Note:
Sorry for the delay. My plan was really to upload every other day, but lately, I'm not feeling well. Anyway, I'll just upload 2 chapters today to cover the days I missed. Happy reading.
PS
This chapter might be a bit confusing because the narrative switches between the room where Michel and Astra are and the room where the Elderly are watching, both happening simultaneously. Also, this is the last informative chapter before we delve into the exciting events in Astra's life.
Enjoy…:)
Third Person's POV
On the other side, after Armann and the Overseer exited the room, they made their way to the adjacent where the three Elderly were waiting.
Armann nodded slightly as a sign of respect towards the Elderly upon entering.
"How's everything?" Elderly Mundorus inquired, his focus clearly on Astra's situation and their plans.
Armann understood that the Elderly wasn't asking about his well-being, but rather about Astra's condition and their strategy.
"Everything's going well, sir. Astra's energy is gradually returning, especially now that she learned that her aunt is with us. She still has no clue that her aunt is not among us, but she's starting to ask when she'll be able to see her," Armann replied politely, providing an update on Astra's progress.
The Elderly continued to observe what was happening in the other room, where Michel had successfully held Astra's hand.
"That's good to hear. Overseer, it's up to you to handle the rest," Elderly Phias remarked.
"Understood," the Overseer replied with a hint of reluctance.
"For now, it's important for us to fully understand Astra before taking the next step," Elderly Mundorus stated.
As they watched, the three Elderly were surprised and quickly stood up from their seats at the unexpected turn of events.
Due to the calm atmosphere inside, Armann took this opportunity to inquire with the Elderly.
"Hmm, may I ask if I can now go back to my original mission?" he politely but carefully asked, not wanting to offend anyone. They were still the three eldest in their field who knew everything.
"What do you mean?" Elderly Mundorus asked.
"Well - Like what you said before to me. I should only protect Astra from the Reaper. And now that she's here, perhaps I can return to my original mission. Bringing dreams to their rightful place," Armann explained carefully.
He had been opposed to the mission given to him by the Elderly from the beginning, but because he didn't have enough position, he had to obey the order. So now he was looking forward to returning cause he finally finished his task.
Armann had been thinking about it for a long time, and that was also one of the reasons why he had trouble sleeping last night. He thought about the time while he was carrying out the mission, but the thought of being away from Astra prevailed in his mind.
"Sure, you can start immediately later," Elderly Mundorus replied, then turned his attention back to the mirror.
Michel used her abilities as a pretext to deceive Astra. What she said was true, but she didn't reveal her true intentions. Holding Astra's hand, Michel entered her space, weaving a web of memories.
Minutes passed when suddenly, Michel's cheek caught a reflection. A few tears rolled down her cheek.
"What's happening?" Elderly Resias asked in surprise.
"I don't know! Why ask me?" Elderly Mundorus replied jokingly, causing Elderly Resias to give him a stern look.
They all wondered at Michel's reaction. Several more minutes passed before Michel regained awareness of her surroundings and abruptly withdrew her hand from Astra's, distancing herself from her.
Elderly Phias was also surprised, but suddenly it disappeared when he finally understood what was going on. He sat back down in his chair.
"Are you okay?" Astra asked, concerned while in the other room.
"I'm fine. My eyes just ache a bit from being closed for so long," Michel replied.
As they talk to each other, Elderly Phias finally conclude something.
"That's it!" Elderly Phias suddenly exclaimed.
"What's right? What are you talking about?" Armann asked in confusion.
The other two Elderly happily sat down again after witnessing the events just now, as they also understood everything.
"We have a new hope," Elderly Phias Mundorus exclaimed joyfully.
Armann couldn't believe what he heard. Even the Overseer became interested in what he was hearing.
Back inside, Michel clear her throat to compose herself.
"Anyways, where are we? Do you want to know what I found out?" Michel asked Astra, redirecting their attention back to the other room.
"Yes," Astra replied eagerly.
"First, I noticed that there are still some things confusing you about what's happening right now. So, I'll explain it first," Michel began to unravel the mysteries for her.
"As for whether you are one of us or not, I carefully sifted through your memories and discovered that you are indeed an Aisling," Michel continued, revealing the truth to Astra.
"But how?" Astra asked incredulously, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Your dreams, or what we prefer to call visions, serve as evidence. Remember when you were a child and you predict how your neighbor, Mr. Lopez, would die? And more recently, recall the dream you had about a fire that would occur?" Michel prompted, drawing on examples from Astra's past experiences.
"Yes, but I can't recall it clearly," Astra replied, thinking of it.
"It's normal to forget some details of our dreams. Sometimes, it's not exactly what will happen in real life. However, because of that, you get the idea about it and prevent it from happening," Michel explained.
Astra cried when her conclusions fell into something. Before, she denied having dissociation because she was afraid that people she interacted with might get scared of her. Even though she didn't have friends, she still kept the people she saw every day in her mind. And the reason why her Aunt die is because of her.
Astra sobbed in her seat, so Michel approached her to comfort her.
"Stop crying!" Michel said softly to Astra and hugged her. She rested her chin on Astra's head while gently stroking her back.
Michel glanced at the Elderly's direction, seeming hesitant. The Elderly noticed what she did, so Elderly Phias stood up from his chair once again.
Michel discovered the tragic incident that happened to Astra's parents in the past, but she had no clue about it. She wanted to tell Astra about it so that Astra would know that she wasn't abandoned by her parents because she was different.
Another thing Michel found out was the lie Armann planted about Astra's aunt. In reality, Astra's Aunt wasn't with them because as far as she knows, she died in the fire.
Michel couldn't bear this lie. She had the right to know the truth. She wanted to spill everything, but she also knew the consequences that would follow. The Elderly prohibited her from telling anything to Astra, fearing it would put Astra in an intense emotional dilemma, but Michel couldn't bear the heavy burden.
Michel lifted her head and looked directly into Astra's eyes. She could see the pain in the depths of her soul, and she knew Astra didn't deserve it.
So, from that moment she knows what to do. She made up her mind to tell Astra the truth.
Elderly Phias unleashed his power and briefly journeyed 10 minutes into the future. He learned that Michel will tell everything to Astra and the potential outcome of it.
"There's something you need to know," Michel began. Astra calmed down slightly from crying and listened intently.
"What is it?" she innocently asked.
"It's about your parents. They didn't disappear or leave you because they thought you were a monster. They died trying to save you," she said, setting aside the consequences.
Astra didn't know how to process the new information she had just learned. All her life, she believed that she was abandoned by her parents because she was a scary creature with her weird ability.
The Elderly in the other room were surprised by Michel's statement. They couldn't understand that Michel could say something like that to Astra.
"Wait, but that's not part of the plan," Elderly Resias said.
"That kid! Does she have a plan to tell Astra everything?" Elderly Mundorus asked.
No one answered him, and suddenly Elderly Phias returned to her conscious and said,
"Armann! Hurry! Stop her. She's going to ruin our plan," he quickly exclaimed.
Armann immediately ran out to go to the other side. The Elderly then called for the Overseer.
"Overseer, come here," called Elderly Phias. "I want you to go there and sort everything out. It's time," he ordered with authority.
"As you wish," the Overseer respectfully replied, then slightly bowed and exited the room.
Back in the other room, Astra and Michel were still talking.
"Is that true?" Astra asked in disbelief.
"Yes, and there's something else you need to know," Michel paused briefly, taking a deep breath. "It's about your -" Michel couldn't finish what she was saying as the door suddenly burst open.
Michel was startled by the loud bang of the door and was frightened to see Armann standing there.
She knew that the Elderly would eventually find out about her plan, but she didn't expect them to know so soon.
"That's enough, Michel. They're calling for you," Armann said with an obvious tone of authority, his speech bordering on commanding.
"But she still has something to say," Astra protested. She didn't want Michel to leave yet because she still had something to share.
"Really? Do you still have something to say, Michel?" Armann threatened. His tone hinted at a strong objection to Michel speaking further, prompting her to step aside.
"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it anymore, Astra. It's not that important," she lied, flashing a fake smile.
"Oh, really? Okay. If you say so," Astra replied lifelessly. 'Maybe it's really nothing,' she reassured herself silently.
~ To be Continued ~