Everyone returned to their rooms before they were caught by Archean and interrogated. The only one that stayed was Astrid. She sat on my bed, staring at the letter as if it would burn if she stared at it long enough. Then again, she could burn it if she wanted to.
She finally looked up as I shut my door with a soft click. Her emerald eyes bore into mine. We remained in silence for a long time. I had a nagging feeling that she was waiting for me. I heaved a sigh before flopping onto my bed next to her.
"So…" Astrid and I said in unison. She let out a soft giggle. "You go first."
I smiled awkwardly, knowing that what I was about to say was going to be uncomfortable for her.
"Astrid, would you...tell me about the Old Guard?"
Astrid's face flickered with a deep sadness. "Ah, I knew you would find out sooner than later. Well, the Old Guard were the ones that found all of us. Scattered across the universe in the most horrible conditions and in the darkest of places. They were amazing. They were the definition of a team, completely in sync with one another and they took care of one another. Archean created the Old Guard quite a while ago and I think he...still remembers them and compares us to them."
"To be honest, I don't think we will ever be like the Old Guard," Astrid said in a bittersweet voice. I could feel her sadness like a cloud. It hovered over the room, making everything seem darker.
Astrid continued. "I think that's why Archean hates Ryder and his brothers so much, why he hates demons so much, especially the royals. You know, Ryder and his brothers are the sons of the demon king."
My eyes widened in surprise. I opened my mouth, but shut it immediately. I gave Astrid a meaningful look.
"I know, I know! I'm getting there. Well, one fateful day, actually the day of the Battle of Lunar Eclipse, the Old Guard was sent to the battlefield by the Association to help our side. As you know, the Battle of the Lunar Eclipse was a massacre. It was a trap set up by the current demon king, Titus Ciaryth. Among the hundred of thousands that died that day, the Old Guard was part of them. I was only twelve when they left and I still remember their faces."
A single tear slipped down Astrid's face. I started to feel bad. I was the one who made her recall a painful memory. Suddenly, a revelation hit me. This must be why Astrid tries so hard to protect everyone. She doesn't want to lose the people she loves again.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. Astrid nodded and rubbed her eyes with her palm. "Don't worry Astrid. I will make sure you don't have to lose anybody else."
Astrid gave up trying to stop them as more tears fell from her eyes. "How can you be such a great friend after everything you have been through!" She cried.
She hugged me tightly and cried for a long time. Never in my life did I ever think that I was going to have a seventeen year old crying on my shoulder. Never in my life did I ever think that I would have a true friend. I smiled and hugged Astrid back. I wasn't going to let history repeat itself. I would make sure that my friends would be safe, no matter what.
Eventually, Astrid's crying was reduced to sniffling.
"Astrid, how did you find out that you were half-fire nymph?" I asked after a while, trying to shift the conversation to something more pleasant.
"Oh," She said, sitting up straight and trying to collect herself. "Well, I had my blood tested and besides, I kind of already knew by that point."
My heart skipped a beat. "You mean, I could find out what other half I am right now?!"
She chuckled. "I'm sorry, Amara. You can't. Well, it's more like you wouldn't find anything."
I gasped. "Are you telling me that you already ran a test on me?!" I exclaimed.
"Well...yes, I suppose we did, but it just said that you were fully human," Astrid said, sounding a bit troubled. "Must be the reason you were able to live with humans for so long."
"Oh." I wasn't exactly upset at them, but I was definitely surprised to hear this information. "Does this mean that I am completely human?"
Astrid paused, thinking. "No, not exactly. You are definitely a hybrid. The test could determine that much, but it couldn't identify your other race. It almost seemed like your race was hidden for a reason. So, it just concluded that you were fully human."
I pondered for a minute. Strange, was my race that big of a deal? I shook my head, dispersing my thoughts. Right now, I didn't want to think about it.
"Astrid, your turn," I said. "Did you want to ask me something?"
She shifted into a more comfortable position before facing me. She hesitated, thinking about something. "So, what were your foster parents like?"
I visibly shuddered. Memories rushed past my eyes. My distant screams filled my ears and sounds of things breaking seemed so close. "Well, they were horrible."
Astrid blinked. She seemed surprised at my blunt response. "That bad, huh?"
"Yeah," I said. "I had two step-sisters, Rita and Evelyn. They were the bane of my existence. They criticize everything I did and tried to stop me from enjoying anything. My only escape was my art. At night, during the day, any free time I had, I drew. My sisters have torn up some of my notebooks before, but I still have one left."
I got up from my bed and pulled down my beat-up travel bag from the closet. I fished out a simple black notebook, nothing special. I handed it to Astrid. I talked as she flipped through it.
"I drew so many things. Things from my dreams, from my fantasies, from my harsh reality, and from my school."
I saw pictures of people pass through my vision. I remembered every drawing I had done in that book. Suddenly, Astrid stopped at one drawing.
"What's this one from?" She asked. "Oh, it was from one of my weird dreams," I said.
"Really?" Astrid asked again doubtfully. I scrunched my brow. "Yeah, I'm a hundred percent sure. Why?"
"Well," Astrid paused, biting her lip, "this looks exactly like one of Ryder's brothers. His name is Alex. He has jet black hair and the same cold, pale eyes. Your drawing is really detailed too, which is even weirder, especially since you have never seen him in your life."
I peered over her shoulder to look at my drawing. The young man stared at me from the paper. He had cold eyes that seemed kind of like Luka's, almost like he had seen too much of life and its dark secrets. His hair was messy, yet still seemed to fall perfectly into place. I had shaded his hair with a black colored pencil, making his blue-gray eyes pop. His eyes were like the moonlight almost white, but it still had its shadows. His lips were pale and delicate. He had a simple hoodie, stained a vibrant red. All of the brothers had a resemblance to one another, but Alex didn't seem to fit. Although he had similar traits to some of his brothers, he was still uniquely different.
"Amara, what was your dream about?" Astrid said. I closed my eyes trying to recall the dream.
"Well," I started slowly, trying to describe it the best that I could, "Alex was saying something, but I couldn't tell what it was. He seemed to be very upset and yelled at somebody, but I couldn't make out the figure. In a rage of fury, he walked out of the room and outside. He walked a little ways before climbing into a tree. He reached a high branch where the leaves parted to reveal the starry sky, and the picture that I drew was from that moment when he looked up."
Astrid listened with growing curiosity. She smiled sadly when I was finished. "Yeah, your description fits his personality in real life."
I must have looked confused because Astrid continued on. "He is like that in real life, he has a cold demeanor and you can feel a dangerous aura coming from him. Ryder is similar, but he is more open in a weird way. He shapes a reputation to hide his true self behind. He doesn't like to open up to people."
Oh, that makes more sense. I wonder if they had a rough life like me. Ryder and Alex seem the most affected out of the brothers I have met and talked to. Then again, they could be hiding behind a mask too. Asher was quite prideful and snarky until he was overpowered. The twins were different too. They were sadistic and almost crazy from the thirst for blood. They were really, well, demons. In their own ways, they were all truly demons.
"Hey, Astrid?" I said.
"Hm?" Astrid hummed. I continued, "Ryder has electric abilities. Are they different from a hybrid's powers?"
She vigorously nodded. "They are very different. Although our power is the most raw and powerful, demon's powers are a close second. SInce they are almost like a part of the darkness, they can draw power from it. They have a wide range of powers, but they usually centralize around darker abilities such as shadows, poison, and electricity like Ryder."
"Oh, wow, I guess I never really thought about it much," I said. No wonder Ryder's lightning ability was so powerful. He could really pack a punch. Astrid got up from the bed and stretched. She handed me the letter and gathered her belongings. "It's getting late. We can talk more later tomorrow. Besides, I really need to get going. Good night, Amara!" Astrid called.
I waved goodbye to her before she closed the door behind her with a soft click. As I sat in my bedroom, I could feel the previous warmth from Astrid fade away, leaving the room freezing cold.