Chapter 82 Beyond Saving
Luna Rosie fell silent for a moment, weighing her options.
The thought of losing Mira and his unborn son just to save his wife's life is unacceptable to Alpha Gideon. "I won't allow this to happen! No one will die!" he declared in a hard tone.
"But I want my life back. If this is the only way I can get it, so be it. If someone needs to sacrifice her life then it should be Mira!" Luna Rosie said with finality in her tone. No mercy and guilt in her eyes, only defiance. "My life matters more than Mira!" she declared in a cold manner.
Alpha Gideon stared at his wife in shock and horror. "W-what did you just say? You want Mira and our unborn son to die just because you want to get your life back? Are you crazy? Some mothers would rather sacrifice their lives for their children but look at you, you will sacrifice our son and Mira's life? How cruel! You are so heartless!" he growled, shaking his head in utter disgust, wondering why his wife has become a monster for selfish reasons.
Luna Rosie met her husband's gaze in total defiance. "We can have more children. Losing one child is not the end of our lives. I can give you more children in the future. As for Mira, she is just an ordinary maid. She has no family, her life doesn't matter to anyone. She has to die in order for me to live," she argued fiercely.
"No! I can't believe you are saying this at all. You are insane!" Alpha Gideon sneered, refusing to listen to his wife's wicked arguments.
"My love, please listen to me. My life matters more than Mira and our unborn child. Please support me! You have to support my decision," she begged desperately, praying he would side with her instead of condemning her.
"Shut up!" He glared angrily at his crazy wife. She is losing her mind. "I repeat, no one will die. Soul swapping will not happen tonight. That's my final decision!" Alpha Gideon said authoritatively, very much disappointed with his wife's cruel decision, putting Mira and his unborn son's life in danger.
Luna Rosie knew she was losing her husband's support as seconds passed by. She is getting desperate. "Husband, please listen to me. This is my only chance to get my life back. Please have mercy on me. I want my life back! You have to support me!" she insisted desperately.
Mira can no longer bear it. She needs to intervene. She looked at the shaman and said, "Luna Rosie is right. I have no family, no one will miss me if I'm gone. I'm willing to sacrifice my life in order for Luna Rosie to get her life back. I also want the baby to be born alive. As long as they live together, I'm willing to die alone. I will accept my death with open arms."
Alpha Gideon stared at Mira in disbelief. "No, Mira, you can't do that!"
"See?" Luna Rosie glared at her husband. "Mira is willing to die in order for me to live. Why are you still making things complicated for me?" she shouted angrily, annoyed that her husband is not willing to help her.
The couple exchanged heated glances.
The shaman groaned. He could sense a full-blown quarrel erupting between the couple. He released a deep sigh. "Guys, can you please continue discussing this matter outside the room? I want a long rest every time I finish a divination. Just knock on the door if you have already made up your mind to continue the soul swap tonight. The decision is up to you," he said calmly.
"OK. We will take our leave. Rest well." Alpha Gideon walked to the door, motioning the women to follow him outside.
The trio exited the room so the shaman could rest peacefully.
Outside the room, the couple continued their heated debate to the surprise of the royal couple who were waiting on the sofa, eager to hear the result of the divination.
"Guys, please calm down," Luna Queen Rebecca intervened.
"What's going on? Why are you arguing? What's the matter?" Alpha King Samuel expressed his confusion.
Alpha Gideon looked at his father and said, "The shaman has already finished his divination of Mira and Rosie."
"And what is the result of the divination?" the Alpha King asked curiously.
"He told us that if we continue with the soul swap tonight, Mira, Rosie, and our unborn son will die tonight. That's what he saw in his divination," Alpha Gideon explained.
The royal couple gasped in shock.
"How could that be possible?" Alpha King Samuel asked in bafflement. "That is an outrageous claim!"
"Son, maybe the shaman is fake?" Luna Queen Rebecca suggested.
Alpha Gideon shook his head. "He is not a fake shaman. He is real. He is a powerful being and I witnessed his power with my two eyes. He is not making things up," he said, correcting his mother.
"Ah, okay. Is there any other way for Rosie to get her body back without sacrificing another life?" Luna Queen Rebecca inquired.
"There is another way!" Luna Rosie interjected.
Surprised, the royal couple looked at their daughter-in-law.
"Tell us about it," Alpha King Samuel said.
Luna Rosie took a deep breath. "The shaman said that to get my body back, it requires Mira and my unborn child to die. Two lives are needed for sacrifice and I'm willing to do it. Mira's life is nothing to me and even if I lose my unborn child, I can always get pregnant later. I can give more children to my husband in the future. They have to die, that's my decision," she said without remorse in her tone.
The expression on the royal couple's faces was shock and trepidation.
"Holy moly! Are you crazy? Can you really sacrifice your unborn son's life?" Luna Queen Rebecca gasped in horror.
"Yes!" Luna Rosie declared without shame and guilt, meeting the Luna Queen's gaze resolutely. "Can you blame me, Mother? All I wanted was to get my body back. Is that hard to understand? I don't have any choice..." she said miserably, trying to solicit pity.
Alpha Gideon was prepared to counter her stubborn, cold-hearted wife's false claims. "You have a choice! The shaman said that no one would die tonight. Death only comes if we pursue soul swapping," he blatantly corrected his wife.
Huge relief washed over Alpha King Samuel's face. "That's good to hear. No one will die tonight! Let's abandon the soul swap so everyone can live," he stated calmly.
"No!" Luna Rosie screamed, staring at her father-in-law in horror. "Father, it's not your life we are talking about here. It's my life! I have the right to decide for my life. I want the soul swapping to continue tonight so I can have my identity back. That's my decision! Mira had already agreed to sacrifice her life for me!" She shouted at their faces angrily, hoping she would drive her message across to their hard skulls.
The Alpha King releases a heavy sigh. "No, child. You must obey my orders. I will not allow the soul swap to happen tonight so the three lives can continue to live. That is my decision. That is my order. You will have to accept it whether you like it or not!" He said in an imposing voice, carrying absolute authority as the Alpha King.
Dammit, she lost it! Game over for her.
Tears of frustration cascade down Luna Rosie's cheeks. How could they be so cruel to her? Can't they understand that the soul swap tonight was her only chance at reclaiming her life?
Alpha King Samuel spoke in a hard tone. "Rosie, do you accept my decision? That is my order being your Alpha King," he said, demanding total submission.
Luna Rosie nodded his head. "Yes. I accept, Father."
"Good," Alpha King Samuel said in relief. "Now go to your room and behave."
"Copy, Father," Luna Rosie replied obediently and moved towards the stairs in total defeat.
She climbs the stairs, feeling miserable and abandoned by the people she calls family. They don't care about her at all.
The moment she reached her room, she ran to the bed and cried a river of tears, pouring her heart into a gut wrenching sob, cursing the heavens for giving her a shitty destiny. Her life has been perfect since she married into the royal family. Why did her life suddenly turn into tragedy? Why does soul swapping have to happen between her and Mira? Why?
"I hate you Moon Goddess! You are not helping me! I cursed you!" She shouted aloud.
She continued to cry like a child, filling the room with her endless lament and repeatedly cursing the Moon Goddess for punishing her for a mistake or sin she never committed.
While Luna Rosie was busy crying in her room, swimming in misery and self-pity, Mira and Lena had already left the mansion, back to the bungalow house.
Back to the mansion.
The royal couple and Alpha Gideon can be seen talking to the shaman in the living room.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Ferqen. Now that we already canceled the soul swapping job we hired you for, I would like to ask how much is your asking price for your divination services. Name your price," Alpha King Samuel said graciously.
Landorr Ferqen smiled. "Your highness, since the soul swap was cancelled, a small donation will do. It's up to you how much you want to deposit into my account. I will accept whatever amount you give me," he replied casually.
"Ah okay, we will deposit some money into your account in a few minutes," Alpha King Samuel said.
"Thank you, your highness." The shaman turned his attention to Alpha Gideon and said, "Both Mira and Luna Rosie died on the same day, got reborn at the same time and had a soul swap. It is already their good fortune because if the soul swap didn't happen, their bodies would already be rotting six feet under in their burial grounds. Let's leave things as they are for now. It's the best thing for everyone concerned. OK?"
"Copy," Alpha Gideon agreed wholeheartedly. "Thank you for coming here to do a divination for the women," he said solemnly.
"My pleasure," Mr. Ferqen said, smiling. "Now that my job here is over, I gotta go. I have some important matters to attend to that are needing my utmost attention," he said.
"I will have my family driver bring you to the place you want to be anywhere in the city," Alpha King Samuel offered.
"Thank you for the offer, your highness. But I don't need a vehicle this time. I really need to go now. Bye everyone, nice meeting you all," he said, standing up.
To their surprise and shock the shaman suddenly disappeared from their eyes. Holy cow! Just like that. Gone with the wind in the blink of an eye.
The trio was stunned, overwhelmed with emotions of surprise and amazement.
"Another display of power," Alpha Gideon murmured in awe.
"What the hell just happened? Where did he go?" Luna Queen Rebecca exclaimed in shock.
"Guys, did you see that? I thought I was the only one who saw it?" Alpha King Samuel blurted in bafflement.
Alpha King Gideon was no longer surprised by the mind-blowing spectacle the shaman had left behind. "I saw it, Dad. I saw how he had disappeared in front of our eyes. He can teleport anywhere, he doesn't need a car to take him where he is going. He is a powerful shaman. He openly demonstrated his magical power when he made divinations on my wife and Mira inside the room," he explained calmly.
"So he is not a fake shaman, he is real?" Luna Queen Rebecca asked, still reeling from the shock.
"Yep. Definitely real, and we saw it with our own eyes," Alpha King Samuel replied.
Alpha Gideon finally stood up. "I'm going upstairs to check on my wife," he said.
"OK. Go on, son, check on her. Hurry up." Luna Queen Rebecca nodded her head, deeply worried about her daughter-in-law's erratic behavior.
Alpha Gideon climbed the stairs, reaching the top in no time, heading to the bedroom in a big stride.
When he arrived in the room, his wife was crying on the bed, looking disheveled. Her crying got louder when he entered the room. He took a deep breath and joined his sulking wife on the bed, hugging her, comforting her.
"My love, I'm sorry I didn't support you with your demands. I can't let two innocent people die because of your selfish desire to get your body back. I'm so sorry," he said apologetically while caressing her arms lovingly.
She shuddered at his touch and pushed him away violently. "Don't touch me! Leave me alone! You have chosen them over me. I hate you for choosing the wrong side!" she spat, looking like an angry dragon ready to spit fire on his face and burn him to ashes.
He realized that his wife needed to spend some time alone to sort out her chaotic emotions. "OK, fine. I will leave you alone for now. I hope when I return later you are no longer crying and are feeling calm. I love you always, my love. Please don't hate me. I'm only protecting everyone's well-being including yours," he explained softly, justifying his action for everyone's sake.
"Get out of the room! Leave me alone!" Luna Rosie yelled, throwing the pillow at him. She was not moved by his sincerity. She couldn't bear to see his face. His betrayal ran deep, killing her inside.
"OK. I'm leaving now," he said and hurriedly left the room to avoid angering his wife further.
Now that her husband was gone from the room, Luna Rose continued to cry, much louder this time. She wanted the whole universe to hear her crying so that they would all feel guilty of handing her a shitty destiny.
Outside the room, Alpha Gideon can be seen descending the staircase, exiting the house and getting into his car. He started the engine and drove fast in the direction of the bungalow house to check on Mira.
When he arrived at the bungalow house, Mira was resting in her bedroom, still visibly shaken by Luna Rosie's full blown meltdown after the divination.
He rushed to her side, cupping her face worriedly. "Are you okay, babe?" he asked.
Mira slowly nodded her head. "Yes, I'm fine. How about Luna Rosie? Is she okay?" she asked.
He sighed deeply and responded, "She's still mad at me for not supporting her evil wishes. But don't worry, she will get over her anger and disappointment soon. She is a strong woman. After a few days, she will be fine," he said, reassuring both himself and Mira.
"OK. Thanks for informing me," she replied with a smile, grateful for his care and attention to her delicate condition. "Um, by the way, where is the shaman now?" she inquired.
"He has already left the mansion," he replied.
"Would you have dinner with me tonight?" she asked, missing his company.
"Sure. I will," he responded with a smile and planted a gentle kiss on her head.
Alpha Gideon spent two hours in the bungalow house, chatting with Mira, making sure that she was alright, discussing their future together now that soul swapping was already behind them.
Back in the mansion, drifting into the endless void of anger and misery, Luna Rosie has finally descended into the pit of madness, beyond saving.