THE VEIL OF THE THREE REALMS

Chapter 5: THE WOMAN IN CRIMSON

Astra's POV

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was an unbearable thirst, as though I hadn't had a single drop of water in days. My head throbbed painfully, and my entire body felt weak. I struggled to move, but somehow, I managed to push myself up from the ground.

Then everything came rushing back.

The soldiers.

My father fighting them.

Charles beside him.

My friends screaming.

And then...

My own voice.

I remembered shouting with everything I had, and somehow, the soldiers had been thrown away from us. I remembered looking down at my trembling hands.

Then...

Nothing.

I slowly stood, forcing my unsteady legs to support me.

But when I looked around, my heart sank.

This wasn't our house.

I was standing in our favorite hideout by the lake.

The same place where my friends and I had spent countless days laughing, swimming, and forgetting about the world.

But now...

It felt completely different.

The once-peaceful place looked melancholy, almost lifeless. The trees stood quietly beneath the gray sky, and the usual sounds of birds and insects seemed strangely absent.

I looked around frantically.

"Mom...?"

No answer.

"Dad?"

Nothing.

My friends were nowhere to be seen either.

Where were they?

Why was I here?

I stood there completely dumbfounded, unable to understand how I had gotten to this place.

Then I heard something move.

A rustling sound came from the woods nearby.

I immediately froze.

My heart began pounding.

It could be another soldier.

Or maybe...

One of my friends?

My parents?

I cautiously stepped backward, preparing myself for whatever might emerge from the trees.

Suddenly—

Something jumped out.

I flinched.

But instead of a soldier, a black cat landed gracefully on the ground.

I stared at it.

Around its neck was a strange silver choker that glimmered faintly beneath the dim light.

I had never seen this cat before.

The cat stared directly at me.

For some reason, neither of us moved.

Then, without warning, it turned around and ran deeper into the woods.

"Wait!"

I instinctively followed.

My knees were still weak, and every step sent a dull ache through my body, but something about the cat made me want to follow it.

I didn't know why.

I simply did.

As I ran, the scenery around me became increasingly strange.

The place felt like a ghost town.

Buildings stood damaged and abandoned. People wandered through the area, their faces filled with exhaustion and grief. Some carried wounded relatives in their arms, while others sat silently against broken walls, staring blankly into the distance.

My chest tightened.

What happened here?

Where was everyone?

And more importantly...

Where was my family?

The black cat suddenly stopped.

It turned its head and looked at me.

I slowed down.

Only then did I notice what stood ahead.

It looked like an evacuation center.

Someone had transformed part of the woods into a large temporary shelter. The structure resembled a massive wooden house, with people constantly entering and leaving through its doors.

I hesitated for a moment before following the cat inside.

The moment I entered, I realized the place was filled with injured people.

Beds and makeshift mattresses covered the large room. Some people were lying down while others were receiving treatment. The air smelled strongly of medicine, blood, and smoke.

My eyes darted across the room.

Then I froze.

I saw them.

"Mom..."

"Dad..."

My parents were sitting together near the back of the room.

They looked exhausted.

Their clothes were dirty, and worry was written across both of their faces.

But the moment my mother saw me, her expression changed completely.

"Astra?"

She immediately stood.

I rushed toward her.

"Mom!"

I threw my arms around her.

She hugged me tightly, almost as though she was afraid I would disappear again.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice trembling with relief.

"I... I don't know."

I pulled away slightly, still struggling to understand everything.

"I woke up at our hideout. I don't know how I got there. I looked for you, and then I saw this place, so I came here."

My father stared at me in silence.

His expression was difficult to read.

"What?" I asked nervously.

My father finally spoke.

"You disappeared, Astra."

I stared at him.

"What?"

"We've been looking for you since that night."

"Since that night?"

My mother nodded.

"You suddenly vanished after you collapsed."

I looked between them, completely confused.

"What happened?"

My father took a slow breath.

"After you fell to the ground, the earth began shaking violently. The entire area trembled."

My eyes widened.

"There was suddenly a thick cloud of smoke everywhere. We couldn't see anything, and for several minutes, we could barely breathe."

My mother continued, her voice shaking as she remembered.

"Then, just as suddenly as it appeared... the smoke disappeared."

She lowered her gaze.

"And you were gone."

I couldn't speak.

"But..."

I looked around desperately.

"What about everyone else?"

My father exchanged a troubled glance with my mother.

"Rose was gone too."

My heart dropped.

"What?"

"We didn't realize she had disappeared at first," my father explained. "Everything happened so quickly. She had moved away from us earlier because she was trying to get something. When the ground started shaking, we lost sight of her."

He paused.

"When everything finally became quiet, we searched for her."

My mother's eyes filled with tears.

"We found her..."

She couldn't finish.

My father continued instead.

"She was almost lifeless."

My breathing stopped.

"Someone had stabbed her."

My knees suddenly felt weaker.

I stared at them in disbelief.

"No..."

I shook my head.

"Where is she?"

My voice came out barely above a whisper.

"Where's Rose?"

I immediately tried to move toward the room my mother had indicated, but she grabbed my hand.

"No."

I looked at her.

"Mom?"

"Don't go in there."

"Why?"

Her eyes filled with tears.

My father stepped forward.

"Because they blame you."

I froze.

"What?"

"They think you're the one who did it."

My entire body went cold.

"They think..."

My voice trembled.

"...I'm the murderer?"

My mother immediately pulled me into her arms.

"No, honey. We don't believe that."

I couldn't respond.

My mind was completely blank.

How could they think I had done this?

I would never hurt Rose.

Never.

I loved her.

She was my friend.

My family.

"I-I couldn't..."

My voice broke.

"I couldn't do that to Rose."

My mother held me tighter, hiding part of my face against her scarf as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"For now, honey, you need to hide."

I pulled away from her.

"No."

My voice was shaky, but I forced myself to speak.

"If I hide, they'll only believe I did it."

"I know."

My mother looked helpless.

"But Rose's family has connections to noble families in another town. I'm afraid they'll come for you."

I couldn't understand any of it.

Everything had happened too quickly.

The attack.

My power.

My disappearance.

Rose being stabbed.

And now...

Everyone thought I had done it.

"But how?" I whispered. "How could Rose have been attacked? I was with all of you."

Before either of my parents could answer, an angry voice suddenly erupted behind us.

"So you are here!"

My parents and I turned around.

My heart sank.

It was Rose's mother.

Her face was devastated, her eyes swollen from crying. She looked as though she hadn't slept since the attack.

The moment she saw me, her grief turned into fury.

"You!"

She rushed toward me.

"You killed my daughter!"

She raised her hand as though she intended to strike me, but my father immediately stepped between us while my mother pulled me behind her.

"Ela, please!" my mother pleaded. "Astra would never do such a thing. You know how close those two girls are."

Rose's mother glared at us.

"If she didn't do it, then explain this!"

Her voice echoed through the shelter.

"Her friends said she suddenly released some kind of unknown magic!"

I stared at her.

Unknown magic?

"Then she collapsed, and when the smoke cleared, she was gone!"

She pointed accusingly at me.

"How do you explain that?"

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

I didn't know.

I didn't even understand what had happened to me.

"Witch!"

Her voice trembled with rage.

"I'm going to see you burn for what you've done!"

My heart shattered.

"I..."

I couldn't even defend myself.

How could I explain something I didn't understand?

My father stepped forward.

"Her disappearance is strange, yes. And we don't know what caused the magic."

He remained firm despite the woman's anger.

"But that doesn't prove she attacked Rose."

Rose's mother stared at him with hatred.

"Maybe your entire family is hiding something."

My mother pulled me closer.

Rose's mother finally turned away, still furious.

"Go to hell!"

She stormed back toward the room where Rose was being treated.

I stood frozen.

Then I noticed movement behind her.

My friends.

Venus.

Marcus.

Charles.

They were all standing nearby.

All three looked injured, their bodies covered in bandages.

But that wasn't what hurt me the most.

It was the way they looked at me.

Fear.

Doubt.

Suspicion.

Their eyes no longer held the same warmth they had only hours ago.

I stared at them, unable to breathe.

Even they...

Did they think I had done it?

My chest tightened painfully.

One by one, they turned away from me and followed Rose's mother into the room.

Just like that...

They left me standing there.

Alone.

I lowered my gaze.

For the first time in my life, I felt completely lost.

I didn't know what had happened to me.

I didn't know where the strange power had come from.

I didn't know how I had disappeared.

And I didn't know who had hurt Rose.

But somehow...

Everyone had already decided that I was guilty.

--

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW:

Before the attack on Wysteria Town, while Astra and her friends were still unaware of the danger approaching their home, a mysterious old woman had already begun putting a plan into motion. She was not responsible for the attack, nor had she come to stop it. Her purpose was much simpler, and far more complicated at the same time.

She had only one goal.

To save Astra's life.

The woman had known for some time that the tragedy was coming. She also knew that approaching Astra directly would be nearly impossible. There were too many people around her, too many questions she could not answer, and too many things Astra still did not know about herself. If she revealed herself too soon, she feared Astra might panic—or worse, run away.

So she waited.

She watched.

And then, during the attack, she witnessed something she had been waiting for.

Astra's power.

The moment Astra screamed for her father, an unknown force burst from within her. The soldiers surrounding them were suddenly thrown backward as though an invisible wave had struck them. The very air seemed to tremble around her.

Even Astra herself appeared shocked by what she had done.

Then, almost immediately, her strength disappeared.

Her body weakened, and she collapsed.

The mysterious woman watched from a distance, her eyes narrowing beneath the hood of her crimson cloak.

"So it has begun," she murmured.

A violent tremor shook the ground. Buildings rattled, debris fell, and thick smoke suddenly spread throughout the area, swallowing everything in its path. It was the perfect opportunity.

The mysterious woman stepped forward.

She had created the smoke for one reason, to conceal herself while taking Astra away.

For a moment, she thought her plan had succeeded.

But then she sensed someone approaching.

Someone else had reached Astra first.

It was Rose.

Even through the thickest layer of smoke, Rose had managed to find her friend. She rushed toward Astra and immediately dropped to her knees beside her.

"Astra..."

Rose's voice trembled.

She carefully lifted Astra's weakened body into her arms.

Astra looked terribly pale. Her breathing was faint, and her body felt almost lifeless against Rose's arms. Fear immediately filled Rose's heart.

"No... please..."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

She held Astra tighter.

"You can't leave me."

Rose barely noticed the figure approaching through the smoke.

A woman.

Her face remained hidden beneath a dark hood, revealing nothing except a pair of crimson eyes glowing faintly through the darkness.

Rose froze.

Her entire body trembled.

She wanted to scream, but the thick smoke made it difficult to breathe. Her throat felt tight, and fear prevented any sound from escaping.

The mysterious woman stopped in front of her.

"I'll take your friend's body," she said coldly. "Get away from her."

Rose shook her head.

"No..."

Her voice was barely audible.

"No. I'm not letting you take her."

The woman's expression remained unreadable.

"You don't understand what you're protecting her from."

Rose tightened her arms around Astra.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then the mysterious woman raised her hand.

A sharp flash of crimson light appeared.

Rose gasped as pain suddenly tore through her arm.

The woman had stabbed her.

Rose's grip immediately loosened.

She fell backward, clutching her wounded arm as Astra slipped from her embrace.

"No..."

Rose stared helplessly at Astra.

Her vision began to blur.

She had failed to protect her.

Slowly, her strength disappeared.

The mysterious woman stepped closer and knelt beside her.

"Don't worry," she whispered.

Her voice was unexpectedly gentle.

"You'll live."

She lightly touched Rose's face.

"You just need to sleep for now."

Rose's eyes slowly closed.

The last thing she saw was the mysterious woman's crimson eyes before darkness took her.

Once Rose was unconscious, the woman carefully lifted Astra into her arms.

Then, in an instant, the world around them disappeared.

The woman teleported.

When she reappeared, the smoke and chaos of Wysteria Town were gone.

She had brought Astra to the quiet place where the girl and her friends often spent their happiest days, a hidden place surrounded by nature, where the lake remained peaceful beneath the night sky.

The woman slowly lowered Astra onto the ground.

For a moment, she simply stared at the unconscious girl.

Then she placed her hand gently over Astra's chest.

A faint crimson glow spread from her palm.

Astra's pale complexion slowly regained some color. Her breathing became steadier, and the wounds and strain caused by the sudden awakening of her power began to fade.

The mysterious woman continued until she was certain Astra would survive.

When she finally pulled her hand away, she felt a slight weakness spread through her own body.

She paused.

Healing Astra had taken more energy than she expected.

Still, it was nothing she could not handle.

The woman slowly stood and looked down at Astra.

Her expression changed.

For the first time, something almost like sadness appeared in her eyes.

Then came a faint, knowing smile.

An idea had formed.

No...

A plan.

If she wanted to keep Astra safe, simply hiding her would never be enough.

Astra needed to be taken away.

And not just from Wysteria.

She needed to be separated from someone she loved.

The thought was cruel.

Perhaps even unforgivable.

But there was a reason for it.

The mysterious woman knew that this was the only way her plan could work. It was also the only way she could protect the people who had once given her a reason to love life to make her feel that her existence had meaning.

She could not explain everything to Astra.

Not yet.

If Astra learned the truth all at once, she would never accept it.

She would ask questions.

She would search for answers.

And she might run.

If that happened, the people closest to her would become targets.

The mysterious woman looked down at Astra's sleeping face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Her voice carried a softness that contradicted the coldness she had shown earlier.

"You'll hate me when you finally understand."

A faint, mysterious smile touched her lips.

"But you'll understand someday."

She turned away.

Within moments, the mysterious woman disappeared into the darkness, leaving Astra alone beside the quiet lake.

Above her, the stars continued to shine.

And somewhere beyond the darkness, a plan had already begun, a plan that would slowly pull Astra away from the life she knew and toward the truth she had never been meant to discover.