LOVE ETERNAL

UNRAVELLING-THE-ENIGMA

Doctor Daniel Bradson, hurried to the center of the gathering, and fell on his knees before Ethan, acknowledging his sovereignty.

“I have found it,” he proclaimed for the third time, pride and excitement evident in his voice.

“Rise!” Ethan instructed, signaling to Calvin to lift him up.

Although very bulky and seemingly obese, Daniel arose with an alacrity that defied his physical appearance, before anyone could even get to him.

He stood before them, a glint of determination shining in his eyes as he announced, “I believe I have uncovered the reason behind the outbreak.” His voice carried a mix of certainty and anticipation, hinting at the breakthrough he was about to reveal to them.

At once, pandemonium erupted as everyone surged forward eagerly, afraid that staying in their original positions might cause them to miss a word.

“Did I just hear correctly? Did the chief physician just say that he has the solution?”

“I think it’s more that he has identified the problem, not the cure.”

“We need solutions, not more details. What good would more explanation do?”

“For something we had no clue about, I believe any information is a good start.”

“He had better give us something good, after keeping us waiting for this long!”

Similar conversations rang out among the elders concurrently, as they asked each other what was said, afraid that they had not heard clearly enough.

“Quiet! Let us all hear him out.” Ethan commanded, his voice swept through the surroundings like a calming breeze, restoring a profound silence to the entire meeting.

“Doctor Daniel, we are eager to hear the specifics of what you have discovered. Could you please share your findings with us now?” Ethan asked, his voice tinged with a hint of eagerness tempered by self-control.

“Reporting to the council, on the current insight gathered, with regard to the current outbreak,” Daniel began to speak, his voice ringing out to all the nooks and crannies of the surroundings, heightening the anticipation among all gathered, as they all remained very quiet eagerly awaiting his words.

“After thoroughly reviewing all our health records and finding nothing related to this outbreak, we were all destabilized. However, I recalled an old archive I had come across during my early years as a trainee. It contained some very unusual medical histories that were considered irrelevant at that time, merely historical curiosities. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to examine it to ensure we had explored every possible avenue,” Daniel recounted.

“But I’m glad I did, because when I went through it, I found something quite relevant. There has been a record of an illness with similar symptoms before.”

“It happened five centuries ago, and when it happened, the contraction rate was at an astronomical figure, the same as this current one, and there were also symptoms of change in body coloration, elevated fever, and noticeable swelling in various body parts,” he reported.

“You mean this has happened before?” Ethan asked, relief washing over him as hope surged in his heart..

“Yes, it has” Daniel replied, with a notable air of importance.

A wave of relief washed through the crowd, soothing their minds and bringing a collective calmness to their spirits. Identifying a problem had always been a significant step toward its resolution, they all reasoned tacitly.

After waiting for sometime for Daniel to continue his report without hearing him do so, they all redirected their attention to him.

“Go on,” Ethan goaded, annoyed that Daniel had stopped his report just when everyone was eager to hear more, “What is the cure?”

“I’m afraid there is no cure,” Daniel said awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable delivering such bleak news and dampening their hopes.

Their lifted spirits, once soaring high, now fell like melting ice, returning to the fluidity of water.

“There is a cure!” a voice said, prompting everyone to turn around and search for its origin.

He rose and walked to the center of the gathering, his imposing height and confident aura commanding respect from all present.

“Sir Klaus Montfort actually made a move! This is serious!” one of the elders commented, surprise evident in his voice.

“I can’t believe it, he had not spoken in such a long time. It is as if he removed himself from all worldly matters,” another chirped in, equally surprised.

Similar murmurs of surprise filled the surroundings as everyone was taken aback by Klaus' actions.

Even the Alpha of the Pack - Ethan, could not help but adopt a reverential stance, as Klaus sauntered to the center of the gathering, with slow, measured, and confident steps.

“There is a cure” Klaus repeated, trying to emphasize the importance of his statement.

He cast glances around the entire gathering, as if gauging everyone present. When his eyes fell on Ethan, he bowed slightly in respect, his gaze never leaving Ethan, as if awaiting mutual acknowledgment and permission to continue his narrative.

Ethan nodded in encouragement, a subtle gesture inviting him to proceed, while conveying sincere respect for his presence and words.

Klaus cleared his throat and looked up, as if reflecting on the words he was about to speak, “The Chief Physician is right” he commented.

“Half a millennium ago,” Klaus began, his face filled with melancholy, reflecting the weight of his words, “The Southern Conclave and the Western Conclave were all situated together, without any division or barrier between them, and our population was not this much, so we often traveled between each other's territories interacting and trading together.

“One day, we awoke to the sudden ring of the warning bell - three rings. All our elders rushed to attend an emergency meeting at the sacred grounds, including my father, who was the Army General at that time.

“When he returned, he delivered the devastating news - a deadly disease outbreak threatened our conclave. Many perished, and my father gathered us - children, and neighboring youngsters from surrounding packs, into ours for safety.

“They searched desperately for a cure, but none succeeded, until a woman in red passed through. She posed as a trader on a journey but later revealed herself as a seer and offered us her assistance.

“The outbreak, she explained, stemmed from a curse inflicted as retribution. The Alpha of the Western Conclave had destroyed an entire Pack who had resisted him when he tried taking their Luna, whom he coveted, as one of his mistresses.

“To break it, the Alpha had to sacrifice his beloved Luna, to curb the bloodlust of the curse. But he deceived everyone and killed another woman, hiding his true love. The curse persisted, and he then ordered the seer’s execution, for her mistaken divination - out of rage for being exposed, but she escaped.

“Only when they discovered his deceit and killed his true Luna did the curse finally cease.

This tragic event fueled deep mistrust between the two conclaves. They parted ways, declaring the boundary between them forbidden territory, never to be crossed.”

He sighed, his face etched with bitterness as he reflected on the sadness of it all.

A solemn hush settled over the surroundings, enveloping all in shared grief, as they joined him in mourning the profound sadness of such a grotesque scenario.

“So, are you implying that the current outbreak we are facing in our Pack is due to a curse?” Ethan asked, desperately wishing that it would not turn out to be the case.

He preferred a health issue, something tangible and identifiable. A curse, on the other hand, was a paranormal matter - unpredictable and capable of unfolding in unexpected ways.

Klaus sighed heavily, a mixture of disbelief and apprehension evident on his face. “Unfortunately,” he began with a heavy heart, “It appears that we have indeed been cursed.”