A/N: I know that I am late, but I have been changing a few things. I changed many previous chapters. (You don't need to reread it all, but chapter 6 has major changes.)

Just when I thought that Gem would leave, looking into the matter more deeply, he just stood there. "Pollux can't even deal with a little star?"

I pursed my lips. There had been many times when Pollux or Tejat ask for Gem's help and his answer then had been the same as now. If they could not even deal with such a small thing, it would be better if they left. But then, I did not know that leave was to leave Earth and go back to space. I had naively thought that he was asking them to leave his company and make them go jobless.

And the part of me that hated the corporate authority made me make Gem help them and not send them away. Whenever I had asked him to not fire anyone, he would smile mysteriously and just say, "Only because you're asking me, Riga."

I had been a fool.

"That little star has Rionach with her," Alhena said. "And Pollux is not sure if he can eavesdrop without getting caught."

Rionach, the same star that Lyra mentioned? Why was she everywhere? From what Lyra told me, she had created a huge mess, right from killing her Soul-Bound to finding a first-generation pulsar for herself. She had captured Luna and now this world was in chaos.

Gem's eyes which had been light and teasing me shifted to something sharp. Tejat squeezed Sahara's hands, but his entire concentration was on Alhena who had taken a step away from Moni.

"Rionach and Hasseleh?" Gem mused, but the smile on his face was not right. It was a dark smirk, as his gaze grew sharper with each passing second. "They went to meet Priscilla?"

Alhena nodded lightly. "Had it been only the two of them, Pollux could handle it by himself, but right now, with Rionach..."

"Where is Castor?" Gem asked. "He is not here in this hospital, is he?"

Alhena gave him a tight smile. "He went to help Pollux."

Gem ran his fingers through his hair. His already tousled hair stuck in various directions and instead of toning down his sharpness, it brought his personality out well. "So, if caught, she can torture them more efficiently than just catching one, right?"

Tejat winced. "They should have thought about it."

"Why?" Sahara asked. "What's wrong in Castor going?"

Tejat squeezed her hand again. "Rionach is a first-generation star. Meaning, no matter how many of us go, she will win. Only another first-generation star can contain her." He paused and looked at Gem. "Only Gem here can stop her. Even if we add numbers, we will fail."

I frowned. "Castor must know that, right?"

Alhena sighed and gave Gem a small smile. "He knows that. He did not go there to add numbers. But rather Pollux saw a very disturbing memory of Salm and Enif. He wanted to share it as soon as possible. Pollux tried to send the memory to you, but for some reason, he could not. But he could send it to Castor. So, Castor's bringing the message to you."

I nodded. The people... the stars under Gem would not be so foolish. Else, Gem would have fired them, regardless of my opinion.

Gem shrugged. "Whatever. Ask Pollux to hear how much ever he can. If he is about to get caught, ask him to leave immediately."

Alhena nodded. "He was afraid you might answer this exact same way."

Gem smirked. "If you for once think I am going to leave Riga alone, in this continent where she knows nothing about, you need to evaluate how much you know about me again. Ask Pollux to come back if he is afraid, but I am not leaving Riga. Even if that Priscilla is starting a war or a coup, I don't care."

While Sahara snickered, Moni just looked at us with bright eyes. Tejat shook his head like this was something he expected while Alhena just sighed. "I know."

While his words were comforting, and in a weird dark way warm, I should not be the one to stop him from doing whatever he should be doing.

I shook my head. "You need to go, Gem."

He gave me a weird look. "You want me to go?"

I folded my arms. "It's not about what I want. It's about what you should do. If Rionach talking to Priscilla is dangerous, you should go there to see what is going on."

"Should," he said, testing the word. "I hate that word."

I took a step towards him. "You don't want to go?"

He locked his gaze on me and for that moment, oxygen was a trivial thing. "I don't want to leave you."

I brushed a curl of his hair that fell on his face. "Then... then, I'll come with you?"

He frowned. "All the three hate you."

Well, he had a point. "But you'd be there, wouldn't you? You can protect me."

His frown deepened. "I can, but..."

"Pollux is there as well," I pressed. "I don't think he will see me getting harmed."

He shook his head. "But I still can't have Hasseleh know that I have told you everything."

Just who had this Hasseleh been in the past? And why could she not know? Her existence confused me. She prevented Ranji from killing me, but at the same time, made me wish they had killed me. I knew she never loved me, but she had been family. But right now, after nearly four years of cutting contact with that family, I stopped holding on. I could care less if she died or lived. But if she wanted to harm me in the slightest way possible, I would show her no mercy.

She never showed me mercy when I begged her to stop hitting me after I did not get the first rank she ordered me to get. She did not show me mercy when she canned me for eating the exact same sweets Vanita and Nathiya were eating. She was not exactly merciful when she gave me two options, one was to marry a man who had rumours about murdering his wife and the other was to starve to death. Had Gem not barged in that day, I would have died of starvation.

As much as I now know that Gem held power over her, I had that intrinsic fear upon seeing, just hearing her name. I tried my best to get over the fear I had about her, but some things just did not fade, right? I could face her and hold my ground, but that never meant I truly got over my fear of her.

If someone asked me what I wished was, it would not be a happy life or a peaceful life. It would not even include Gem, for I somehow know that no matter even if I tried to get rid of him, he would be like the stars to my night. Always there even if I could not see him at times. My wish would be to get over this fear I have of Hasseleh. It was not a single-step process or something I could get over by someone placing a spell. It was a long process and I had worked for far harder things in life than this.

Not even my best friends knew that deep-rooted fear I held for that female. It was not like I did not tell them, but they could not understand. They could not understand why even after two years of leaving that place, I would still have nightmares, fear even a simple call from Hasseleh. They would never, and I was thankful for that. I hoped that they never understood this fear. Ever.

But Gem was different. He had seen what they had done to me when he came to pick me up that day. And it did not take him much time to put things together. As if he saw kingdoms fall, now that I knew that he did, he knew what I was going through. He gave me time when I needed it and held me in his arms when I needed company.

Gem shook his head. "I can't have you face her directly now, Riga. It would be for the best if... if she does not know that you are here."

Had it been Ranji or even Malli, I knew that Gem would have brought me there. "Then you go. I'll stay here."

He shook his head. "You see, I can't do that either."

I exasperated. "You can't have the best of both worlds, Gem!"

He frowned. "I know. That's why I said I am not going."

"But I need you to go, Gem," I said. "For now."

What do you mean, Riga? He asked, his eyes boring into mine.

I tugged his wrist and pulled him out of the room. Alhena blinked, and Tejat frowned, while the other two just shared a glance. I closed the door and sat on the waiting chair arranged out.

I inhaled deeply. You have asked me to trust you, again and again, Gem. I do trust you. But... the recent events, made me realise that I as much as I trust you, it is not enough. You always knew what would happen. It is fine. In fact, in our business, it is great! But in my life? It is not so, Gem. I feel like I have been stripped naked for everyone to see. I understand why you are keeping things from me, but that does not make it hurt less.

Riga-

Let me finish, I interrupted. If he spoke, I would forgive him and I would choke later on. It was better to take a step back and then move forward. Lyra knows who you are-

Riga! He said. I said that never mattered!

I ignored his words. In Lyra's house, I never pursued that matter for it was not the right place. Even here, the two stars inside the ward tried their best to hear, but thankfully, they could not barge into someone's mental conversation, could they? Could they?

Gem, I said. I feel like I have been left out of this completely and you can't just ask me not to feel hurt. You can't just ask me to trust you blindly.

Thankfully, he sat leaving a seat between us. It is not that-

I am not saying that I don't trust you, Gem, I said, my throat tightening. Thankfully, I was not using my voice box to talk. I trust you very much, Gem. So much. So much that I fear that if that trust is ever shattered, I can never be myself ever again.

He did not say anything.

My eyes went over the posters before me. A pink poster and a yellow poster. As much as the poster was written in English, my eyes could not register the contents.

You said that... Hasseleh should have told me, I began. She should have told me everything, but she did not and instead, tried to make my life a living hell. And that woman... Ranji, she had killed my mother, Gem and you said you knew it. I assume that Hasseleh should have told me this too?

Yes, he said, but his hands were clenched in a fist, and his eyes were tightly shut.

And in these four years, haven't you once realised that?

I should have, he said. I saw the signs, but I assumed that she would eventually tell you. That she was stalling time. After all, she hates you and it is not a secret.

You can't tell me why she hates me, either?

Yes, he whispered. I can't.

Just answer me this one, Gem, I said. Why that family? Why her? And... did you know me from my birth? He coughed violently. You just said that you are as old as this universe and that means you should have known me from my birth. And you must have known Hasseleh too. Why the probability of me with her?

He was silent for too long. Shit! Riga.... You weren't thinking like that. At all. Now you are making me the bad guy.

You have an answer, Gem? I asked. Or... you are not supposed to tell me that as well? Don't you think I deserve honesty in this?

You do, he said. By Cosmos, you do.

Will I get an answer? I asked.

You should.

Should, I said. Don't you hate that word?

He laughed dryly and ran his fingers through his hair. Now I understand why she insisted. He leant an inch forward and caressed my cheek with a finger. If I answer that, Riga, I will lose everything. Most importantly, I will lose you. Us. Everything I have worked for will go to dust if I answer any one question.

I searched for stealth and evasion, but his silver irises were deeply entrenched with openness and pain. I knew that him not being able to tell me anything was causing him pain, but how could I continue to trust him if I did not know anything? I was confused and tired.

Even if he had not told me about this business of witches, vampires and shifters, he should have at least told me that that family had killed my mother and had almost killed me, too.

I had cried over the familial affection I had not received. I had been starved, locked up and forced to marry some guy who had killed his first wife. Gem was supportive, he told me that their opinion never mattered and convinced me to leave that family for once and for all. He was there for me at every step.

As much as I never knew my mother, never had that bond with her, I should have at least known this much about her. That she had been killed by the same family whose affection I had been fighting for twenty- four years. It might not bring my mother back, but this I should have known.

He inhaled deeply and sighed as if he could read my mind. And facts proved that he could, and we were chatting via mind. If he could read my thoughts, could I not read his too? I pushed our connection just a bit further when a sharp pain shot right through me.

Gem pressed his thumb between my eyebrows and his fingers were over my right ear. It's not that I am not allowing you, it's because my mind is vast, Riga. If you enter in your current state, you might die.

So, you gave me pain?

Not me, he said, when I was silent, waiting for him to continue, he chose his words carefully. The connection between us. It wants to protect you and... can do so if only you stayed out of my mind. If it was up to me, I could allow you in my mind and let you see everything.

The current me? I caught up. What other me can enter your mind?

You... you have a lot of seals on you, Riga, he said. A lot. And one seal, the main seal requires Hasseleh to remove. You... you have to meet her again and have a nice chat. A conversation which I cannot involve. No one can. But once the seal that is containing your witch side is removed, you can enter my mind.

Who sealed my magic? I asked. Should I ask them to remove it?

Ranji and Malli, he said. They sealed your witch side. But you do not require their magic to undo it. You just require a stronger witch to remove it. As much as I can, I have already involved in way too many things, Riga, I simply can't do this and risk losing you.

Alhena? I said. Tejat? They too can't?

Their actions represent me, he said. Especially those stars under me.

Anita? I asked.

He shook his head, his lips curling in a smile. If you ask her, you should be mentally prepared for her magic to add more seals on you than you already have.

What?

Her mother, from what Dakshi told me was a powerful witch in Summer Tribe, he said. And to protect her daughter, she put a powerful seal on her, just like Ranji had put on you. So, inspite of many witches working on her, they could only release partial seal on her, making her magic extremely unstable. Her magic is powerful, but unstable.

Is my seal comparable to hers?

He frowned and nodded. Ranji is a very powerful witch, Riga, taking the top five positions in Summer Tribe. Sheela made a mistake once and hence, Priscilla had exiled her family. If Ranji and Malli were to succeed, Priscilla would call them back to their tribe. That's why that family....

I nodded. I understand.

You would need to find a more powerful witch. If possible, you can head to North Tribe. Their Zayin, Zayin Deanna is powerful enough to remove this seal on you. Or... I can take you back to Lyra's house. Kaina there can also remove this seal, but I don't know if she would go against her sister-in-law with whom she shares a good relationship.

No one else? I pressed.

He hesitated. Dakshi can try. But he is in India. It would take some time for him to come here.

I am not in a hurry, am I? I laughed, his hand on my face was a source of constant warmth. And I did have a dream of a sort. Where Ranji said that I was a powerful witch and that my magic had manifested very early at the age of eight.

That is not a dream, Riga, he said. That is your memory.

Why don't I remember it? I asked. Why can't I remember it?

Hasseleh, he said finally. This is Hasseleh's work. She played with your mind. Then he lifted my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. Your past will come to you, Riga. Just like that. They are not just mere dreams. You are far away from Hasseleh's grip for her to try her mind games with you. You will find out who you are in your dreams. They will not lie to you, Riga. especially to you.

You're asking me to trust my dreams?

He nodded. I almost forgot. Trust your dreams, Riga. They will not lead you astray.

Dreams were repressed wishes and desires when one was conscious. Mind gave a faux life to the thoughts that might never see light. That was what dreams were. They did not represent anything. But now, he is asking me to trust those dreams. But the dreams I had in the past few days were anything but a lie.

And yes, he laughed, as if he heard a very good joke. You are a powerful witch by right, Riga. After all, if everything had gone smoothly, you would have been the Zayin of the Summer tribe. No weak witch leads a tribe.

Is that funny?

In a way, he said, but he could not conceal the mirth that shone in his eyes. When your dreams give you all your answers, perhaps then you will know what I am laughing about.

Okay... I said.

Steady light filled the corridor, and a robot moved about, cleaning the floors, which were already pristine white. This robot fascinated me. While artificial intelligence was something the other continents were working on, this continent, not only had magic but also very advanced science.

No wonder Gem told that Kriti and Moni would get well soon. But if the diseases that touched the humans had no effect on the other races, why was a hospital here? Does it have something to do with people resorting to murder?

The blue poster in front of me was awareness for a disease, 'Dale Syndrome', which affected witches at the age they get their magic. Apparently, this was quite common and while ninety-nine per cent of the Magycs got cured, one per cent of them had serious consequences, resulting from paralysis to death.

And Riga... he started. It was not like I did not want to tell you about your family. I once did... when you first joined the company.

The second week of my work, Gem called me to his office. When I had been afraid that he would fire me or worse harass me, he asked me to sit down and spoke to me about my family.

He tested on how I felt about my family and when he prodded on Ranji, I flared up. At that time, she was the only one who showed me love. She was the one for which I stayed in that family. The one who secretly sent me to pursue my master's degree behind everyone's back. But thinking back, how foolish had I been? I may have been thankful to her then, but now, when all she did was to save herself if I ever knew the truth tainted everything. The truth had unveiled the rotten sores under the canvas Ranji had woven.

I was not in the right state of mind, I said.

Yes, he said. Hasseleh and Ranji played a lot with your mind. I tried to talk to you again and you did accept the documents I had given you. You went home and when you returned the next week, it was as if you did not know anything. Then I realised that no matter how much I unveil it for you until you are free from Hasseleh's grasp yourself, you can never see the truth. That's why-

You asked me to move away? I asked. To cut my ties with that family?

He nodded. If you had not moved from that family, not only would they have used you for your salary but also for you would not be able to retain this much consciousness about this matter and your memories would be locked for another ten years or so.

I sighed and slouched on the chair. I should not have-

If I was in your position, I would have asked the same, Riga, he said. You are right. We- you need time. And if I am here, you cannot sort it out by yourself. As much as I would love to help, this is something you need to figure out. You can reach me out just like this and no matter where I am, or what I am doing, I will be by your side the next second. I will hold your hands, and cuddle with you, but I won't judge you for the decision you take. You can pardon them, kill them, or choose to try them at court. I will not try to change your thought process. If you want, I can suggest you a good lawyer. If you want to kill them, I can hire the best Hitsman. Or if you want to kill them yourself, I can help you with the seal by finding the best Magyc.

Can you... can you not talk about murder as if it is the most natural thing? I asked.

They killed your mother and your father, he said. And they tried to kill you too. They abused you and Ranji acted as if she could not interfere. Just for trying to push you to that man who had killed his wife, I should have killed them all. Don't be merciful to your enemies, Riga, else you will end up being cruel to yourself.

Kissing me on my forehead, he got up. I'll go see what Rionach is up to. And you... take rest. You had a lot going on.

He left, as in he was no longer in front of me. Did he just vanish? I looked all over the corridor. There was no trace of a male called Gem being here. I rubbed my eyes. Was I that tired that I did not see him leave or did he actually just disappear?

I shook my head. I should study the physiology of stars to understand what he did now. After all, Tejat did appear out of nowhere when we were in Wayanad.

The door opened and Alhena came out. "Did you sort it out?"

I rubbed my temples. "Is there a bed where I can crash?"

Alhena looked at me for a while and then said, "There is a visitor's room connected to Monisha's room. I'll take you there?"

"Okay," I whispered.

*************

The blank expanse of space extended before me. It was cold yet warm. As much as I was alone, I felt belonged. Before me, a human figure who matched me was waving her hand as if she was casting magic.

When she turned, even our faces matched, right from the curve of our lips to the straight nose. It was eerily odd. How could someone so like me exist? Did she know my existence? But the only difference was our eyes. While mine was brown, hers was gold.

Something struck me. Her eyes were gold, but I had seen this shade on someone else. Her eyes were like Lyra's.

Two figures stood behind her. While one with golden eyes smiled warmly, the other looked at my doppelganger in fascination. Was this female that awesome?

And then suddenly, she manifested a sea out of nowhere. The waves crashed against each other and the otherwise still space, the roar of the sea was mighty. It held a force and spoke in a language to the space out.

"You manifested the Star Sea!" the female with gold eyes said, her eyes lighting up. "This is wonderful, Auriga!"

She was also called Auriga? What were the odds?

After all this time, a slight smirk lit that Auriga's face. "This is nothing, Tucana. I just tried to bring a part of it here. The Star Sea is not actually here."

The other female just blinked. "Auriga... This is the Star Sea! Not just anything! And you... and you have not just weaved the sea, but also its might, its... raw power. You are great!"

That Auriga smiled and waved her hand and everything vanished from my sight. Just how cool was this female? And if I followed Gem's lines, was this my memory? Would that mean I was from space too?

"Capella," she said. "I want you to weave at least half of what I can."

"But Auriga!" Capella protested. "You're asking the impossible! I may be a Weaver, but I cannot be simply compared to you! It's like you are comparing Cathan to Rigel."

Tucana laughed. "Cathan is truly the best Navigator. Who dares to claim to be better than him?"

Auriga ignored Tucana. "Capella, how is Hasseleh doing?"

Even when then Auriga manifested the Star Sea here, I did not feel so cold. But this meant, some Auriga who looked exactly like me knew a Hasseleh.

Capella frowned. "Only Nervia is having some trouble. Hasseleh can successfully control someone's mind."

What the fuck was happening? This doppelganger of mine trained a Hasseleh to control someone's mind? Did she know that I existed? Was that why Hasseleh controlled me? Did she give commands like no one like me should exist in any universe?

Auriga hummed. "Good. Is she ready?"

For what? To ruin my life?

"Are you sure this is the right decision?" Tucana asked.

Auriga frowned. "Corvus told me to choose her."

Corvus? My mind was blank. Was this not the guy I saw in Lyra's house? That blond guy?

Tucana sighed. "If he said... follow it."

Capella nodded. "She is ready. She is waiting for your command."

Auriga said, "Send her to infiltrate our enemy camp. I got information that there is a group in the seventh sector of the third base. She will go there and go with them, not revealing herself until I say so."

Capella winced lightly. "Hasseleh just asked... if she could weave a story that she is a Soul-Bound of someone in that group. It would make the initiation better."

Auriga laughed at that. "Create a soul-Bound? Who does she think she is? Cosmos or Surva? Of all the things I can weave, even I cannot weave a Soul Bond. Even if I can, that is horrifying. Soul-Bond is something pure and ancient. Only foolish Weavers would try to weave a Soul Bond."

Capella nodded. "I understood."

With that, she left, leaving the two golden-eyed females.

"I don't trust Hasseleh," Tucana said softly. "She may be gifted, but... she is not strong-willed."

Auriga closed her eyes. "Had Corvus not told me, I would have sent Nervia. She may be playful, but her mind is very strong."

Tucana shook her head. "There must be a reason."

Auriga opened her eyes and stared off into the never-ending space. "There will be. I will learn it later in the future. But for now..." her sombre voice became playful. "Tell me about your Soul-Binding with Canis!"

As the two spoke about Tucana's Soul-Binding, I felt myself being pulled back, back to earth.

Lazy sunray crept into the room. Two dark blue bags from Shadowlife was on the chair. If I was not wrong, this should hold my clothes off the day. I removed my blanket and stretched my limbs.

Just what the hell had I dreamed? Who was that Auriga? Why did she look so like me? And if she looked like me, would that Hasseleh look like the one I knew?

Gem just told me that my dreams would give me answers and that they were my memories. How would that be my memory?

Just who was I? 

A/N: I will try to update soon!

Until the next update,

~Quill