SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Seventeen: Mysteries and Uncertainties
Chapter Seventeen: Mysteries and Uncertainties
HYACINTH was welcomed by Erin’s warm embrace as soon as the conference room of Max’s office opened. Jean left Max, Erin, and Hyacinth to their own devices after the three rejected Jean’s offer to serve them drinks.
Erin whispered, “I missed you, Mom. Sorry I didn’t visit.”
“Erin, I understand. You’re busy with the homeschool thing and I’m busy with my job.” Hyacinth smoothed her daughter’s curls and looked up to see Max sitting on the head of the table. “I thought you asked me to visit your home in Trudor Square after my work today?”
Max stoop up from his swivel chair and reached her with long strides. “We have something to talk about.”
Hyacinth smiled at him, hoping that her expression will relieve some of the tension on his face. She hated to see him agitated like this. Max has always been composed, authoritative, and dictatorial. She preferred him that way not because he seemed like a dark, villainous man but because she was used to him being like that.
Hyacinth didn’t anticipate that she’ll come to like the usual Maximillian Bismarck: tenacious, domineering, and composed.
“Can you read Erin’s future? I want to know what will happen to her. I want to know if she’ll be able to go back safely.”
Hyacinth gave him a worried look. “Why? What happened? Did Erin disappear again?” She threw her gaze at Erin and touched her kid on the shoulder and cheeks. Hyacinth let out a sigh of relief when she touched Erin’s solid form against her palm. Thank god!
“No, it’s just that, I wanted to make sure that Erin will be able to return to the future. Can you look into it?”
Hyacinth sighed. “Okay. For our peace of mind, though, I prefer to not discuss what I’ve read from her thread if it’s irrelevant.”
Erin turned her back for Hyacinth to see the glistening thread. The thread sparkled, like a thin line of wishing dust that is almost like a hologram. She was about to touch Erin’s thread when Max’s familiar hands held her wrist midway. She threw him a confused look.
“Can you pull your hand away from the thread as soon as you finished reading it?”
Hyacinth regarded him with confusion. “What do you mean? I read threads since birth. Nothing can go wrong as long as we don’t alter fate.”
Max soon loosened his grip on her wrist. “Okay, go on. But if you ever need help, I’m right here.”
Erin nodded and proceeded to touch Erin’s thread. She flinched when her vision darkened and, suddenly, she can’t see anything but a glistening thread that stretched from each end of the dark horizon in front of them.
Hyacinth is sure that she’s not reading a thread. It is as if she entered a completely different world. A different dimension?
Erin is in the dark world with her. Hyacinth gave Erin a confused look as they looked around the dark, empty space.
“I’ve been here before, Mom. When I got transported back in time against my will. Where are we?”
She didn’t answer. She has no fucking idea.
Suddenly, her vision returned to normal. Max’s eyes were round like blue saucers, his grip firm on her wrist. She noticed that they were now a few inches away from Erin and that her hand is not touching Erin’s thread anymore.
Max probably pulled her away from Erin. And, based on the expression on his face, he looked like he just saw something horrible with his own eyes.
Max checked her from head to toe, then touched her face with his cold palms as if he were looking for something unusual on her skin. He acted like Hyacinth earlier when she checked her daughter’s body to see if it was still a solid matter under her palm.
And then it hit her.
Did she...vanish? Did they vanish?
Max pulled her into his embrace. “Hyacinth... Oh god, I—I thought...” He pulled her into his arms in a heartbeat and squeezed her as if he were making sure that she was right there in his arms. He pulled away from her and went to Erin in ground-eating strides, his muscles and biceps trembling as he reached for his daughter. “I thought you’ll disappear with your Mom, too, kiddo.”
Hyacinth’s speculations were all true. Max saw Erin and her vanish, managing to yank Hyacinth away from Erin’s thread before they completely disappear.
What the fuck happened?
What is that dark space they went into? Why can she go there with Erin? Was it Erin’s ability? Can she take someone with her to travel in time?
The thought made her stomach lurch with bile. Fear engulfed her like a wildfire in the forest, causing her body to tremble with horror. Hyacinth cannot find her balance anymore, so she sat on the cold, marbled floor with her hands on her stomach as if she could protect her baby.
“What was that, Erin? Did you really see that darkness when you traveled in 2022 the first time?” Hyacinth managed to ask while looking down at her stomach. She can’t face Erin with her eyes welling up with tears.
Erin will be stuck there in that dark world if she didn’t learn how to use her ability with precision. But how can a mere thread-reader like Hyacinth teach a time traveler?
“All I remembered, Mom, was that I touched Dad’s and everything around me vanished. Before that, I remembered my desperation in wanting to know why you just disappeared and didn’t return to us. Before I knew it, I’m already here in 2022..”
Hyacinth nodded, “Why did you go back in time? That’s what puzzled me. Why did you go to the specific day when your father and I met for the first time.”
Erin’s jaw trembled as the kid looked at her toes, not meeting anyone’s gaze. “It was heartbreaking for me to see Dad miserable, so I touched his thread. Now I knew why Dad was against me doing that because he knew I could travel in time. It was all my fault.”
“Erin...” Hyacinth is thoroughly disappointed about how things turned out for Erin because of her disappearance in the future. The poor kid must’ve witnessed great pain for her to go to these lengths to ensure her father’s happiness.
Erin grew up to be an empathetic woman and Hyacinth couldn’t get any prouder.
“Dad waited every day for you. Even if he’s the best Dad in the world and everything he had ever wanted is within arm’s reach, he had looked as if life has denied him of something he truly desired.”
She gave her daughter a puzzled gaze, her brows clashing as her eyes stopped shedding tears. She’s having a hard time believing that the cause of Max’s heartbreak in the future is her disappearance. Maybe, it’s Erin that he missed. Maybe, he dreaded the day when his teenage daughter will disappear.
Erin continued, “Then, Aunt Maine began to avoid my questions. Dad won’t say anything about you so I had to discover it myself, even if Dad fervently told me to not touch a thread. It was all because I wanted to know you and discover why you left us.”
Max held Erin’s shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”
“Because you’re falling in love with Mom, and it’s the first time I ever saw you truly happy and free. When you went home last night after a date with Mom, your eyes sparkled and you even whistled! Compared to the future Max Bismarck, you’re less miserable. How can I stop you from being happy?”
Max pursed his lips together. Hyacinth gasped at the revelation and diverted her gaze to Max who is now red with...fury? Embarrassment?
“I don’t love Hyacinth, Erin.”
“You do, Dad. You fell in love with each other. It is ridiculous for you right now to even think about the word but it’s true.”
Max scoffed. “Be serious, Erin. We’re dealing with an urgent matter here.”
“Oh, Dad. How can you be so stupid? You’re wasting precious time denying and avoiding what’s true in your heart. You once told me to not waste time as you regret not spending enough with Mom.”
Erin sobbed against her palms and the sound of their daughter’s pained cry shattered their hearts. “But the fate is sealed. She will disappear with me two years after giving birth. I hope that my being here is enough to convince you that I accept my fate to vanish with Mom. We will face whatever is ahead of us. Just, please, marry Mom right away and be happy. You deserved two years of happiness, considering that you’ll indulge yourself with grief for ten years.”
“Kiddo, stop crying.”
“I will if you promise you’ll marry Mom.”
Hyacinth’s eyes finally dared to move up and meet Max’s intense gaze. He looked as if he was having a hard time believing that she was the cause of his misery in the future. Do you think I’m not confused, as well?! Hyacinth wanted to vent that one out loud but she closed her mouth. Not now.
Max held Erin’s hand and touched the kid’s cheek. “Sweetie, everything’s going to be fine. You and Hyacinth are gonna be fine. I’ll do everything—”
“This is for us to figure out, Dad. I think we should not interfere with fate anymore and just enjoy the present, don’t you agree?”
“But I can’t lose you again, kiddo.” He protested.
“I’ll be fine. Mom will be with me when I disappeared. I think that whatever happened to us earlier is just my ability. Mom will help me figure it out. You’ll just spend most of your life waiting for us to return, though. Ten years after Mom’s disappearance, I will disappear, too, because it’s my destiny to be here. I think her abilities will help me figure out what’s beyond that dimension we entered a few minutes ago.”
Hyacinth stood up and went to Erin’s side. “You suspect that the dimension earlier is the source of your ability?”
Erin nodded. “I think so, Mom. The last time I went there, I traveled back in time. I am where I’m meant to be.”
“We can stop it from happening—”
“No, don’t!” Hyacinth interrupted. “It’s Erin’s only chance to figure out her ability. Altering Erin’s thread will cause nothing but chaos, Max. You know the consequences.”
He cursed under his breath before throwing a frustrated look at her. “So, what am I supposed to do? Wait until my daughter disappears? What if she won’t return?”
“I disappeared with Erin. That means I’m with her. She’ll be safe with me. Bear that in mind, Max. She’ll be safe for as long as I live.”
“No. Please read my thread and tell me Erin will be safe. I—”
“Reading your thread will only make you want to change it if it’s not to your liking. I know you, Max.”
He released an irritated sigh, his cheeks red with anger. He doesn’t like it when things are out of his control.
Erin ran to Max and embraced him. “Trust us, Dad. Mom and I will figure out how to use my ability. Can you do that? Can you not interfere with fate anymore? The last time you altered your fate, I existed and disappeared and existed again. That’s not a good thing.”
Max’s jaw flexed, hating the uneasiness that was creeping up in his veins. He’s a powerful man in Sutton City. He has connections and the means to do everything he wanted within the city. The Bismarck name’s influence extends to countries, for crying out loud! How come he can’t do anything to help Hyacinth and Erin?
His daughter was right. He must not alter the threads of fate anymore. Doing so will put their lives at risk. They must continue with their lives until the day comes when Hyacinth disappears with Erin.
He cursed and even slammed the table to express the unspoken turmoil in his head. He can’t do anything to help them and it’s killing him.
“The doctor’s appointment is on Saturday. Bring Erin and Maine with you to the doctor’s clinic. I need to go back to the cafe now.”
The conference room felt so grim with the view of the gray clouds outside and the dim lighting of the room. It is as if somebody died and they’re all mourning.
Hyacinth turned her back and faced the door with a strong resolve.
She’ll leave her job and spend the next two years with Erin, maybe enjoy life a little. Her side hustle as Philip Mayer’s consultant in SCPD may be enough to support her daily needs.
Hyacinth heaved a sigh.