NOVEL NEXT Chapter 47: Astraya's Dream
The walk back home was slow, my legs dragging with physical and mental exhaustion. A lot had happened in just one day: a chaotic, incomplete seal almost killing me, being chased by a demon, meeting the founding father of the Ashborn, and now, finally, working on getting a dragon seed into a fish to create a new fish path.
But all of this was in my favor, a path to gaining the strength I need to gain my freedom from this phantom …the shadow demon and from this Drogan's line of sight.
The thought that always plagued my mind was: How powerful would I need to get to break free from this cursed connection? I was the only one who had faced this particular demon, and it was immensely powerful. It had shown its raw power even while still in Derrick's domain a place that favored his disciples but seemed to do the reverse to his enemies.
DEEP SIGH..
But all I knew was that it was time to go home and get some much-needed rest. If Father returned after Morad got a vessel, that would be an an added bonus, and I already had good news for them: I had awakened my mana core. The real problem was whether I should tell them or keep it a secret. Mother was very much against me using my quad core. How was I supposed to say, "Oh, the founding father of the Ashborns fixed my core, so I can control mana now"? That just sounded crazy.
As I reached the door, my head was still buzzing with Father's words, thinking about how we would discover a new way to evolve Morad if he found a vessel. I remembered Morad had mentioned a "stage 1." What did that mean exactly? All these questions could be better answered by Father himself.
By the time I pushed open the creaky wooden door, the sweet smell of stew filled the air alongside my mother's sharp voice.
"Astraga!" my mother snapped, arms crossed, her apron dusted with flour. "Where have you been? The sun has already set. I almost sent your sister out to look for you did you really want her out in the dark?"
"Sorry, Mother," I immediately apologized, trying to diffuse the situation.
Her face filled with curiosity. "Why did you take so long? Your sister told me about your father giving you responsibility for his fish pond."
"Yes, Mother, it was very fun, just that I lost track of time, hahaha," I said, thinking to myself if I should tell her about the dragon seed that came from the pendant.
Astraya's voice caught my attention as she playfully rushed down the stairs. "Astraga, welcome back! See, Mother, I told you he would be fine."
That's right. She and I shared the same koi fish pendant. Could her pendant also have a dragon seed inside? It might be possible, but Morad never mentioned another one. Then again, Morad could have had his powers divided between both pendants.
Astraya's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as she asked me about the pond and told me to go get a bath. All the while, my eyes were fixed on her pendant.
"Before I bathe, Mother, I'd like to ask you a question," I said.
"Oh, really, Astraga? Why not bathe first?" she said, her tone no longer scolding but relaxed.
"Well, what exactly do you want to ask? I'll answer only one question, so make it a good one."
My fingers started to playfully rub my koi pendant. "Mother, what do you know about the origins of these pendants?"
My mother looked a bit taken aback, but she quickly regained her composure. A promise was a promise, and she was prepared to answer my question. She sighed, explaining that with Father away, she would have to do her best to answer our questions.
"Well, Astraga and Astraya, the origins of the pendants aren't really known by me myself." I knew it. The only person who could give me more knowledge was Anaya.
"BUT," my mother said, the word cutting through my thoughts, "those pendants were worn by Anaya and her sister as well. They served as protective charm tools." Just as I had predicted.
Mother continued, "Not very much is known about Midwife Anaya, as even I went to investigate on my own while I was pregnant with you two." She added some knowledge I didn't know about. "She did mention how the pendant would ward away demons. And yes, I'm very much aware that once you become sixteen, you'll need to face your demons quite literally in a terrifying spot."
"But… why sixteen, Mother?" Astraya pressed, "What's so special about it?"
She was right; why did Anaya specifically choose sixteen? Mother explained there was no special reason, just that it was an agreed-upon age to have started learning and gone on adventures to increase one's chances of getting stronger. Anaya's sister, Ruby, was killed by her own demon. The chasing stopped, of course, as it had been pursuing Anaya, but she still had to lose someone close to her.
"Mommy, do you think we would be strong enough to face the demon?" Astraya asked.
Mother's gesture seemed to indicate she believed we would be strong enough, and she said that Father would be back in the coming months with a mentor for Astraya and a bodyguard for me. She wasn't happy with our childhood and wished she could have given us a normal life.
"So I have to, even though every fiber of my being as a mother doesn't want to. I'm left with no choice; you guys need to be strong."
It was true; Father would be back in a few months. I wondered what those people would be like. What did an aeromancer look like? What did bodyguards do for fun?
Time had passed, and I needed some shuteye. I had decided not to tell Astraya and Mother about my newly awakened core yet, as I wanted to see how strong I could get on my own. My current state was too weak, and memories of the cave flashed in my mind, along with Morad's tone of "boring."
As I settled into bed, I wondered if Morad was still drilling. He probably got exhausted or something. Then, Astraya's voice came from across the room.
"Brother, do you think we would be strong enough to face our demons?"
I wanted to be positive. "Of course, Astraya. With the help of Dad and Mom, and your new mentor, we will."
She was worried about me, especially because of my situation and having a quad core. "Maybe I would also come kill your demon, Astraga," she giggled.
Astraya was the sweetest, but after what I saw, I doubted it would be that easy to kill those demons. "Only if we work hard enough, I'm sure we can. And don't worry about me, Astraya. Remember, Father said he's going to get me a bodyguard."
It appeared Astraya had already fallen asleep. She was an angel. I had to get strong for both of us. The right to die on our own terms was what mattered to me now. That shouldn't be decided by anyone. If anything, I would want a natural death for myself.
Closing my eyes all I could think of now was the cave and helping morad ….
Astraya's Pov
Sleep came quickly while my brother was talking, but it wasn't the peaceful kind the one you were in control of and knew when to allow it to settle. This was different. It pulled me down like a strong, sudden fall from above.
One moment, I was in my bed; the next, the room was gone. The warmth of my blanket disappeared. Even my brother's quiet breathing, which I was used to hearing, faded behind a wall of mist. I was standing now, barefoot on cold, wet stone. The air tasted like ash and milk. Yep, this was definitely a dream.
Everything was gray, blurred, and endless. I clutched my hands to my chest a natural response as I felt my core pulsing. My heart beat faster, as if it knew this place and that something terrible was coming.
"Hello?" My voice trembled. "Where am I? Is anybody there?"
There was no answer, only a sound. A familiar one: the voice of a human child. A baby's cry?
Its cries were high, thin, and desperate, and it was looking for its mother. I wondered where she was.
It echoed through the fog like in a cave. My heart pounded, and I followed the sound.
There, on a slab of dark stone, sat a cradle. The wood was blackened with age, and it swayed gently, even though there was no wind. The baby inside moved restlessly under a paper-colored blanket, its tiny fists reaching for someone who wasn't there. It tempted me to lift the baby.
I knelt down, my hands shaking. "Shhh… it's okay, little one," I whispered, brushing its cheek.
"Where's your mommy?" I asked. Now in my arms, the baby felt warm and real. The crying slowed, then softened into hiccups. A strange, almost golden light flickered in its eyes.
That's when the voice came.
It wasn't loud. It was a whisper that seemed to echo, a sound full of deep sadness and hate. "They took my only child…" it breathed. "I will not forgive. And I will not forget. Every last one of them."
The mist thickened, curling around me like fingers. I froze, holding the baby closer in a protective stance. The voice grew sharper, dripping with venom now.
"Kill all dragons. Kill Primordials. I will kill them all."
My heart pounded so hard my ribs ached. "Who's there?" I tried to say, but my voice was barely a whisper. I just wanted a reply from the voice.
Then the whisper came again, commanding and certain, close enough to burn my ear. "You shall help me do it, child. Astraya." The way it said my name made it sound like I couldn't fight it. "You shall be my vessel."
I staggered back, still holding the baby, but just like the mist, the baby disappeared. I looked over at the cradle, and it was empty now.
"No," I whispered. "Where's the baby?"
I tried to say, "Who are you?" but the words dissolved before they left my lips.