Solaris felt strange.
He couldn't explain it but something was telling him to open his eyes and get out of the darkness. He struggled for a bit but opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
It was a white domed ceiling with gold engravings with a picture of an intertwined sun and moon.
His eyes widened and he sat up straight in shock to see that he was sitting on a marble pedestal and beside him were...his siblings.
Tears welled up as he stumbled off the pedestal and made his way to Luciano. With trembling hands, he reached out to caress his cheek. Feeling the warmth on his fingertips, the tears fell as reality began to seep into his consciousness. They were alive again. God did not let him down.
As the tears fell, blurring his vision, he felt a warmth caress his cheek. He looked to see Lucian awake. The dam broke.
He flung himself into Luciano's arms, hugging and sobbing. Luciano wrapped his arms around Solaris, soothing and rocking the boy. " I am here, Solaris. I am alive. I will never make you cry again. " Luciano swore as he nuzzled his cheek against Solaris's hair, eyes filled with determination and promise.
Solaris nodded, hugging Luciano. They pulled apart and Solaris cupped Luciano's face, engraving the features into his mind when he noticed something off. Before he could scrutinize further, a screech sounded.
Both turned to see Sasha, sitting on the marble pedestal, holding locks of her hair looking perplexed. She looked up to see Solaris and Luciano. Shock flooded her face and then recognition hit. She tumbled off and flew into their arms. They both caught her.
"You both are alive. Thank the Goddess. I do not what happened but I am glad you both are here, my beloved brothers. " Sasha sobbed. Both of them looked at her warmly and squeezed her tightly.
"Gods above, who was screeching like a Banshee!!! I have a headache from hearing such a screech. " came a gruff, husky voice making all three turn their heads to see Rhode clutching his head in his hands.
Luciano got up, startling Solaris and Sasha. He marched up to Rhode. Rhode heard the footsteps and looked up. They both stared at each other.
Solaris and Sasha stared at the both of them, feeling worried. Both men looked at each other when Luciano roughly grabbed Rhode and pulled him in his arms. He then tilted Rhode's head back and kissed him on the lips. Rhode responded enthusiastically but both forgot they had an audience.
Sasha and Solaris stared at them with shock and jaws dropped open. The scene before them felt like something out of a fairy tale. They couldn't believe that Luciano and Rhode were in love. A voice broke through their thoughts, further shattering their beliefs.
"Thank fuck. It was getting so obvious that they were ridiculously in love with each other and dancing around each other." came a voice tinged with exasperation and relief. Solaris and Sasha whipped their heads to see an awake Kassidy smirking at them. She then realized something. " You guys were seriously not aware of their feelings with each other?! Oh fearless leader mine, how did you miss the signs ?" Kassidy asked teasingly but Solaris and Sasha ignored it in favour of glomping her tightly. Kassidy hugged them both, grateful that they were alive.
At that moment, Rhode and Luciano joined the hug. They all hugged for a while when Kassidy spoke up. " Not to ruin the moment, but why do all of you look really different ? I mean our hair colours and physiques look really not us." Kassidy's words sent a jolt of awareness into everyone. They all got up to see mirrors appear out of thin in front of them.
They each stood in front of the mirrors. What they saw surprised them.
Rhode stood at 6 feet with black and blonde streaked hair reaching his neck, wheatish skin, a muscular physique, high cheekbones and ice blue eyes. He had a sigil on the back of his right hand. It was a cross with a fox wrapped around it. He was surprised at the changes especially his eyes.
Sasha had long black locks with fair skin and a lithe figure. She stood at 5'7" with an hourglass figure, soft facial features and eyes in the shape of peach blossoms. Her eyes were a royal sapphire with hints of green. She had a sigil on the top of her left breast. It showed a crescent moon with a black cat sitting on it. She was stunned at the changes.
Kassidy still had her ruby red eyes but her hair was long silver blond, olive skinned with a strong physique at 5'6" with a petite figure, sharp nose and high cheekbones and a heart shaped face. Her collarbones bore a sigil of an hourglass with a wand. She was astounded at the fact that this was her appearance.
Luciano retained his height at 6'2" and dark skin but he had red hair in a bob up to his chin with a sharp nose, angular face and a strong jawline. He excluded an aura that was hard to miss. His eyes were a whisky brown with hints of caramel gold flecks. He had a sigil on the right pectoral of his chest. It was a Blue Malayan Coral Snake curled around a huge pearl. He stood frozen at the change in his appearance.
However, they were worried about Solaris. So they all turned to see what he looked and were frozen stiff in shock and awe at the sight of his changed appearance. Solaris had skin as fair as the moon light with aristocratic cheekbones, a sharp jawline and a regal face shape. His black hair was change to a deep wine with rose gold streaks and retained his rose gold eyes. On his back was a huge sigil. It was a Celestial Dragon with blue, gold and white scales holding the sun in it's paws. Solaris was astounded at the change in his appearance.
" Who are we ? Why do we look so different from our family ?" Sasha whispered making everyone feel the loss and void in their hearts at the question until a soft melodious voice entered.
"Why, my Chosen Children. You are definitely not ordinary Gifted but Royal Gifted Children of the True Leaders of the Oracle Syndicate."
All five turned around to see a person in complete white robes resembling a priest with a veil covering their face. The person stepped forward and bowed. " Greetings, Your Excellencies. I know that you have a lot of questions and doubts but follow me and they shall be answered. I guarantee that what you see and hear will resolve the worries in your hearts." the person spoke. Sasha, Rhode, Luciano and Kassidy turned to look at Solaris, waiting for his decision. Solaris looked at the person before them and then at the others with a hint of contemplation and thought. He nodded. The person started walking with the five trailing behind.
They passed multiple hallways and sceneries with every step they took. They finally reached in front of two huge double doors. Their guide stopped in front of the doors and turned to face them. He bowed and moved to the side. The rest were confused but Solaris immediately understood.
" We are to head in alone. Our guide can't enter with us at all. We need to head in and see the truth for ourselves." Solaris spoke. The confusion cleared and they bowed their gratitude. Kassidy and Rhode stepped up and pushed the doors open. What greeted them was something truly magnificent.
It was a huge ballroom with open marble arches and gold gildings everywhere. The ceiling was vaulted with the mural depicting the five people. A woman with a fox on her shoulders, a man with a snake wrapped around him forearm, a man with a black cat snuggled in his arms, a woman holding a wand and hourglass kneeling in front of a woman wearing a crown sitting on the throne with a Celestial Dragon in the back. All of them were in awe and finally looked in front to see the same statues of the persons in the mural.
Feeling a tug, they walked to the respective statues of their lineage. As they stood in front of the statutes, a bright light flashed blinding everyone. As the light dimmed, stood in front of them was the ghostly selves of their ancestors.
All five of them bowed.
"It seems your fates were forcefully changed. It's time to rectify the change. Are you willing to learn the real past of your first lives before we send you back, our precious descendants?" came the voice of Kassidy's ancestor.
Kassidy, Solaris, Rhode, Luciano and Sasha took a deep breath and answered.
"Yes, we are ready."
The ghosts smiled and moved to their respective descendants. They took their hands and held them gently.
"Close your eyes. Your journey for the truth will begin." they spoke. As the five closed their eyes, they vanished along with ghosts.
The truth will prevail and all will be sorted back to its rightful place.
Beware, evil doers, for the Goddess does not let go of those who hurt Her Chosen. Blood will spill until the thirst is quenched.