Ariella found herself in an empty alley. It felt so terrifying, there was no noise, no person. It was just her.
She has never been here before, where was this place?
The buildings that made up the alley were old looking.
She kept walking through the alley and when she got to the end of the alley, she found herself standing in front of a gate that was slightly opened.
Behind that gate stood different, well-structured and new buildings. They were so captivating, that no one could resist entering the gate.
Ariella entered the gate, and the alley where she came out from strangely disappeared.
She was supposed to be tensed that she was trapped, but rather she felt this calm inside of her.
Ariella began to walk on a straight road that she saw. There was no one on this road too like the alley, and she felt a bit confused.
This city was highly advanced in development than even the wolf kingdom, but how come no one was living in it.
Ariella kept walking, the road seemed endless. She walked to a point and began to see people.
The first person she came across was a beautiful young female fairy, and she ran up to her to converse.
“Hi, where is this place, please? I just found myself here,” Ariella spoke, smiling, warmly.
The young lady looked at her and smiled before saying,
“Welcome to the great beyond. You made it to paradise, congratulations. You must be a good person.”
And the lady walked away without hearing her reply.
Ariella stood still, her smile faded. Great beyond? Does that mean she has died?
The forgotten memory of how she died began to flood her mind.
“Noooooooo, this can’t be!” Ariella screamed, and the people passing by stopped to look at her for a moment before continuing their journey.
“Excuse me, how do I get out of here?” Ariella ran up to a man and asked, and in response he only shook his head without saying a word.
“Who wouldn’t love to stay in paradise. She’s crazy,” Ariella heard a girl fairy say while looking at her.
No! She can’t be here. She wasn’t done with her assignments in the land of the living. Beatrice was still ruling, she needed to dethrone Beatrice.
Ariella felt her world has ended. Who killed her?
She squatted on the floor and began to weep bitterly.
“Ariel?” Someone called out her name and she turned. Standing behind Ariella was her father and mother.
Ariella never saw Mitchell her mother in reality because she died after giving birth to her, but she had pictures of her mother, so she easily recognized her.
Ariella was so stunned to see her parents and they embraced each other.
Ariella was so happy to see her mother for the first time since she was born. She was a replica of her mother, every feature her mother had she also had.
Everything was similar, the height, eyes, nose structure, lips e. t. c. Ariella and her mother could pass as twins.
Ariella became reluctant to go back to the land of the living after she found her parents. It was then she realized how blissful paradise was.
“What are you doing here, for goodness’ sake?” The prophet interrupted their reunion.
“You are not yet done with your assignment in the land of the living, so you can’t be here, we need to get you out of here right now.”
“How do I do that?” Although, Ariella wanted staying with her family. She had to carry out the assignments her creator entrusted to her.
A bell rang loudly and Ariella looked around wondering what that meant.
“Oh No, the gate just reopened to let out one lucky soul and Ariella you need to get there in time before someone else does, and you’ll be stuck here for life.”
“The gate opens only once in years.”
“You really have to leave now, honey!” Mitchell exclaimed.
“I can’t fly, and it’s really a long way back there,” Ariella panicked.
Before she knew what was happening, King Sabastine grabbed his daughter and flew away.
“I love you, Ariella!” Mitchell screamed. Mitchell and the prophet kept waving at her until they were out of sight.
Sabastine was called a king for a reason, he was so fast in flying.
Ariella saw many fairies who died prematurely racing towards that gate. It was the survival of the fittest.
King Sabastine out flew many fairies and left them behind, but a particular male fairy was so determined to leave paradise, he flew so fast and was the only one ahead of Sabastine.
Ariella remembered she has gained extra powers and wish she could activate one of them.
Automatically, her thought activated her power to control wind and a heavy hurricane encircled and trapped the fairy that was ahead of them.
Finally, Sabastine got to the gate that was opened and dropped Ariella. Immediately, Ariella walked out the gate, it closed.
“I love you, Ariella. You have many enemies around you, you need to be careful. Trust Daisy, she’ll guide you. Bye.”
“I love you so much, Dad,” Ariella sobbed, and everything blacked out.
******
The chef and the kitchen maids all lined up outside. Alpha Jason came back home that day and asked for all the food that has been prepared to be tested, most, especially the left over that has been trashed.
They were all afraid, their lives were going to end if any poison was found in the food. One person’s sin was going to make other people perish.
Numerous laboratorians were seen carrying out their work without minding the presence of the workers in the compound.
Jason asked the test to be conducted in an open place for transparency.
They were expert laboratorians and could never give a wrong analysis.
Jason instructed that the test be run, and the result be gotten immediately. He had no patience, he was ready to slaughter the whole kingdom without remorse.
The culprit must be found.
Jacinta heard that Jason was conducting a test on every food, even old food that has been trashed, to find out which was poisoned.
She immediately rushed over to Isabella’s castle and unfortunately the news turned out to be true.
Everyone including Daisy and Isabella were outside. Jason instructed that no one was to go in except his beta and gamma, whom he instructed to search each room and bring out any eatable thing found to be tested.
Jacinta was in panic, she never knew Jason would go to this extent for Ariella.
She was done for if that fruits were tested and confirmed poisoned.
The Alpha’s gamma and beta brought out everything eatable they found in the house. It was tested and the laboratorians found it not poisoned.
“You can’t tell me that! Make sure you ran the test correctly, else…” Jason yelled at them. What did they mean by everything tested weren’t poisoned?
The autopsy result clearly stated that she was poisoned. It couldn’t be wrong.
“Did you search everywhere?” Jason asked his beta and gamma using his Alpha tone and they nodded.
“What about my room?” He asked, and they shook their heads negatively.
“Are you guys dumb? I said search everywhere. Every nook and cranny, including my room!”
“We are sorry, Alpha!” The apologized simultaneously and ran to search his room.
In no time, they came down with a basket that contained fruits and handed it over to one of the medical laboratorian.
The laboratorian proceeded with the test, in a few minutes he was done, and it was now time to call out the result.
Jacinta heart sank.
Jason got tensed when he noticed the hand of the laboratorian shaking.
“The result states that, the fruits were….”
“Ghooost!” One of the female workers screamed and fainted.
Everyone’s attention turned towards her direction, and shockingly standing at the gate was Ariella alongside the doctor.