Chapter 226: The Meeting

Words : 1636 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 226: The Meeting Jacob~ The clock on the wall ticked with a kind of mocking calm, echoing through the silence of my house. I stood in the center of the living room, arms crossed, heart heavy. Light streamed through the windows in golden bars, warm and gentle. But all I could feel was the storm brewing inside me. I’d sent Easter off to school just an hour ago. She smiled—too brightly—and kissed Rose’s forehead like she wasn’t breaking inside. But I knew better. I’d seen the nightmares. I felt them. And I couldn’t sit still any longer. I closed my eyes and sent a call out—not with words, but with will. A silent pulse of energy rippling through the invisible threads that bound me to my close siblings. The kind of call that needed no explanation. A meeting. Now. Eagle was the first to arrive. He didn’t just walk in—he appeared, like the wind itself had peeled open reality just enough to let him slip through. Tall, wiry, and sharp-eyed, always scanning, always calculating. He didn’t say a word. Just crossed the room and leaned against the window frame, arms folded, gaze steady as if he already knew something was wrong. Next came Bubble, light on his feet, his presence almost musical. That same effortless charm followed him in, the kind that usually left people grinning before they even realized it. But not today. The warmth in his smile hovered like a dying ember—there, but struggling to burn. Even he could feel the shift. Then came Tiger. He didn’t make a sound. He didn’t need to. His presence filled the space like gravity. Solid. Unshakable. Green eyes locked with mine across the room, and in that silence was a weight that said more than any words could. I’m here. I see you. Say it. Before I could speak, a familiar voice slid through my mind like a smooth stone dropped in still water. Fox. "Jacob. Natalie and I ran into a situation with Griffin. We won’t make it to the meeting." My body tensed like a pulled wire. "What kind of situation?" Fox hesitated. That alone was enough to make my pulse quicken. "He’s... Uhmm... testing boundaries again. Pushing Natalie. She’s okay—we’ve got it under control." My jaw clenched hard. Natalie’s peace was sacred ground. I had bled to protect it. I would again. "I’ll be right th—" " No." Fox cut in, voice calm, but firm. "I know that tone. You’re already carrying guilt like a weight around your neck. Stay focused, Jacob. This is about Easter, isn’t it?" I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to. "We’ve got Griffin handled. Do what only you can do. Do it for her." I exhaled, slowly. Let the tension leak out of me even though it left a bitter taste behind. "Alright." I ended the link. When I turned back, Tiger, Eagle, and Bubble were all watching me. They didn’t speak. They didn’t have to. The room was a storm waiting on the thunder. I couldn’t sit. My body wouldn’t let me. "She’s getting worse," I said, voice low, raw. "The nightmares—they come every night, without fail. And each time they come, it’s like they steal a little more from her. She’s barely sleeping. The stress... it’s affecting the baby." Bubble’s face darkened. "It’s that bad?" I nodded once, slow and heavy. "She doesn’t know it yet, but I can feel it—the baby’s heartbeat. It’s faint. Fading. Like a candle burning low in a storm. And with the weight Easter’s carrying, I don’t know how much longer the child can hold on." Eagle leaned forward, every trace of his usual calm sharpened into something harder. "What are you thinking, Jacob?" I hesitated—then let it fall. "I’m going to wipe the memory," I said. "Just the trauma. Just that moment. The one that broke her." The silence that followed was instant, charged. Tiger spoke first. His voice broke through the tension like stone through glass. "If you do that... if you touch that memory, you might erase all of us from her mind since we’re directly involved in it." I turned to him, steady. "I know." Bubble’s voice came quieter now. "She might forget the joy too. The healing. The nights she laughed again. The way you and Natalie pulled her out of hell." Eagle added, "She might forget how it felt to be loved again. She might forget you, Jacob." And that... that would destroy her more than any nightmare ever could. I stared at my hands. Trembling. Capable of erasing agony, yes—but also capable of tearing down everything beautiful we’d built together. Tiger’s voice broke the silence again. Rough. Grieving. "Have you told her?" "I did. She begged me not to," I whispered. "She said she could handle it. Swore it. But I heard her crying into her pillow last night, apologizing to the child growing inside her. Whispering that she didn’t know how to save herself. Or them." Tiger dropped his gaze. And for a fleeting second, the Spirit of Earth—the one who could shake mountains—looked unbearably small. "Does she know you’re still planning to do it?" he asked. I shook my head. "She thinks she’s hiding it well. Thinks that fake smile she wore this morning is enough to fool me." The room went still. Not just quiet—still. Even the air didn’t dare move. Finally, Eagle stood. "I understand why she’s afraid of losing those memories. But she’s already lost herself to them." "I agree," Bubble said, voice uncharacteristically somber. "She needs peace. Even if it means starting over." Tiger didn’t speak at first. His fists clenched, jaw tight. Out of all of us, he was the one who had grown closest to Easter. "She talks to me about her dreams, her love," he murmured. "About how she wishes she could be by your side forever. She tells me things she doesn’t tell anyone else." I looked at him. "She trusts you," I said. "I know," he whispered. "That’s why I hate this." "But you agree?" I asked. Tiger met my gaze, the grief plain in his green eyes. "I agree." The decision was made. No more circling. No more what-ifs. Just the hard truth settling into place like the final piece of a puzzle you wish you never had to finish. Eagle rose first, silent. He gave me a look—sharp, knowing, the kind that cut through your soul and left a mark. Then he stepped forward, placed a firm hand on my shoulder—steadying, anchoring—and without another word, dissolved into thin air. Like the room had exhaled him. Bubble followed, his touch lighter, more emotional. A soft squeeze to my arm and a glance that said take care of her. His usual easy energy was subdued, dimmed under the weight of goodbye. Then he too vanished—fading like laughter at the edge of a dream. Only Tiger remained. He didn’t rush. Just turned and walked slowly to the window. His gaze settled on the swing outside—the one I had conjured for Rose. It swayed lazily in the breeze, catching flecks of sunlight like little memories drifting in the air. "Give me half a day with her," he said, voice low, eyes never leaving the swing. "Just a few hours. Let me say goodbye in my own way." I looked at him—really looked. And for the first time, I saw the grief in his stillness. The way he stood like an old oak—roots deep, unmoving, bearing the weight of storms no one else could see. "You have it," I said, barely above a whisper. He nodded once, shoulders heavy with everything he didn’t say. Then, like the others, he was gone. Silence flooded the room again. Familiar. Unforgiving. I pulled out my phone and stared at the screen for a second too long before pressing dial on Easter’s name. One ring. Two. She answered with a cheerful spark, a little burst of sunshine through the speaker. "Hey! Are we still on for the surprise?" My chest tightened, the guilt already pressing hard behind my ribs. "Something came up," I said. The words felt like a betrayal dressed as an excuse. "I’m really sorry, Easter. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise. But today... Tiger’s going to pick you and Rose up from school." There was a pause. Just long enough for me to imagine her smile falter. "Oh. Okay," she replied, trying too hard to sound breezy. "Is everything alright?" I hesitated. Every instinct screamed to tell her everything. To let her choose. But the truth would crush her faster than any memory ever could. "I’ll tell you later," I said gently. "I’ll see you at home tonight." Another pause. Softer this time. "Alright," she said again—smaller now. Fainter. Like a leaf drifting away. I ended the call. Then turned to the center of the room. I snapped my fingers once. The air shimmered—and from it, a woman stepped forward. She appeared in a swirl of golden light, like smoke becoming solid. She was tall and looked maybe in her early fifties, but I knew better, with sleek silver hair swept into an elegant bun. Her face was angular and sharp, with cheekbones like carved ivory and eyes the color of thunderclouds. Her dark blue cloak fluttered as if caught in wind that wasn’t there. Rings lined her fingers—each one humming with silent power. She stood with a grace that demanded attention, her posture straight and refined. "Mist," she said with a small smirk. "It’s been centuries." "Mariel," I said with a nod. "I have a job for you." Her eyes sparkled, lips curving in interest. "And what would the great Wolf Spirit need from an old memoryweaver like me?" I stepped toward her, jaw set. "I need you to help me save someone...

Chapter 226: The Meeting

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