Chapter 10
5637words
Back in this room again…
The king must’ve brought me here once my mind completely shut off.
Honestly… probably for the best. Who knows how I would’ve reacted if I stayed beside him.
Beside anyone, really.
Did this room place a curse on me by entering it just once…? It feels like no matter what I do, no matter where I go, I always end up back here… whether it’s after a bath or a meal, this place feels like my beginning and my end.
Laying in this bed once more, using its light blanket as a way to hide myself away from whatever is happening in the outside world, only letting my head peer out of the blankets. Bringing my legs up closer to my chest, hugging them tightly and assuming a fetal position.
My back is to the curtains, but I could still see some of the light coming from the sunset penetrating through the windows.
I can’t even find it in me to turn myself over and see the time.
These walls, they feel so suffocating. Despite being the size of my last place of residence, they don’t offer as much comfort the first time I stumbled here.
So narrow. So suffocating.
No warmth. No comfort.
All alone here, in this bed.
At least last time the queen was with me. Holding my head into her warm lap, healing my headache in a few quick seconds, and asking about what ailed me with her sweet, warm voice.
I kinda… I kinda miss it.
Why do I even try?
Why. Do. I. Even. Fucking. Bother.
It just doesn’t seem like anything will change. Nothing will go my way even if I tried a different route. I’m just making a complete fool of myself, pretending to be someone I’m not.
I thought I was being brave, telling the queen about what terrified me, leaving this room even after the way I treated the king, and interacting with the workers in the manor.
But I guess none of it was real. I wasn’t trying to change or fix any deep-seated or deep-rooted issues I have, but instead I chose to feign bravery and fake courage, hoping it’d go differently or that I would at least become what I was faking.
Instead, I yelled at Rosaline and told her not to assist me with putting clothes on, I got scared of the king not just once but fucking TWICE.
And the queen? What does she think of me now…
In what light does she see me now…
Is she disappointed in me as well…?
I should be more concerned about how the king sees me instead. His lovely daughter went from being normal one day to becoming an anxious, chaotic, sensitive mess in under a day.
He seems like such a sweet man. He tried to help and yet I pushed him away…
That last image of him in my mind haunts me. He had such a sad and ashamed look on his face.
As if he did something wrong. As if he was the one who hurt me somehow and not the other way around…
I’m so sorry. I wish I could leave this room and tell you how you did nothing wrong, that you only tried to comfort me.
But I just can’t.
Maybe it’s for the best that I stay here, not bothering anybody, being a nuisance to no one.
The workers don’t have to deal with me much, and Rosaline doesn’t have to suffer through caring for a dysfunctional person.
And for the parents… well… I do not know…
I should just close my eyes and sleep for a bit. I can’t bother anyone if I’m asleep.
A few moments after closing my eyes, I heard a few light steps approaching the door to my room. Eyes immediately shut open and my heart started racing.
I scan the wall and door leading up to my room and I inspect that person’s rings.
9 purple-coloured rings, spinning quite rapidly around their heart.
The queen. Of course it just had to be her…
Did I manifest her coming over and checking on me?
Not knowing what to do, I just stayed very still, trying to make no noise. Like I’m dealing with a T-Rex or something.
I stare intently at the door where she now stood.
“Astaria…?” After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke. Her voice, soft as always, but there’s a hint of exhaustion in her voice.
I gave her no reply, my anxiety shooting up as these short, few moments passed. I attempt a calming breathing exercise, but nothing is working.
I laid there, praying to whatever god exists in this world that she doesn’t open the door and see me in this sad state.
“Sweetheart…” She spoke up again, “no one is blaming you for what happened back in the library. Not me, not your father, not my students, and certainly not the workers who–” biting her lip, she abruptly stopped talking.
A few more seconds that felt like an eternity passed.
“You don’t have to feel bad. It was just a mistake, just an accident. I’ve had some of those back in my day, haha…” The queen chuckled to herself as she tried consoling me from behind the door.
I wonder what type of face she’s making right now. Is it sad? Happy? Does she have a smile or a frown? She sounds incredibly tired…
I’m sorry… I just can’t get up to open the door for you. I just can’t
“Oh, what am I saying, sounding so old in front of my daughter.” I heard some metallic rattling as she lightly moved around. “I’ve brought you some food, dinner, in case you were hungry. If you want, we could talk while you have your evening meal.”
My stomach rumbled a bit and I held into it tightly, trying to cover the noise.
My mouth is half open, trying to blurt out something, anything to her. But nothing is coming out. The only thing I could taste was some of the salty tears that made their way to my lips.
I’m so sorry. I really can’t do this. I can’t even muster up the fake courage I had in me before to open the door or even to reply to you…
I am not worth all of this effort.
Please, just leave and let me be.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself.” clank clank I saw the height of her rings descending and I heard the same metallic rattling. “I’ll leave this here, in case you want to eat.”
Her rings ascended and I heard her dusting herself.
“We are always here for you, sweetie. Take your time.”
Click clack
The sounds of her heels were evident as she started walking away.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Just as I’d finally been relieved at her departure, she stopped and spoke again. “The entire floor is going to be empty. If you want to come out and maybe take a walk around the floor without anyone bothering you, you are more than free to do so.” With a choked voice, she finished everything she had to say and started walking away once again.
I follow her rings with my eyes and her footsteps with my ears.
Once she’s finally far enough to the point where I can’t see her rings I immediately get out of bed and rush out toward the door.
Opening the door in a hurry, I take the wide, wooden platter of food into my room and close the door shut.
I don’t even take a good look at the food before I start shoving it down my throat like a glutton.
Tears running down my face as I wonder how tasty something could be. She must’ve prepared it specifically for me, at this time of day, and yet I didn’t even bother letting her hear my voice to show her that I was okay.
I drank the prepared water and some juice alongside the incredibly tasting food.
Once the food was completely consumed and my hunger finally satiated, I instantly felt the need to vomit.
I felt my mouth fill with saliva and a bit of dry heaving came with it. I looked around me in a rush and noticed a trash can on the left of the dressing table.
Grabbing it immediately, I started dry heaving into it, but thankfully nothing came out.
Once the urge of vomiting subsided, I leaned my back against the wall, with the empty food platter next to me, and cried even more at my sad, pathetic state.
Truly, one of the lowest points in my life.
I’m all cried out. No more tears are coming out.
I’m exhausted.
Getting up, legs shaking wildly, I start walking back slowly to my bed where I immediately crash into it, my eyelids feeling heavy.
And without any more care for the world, I fall asleep.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
About half an hour later, after the library incident occurred and after Astaria’s meal was delivered…
The maid, the empress, and the emperor now stand all alone in the royal bedroom.
The empress with her arms crossed, fuming with anger.
The emperor was sitting on a sofa, his elbow resting on the sofa’s armrest, rubbing his face with his hand.
The maid shaking in her boots, looking at the ground, completely unable to speak or even look at the woman who looks like she’d kill her at any moment.
“So.” The empress broke the ice. “Would you be so kind as to explain what exactly happened?” The question was direct, simple to understand, and the maid’s life was on the line, held by a thread by the queen’s cold, terrifying gaze.
Rosaline knew she had to give the terrifying Sterran a proper, satisfying answer. The fact that her ring was spinning wildly out of control didn’t make it any easier, as now the queen won’t know whether the maid is lying or not, and she could enact whatever judgment she sees fit.
And it’s not like Rosaline didn’t understand where she was coming from, after all that was their daughter and she was put at risk of getting severely injured.
“SO????” The empress snapped and stomped her foot forward toward the shaking maid. The ground cracked a little.
“Uhm–” Rosaline finally let out a sound.
“UHM, UH, UHM ,ERM. JUST SPEAK, WOMAN!!” Only to be interrupted by the empress. “GIVE ME AN ANSWER, WHY WAS MY DAUGHTER IN DANGER OF BEING CRUSHED BY THE LIBRARY? AND WHY WERE YOU ABSENT DURING THE WHOLE INCIDENT????” She lashed out at the now teary-eyed maid.
“Minerva…” The king finally spoke up after many minutes of silence.
“Did you force her into the library?! Did you set up a trap to get her hurt, GET HER KILLED?!?!?! ANSWER ME!!”
“MINERVA!” The king suddenly yelled out.
“What, Cadel?! What the hell is it?!” Perplexed, the queen replied.
“Look at her, look at her state!” The maid was on the verge of collapse, holding onto dear life by tightening her fist into her maid dress. “Does she look like she could’ve possibly executed a plan to hurt Astaria?! Or to even organize such a task?!”
“I’m not sure what goes on inside every worker’s head, Cadel! I need to be thorough with this. Especially when it comes to our daughter!!”
“By the gods, YOU decided the rigorous training they had to go through to even step a foot into this manor. YOU trained them day and night, drilling thoughts of loyalty over everything else into their heads. YOU hand-picked each individual currently working under this place’s roof. It didn’t matter if they were cleaning the garden, dusting a vase, or taking care of our daughter, YOU decided these things!!” The emperor spoke up, challenging the empress’s authority. “So tell me, are you saying your methods have been wrong, inaccurate, and faulty?! That even simple humans would deny your sovereignty and act as they like?! YOU!?”
The empress could not fight back. She just raised her hand to her mouth and bit hard on her nail.
Every word the emperor just spat was indeed correct.
She did indeed organize the training schedule for each and every worker. It didn't matter if it was a maid, butler, or guard.
She did personally discipline them heavily for years on end, making sure they were perfect followers who wouldn’t deny royal orders and never crossed the line.
The empress didn’t let a singular being into this mansion without inspecting them personally first. Even allies and comrades of the emperor were thoroughly patted down and inspected by her to make sure everything was in line.
Cruel and paranoid as she may seem, everything has been going well.
Until now.
A simple maid completely shattered the empress’s organization, and with it, her trust.
“Rosaline, you are dismissed.” The empress looked at him wide-eyed, completely shocked at what she just heard.
The maid just stood there, still trembling in her maid dress and sweating a sea.
She looked at the empress for approval to leave.
“LEAVE.” The emperor suddenly yelled out.
Rosaline snapped out of her trance, bowed deeply with tears falling down on the bedroom floor, turned around in a hurry, and left the room with the emperor and empress now left together, alone.
Cadel got up from the sofa and walked toward the angry Minerva.
“You need to stop that habit.” He said as he grabbed her hand and guided it away from her mouth, he ran his foot on the now cracked floor, “this’ll need some renovation…”
“Oh yeah? Well, YOU need to stop speaking over me and deciding things whenever they seem convenient to you!”
“Seriously, what has gotten into you?! Do you not realize the pathetic display you just showed to that maid?!” Cadel let go of Minerva’s hand and went to sit back on the sofa.
“That is OUR DAUGHTER, Cadel. There is no “pathetic display” when it comes to your own off-spring, is there?!”
“Then you need to snap out of it and realize that Rosaline has done nothing wrong, she was just getting Astaria the snacks she asked for.” Cadel lightly rubbed his face with his palms. “You want someone to blame? How about having a talk with Cyrus and his team?”
“Do NOT push the blame on MY students. They were simply just concerned and rushed to her aid, just like I taught them to.”
“Only following orders, is that it? Approaching a trembling, terrified little girl?”
“By the gods, look at you. You’re terrifying already as is, but now you look even more insane. Accusing a simple, humble maid of attempting to hurt–and even kill–our sweet daughter!” Cadel opened up a bottle of water that was on the table next to the sofa and he took a quick sip. “Everyone in the mansion is always on edge because of you, wondering when you’ll snap over trivial matters.”
“You insinuate that I’m a control freak but it has served us well so far, hasn’t it? No traitors, no murder plots, no kidnappings, and most certainly no assassinations.”
“We are the emperor and empress of Fluorin, Minerva. We don’t rule this empire with an ironfist, but instead with fairness and justice. Don’t you think it’d have been simpler if you let Rosaline speak without terrorizing her like you just did?!”
“Urgh… I didn’t hear you complaining a century ago when we–”
“You need to let go of the past. The method you’ve been using during the great impact war no longer works! You are currently dealing with a little girl who had a terrible nightmare which gave her fears that seem to be immutable, and people who trust us to death!”
Cadel was incredibly frustrated with his wife’s behaviour, completely over it. Watching as she treated their workers–their people–with extreme distrust and discipline, he’s had enough.
“While we are here arguing–while you’re here looking for someone to blame and outsource your anger toward–our little girl is in her room, alone, crying, and feeling like complete shit! Minevra, can you not see what you’re doing wrong?!”
Minerva listened to her husband vent and rant about the way she’s been acting for decades, her face going from angry and disappointed to sad and ashamed of her actions.
She sighed deeply and made her way toward the sofa where she sat right next to the king that was looking away from her, facing the door.
“You just need to realize that you shouldn’t throw in the towel just because your plan failed once. You always give up so easily whenever your methods go awry. In a way, you’re just a lazy genius.”
“Shut up, Cadel.”
That response gave the king a light chuckle.
The emperor and empress sat in silence for a few moments, the only comfort they had was each others’ company, and not their little daughter’s.
Suddenly, a muffled sniffle coming from Cadel’s side of the sofa broke the silence. Minerva looked at the sniffling Cadel, who was facing away from her, with a wide-eyed expression on her face.
But the emperor didn’t reply.
“Are you… crying?”
“Haaaa…” Cadel let out a shaky exhale. “Oh, please tell me how I’m supposed to feel... Astaria, my dear daughter freaked out at my presence twice in less than three days…”
He let out another sniffle, a louder one this time. No reason to hide it now that it’s out.
“Just what did I do wrong…?”
“Hey hey…” Minerva extended her hand toward his and grabbed it tightly, “You did nothing wrong, I’m sure of it. It’s most likely related to her nightmare which is making her behave that way.”
“What, you wanna tell me she suddenly developed a fear of men?”
“I’m unsure. I wouldn’t say she’s terrified of men per se, it could be that she’s currently a bit uncomfortable with… physical, intimate contact.”
“By the gods, I am her father, why would she ever be afraid of me?”
“Fear does not have to always be rational. And she was terrified of Rosaline too, wasn’t she? When Rosaline offered to dress her up.”
“Rosaline is quite a repeating subject to this story, isn’t she? Tell me… have we made a mistake making her Astaria’s main servant?”
“I… don’t know. But we shouldn’t be hasty, Astaria perssonally chose her after all.”
“Haha… now you’re thinking rationally? Things are just so chaotic, everything could change at the drop of a pen.”
“We complement each other quite well then.”
Cadel takes his hand away from hers, leans forward resting his elbows on his knees, and covers his face with both his hands.
He starts lightly sobbing once again.
Minerva lets out a sigh, deep and exhausted, as she listens to her husband sob disheartenedly. The sound of his sniffles and soft gasps filling the artificial momentary silence between the two.
She sucks on her bottom lip, biting it gently, after a beat she decides to get up from her spot on the sofa, and makes her way over to the crying emperor.
“Hey, look at me…” Not an order, merely a request. But Cadel didn’t budge, kept his head down and continued sobbing.
The empress lightly huffed and pinched her brows together as she looked down at the man who’s not only taller than her, but also physically stronger, crying and sobbing like a child.
She extended her right hand forward, running and threading her fingers through his above shoulder-length, smooth black hair, brushing it to the back of his ear.
Minerva finally catches a glimpse of his teary face which warrants a soft smile from her. She then proceeds to use her free hand to lift up his chin and get a better look at him.
Fat droplets clinging to his dark lashes, eyes glossy and reflective with his tears, and his face completely flushed from crying.
“I’m her dad, Minerva…” he croaks, his deep voice breaking and cracking at the edges. The empress nodded gently and reassuringly as she wiped the falling tears using her thumb.
“I know, I know… it’s okay…” She leans down toward his face, giving him a warm, soft kiss above his forehead. “It’s okay.”
“Is it, though…?” He questions, nuzzling into the warm palm of his wife with a chuff as she cradles the side of his face.
“I’ve rarely been wrong, have I? Now, stop questioning me…” She demands, guiding his face straight toward her chest, his cheeks smushing against the softness of her skin.
Cadel became more daring, his hands crept up her thighs and around the sides of her waist.
His rough fingers pads digging into her dress, feeling the curves of her body as he pulls her closer to him.
He peppers her collarbone with plenty of kisses which earns an amused snort from her.
“Pervert…” She quietly announces.
But Cadel doesn’t stop, he relishes in it even more, only pulling away slightly to give her that familiar look of his golden irises and pupils compressed into that of a feline.
The tears have now long been dried through the assistance of her fingers and her breasts.
His hunger and greed never ceased, proven by his hands that now continued travelling back to grope the fat of her ass.
“Let’s take off the edge a bit, shall we?” He stares at her purple eyes, resting his chin on her cleavage.
With a chunk of his long, smooth hair in Minerva’s hand, she tightened her grip on them, squeezing just hard enough for him to feel a burn against his scalp.
“What do you say… my empress?” His lips widened into a lazy smile, voice dipping into a deep rumble as he pulled her roughly toward his body, roughly and passionately making out with her.
“Huh…” I exclaim as I look into the mirror. “That’s weird…”
Long auburn hair, light brown eyes , pale skin, a small mole on the left of my chin, and about 170 cm tall…
Doesn’t seem like I gained or lost any weight either. Quick check, just stretch your sides or tap your belly.
I sigh deeply to myself as I look at the state of my room that I somehow ended up in. I’ve never left it in this messy state before.
Clothes everywhere, bed is unmade, empty water bottles on the floor, and the most damning part of it all, the stains on the walls.
The windows are closed shut, the lights are off, but I could still see most things like my features and my messed up room.
I’ve tried flicking the lights on but they refused to work.
Slid the curtains open but there was just pure darkness–like there’s an entirely new building founded right in front of my room.
What the hell is going on? Last thing I remember was falling asleep in–
Oh right right…
Astaria… yeah.
Am I in a dream then? Feels too lucid to be a normal dream, although things don’t look as nonsensical as a normal dream. Maybe a lucid, controllable dream then?
An image of a really bright light popped up in my head as I tried really hard to create a way to see in this dim, dark room.
But nothing came of it.
Instead, I imagine a light coming from the windows, like a sun maybe.
But still, nothing came to fruition.
Sighing deeply once again, I brought my hands up to feel my long hair, I honestly quite missed it.
What do I do now…
Should I just… try to leave? The door is right there, I haven’t tested it out whether it opens or not yet.
And I could’ve sworn I heard something coming from the kitchen… like a bottle clank.
Slowly, I approach the door and look at it with dread, hoping I don’t see anything too upsetting.
I already went through enough, please don’t ruin it more for me.
With held breath, I grab the handle and twist it, carefully pushing the door slightly open.
I poke my head out, examining the hallway, but it follows the same state as my room.
Messy, dark, stainy, and not really a delight to walk in.
I miss the beautiful wide hallways of the mansion already… When will this awful dream end?
I hear the bottle clank once more, which makes me recoil a little.
That sound really is coming from the kitchen.
This is not a good sign for what to come at all…
As I take a step outside of my room, I close the door behind me and take a deep breath in… and exhale it all out.
Sneakily and on my tippy toes, I start making my way to the sound source, but I might as well be screaming I am here! Because these shitty, creaking wooden floors don’t mask my presence that much.
Finally made it to my destination, I peer my head into the kitchen to see what the buzz is all about.
But what I see genuinely shocks me.
Right in front of the kitchen counter facing away from me stood a short, little girl.
She had messy, white hair, she couldn’t have been taller than the bottom of my torso.
She wore a dress that resembled that of elegance and nobility, but is now completely torn and stained.
In her hand was an unmarked… alcohol bottle, and every few moments she took a large swig.
She’s the source of the sound? What the fuc–
“How long are you planning on standing there for? Come on in… give your new friend some company, will you…?” She addressed me with a defeated, cold, high pitch voice but not before taking another swig from the bottle.
I walk in while looking around me, holding my arms in extreme discomfort.
“Alone again, aren't you?”
“Astaria…?”
“Oh, great! At least you recognize me. It would've been a shame if you didn’t, right after–you know–you imprinted yourself on my SOUL AND DISRESPECTED MY BODY!” she angrily yelled out, right after slamming the alcohol bottle on the counter, causing it to completely shatter.
“I… I didn’t… mean to…”
“You say that, but you seemed oddly giddy when you were in it” The little girl turned around and looked at me with disdain in her eyes. “Moving around like you owned the damn thing!!”
Seeing her hand, glass shards cutting it deeply with blood dripping to the ground, it forced my legs to tremble and my body to recoil back.
Her golden irises shone clearly through the dark and her starry pupils contracted and expanded with every word.
“You prayed, and prayed, AND PRAYED for a second chance as you were laying there in a pool of your own blood, slaughtered by a dirty crackhead. And what happens when you finally achieve it?” Astaria started slowly making her way toward me. “You refused my maid’s assistance, terrified the private forces, rejected my father’s help, and worst of all, you disappointed my mother! HA! If anyone saw your state right now they’d take you as the victim.”
My trembling legs finally gave out once she reached me. With me now on her level, I stare deeply into her bright eyes, the only faint light in this room.
“Tell me… do you honestly think you deserve it? All I saw from you was one disappointment after another.”
“I… I tried…”
“Clearly not hard enough, or else we wouldn’t be in the predicament we are in right now.” Astaria brought up her hand and started counting up with her fingers. “Reading a few books, treating the manor workers like people, greeting the empress anxiously–all of that doesn’t show sincerity nor does it erase your flaws. All it does is show deep desperation. Desperation to integrate, desperation to fit in, and desperation to change without actually changing.”
“You try being plunged into a world you know nothing about right after going through something deeply traumatic!!” I desperately try standing up for myself, but it doesn’t help when my voice is shaky, and my words are void.
“You should be ashamed.” With a look of disgust, Astaria started heading back to where she was. “ ‘Maybe I should spend my days in this room… surely they would treat me, a princess, properly and bring me food and water…’ pathetic bullshit, said by a pathetic person.”
I tightly shut my eyes when the little girl finally made her way to the kitchen counter. Her arms crossed, disappointment still evident in her eyes.
“You should be ashamed...” A familiar voice spoke up, much deeper than a little girl’s voice and more boyish. I immediately opened my eyes to inspect the source and where Astaria once stood, there was a boy.
A bit shorter than me in height, his hair is smooth and black, eyes dark brown, and a light scar on his right eyebrow.
His skin is paler than mine, and his build is skinnier.
“Seriously, Astrid. What’s up with you today?”
“... Esme?”
“Yes yes, it’s me. Your beloved friend, Esme. You remember me, right?”
“Of course I do… how could I ever forget you?” With a choked voice, I respond.
“Oh nono, Astrid! That is not how you acted. You tried pushing me down, deep into your brain, like I was some sort of a bad memory. You tried to forget me, didn’t you?”
“What?! No! Of course not. I could never–”
“Please, just save the bullshit. You reek of bad excuses and lies.” Esme lets out a sigh. “How am I supposed to go on without you? You promised me we’d spend the rest of our lives together. How should I fend for myself now? I’m just an artist, Astrid.”
“This is… not my responsibility…”
“Then you shouldn’t have made any false promises.” Rubbing his face with his hands, tears streaming down his face. “What about your teachers? Your other friends? The library keeper? You were so quick to brush them off, almost like they didn’t mean anything to you. Please just tell me, did we really mean nothing to you?”
I reply with nothing verbal, only another tight shut of my eyes so that I could hide the sight of my old friend who I’ll never be able to meet again.
“Urgh…” Esme expressed deep disgust. “You should be ashamed.”
After all of that, my mind cracked and I started bawling my eyes out. Embracing myself closer, trying to feel any warmth and praying desperately for this terrible dream to end.
“You shouldn’t be ashamed.” A voice even more familiar spoke out, and when it spoke out, so did our surroundings.
Light flooded the entire apartment and I hastily opened my eyes to have a proper check.
I saw an auburn haired, light brown eyed girl, and a small mole on the left of her chin standing there with a soft smile on her face.
“You shouldn’t be ashamed.” She repeated what she had already said. “Ignore all of those terrible noises, guilt-manifest. They know nothing of your situation and their only goal is to break you down. Which, unfortunately, seems to have worked.”
“You are…?”
“Haha, are you telling me you don’t recognize yourself?” She chuckled and laughed softly as she made her way toward me. I once again tightly shut my eyes in shame.
She reached me and gently shoved her hands under my armpits and lifted me up. Then she proceeded to pull them out and wiped my tears with them.
“They are all fools. Fools for treating you that way. But you are an even bigger fool for letting them get to you.” I looked down in shame but she brought my chin up just as fast. “You do deserve a second chance, don’t let those idiots make you think otherwise.”
“But… Astaria was right. I did replace her soul.”
“This wasn't even the real Astaria, you goof. How would you know how she feels about it unless you ask her yourself? Just live a good, long, fulfilling life and don’t desecrate her image.”
“And Esme… he’s right about me abandoning him and everyone else I loved. Forcing their memories back and trying to treat them as intrusive thoughts.”
“Oh, stop it! You would’ve never liked to leave them, but unfortunately the circumstances of life led you to this place. Are you really going to just lay in that room, rotting when now there are other people who care for you?”
Standing there, I thought for a second before I shook my head vigorously. The smile on her grew even bigger, the room shone even brighter.
“Precisely! That’s the me I like to see.” She took my hand into hers and led me out of the kitchen, straight toward the exit of my apartment. I tried to resist but she kept on pulling.
“Shhhh… It’s alright. This is your first step to change. To a proper, positive change. To prosper, That’s what you desire, isn’t it?”
I nod my head even more vigorously, tears still running down my eyes.
The girl opened the door and all I could see was a very bright whitish golden hue.
“I’ll give you one last chance.” She pushed me straight towards the whitish golden hue and I stumbled straight into it.
“WAIT–” I desperately yelled, trying to reach out to her.
“Go. Take it. Make yourself proud and don’t disappoint me.”
Knock knock
I wake up to a gentle knocking on the door leading to my room.
I seem to have made it back to Astaria’s body and back to her room, away from this terrible nightmare.
“Astaria…?” A deep, masculine voice spoke out.
Could this be what she meant by last chance…?
