a room on the opposite side of the house, she pushed open the heavy oak door with practiced ease.
The room, usually shrouded in darkness, pulsed with vibrant hues. It took a moment for Alesha's eyes to adjust to the sudden kaleidoscope of color. The air thrummed with an ethereal melody, emanating from the pulsating heart of the chamber â the SEED, a gateway to the Divinewood.
The door creaked shut behind her unseen granddaughter, Tala, the heir apparent. An unsettling truth, shrouded in generations of secrecy, hung heavy in the air â the transfer of power remained incomplete.
Tala understood the unspoken weight on her shoulders. Self-doubt had gnawed at her for years, a relentless whisper that she wasn't worthy. Yet, her grandmother's words echoed in her mind â a destiny unfulfilled.
Alesha, they said, was one of the most powerful Añada to ever walk the earth, a soul chosen by the Divinewood itself. But there were others, powerful beings hidden in the shadows, working in accordance with a grander plan. Her grandmother was a legend alive, to know there was someone stronger than her out there was a complete life changing discovery.
What was she herself? She wondered standing there her gaze fixated on the closed door trying to channel her power to see through it.
A gentle nudge, a formless push, nudged Tala back towards the door ahe had used to come in this section, With a silent nod to the unseen, she retreated, leaving Alesha alone with the pulsing heart of the SEED. This burden wasn't hers to bear. Closing the door, Tala walked away, the weight of her lineage settling on her shoulders.
~~~~~~
Back to the present in the loop created by the Oracle
The visions flickered before Katiandra's eyes, not on a flat screen but swirling around her in a vast, ethereal space. This in-between realm, conjured by the Oracle's power, shimmered with an otherworldly luminescence.
Motes of light danced in the periphery, swirling like fireflies trapped in a perpetual twilight. The air thrummed with a barely perceptible energy, a low hum that resonated deep within Katiandra's bones.
Here, the very fabric of reality seemed to bend and flex, allowing her to witness echoes of the past as if they were happening right before her eyes. Yet, she was an intangible observer, unable to interact with the spectral scenes that unfolded.
The pain that radiated from Lorelei, however, was all too real, a psychic blow that struck Katiandra with the force of a physical assault.
"No!" she cried out, her voice a threadbare whisper lost in the vast emptiness.
"Please, I can't bear to see her suffer!"
The ethereal form of the Oracle materialized from the swirling mist, her voice a gentle caress.
"Katiandra," she intoned, "a soulmate is a reflection of your own soul, a mirror held up to your truest self. Theirs is a burden you share, a karmic debt incurred on a shared path."
Katiandra whirled around, her voice trembling with a mixture of grief and defiance.
"But this is wrong! This pain, it should be mine! I won't let her shoulder this burden alone!"
The Oracle's gaze held an infinite well of wisdom. "Love, dear child, is a dance of two souls. One cannot shield the other from the consequences of their actions. Lorelei chose to take on your burden, an act born of the deepest love and devotion. It was her path to walk, a price she willingly paid to preserve your innocence."
Katiandra slumped against a pillar, the weight of the Oracle's words pressing down on her like a physical force. A horrifying truth dawned on her â her present turmoil mirrored Lorelei's past ordeal, a psychic echo of the price her soulmate had paid. Understanding brought no solace, only a deeper, more profound ache.
She straightened, her posture regaining its regal bearing despite the storm raging within. Tears streamed down her face, each one a silent tribute to Lorelei's sacrifice. With a voice thick with emotion, she spoke,
"If this is the burden of love, then I will share it. I will not stand by while she suffers the consequences of my choices. I must go to her, help her bear this weight!"
The Oracle held up a hand, her voice calm yet firm.
"Katiandra, these visions are but windows into the past, a means to guide you towards a greater understanding. You cannot alter what has transpired, but you can learn from it. The path to your reunion lies ahead, but it requires patience and introspection."
Katiandra closed her eyes, drawing a shuddering breath. The raw love and selflessness radiating from Lorelei's past resonated within her, a proof to the enduring power of their soul-bond. Slowly, a new resolve hardened within her.
"Then show me everything," she said, her voice gaining strength. "Let me see the depths of her sacrifice, the wellspring of her love. I will carry this knowledge with me, that will forever keep my me love for her ignite."
The Oracle inclined her head, a flicker of pride gracing her ancient features. In that moment, Katiandra was no longer just a petitioner seeking answers, but a student embracing a profound lesson on the nature of love and its boundless capacity for sacrifice. The visions flickered back to life, and Katiandra steeled herself, ready to face the true cost of her actions and the love that bound her to Lorelei.