The Wings Toward the Ocean
1227 Words
The morning sun entered the witch sanctuary through the gaps between the ancient trees, painting golden patterns across the stone walls.
For the first time in many days, Astera woke up without the immediate fear of being hunted.
There were no warriors searching for her.
No voices calling her a traitor.
No flames surrounding her.
But she knew this peace would not last forever.
The answers she had been searching for were still waiting far away.
Her mother.
Her sealed wolf.
Her forgotten past.
And the truth behind everything that had happened.
---
A gentle knock came from the wooden door.
"Come in," Astera said.
The door opened, and Elara entered carrying a tray of breakfast.
"You should eat before leaving," she said.
Astera looked at the tray.
Fresh fruits, warm bread, herbs, and a small bowl filled with magical berries were arranged neatly.
"You didn't have to do this."
Elara smiled.
"You always say that when someone cares about you."
Astera remained quiet.
She wasn't used to people caring without expecting something in return.
Elara placed another small bowl on the table.
Astera looked confused.
"What is that?"
Elara glanced toward the tiny dragon sitting near the window.
"For him."
The little creature immediately turned its head.
Its eyes brightened.
Astera looked at it.
"You have your own food now."
The dragon happily jumped onto the table and began eating.
Despite its small size, it ate with great excitement, its fluffy red and yellow fur moving with every bite.
Astera watched silently.
"You really are strange."
The creature looked up at her with curious eyes.
"You don't even know what you are..."
A small sound came from the dragon as if it was answering her.
For a moment, Astera felt a strange warmth.
Not from magic.
Not from power.
Something simpler.
A bond.
She quickly looked away.
"Don't think this means I understand you."
The dragon continued eating happily.
Elara laughed softly.
"I think he already decided that you are his family."
Astera didn't answer.
But she didn't deny it either.
---
After breakfast, Astera returned to her room and prepared for the journey.
Her backpack contained everything she needed:
Her invention notebook.
Her tools.
The ancient book.
The potions from the witch grandmother.
And the few gadgets she had repaired.
She checked the bracelet on her wrist.
A small metallic device was hidden inside it.
A creation she had made long before everything changed.
A reminder of the girl she used to be.
Before the volcano.
Before the betrayal.
Before discovering that she was something more.
The tiny dragon climbed onto her shoulder.
Astera looked at it.
"You are really coming everywhere, aren't you?"
The creature curled comfortably against her.
She sighed.
"Fine."
"But don't slow me down."
---
Before leaving, Astera met the witch grandmother one last time.
The old witch looked at her carefully.
"You are going toward the Ocean Tide Pack."
Astera nodded.
"I need answers."
The grandmother remained silent for a moment.
"Be careful, child."
"The truth you are searching for may not be the truth you want."
Astera lowered her eyes.
"I already learned that the world can hurt me."
She tightened the strap of her bag.
"But I still need to know why."
The grandmother smiled sadly.
"That is what makes you different."
---
With one final goodbye, Astera left the hidden sanctuary.
The forest slowly disappeared behind her.
The journey ahead was long.
She moved through valleys, rocky paths, and forgotten routes where no one would recognize her.
Her inventions helped her survive.
Her instincts guided her.
But something inside her continued changing.
She could feel it.
The mysterious energy within her was becoming stronger.
Sometimes she could hear distant sounds that others couldn't.
Sometimes she felt the movement of the wind before it arrived.
Sometimes her body reacted before her mind understood.
And then there were her wings.
The strange wings that appeared during moments of danger.
She still didn't know what they were.
Whether they belonged to her wolf.
Her unknown power.
Or something much older.
---
After hours of walking, Astera reached the top of a mountain.
Below her stretched a breathtaking view.
The ocean.
Endless blue waves touched the horizon.
The Ocean Tide territory was beyond the sea.
Her destination was finally close.
But traveling around the mountains would take days.
Astera looked at the sky.
Then at the distance.
A thought entered her mind.
"No..."
She immediately shook her head.
Flying was impossible.
She had never controlled her wings.
She didn't even understand them.
But suddenly...
The wind around her changed.
It moved gently around her body.
Almost as if it recognized her.
The dragon lifted its head curiously.
Astera touched her back.
Slowly, a golden-silver glow appeared.
The air became lighter.
Then...
Her wings emerged.
Large.
Powerful.
Beautiful.
Astera stared at them.
"I still don't know what you are..."
She whispered.
"But I need to learn."
---
Her first attempt was far from perfect.
The moment she jumped, her balance disappeared.
"Wait—"
She fell.
The dragon immediately grabbed onto her clothes.
Astera reacted quickly.
Her bracelet activated.
A metallic wire shot forward and attached itself to a nearby tree.
She stopped just before crashing.
Hanging in silence, she looked at the dragon.
The dragon looked back.
"Don't judge me."
The creature blinked innocently.
Astera pulled herself back up.
Again.
And again.
She practiced until her body understood what her mind couldn't.
She learned how to move her wings.
How to follow the wind.
How to control her speed.
How to stay balanced.
Slowly...
The wings stopped feeling like something foreign.
They became a part of her.
---
By evening...
Astera was flying.
Not perfectly.
Not gracefully.
But she was flying.
The world looked different from above.
The forests looked peaceful.
The mountains looked small.
The ocean stretched endlessly beneath her.
The tiny dragon sat safely on her shoulder, enjoying the view.
For the first time since escaping the volcano...
Astera felt something she thought she had lost forever.
Freedom.
---
As the sun began setting, the Ocean Tide Pack appeared.
Astera slowed down.
Below her was a kingdom unlike anything she had ever seen.
The Ocean Tide territory surrounded a massive crystal-blue ocean.
Beautiful islands were connected by elegant bridges made of crystal and ancient magic.
Large underwater cities shimmered beneath the waves, glowing with blue lights.
Waterfalls flowed from floating cliffs into the sea.
Crystal towers reflected the moonlight.
The entire kingdom seemed alive with nature and magic.
Unlike the Inferno Pack, which carried the intensity of fire and battle...
The Ocean Tide Pack carried peace, wisdom, and healing.
They were protectors of magical creatures and keepers of ancient knowledge.
Astera landed quietly near the edge of the territory.
She immediately folded her wings before anyone could notice.
The dragon jumped down beside her.
She looked toward the ocean kingdom.
Somewhere inside those walls were the answers she had spent her entire life searching for.
Her mother.
Her past.
Her truth.
But one thing was different now.
She was not returning as the powerless girl everyone rejected.
She had survived the Forbidden Volcano.
She had awakened impossible abilities.
And she carried wings that the world had never seen.
Taking a deep breath, Astera stepped forward.
The Ocean Tide Pack awaited.
And with it...
The next chapter of her destiny.
- Writer
