LOVE ETERNAL

HELP-ARRIVES

“When did this happen,” Ethan asked.

“Not so long ago,” Arnold replied. “The Chief Physician was the one who notified me.”

“So, where is he now?”

“In the medical center, where he is currently being attended to.”

“Lead the way,” Ethan commanded.

They hurried towards the medical center, their footsteps echoing against the marbled floors with urgency. Upon arrival, they saw Doctor Daniel standing by his bedside, attending to him.

As the visiting duo approached, Daniel turned around, and upon seeing them, he stood up straight, with a reverential poise, to receive them.

“How is he?” Ethan inquired, frustration evident in his voice.

“He is still unconscious, Daniel replied.

“Doctor, what happened exactly?” Ethan asked, “Because the Sir Klaus I know is a very strong man. All through my life, I have never seen him sick, or seeking medical attention before.”

“Same here,” Doctor Daniel commented, “But my Alpha, these are desperate times. Before now, I would have also said the same thing concerning the current outbreak - that it is impossible, because we have never seen anything like it in our lifetime.”

Daniel continued, “As for what happened, I was about to return home from the medical center when two of our patrol guards rushed in, saying they heard a quick scream from Sir Klaus’s house. They went to check on the situation and found him sprawling on the floor in pain. He turned down their offer to take him to the medical center and instead requested that I be notified to come to his home and see him.

“I left the medical center immediately with the patrol guards, and when I arrived, Sir Klaus ordered the two guards to wait outside, while I went in alone. Once inside, I pleaded with him to allow us to take him to the medical center for proper treatment, as I could only do so much without the necessary equipment. He said he would join us, but needed to tell me something first.

“Once he finished his narrative, I ordered the patrol guards to rush him to the medical center while I followed behind. We got him here as fast as we could, but he fell unconscious before we arrived and has remained in that state ever since,” Doctor Daniel reported.

“Hmm,” Ethan murmured, his forehead creased in concern, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for answers among the sterile white walls of the medical center.

“So, what is your diagnosis? Has he contracted the outbreak?” Ethan asked, hoping against all odds, that the answer to his question would bring positive news.

“It’s one possibility, but it’s too early to draw a definitive conclusion. His situation appeared to be more of a shock reaction. This incident seems to have been triggered by a deep-seated childhood experience or a past traumatic occurrence, leading to him falling into a relapse,” Doctor Daniel surmised.

Ethan’s worry deepened. If even Sir Klaus, with his vast experience and unshakable composure, was so troubled about the curse to the point of falling into shock and relapse, then the curse must be far more serious than he had initially thought.

“Make every effort to revive him, and inform me as soon as he wakes up. And one more thing, make sure news of this does not spread. I don’t want the elders to be filled with more worries and questions,” Ethan instructed.

“Yes my Alpha,” Daniel replied.

Ethan subtly raised his hand towards Arnold, conveying through his solemn expression that they should leave immediately.

As they turned to leave, Daniel called out, “You never asked what he said?”

“At this point, our priority is to find a seer. So either he wakes on time or we find somebody else to help us reach out,” Arnold replied, still in motion to leave.

“Wait!” Ethan said, slightly taken aback. He turned around and faced Daniel, holding his gaze. “What did he tell you?”

What could have been so important, that made him reject being taken to the medical center, until he had laid it off his chest.

“It’s about the task that was assigned to him at the emergency meeting. He said he had initiated the invitation to the seer”

Ethan was bemused. Why did he have to act it out in such a secretive manner? He smiled at the archaic nature of Sir Klaus. He must have been trying to follow protocol and keep the information contained from external sources, which must have been why he could not tell the guards.

“Who is this seer, and how do we reach out?’’ Ethan asked.

“He only told me she was a woman with red hair, and she would find us if she accepted the invitation.”

“If she accepts? Sir Klaus was not sure of her response?”

“On the contrary, my Alpha, Sir Klaus sounded confident. He said something about her owing him a favor or so. But he was a bit incoherent by then, and I had to stop him from speaking so we could get him here before he blacked out. It’s a shame our efforts didn’t really pull through at the end.”

Could this be the red woman in Sir Klaus' story, half a millennium ago? Ethan wondered. No it couldn’t be, Sir Klaus was just a kid by then. How could she live that long, and what were the odds that, after this long, she would still be accessible?

As if reading his thoughts, Daniel said, “He didn’t say anything other than that, concerning her identity.”

“That’s fine,” Ethan replied.

He left with Arnold, feeling more relieved. At least Sir Klaus had not let him down, as that would have been quite inimical.

“We are still on top of the situation after all. Have the Army General - Sir Calvin Smith, meet me in the stronghold tomorrow morning," he instructed Arnold.

…

“As you earlier instructed, our city defenses have been significantly reinforced. We now have increased patrols and a larger presence of soldiers stationed at our borders to thwart any unauthorized incursions. Sir Calvin reported, “With these enhanced security measures, we are confident in our ability to remain untouchable and protect our territory from any potential threats.”

“What about the spies?” Ethan asked.

“They have infiltrated the entire city. If any rumors are being spread, they would be the first to know.”

‘’The Elders?”

“They are all being watched.”

“Ensure there’s no room for complacency; we must remain vigilant at all times, as we cannot afford to be too careful.”

He had always been a meticulous fellow, and that is why he had come this far. Ethan never left anything to chance, and his proactiveness had always been the trick behind his problem-solving ability.

Although this was a curse, it would not prevent people from trying to cash in on the situation, for their personal gains. He had to be on high alert if he was to ensure a better outcome.

“Yes, my Alpha,” Calvin replied.

Just as he was about to leave, the doors of the private meeting room inside the stronghold sprung open. He was about to draw his sword into a defensive stance, when Daniel rushed in.

“Doctor Daniel!” Ethan called, getting up from his chair.

“My Alpha,” Daniel bowed.

“The Seer has arrived,” he said with heavy breathing.