I looked back at the old man, her mind racing with his words about fate and destiny. “You said something about being bound by fate,” I began slowly, choosing her words carefully. “What if I’m already bound… with someone else?”
The old man’s expression didn’t change. He looked at her calmly, his eyes gleaming with a strange, knowing light. “That doesn’t mean the person you speak of is connected to Liam.”
“How can you know that?”
The old man gave me a slight smile, his gaze unwavering. “Because I can see it,” he said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“See what?” I asked.
“The threads of fate,” he answered, his voice soft but firm. “They connect you, Liam, and the one you’re already bound to. It’s all woven together, like strands in a web. That’s why the Codex called you here-it knew you belonged to this story.”
“So you mean to say the Codex and the Eternity book calls me?”
The old man nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. “Yes, they called you. Both the Codex and the Eternity Book are tied to you in ways you may not fully understand yet.”
I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. “If you can see these things, then maybe you can tell me… why has Logan changed? Why has he become so… cold and hostile? He wasn’t always like this.”
The old man’s eyes softened, but he shook his head slowly. “I wish I could give you an answer, child. I can see many things, but the heart is often clouded, especially when touched by forces beyond our world.”
“So, you don’t know?”
He shook his head again. “There are mysteries even I cannot see. Sometimes, people carry burdens they can’t share, struggles that change them in ways even they may not understand. But there is always a reason. Whatever has taken hold of him, it’s strong enough to cloud the threads of fate around him.”
Liam’s hand tightened into a fist, and he spoke up, his voice low. “Then what are we supposed to do? Just stand by and watch?”
“Of course you not to stand by and watch, you are to do something.”
I glanced at the old man, hesitating for a moment before asking, “So… what are we supposed to do? How do we handle all of this?”
The old man’s gaze remained steady, a hint of a knowing smile on his lips. “In time, you will find the answers you seek. Fate has a way of revealing things when the moment is right.”
I wanted to press him, to demand more, but something in his expression told me that was all he would say. Frustrated, I looked over at Liam, who gave a slight nod as if urging me to let it go-for now.
The old man stepped back, gesturing toward the door. “Go now. The path ahead is not yet clear, but it will become so, soon enough.”
With a deep breath, I reached for Liam’s hand. Together, we focused on the familiar energy that connected us to our world. Slowly, the air around us shimmered, and a faint glow appeared, swirling into a portal.
Without another word, Liam and I stepped through the portal, feeling the pull as it brought us back to my my world.
As we stepped through the portal, the world around us shifted and blurred. A cold breeze swept over me as I felt solid ground beneath my feet again. When the shimmering light of the portal faded, I found myself back in my world, standing side by side with Liam.
Liam let out a deep breath, breaking the silence. “That old man… do you think he was telling us everything?”
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know. It feels like he was holding back, like there’s more he isn’t saying.”
Liam nodded, his eyes focused on the ground. “And what he said about Logan… do you think he’s right? That something’s clouding him?”
“I don’t want to believe it, but something’s definitely changed,” I admitted. “Logan isn’t the same. It’s like he’s hiding something, or maybe something is pulling him away.”
As Liam and I walked toward my house, the world around us felt strangely different. It was as if I had been gone much longer than I thought.
“Want something to eat?” I offered, trying to shake off the unease. “I could make some sandwiches.”
“Sure,” Liam replied, but his tone was distant. He sat at the kitchen table, staring out the window, lost in thought.
I placed a plate of sandwiches in front of Liam and sat across from him. “Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Nothing really, just the thought of me having a real family.”
“Don’t get your hopes up living here is hell!” I said.
Liam laughed, the sound breaking through his distant thoughts. “Yeah, I can imagine. Your family is a bit… intense.”
I smirked, leaning back in my chair. “Intense? That’s putting it mildly. You have no idea what you’re in for.”
“I guess I do, you already filled me in remember?”
“Yeah but still……”
Liam raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Still what? You think I can’t handle it?”
I shook my head, trying to suppress a grin. “It’s not that. I just don’t think you fully grasp the chaos you’re walking into. My family has a way of turning everything into a theatrical performance.”
Before I could continue, my mom walked in, wrapping her arms around me tightly. “Oh my God, Audrey! You’re alive! I thought you were dead!” she cried, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and panic.
“Mom, I’m fine! Just-”
“Where have you been? Logan, you too! Where have you guys been for the past three days?” she exclaimed, her eyes darting between us, filled with concern.
I froze, the question hanging heavy in the air. “Wait, what do you mean ‘three days’?” I stammered, glancing at Liam.
Three days! You both just disappeared! I thought something terrible happened! I thought you were also killed like the way they killed your step father.” Mom was weeping.