Chapter 508
“Oh my god! How do you stop a baby from crying?” Karmen muttered, his earlier confidence completely shattered. Noah had been continuously weeping for fifteen minutes, and Karmen felt a cold dread creeping up his spine. “If Gabriel sees this, he’s going to kill me p>
The maids rushed in, drawn by the persistent, frantic wails, and tried everything they could think of to soothe Noah, but nothing was working.
Karmen had attempted every textbook solution, feeding him milk, checking his diaper, bouncing him gently, but the infant was unrelenting.
“Noah, your mama and papa will be with you soon. Please, stop!” Karmen pleaded desperately, even joining his hands in a silent appeal. “How does Gabriel even do it? He always said Noah is a quiet boy! But all he’s doing is crying loudly. My ears hurt and my head too,” he complained, gesturing helplessly toward the maids, urging them to find a solution.
“We think he simply wants to be with his mother,” one of the maids said gently, who was currently holding Noah and rocking him in a futile attempt to calm him down, stating the obvious truth that no potion or toy could fix.
Karmen frantically pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans, his mind racing as he wondered who, outside the immediate circle, he could possibly call at this hour of crisis. He instantly dialed his mother’s number, but to his surprise, the call wouldn’t connect.
He quickly switched tactics and called his father, who answered immediately.
“Dad, good morning. Is Mom around you?” Karmen asked.
“I’m not home, son. I left just ten minutes ago for an early meeting,” his father replied. He noticed the anxiety in Karmen’s voice. “What happened? You sound stressed p>
“Nothing,” Karmen lied, trying to sound casual. “I just wanted to ask Mom something quickly. I’ll hang up then.” He ended the call swiftly.
He redialed his mother’s mobile number, but once again, it failed to connect. Karmen glanced desperately at Noah, whose tiny face was now red, covered in thick tears from his prolonged weeping. In a final, desperate attempt to reach his home, Karmen even called the home’s landline, but that too failed to connect. The world outside seemed suddenly unreachable.
Karmen’s gaze scanned his phone screen, stopping finally at Aisha’s name. He hesitated, as he definitely did not want to call her, but with his family unreachable and Noah inconsolable, she was his last, best hope. He dialed her number, and this time, the call connected.
“Hey, Karmen,” Aisha’s cheerful voice came through the receiver.
“Hey!” Karmen replied, pressing his free hand over his other ear, attempting to block out Noah’s piercing cries.
“Who’s that crying? A baby?” Aisha mused, immediately identifying the sound.
“Yes. I’m… babysitting the little prince,” Karmen admitted quickly. “Since I’m not in the capital, could you please tell me a quick way to stop a baby from crying? I’ve tried everything, milk, diaper check, but Noah isn’t stopping p>
Aisha offered a pragmatic suggestion. “Maybe take him outside. Pups usually get irritated staying in the same environment for too long. If his parents aren’t around, it’s a bit difficult sometimes, and a change of scenery can help p>
“Alright. I’ll try this. Thanks,” Karmen said, ending the call immediately.
He gently took Noah from the maid’s embrace and, after quickly ensuring the pup was securely and warmly dressed, he walked out of the house.
“Noah, let’s go see the garden,” Karmen muttered, forcing a smile onto his stressed face. “Do you know so many beautiful flowers have bloomed there p>
As soon as Noah was exposed to the fresh air of the outdoors, his tiny, agitated heart calmed a bit. The constant wailing subsided to little, occasional sniffles. However, even as the new environment offered a measure of peace, his wide, tear-stained eyes kept searching the new surroundings, visibly looking for his parents.
Karmen finally felt peaceful seeing Noah had stopped. He used the soft hankerchief to wipe the tears from Noah’s cheek while rocking him gently in his arms so that Noah would fall asleep.
’Gabriel, Amelie, wake up soon. Noah is missing both of you,’ he thought in his mind.
Carlos stood guard, his gaze fixed on Amelie’s and Gabriel’s sleeping forms. He could see their closed eyelids flickering rapidly, indicating the intense activity within the dream realm.
Beside him, his grandmother, Ravenna, was completely absorbed in the ritual, visibly expending every bit of her remaining energy. He knew, with a heavy heart, that his grandmother might be critically weakened once this task was complete, yet he was bound by his promise to her not to interfere or stop the process.
Suddenly, his eyes turned brilliant and radiant as an unwanted vision violently intruded into his mind. He saw his beloved grandmother being lowered into a grave, placed right beside the markers of his own deceased parents.
Carlos’s focus wavered completely.
“Son, don’t distract yourself!” Ravenna’s voice snapped, sharp and stern despite her physical frailty. She hadn’t looked at him, yet she instantly sensed his distraction. “Gabriel and Amelie are still in the middle of their journey. They still have a long way to go before they can even find Ophelia p>
“Ye-yes, Grandma,” Carlos managed to say, his voice strained as he fought back the burning sting of tears evoked by the terrifying vision. He took a deep, steadying breath. “After this is over, what will I have to do, Grandma?” he asked, trying to look past the immediate crisis.
“Gabriel and Amelie will be the ones acting. You only have to assist them with what they require,” Ravenna asserted, keeping her concentration fixed on the ethereal path she was weaving.
Carlos quieted, accepting his role as the anchor. He immediately focused his attention back on the delicate, physical work given to him. A small fire pyre was essential to the ritual, it acted as a gateway or a source of energy for the dream-weaving.
He carefully added more dry wood to the pyre, making sure the flames remained steady and kept glowing strongly, providing the necessary energy for his grandmother to continue holding the mental bridge.