Red thread of fate

Anastasia stood gracefully in the opulent ballroom, her eyes scanning the guests as she awaited Ezen. Amidst the swirling dancers, she spotted Victor, a familiar face in the crowd.

"Uncle Victor!? What a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you here." She went towards him.

Victor was surprised to see her here. "Why are you at this party? You know it's not safe for you."

"Well, danger has never stopped me before." She smirked. "Now, have you heard anything about Dahlia? She was an angel of destiny. I read about her from the book you gave me... but most of the information pages about her were torn apart. Do you know where she can be currently?

Victory felt uneasy when she mentioned Dahlia. "Anastasia, why are you involved in this? It's dangerous."

"You always worry too much. I am really fine." Anastasia tried to deflect the topic. "Now, about Dahlia..."

"Anastasia, this is no time for games. Why do you want to find her?" He became serious.

"Never mind about that." She sighed because she didn't want to tell him about the plan. "But I need a favour from you. Tell me everything you know about my past." Mimi said one day she would know everything but right now she was growing impatient.

"Even I want to tell you the truth but this place is not safe. If others heard about your past then they'll..." Before he could speak he heard the clack of high heels heading towards them.

"I hope I didn't interrupt you guys." Larissa smiled and looked at Victor. "There's a matter of utmost importance that requires your attention. Follow me please."

Victor shot Anastasia a regretful look before being led away by Larissa, leaving Anastasia in the midst of the lively party, her quest for answers momentarily.

"I wonder when I'll find out everything." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

***

(Meanwhile upstairs)

"Be in your limits, Julian. Don't you dare touch me again." Equinox glared at him.

Stung by the humiliation, Julian's expression hardened, and he retaliated by raising his hand to strike back. Before he could follow through, Ezen intervened, gripping Julian's wrist with authority.

"That's enough, Julian.

We won't tolerate violence." He spoke with seriousness.

"Really? You are telling me about not doing violence?" Julian scoffed. "Your sister started this. Why don't you stop her!?"

"I did it because you deserved it" She scowled.

"Stop it everyone!" Ezen got annoyed. "This is not the way to resolve your issues." He looked at Julian. "Don't you have to attend the guest? So please leave." He tried to behave firm.

"Fine!" Julian greeted his teeth. He didn't want to get involved with Ezen that's why he swallowed his pride. He one last time glanced at Equinox with hatred and left.

As Julian departed with a brooding expression, the tension lingered, leaving Ezen and Equinox to exchange wary glances, aware that the conflict might not be resolved with a simple departure.

Ezen sighed. "Equinox what is this behaviour? We are not here to fight. We are here just to find..." He opened his mouth to speak Dahlia's name but no words came from his mouth.

"I understand" She tapped his shoulder. She knew whenever Dahlia's topic came, he feels very uncomfortable. She was shocked when he agreed to find her. As per she knows, that's the last thing he'll do. He hates the mere thought of meeting that woman. "You stay here. I'll bring Anastasia upstairs so we can decide what to do." Saying that she left.

Ezen knew Equinox left him here so he could have alone time to clear his thoughts. He felt his hand shaking and noticed a broken red thread tied to his thumb.

This is the only thing which keeps him connected to the woman he was once fated to.

Sometimes he wondered, if she again come back into his life. What will he do?

***

After Victor's departure, Anastasia came across a girl whom she found very intriguing. She could feel that she was a human but instead of looking upwards, she was staring at everyone's hands like she was reading something.

She couldn't help but ask. "May I know what you are doing?" She clicked her tongue when she realised how awkward her question was. "I am sorry for sounding that way. I was just curious about what you were doing."

"It's okay." Instead of getting mad, the girl smiled. "I was checking out the red thread on people's hands."

"Red thread? What's that?" She never heard about this term.

The girl carefully explained. "Every being in this world has a red thread of fate attached to them at birth. When two people's threads are joined together, they are believed to be each other's true soulmates. Their meeting would be fated. No one can separate them. Not even god"

"How romantic." Anastasia chuckled. "I wonder if I have one." She said jokingly.

The girl took a glance at Anastasia's pinky finger and noticed that her red thread was broken. "Your case seems complicated. Looks like you really hated your soulmate in your past life."

"What!?" She looked at her fingers but found no threads there. "Why would I hate my own soulmate?"

"Only you know the reason." The girl chuckled. "My grandmother once told me a story of Dahlia. She also had..." Before she could continue her story, Anastasia stopped her.

"Wait! Did you just say Dahlia? The Angel of Destiny?" She asked eagerly.

"Yeah. Her only." The girl got nervous. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Do you know where Dahlia might be right now?"

The girl thought about it and answered. "My grandmother said Dahlia got reincarnated in 1498. In some kind of Dalton family or something."

Dalton family? This Means Victor already knows about where Dahlia is. Make sense why Larissa took him away when he was telling her something.

"It's just a rumour. History has no records about her." She looked at Anastasia. "But why do you ask about Dahlia?"

"No reason. I was just curious." Anastasia came out from her thinking and smiled. "Thanks for telling. Please enjoy your party. Sorry for disturbing you." She bowed and left from their place trying to find Equinox.

Equinox came downstairs and saw Anastasia rushing towards her hurriedly. "Hey! What happened? Are you okay?"

"Did you know Dahlia was reincarnated in the Dalton family?" Anastasia looked at her in seriousness.

"What are you talking about? Did she get reincarnated in that family? How could I not know about this?" Equinox tried to remember. Till the time she stayed in Stafford village. She never met Dahlia. Then how is this possible? "What's the year she was born in?"

"In 1498 or something."

Equinox started to stick all the pieces together. "Ohh. That's the time Ezen said he met Dahlia. So Dahlia came to Stafford to do her reincarnation process? She was there to break their red threads"

"What Red thread?" Anastasia got confused. "And how did Ezen come in between this?"

"Looks like you don't know the story yet." Equinox sighed. "Let me explain. Dahlia is Ezen's soulmate."

"What!" Anastasia was shocked to hear that. "Angels and demons can be soulmates? How?"

"It's hard to imagine it but this is how it happened." Equinox slowly started to narrate the story.

Many centuries ago when the earth was newly created. Heaven and hell's connection with each other was not good.

Lilith was cursed by the supreme god that all of her offspring would be born hideous. She had a few normal looking demons but they were half blooded that's why it made her unsatisfied.

She wanted to create a full blooded demon who would have more charming appearance than the angels.

To get what she wanted, she made a plan.

To give birth to a full blooded human-like baby, she collected herself and her husband, Samael's energies. But to not make her baby hideous like other demons, she needed the holy water which was only found in heaven.

She fought many battles for it and in the end got it. But sadly during the fight, half droplets of the holy water fell into a river which later gave birth to Dahlia. And by remaining holy water, Lilith created Ezen.

"They were both born on same day. As both had energies of the holy water. They were announced as soulmates."

"What a complicated story." She sighed while listening the story. "If Ezen is her soulmate, why can't he feel her?"

"It's because dahlia broke her red thread of fate with him." Equinox chuckled. "She was angel of destiny. Her fate with a demon would cause her problem after reincarnation that's why she broke their string."

"Ohh.." Anastasia nodded. "But still.. how are we gonna find out where she is now? Was anyone pregnant in 1498? Try to remember. You were there that time right?"

Equinox tried to remember. Maybe there was someone pregnant in dalton family but she couldn't remember who it was. Her memories are still hazy. She need a picture or a thing to know what happened that time.

That's when she remembered that Victor used to write a diary. Maybe if she got excess to it she would know what happened that time. "I have an idea." She looked at Anastasia and told her to go upstairs to Ezen and wait for her to come back till she complete her work.

Equinox was so much in hurry that Anastasia couldn't even ask her what her plan was. After sighing, she headed upstairs to meet Ezen.

Unbeknownst to her, a loose step lurked in the shadows of opulence.

As she placed her weight on it, the step gave way, sending her off balance. In her attempt to regain equilibrium, her leg scraped against an unforgiving edge, leaving a deep, bloody gash.

Anastasia's hand instinctively clutched her wounded leg, a gasp escaping her lips. The pain etched across her face as she struggled to regain composure.

"Oh, my lady! Are you alright?" A servant hurried over with feigned concern, offering a napkin.

"... I don't know. It hurts so much."

Servant: "Let me help you. Hold this against the wound. I'll fetch an ointment to soothe the pain."

Anastasia, grateful for the apparent kindness, clutched the napkin to her bleeding leg. The servant, seizing the opportunity, surreptitiously collected the blood-soaked napkin while appearing to search for the ointment.

"Here you go, my lady. This should help ease that pain."

Anastasia, unaware of the sinister act, took the ointment with a nod of gratitude, unknowingly becoming a pawn in the servant's deceitful game which Julian had planned for her.

***

Ezen's eyes were fixated on the red thread coiled around his finger. He wondered why dahlia broke their string. Did she hated him that much?

Lost in his thoughts, a soft shuffling caught his attention. Anastasia approached from behind, a subtle limp in her step, her presence unexpected.

Startled, Ezen turned to see her, concern immediately etching in his features.

"Anastasia, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes widening as he noticed the bloodied scrape on her leg.

Anastasia forced a smile, attempting to downplay the pain. "Just a little mishap.I'll be fine."

Worry etched on his face, Ezen shook his head. "No, let me help you." He guided her to a nearby room, his fingers gently supporting her injured side.

Once inside, Ezen carefully examined Anastasia's wound. "Does it hurt a lot?" he inquired, his concern palpable.

Anastasia winced but managed a reassuring nod. "I've had worse. It's just a scratch."

Ezen's eyes softened as he reached for a first aid kit. "Even a scratch deserves attention," he replied, a gentleness in his voice. He cleaned and treated her wound with care, the sile a between them filled with unspoken questions.

Anastasia heart skipped a beat when she noticed his concern towards her. To distract herself she looked away and asked. "So... found any clues that could lead us towards dahlia? Equinox told me she was your soulmate or something."

"Yeah. That's what others say." He continued treating her wounds. "But for me.. it was just a baseless rumour."

"Did you liked her?" She looked at him curiously. She had no relation to ask this question but she still she wanted to know.

"To like someone you have to know them." He chuckled. "Me and dahlia never knew each other. So.. liking her is out of question."

"Hmm.. that's good to know." She bit her tongue trying to hide her smile. "So... how are we gonna find her then?"

"Equinox had a plan but.. I am not comfortable with that." He completed covering her wound with bandage.

"What's the plan about?"

Ezen hesitate before revealing the details. "Equinox plans to extract information from Larissa. The intel is crucial, but it involves getting close to her when she's vulnerable - maybe when she's had a few drinks."

Anastasia's expression tightens, a hint of jealousy crossing her features. "So, what? You're supposed to seduce her?"

He nodded. "It seems that way. Larissa might spill everything when she's not fully in control."

Anastasia's eyes narrowed. "No, Ezen. I can't let you do that."

"I won't go through with it if you're not on board."

Anastasia sighs, conflicted. "It's just... I don't like the idea of you getting close to her like that. It's against my moral."

"I understand." He tried to hide his smirk sensing her jealousy. "If you say no, we'll find another way."

Anastasia pauses, realizing the importance of the mission. Killing Larissa and Julian is very important now. They have no time for her childish jealousy. "Fine, but you better promise me, Ezen. Promise me you won't let it go too far."

"I swear, Anastasia. I'll keep my distance. One foot apart, as you wish." He said gently.

"Just get the information we need and come back in one piece." She warned. "I know our marriage was a sham but still we haven't divorced  yet so technically.. you are not allowed to hook up with others."

He laughed listening to her. "Fine but you have to promise me too. Promise that you won't go out from this room unless I tell you to. Lock the door from inside so no one come." He didn't wanted Julian to harm her while he was gone.

"Okay. You keep your promise and I'll keep mine."

After he left the room Anastasia locked the door from inside while still being unsure about the plan. "I hope everything goes good."