A huge silver door is in front of us, a modern design with vines and flowers on it. "This is the portal to Aetheria."
"T-this is… safe, right?" Blake asked in a trembling voice while having shallow breaths. He looked so tense.
To calm him down, I delicately held his hand. "I am here."
The door opened, I started to walk toward the inside while Blake was in my back and holding my hands.
He was trembling a lot, his hand was cold.
We stayed for a while. In just a few minutes, the door opened again. I immediately felt the energy and the environment of the Aetheria.
We are here. I am finally home. We are finally home.
I looked at Blake and softly said, "We are here." He looked outside with furrowed eyebrows and shifted his gaze back to me and back to the outside, that gesture repeated for a few minutes.
I chuckled. "It is like teleportation but you will not feel anything," I explained to him, restraining myself from bursting into laughter.
Holding his hand, I started to walk outside and he unconsciously followed me with his widened eyes roaming around and his mouth was slightly opened.
I smiled upon realizing that maybe it was Blake's first time to see such a place full of greenery, a place stuffed with plants and flowers.
A lady in a blue dress stood firmly in the middle, bowing her head and her hands in her heart, a sign of her respect. "Welcome back, my Lady."
I approached her. "I am glad to see you again, Agartha."
"It is an honor, my Lady," she replied without lifting her head.
"Did you do it?" Before going back, while waiting for Blake's training, I send a message to Agartha through my waters.
She replied, "Yes, my Lady. Everything is set."
"Thank you so much. By the way, this is Blake," I introduced him. "Blake, this is Agartha, she is my personal Epsilon."
"Welcome, Mr. Blake. It is an honor to see you."
Blake didn't notice it, he was occupied in assessing the place. He may not even notice that Agartha was here.
A curve formed in my lips. I gently pulled him to go into the sacred chamber.
We marched in an empty hallway while Blake was still mesmerized by the surroundings. No one can be seen around, no one is idling nearby.
I ordered Agartha to clear and empty this place and the route to the sacred chamber. No one was allowed to see Blake, no one was allowed to know his existence… for the meantime, until the grand council meeting officially started.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the sacred chamber. I looked back at Agartha. "You can go now. Thank you."
Before leaving, she bowed her head. Even our personal Epsilons aren't allowed to enter.
The huge door of the sacred garden automatically opened. "This is the sacred chamber of the Alpha." I sighed, taking a deep breath before stepping inside.
His hand got colder, he was shaking uncontrollably while walking behind my back.
In the middle of the sacred chamber, a woman in a golden orange dress was sitting in the pavilion. Her platinum silver and soft wavy hair was gracefully dancing along the wind.
Even with this distance, meters away from her, I can feel the strong aura she exudes.
In a slow pace of walking, I can feel the fast beat of my heart. Alpha never turned around to see us but I know that she knew that we were here.
Reaching the entrance of the pavilion, made my heart beat so fast. Blake's hand started to get sweaty and much colder.
Upon entering, I bowed my head which was immediately copied by Blake.
"I'm back, Alpha," I stated, exerting all my efforts not to stutter.
The minutes of silence felt like a day. My heart looked like it would burst out in my chest. I knew her all my life, never in my life I became so nervous like this in her presence.
Alpha's body started to turn around, I bowed even more while Blake's body wasn't moving, he was too tense.
She was staring at us but no words were coming out from her mouth. She stood up and approached Blake. "Chin up," she softly stated.
Blake looked up to her, his eyes began to shimmer upon seeing the one he can only see in my water images.
"Give me your hands," Alpha ordered.
I let go of him and he slowly extended his hands to her. Upon holding it, Alpha softly caressed it and the fire stone came out.
A faint glimpse of disappointment can be faintly seen in her eyes. But, that faint was overlapped by a genuine smile. "You are really the fire bearer. What's your name?"
His eye pupil is shaking while looking directly at her. "My name's Blake Felix Serrano. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."
Despite being scared and intimidated, he is the only one I know who can directly look at Alpha's eyes except the current and former Betas. How courageous.
"We don't use last names here," Alpha said clearly and in steady volume without taking his soft glare at Blake.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I will strive to do better and learn more," Blake answered softly and he slightly lowered his head.
"Follow me," Alpha commanded with her soft voice in controlled pace while still having a clear and confident tone. That voice always got me chills, how powerful.
She walks towards her house, a four-storey wooden house with gold design, it has many windows. It screams elegance with majestic looking vines surrounding the walls and those beautifully placed flowers. It is so magical looking.
Upon entering the house, we can see how it is so organized, neat, and clean. Every piece of furniture is wooden and has gold stains. Some of the things are white with also a bit of gold stains. Even the staircase are woods and the stairs handrails are white with gold stains. Everything had gold stains. Alpha's house is like what they call in the mortal world "aesthetic design".
We went straight to the second floor. This floor contains few things but two huge doors are prominently standing on both sides.
Alpha stopped at the huge door at the right side. "This will be your room."
I tilted my head, did I hear it right?
"Alpha… that is the room of–"
"This will be Blake's room," she emphasized, subtly telling me not to oppose her.
I looked down. That room used to be Valen and Tellus when we were sleeping over here.
"Your Majesty, I am grateful for your kindness and benevolence," Blake bows with his hand on his chest.
Alpha returned his gaze to Blake and slightly nodded. 'Rest now, I will talk to you tomorrow," she declared with her controlled and slow pace of talking.
"I will, Your Majesty," Blake answered.
Alpha started to walk but stopped midway. Without looking back at us, she whispered, "Welcome to Aetheria, Blake."