The Dormant Queen of the Hybrid

Book 1, Chpater 2 Asterids

Asterids woke up. She is alive again. Oh how wonderful to breath and smell the air once more. Someone is touching her body, though. Damping wet towel, maybe giving her weak body a bath. For that she is thankful for this old lady named Aritha. It seemed that she was saved by her last night. She looked at her side and saw a full height mirror. She is half naked while being cleaned of blood, mud and other nasty things of her past. She saw her birthmark, a crown shape red stain on her porcelain skin, middle of the chest area. Oh, the necklace that her mother gave her when she was seven is still around her neck. The silver color matched her blue eyes highlighted by her dark long straight hair. Andy has the same set of eyes too.

“Andy? Where's my son?”

“Calm down, you're still weak.”

“Please.”

“Oi Sarah, get me the towel. This angel needs to be dried fast. She has been wet since last night. “ A small red cheeky girl came from the kitchen next to the bathroom and handed the towel.

“A-about your baby. He didn't made it. The medics already took him away. I'm really sorry my dear.” Aritha pat the head of Asterids.

“That's scary! I don't want to become a mother anymore!” Sarah continued to peal the potatoes in the kitchen.

“Shush, Sarah. This lady has been through enough already.” Asterids eyes went wild. Her son is no longer here in this plane. She believed that they both died that night.

Thousands of years ago, the monarch pitied Lilith and revived her back. It seems that the monarch also took a pity on Asterids. But how could they not choose her son instead? He deserved more. Asterids remembered her son Andy. He got the sweetest smile. She remembered him holding her fingers with his tiny little palm, smiling at her. It seems that he chose to let go of his life and gave it to her mother. It was supposed to be the other way around. She was supposed to take care of him. Save him. Asterids heart split in two. Andy was so young, so brave, so selfless and she did not deserve to be his mother. Asterids emptied her tears the whole day crying, sending the whole orphanage in panic.

The orphanage is degraded, and a bit old, but it's composed of big facilities. It stands at the top of the hill located in the witches district of Makati City. It's a place for unwanted child, magical creatures or not. This time it seems that it’s also a haven for a bastard and a failure of an adult like her. Every day Asterids would send her grief for her son. She would always ask for his forgiveness. She plans to use the life that Andy gave her for revenge, and she could never stop her guilt for doing such awful thing. She doesn’t deserve this second chance, but the Madrigal family needs to face what they deserve.

Days became months, months became a year. Seasons changed, but not the hatred in Asterids heart. She was more observant, untrusting, compared to her previous self. She is no longer naïve and is more driven but still compassionate and kind to the people she knows. She became the big sister of the children in the orphanage. She would read books, thirst for more knowledge and improve her skills. She got interested in drawings and design. If not thinking about her awful family in the past, she would start to draw people with her charcoal pencil, sometimes animals, buildings or cars. Her new life is surprisingly peaceful. But that did not stop her for her plan to retaliate to the ones who wronged her.

“I would like to apply for college while working here.”

“We don't know if that's possible. As you can see, this orphanage is poor.” Aritha gaged after biting an apple. It seems that the apple have worm in it. She threw it away and helped Sarah with peeling the potatoes. They will have curry that evening.

“I’m really sorry Asterids. The budget is really not enough to hire a new housemother.” Ms. Minchin is the eldest housemother in the orphanage. She is also their cook who is now giving instruction to Sarah to cut the peeled potatoes in an inch size. She would have to drown the curry with more water so she can feed twenty three mouths later.

“What if I applied to work outside the Orphanage?”

“Oh geez Asterids, you can't go out of the orphanage. If you're not a witch, you won't find a good paying job in the district. Unless you want to work as their pet. A familiar—”

“Sarah!” Ms. Minchin cut her of.

“I promise I will find a job. I can't rely on you guys forever. I will have to stand on my own two feet very soon. Will you allow me, Ma'am?” The old lady pat her head and smiled.

“Fine. You can still stay here, while you look for a job. We'll be lonely without you here though.”

“Oh thank you, Ma'am! I owe you my life.” Asterids hugged the madam and secretly winked at Sarah which giggled in response, together with Aritha who is now eating another apple.

*** *** ***

A few weeks later Asterids was already bursting from frustration. No one hires a shifter who does not want to shift, she's not even sure if she can really shift. She never used that skill, ever. Plus she is a college drop out. She plans to go back to school, so she needs a job and elevate her status in the society. She would need a lot of things, for her revenge.

She touched her necklace. The pendant is a silver ring that her mother gave her. The ring calms her down. She remembered the last time that she talked to her mother. It was how she got the ring. It was Asterids’ birthday November 08 Of the year of the fire pig 2007. After her parent's divorce, she felt that things like birthdays are a trivial thing. New year, Christmas, and family gathering is no different than your average weekend eat out or parties. It does not mean anything special for her anymore. Nevertheless, her seventh birthday felt odd for her. She seemed closer to nature, and her senses are sharp. She touched the ground and she felt the pulse of the earth. She heard the wind is playing a song from the tunes of rustling tree leaves and the twitting birds under them. She smelled the salty sea at the back of their house. She saw the sky is wider and bluer. The seventh year is important to the young shifters. It's the time the world is opening up to their animal self. And Asterids is absorbing all of this magnificent things in life, until it stopped. Suddenly, she can no longer feel the nature and her senses are as dull as a dishwasher. Someone behind her put the necklace on her, and it seemed that the ring pendant of the necklace is the one diminishing her shifter senses. Burying her animal self. It was a leash. A manicured hand pressed the ring pendant to Asterids' chest as if trying to implant it inside her skin.

“Happy birthday my dear.” The familiar voice struck Asterids' ear. She immediately turned around and the sun casted the silhouette of the witch that she love, Her birth mother Maruha. Asterids likes seeing the vista of the Laguna De Bay, the sea at the back of the Pasig city, the city of the Madrigal clan. Her favorite spot to view the ocean is at a cliff a few away from the back of the Madrigal household. Her father would always reprimand her because around the cliff are mass of spires or pointed rocks that rises very high and is almost vertical, or straight up-and-down. It's a dangerous place but Asterids' audacious self leads her little adventures back to this special spot, nature's vista front seat. Her little a secret world. But it seemed that her mother knows her enough to find her here this time of the day.

“Mom! You left the house. But I missed you. Please come back home! Or rather bring me with you. I hate that Tia.” Asterids observed her mother thoroughly. She is her epitome of beauty. Her curly blue hair has a few red highlights. She have asian pointed eyes but with green pupils. Her voluptuous body did not fade in time. Her white skin, as smooth as silk.

“I'm really sorry my dear. I really missed you. Few months has passed but you already grew up this much?” Maruha tried to chuckle, but it was painful to see. Something odd is happening to her mother, Asterids thought. She seems somewhat unhinged. Not herself.

“Do you believe that sometimes darkness exist in this world for a reason?” Maruha tried to start another conversation. She begun putting her hands together in front of her belly and begun to walk demurely to the edge of the cliff looking at the ocean, Asterids facing at her back.

“Sometimes the darkness is needed to punish the wrong doers.” Asterids agreed. Remembering the story of Lilith and Adam. That's why the angels casted Adam away from Eden.

“Or sometimes they are just sinister beings who likes power.” Maruha countered.

“There are things that I cannot control. Things that roams in the dark. That ring will protect you. Would you promise me that you will wear it everyday, keep it near you?” Maruha faced Asterids again, she was crying. She went back towards Asterids and kissed her forehead, just like how she does it when they were still a complete and happy family.

“I need to protect my Asterids.” Maruha begun sobbing silently resting her head on Asterids’ forehead.

“Protect you.”

“Protec—” the witch said again weakly. And then suddenly Asterids felt pain on both her shoulders. Maruha was crushing them. She is now staring intensely at Asterids. Her eyes, dark. It's as if she's a different person. She stands straight, still crushing the shoulder of the child in front of her.

“I should have never gave birth to you!” Maruha started to choke Asterids. Void of expression, with Intent to kill. Asterids tried to removed her mother's hand from her neck. But with an adult strength compared to her seven year old body. It was no use. She tried to claw her mothers skin to loosen her hold on her but she can never muster her strength. Asterids’ consciousness begun to fade.

“M-Mom. Why?” Asterids weakly plea to her birthmother. Her hands stopped fighting, her body is getting weaker, her lungs are starting to give in, and her heartbeat is starting to slow down. She was closed to death. Suddenly, Maruha gasps as if cold water was poured on her. She let go of Asterids which immediately gasp for air as well. Both of them collapsed on the floor.

“What have I done.” Maruha started panicking.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm—” She was slouching and staring at the floor, mumbling as if having a nervous breakdown.

Asterids was able to composed herself and was about to demand some answers from her mother about what the freaking heck is happening, trying to hold the hand of Maruha when suddenly she strike Asterids' hands away. “I'm sorry.” Maruha stands up. Her eyes was calm this time staring Asterids. She was about to say something but stopped herself. Instead she went near the edge of the cliff and jumped to her death below the rocky floor near the ocean.

Maruha's life immediately ended that day. On Asterids' 7th birthday.

*** *** ***

“So she was really having a nervous breakdown.” It was a statement and not a question.

“You know complicated words kid. You're smart. But yes that was the diagnosis of the doctor assisting her a few weeks ago.” The police tap her shoulder. It made Asterids wince. She woke from remembering her past as if day dreaming, except all of it are nightmares. The pendant ring that she is holding reminded her that she is back in the present year 2021 in her own room in the Maria Makiling Orphanage. It’s been trauma, after trauma now after the divorce. She realized that life has been cruel to her this whole time. It was a mistake that she got excited on her seventh birthday. Her mother's life was the price to pay for it. It was her father's and Tia's fault. If they haven’t met, her mother could have been happier with her life. She wouldn’t have left her. Her son Andy wouldn't have to die. She could have been complete instead of an awful damaged empty shell that she is. Being a mate, being reincarnated to meet your destined love. All of it are unfair. Love is the most cruelest thing you will encounter if it did not favor you. Love have requirements. Only strong people can relish it.

She went out of the Orphanage joining Sarah and Aritha to the market. Later after that, she will visit her son Andy and mother Maruha's grave. It is also located in the witches district near the black church of Sabbath. When they saw and find out who she is visiting, the two lady hugged Asterids. Sarah holding her hand, while Aritha combing her hair while having a somber face looking at her little angel. Smell of death lingered in the graveyard. There are a lot of death trees surrounding them, a lot of old witches and wizards tombstones. Above them are flying black crows circling and cawing as if singing a rhapsody. Asterids touched her mother's necklace once again. She will continue not relying on her shifter self for it will remind her of that awful person she once thought as a father. She will always keep this chain around her neck. She will continue to stop listening to the wind, stop admiring the colors of the forest, stop touching the earth, stop inhaling the beautiful scent of the flowers. She will stop those mesmerizing feeling of being one with the nature, or being closer to the universe. She will just aim to taste the sweetest fruit that is revenge. Just like what her birthmother wants, she will bury this leash inside her skin. Her blue eyes, resembling her son's and the red crown birthmark near her heart. All of it will no longer remind her of an innocent loving child of an alpha warelion of the Madrigal clan. From now on, she will be the bastard child of Maruha, a witch with a tragic death. And the longing mother of her son Andy that should've deserve more. She will be the avatar of their retribution.

.

.

.

.