Asrai

Chapter 5: Letting Go

My thoughts scattered as my phone rang—again. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Casey. My loud, relentless best friend, calling for what had to be the twentieth time today.

“Oh, Casey…” I sighed, guilt tugging at me. I silenced the ringer and let the call fade into quiet. I told myself it was better this way. I was nearing the town’s border, and the closer I got, the more I knew I had to let go.

I shouldn’t have let myself get so attached. Nan would never approve—not to a human, especially one unaware of our world. I’d tried to create distance over the past month, hoping she’d take the hint. But Casey never missed a beat. She probably thought I was just overwhelmed by the move, and in her usual way, tried to soothe me with promises to visit.

She meant well. That was the hardest part.

She kept checking in, always trying to lift my spirits. Even went as far as setting a date to visit in a month. At the time I gave a weak nod of agreement, knowing full well it would never happen. Letting her believe it was easier than explaining the truth.

The truth was, I couldn’t keep my best friend.

Casey Norfolk would never be accepted in Enchantsville. She was an Earth Human, and our laws strictly forbid human interaction without explict permission from the High Court Counsil. That kind of permission has never been granted —and it certainly will not be Casey. To them, she would hold no value. She was an outsider.

Just like me, a small voice spat in defiance.

It was the reason I left in the first place. My very existence had already cast a shadow over my family name. Adding my only friend to the mix? I didn’t even want to imagine the things the town would say.

As I rounded the final bend, the Enchantsville Town Marker came into view— it was two ancient, decaying trees twisted together to form a haunting archway. I eased my car off the mountain road and parked along the shoulder. For a moment, I just sat there, gripping the steering wheel, trying to memorize the feel of its worn leather beneath my fingers.

This old 2009 Toyota was my first real big girl purchase. It had carried me through freedom, through college, through escape. And now, I had to leave it behind. Enchantsville didn’t allow cars. The town ran on basic tech—clunky desktop computers, maybe—but no modern vehicles. Here, supernaturals moved by foot, wing, or shift. If needed, they used carriages. The town stretched 15 miles in every direction, all orbiting a two-mile town square filled with markets, community halls, and the K-12 school where every child of Enchantsville was taught.

I stepped out and stared at the forest ahead. It loomed, eerie and still, like something out of a forgotten dream. I sighed, wishing I could truly get lost in those woods. But I knew better. What lay before me was an enchantment—a cloaking spell designed to repel outsiders. To the average human, it looked dark, uninviting, even dangerous. And if they dared to enter, they’d never find the town. They’d wander endlessly, lost in illusion, unless someone from within invited them in.

I glanced down at my Motorola Razr, its pink casing still cute and familiar. One last look. One last tether to the world I was leaving behind.

I mentally said goodbye to all my socials, lingering for a moment on the apps that had become my escape, my connection to the outside world. I opened i********: and snapped a photo, making sure the wild, snowy woods loomed behind me. It wasn’t just a picture—it was a breadcrumb. If anyone ever wondered what happened to me, they’d assume I wandered into the forest and vanished. At least Casey might find some closure… eventually.

I smiled faintly for the camera and typed the caption: Let’s get lost :). I posted it, then sent Casey a quick text: I’m home. I’ll call in a few days.

Then, without hesitation, I hurled my phone deep into the woods—away from the town, away from everything. It landed somewhere unseen, swallowed by the trees.

I pulled out my deep blue cloak, yanked the hood over my curls, and slung my worn brown duffle bag over my shoulder—the last remnant of the life I’d built outside Enchantsville. Without another word, I turned and walked toward the invisible town line, where reality bent and the world I once knew faded behind me.