THE VEIL OF THE THREE REALMS

Chapter 6: THE ROAD TO UNKNOWN

Astra's Point of View:

All day, I remained in bed. I hadn't even realized that I had bruises of my own until the pain started settling into my body. Every movement felt exhausting, and I barely had enough energy to sit up. Thankfully, my mother never left my side for long. She took care of my wounds, brought me food, and constantly checked on me. I appreciated everything she did, but there was still a heaviness inside my chest that I couldn't shake.

By late afternoon, I finally decided to get out of bed. I slowly stepped outside and walked around the temporary shelter that had been built near the temple. The place was filled with people from our village who had lost their homes or been injured during the attack. As I walked past them, some recognized me. A few immediately looked away, while others whispered quietly among themselves. Some didn't seem to care at all.

I simply sighed and continued walking.

Then I noticed a woman nearby.

She was wearing a dirty white dress and was sweeping the ground with an old broom. Judging from her appearance, she looked to be somewhere in her forties or fifties. There was nothing particularly strange about her at first glance, but something about her made me feel uneasy.

Suddenly, she stopped sweeping.

She looked directly at me.

I became uncomfortable under her gaze, so I lowered my head and started walking away.

"Hey, lady."

I stopped.

I slowly turned around and pointed at myself.

"Are you calling me?"

The woman nodded.

I hesitated before walking toward her. The closer I got, the stranger her presence felt. There was something about her aura that I couldn't explain. It wasn't exactly frightening, but it felt... unusual.

"I saw that scandalous mother pointing at you earlier," she said casually. "She called you a witch."

I knew exactly who she meant.

Rose's mother.

"Uh... yeah," I answered awkwardly. "But I'm not a witch. She just misunderstood what happened."

The woman suddenly let out a small laugh.

I stared at her, confused.

She turned toward a small wooden table behind her and picked up an old book. Its cover looked worn and dusty, as if it had been sitting there for years.

She held it out toward me.

I hesitated before taking it.

"What is this?"

The strange woman's smile never disappeared.

"I want you to have it."

I looked down at the book, then back at her.

"Why?"

"I noticed something about your aura."

"My aura?"

She nodded slowly.

"It's full of mystery."

I stared at her in confusion.

What does that even mean?

She barely knew me, yet she had suddenly decided to give me an old book simply because she thought there was something mysterious about me.

Still, something inside me told me to accept it.

I held the book tightly against my chest.

"That book might help you."

"Help me with what?"

But before I could ask anything else, she simply turned around and continued sweeping.

Just like that.

I stood there for a few seconds, completely confused.

"Okay... that was strange."

I looked down at the old book again before eventually returning to my bed.

---

Night slowly arrived.

After eating a simple dinner, we settled inside the temporary shelter with the rest of the villagers. We no longer had our dining table at home, so everyone ate wherever they could.

I looked around.

There were so many different faces surrounding me, and each one seemed to carry a different s********e people had lost their homes. Some had lost loved ones. Others simply looked exhausted from everything that had happened.

Almost everyone had tired and sorrowful eyes.

I lowered my gaze.

Despite everything, I still tried to remain hopeful.

I couldn't clear my name right now. My friends didn't trust me. Rose's family hated me. People were calling me a witch.

But I knew the truth.

I hadn't hurt Rose.

Someday, they would understand.

Someday, they would know what really happened.

I yawned and pulled the blanket over myself. Before closing my eyes, I looked toward my parents. They were quietly talking about something, though I couldn't hear what they were saying.

I smiled faintly.

At least I still had them.

My eyes slowly became heavier.

And eventually, I fell asleep.

---

I slowly opened my eyes.

It was the middle of the night.

For a moment, I simply stared into the darkness, trying to understand why I had woken up.

Then I noticed something.

My parents' bed was empty.

I frowned.

It wasn't just empty.

It was perfectly organized, as if no one had slept there at all.

A strange feeling immediately settled in my stomach.

"Mom?"

No answer.

"Dad?"

Silence.

I slowly got out of bed and walked toward my father's side.

That's when I noticed something lying there.

A weapon.

A dagger.

My father had once told me that he would give it to me when the time was right.

I carefully picked it up.

Then I noticed a folded piece of paper lying underneath it.

My heart began pounding.

I picked it up with trembling fingers and unfolded it.

The handwriting immediately caught my attention.

It was my mother's.

I began reading.

> My dear Astra,

We are sorry for disappearing so suddenly. It is not because we are abandoning you. We want you to seek out, learn, and uncover your true identity.

We will meet again when the time comes.

I stared at the letter.

I couldn't breathe.

"No..."

I looked around.

Their belongings were gone.

Everything.

My knees suddenly felt weak.

They left.

My parents had actually left me.

But why?

Did they leave because they were afraid of me?

Did they finally believe the rumors?

Did they think I was dangerous?

I thought they accepted me.

I thought they loved me regardless of where I came from.

They were the only parents I had ever known.

My hands began trembling as I covered my face.

Tears slipped between my fingers.

"Why...?"

My voice broke.

"Why would you leave me?"

I cried.

I cried until my eyes hurt and my chest felt heavy.

My friends didn't trust me anymore.

Rose was badly injured.

People believed I was a witch.

And now even my parents were gone.

Everything felt like it was slowly tearing me apart.

After hours of crying, I finally wiped my face.

My eyes were swollen, but my expression became strangely calm.

Almost empty.

I stood up.

If my parents had left to make me discover the truth about myself...

Then perhaps I needed to start searching for those answers.

I packed only the things I needed.

I secured the dagger around my right waist and pulled a black cloak around my shoulders.

Before leaving, however, there was one more thing I needed to do.

Rose.

I quietly made my way toward the room where she was resting.

I carefully opened the door.

She was sleeping peacefully.

I stood there for a moment.

My heart sank when I saw her.

She was my best friend.

And yet she was lying there because of something I couldn't even understand.

I slowly approached her bed.

I wanted to say something.

Anything.

But my voice wouldn't come.

Instead, I gave her a small, sad smile.

I took the letter I had written and carefully placed it inside her diary, which was resting on the table beside her bed.

I looked at her one last time.

"Goodbye, Rose..."

My voice was barely a whisper.

Then I turned around and quietly left.

My eyes no longer cried.

But my heart did.

---

Third-Person Point of View

Morning finally came.

Rose slowly opened her eyes.

Her family immediately noticed and rushed toward her, relieved to see that she was awake.

"Rose!"

Her mother held her hand tightly, tears of relief filling her eyes.

Her friends gathered around her as well.

But Rose's first thought wasn't about herself.

It was Astra.

"Where's Astra?"

Her mother immediately frowned.

"Why are you looking for that witch, Rose?"

Rose stared at her mother in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

She looked toward her friends.

They seemed uncomfortable.

"I was trying to save Astra," Rose said, her voice becoming weaker. "Someone took her... and that person stabbed me. I couldn't protect her."

Everyone in the room froze.

"What?" Venus exclaimed.

Charles looked shocked.

"But we thought Astra was the one who tried to kill you."

Rose's eyes widened.

"What?"

"She released some kind of strange magical energy," Venus explained. "Then she disappeared. And you almost died."

Rose slowly shook her head.

"Why would Astra ever do that to me?"

She tried to sit up.

Then she noticed something inside her diary.

A folded piece of paper.

She reached for it.

"What is this?"

She opened it.

Her eyes widened when she recognized the handwriting.

"It's Astra's letter."

Everyone became silent.

Rose unfolded the paper and read it aloud.

> I'm sorry, Rose.

I hope someday we all meet again—together with our friends when the right time comes and when our hearts are ready.

Rose's voice trembled as she finished.

The room became painfully quiet.

Tears began falling from her eyes.

They had blamed Astra.

They had doubted her.

And now she was gone.

"Guys..."

Marcus lowered his head.

"We failed her as her friends."

His voice cracked.

One by one, the others began crying.

Rose reached for them, and soon the four friends were holding onto each other, mourning the friend they had lost.

They could only hope that Astra was somewhere safe.

And that someday...

She would forgive them.

---

Three Days Later

Far from Wysteria Town, Astra had already passed through three different villages and towns.

Traveling alone wasn't easy.

She had little money, little knowledge of the places around her, and no idea where her parents had gone.

But she kept moving.

She needed answers.

About her identity.

About her strange power.

About the prophecy she didn't even know she was part of.

And most importantly...

She needed to find her parents.

As she walked through another unfamiliar area, something caught her attention.

A tower.

A very tall tower stood beyond the trees.

There were no lights coming from its windows.

It looked abandoned.

Almost melancholic.

Astra stopped.

Her eyes widened.

She suddenly remembered the old book the strange woman had given her.

She opened it and flipped through the pages.

Then she froze.

The drawing on one of the pages looked exactly like the tower standing before her.

"No way..."

Her curiosity immediately grew.

She followed the path into the woods until she eventually reached a river.

Beyond it stood the tower.

The same tower.

The same structure.

The same strange appearance.

Astra couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Why is this in the woman's book?

She crossed the river and continued toward it.

Eventually, she reached the entrance.

The door was slightly open.

Astra hesitated.

Every instinct told her to be careful.

Still, she stepped inside.

The tower was dark and silent.

She pulled out the small light her father had given her and slowly looked around.

A staircase stood ahead.

She carefully climbed.

One step.

Then another.

Until she suddenly saw something lying on the floor.

A person.

Astra froze.

"Someone's there..."

She quickly approached.

At first, she thought the man was unconscious.

But then she recognized him.

Her eyes widened.

It was one of the travelers she had encountered before.

The serious man.

The one who had offered her medicine.

The same man who had barely spoken to her before lighting his cigarette.

"What happened to you?"

Astra immediately knelt beside him.

She carefully checked his body.

Bruises covered him from head to toe.

Then she noticed the wound.

A deep sword wound had pierced the left side of his abdomen.

Her heart raced.

"You're hurt..."

She checked his pulse.

There was still a heartbeat.

Weak.

But there.

"You're still alive."

Astra quickly took out some cloth and began bandaging his wound.

She didn't know who had attacked him.

She didn't know what this tower was.

And she certainly didn't understand why the old woman's book had led her here.

But she couldn't leave him behind.

Not while he was still breathing.

"Please... don't die."

She tightened the bandage and looked at his pale face.

For the first time since leaving Wysteria Town, Astra realized something.

Her journey might have already begun leading her toward people and secrets that she had never expected to find.