THE VEIL OF THE THREE REALMS

The rain was coming down hard, shrouding the forest in darkness. A man in a cloak dashed through the rain, his feet so silent against the mud that he might have been walking on air. In his arms, he carried a sleeping baby tightly wrapped in the folds of the cloak, shielding her from the rain. He did not look back, his sole concern being the safety of the baby. The forest lay ahead of him in all its gloomy glory, the ancient trees promising both refuge and danger. Shadows dance on the ground beneath the downpour. A few footsteps seemed to be coming from behind. Devin came to a stop suddenly. The forest quickly became teeming with shadows as figures appeared, one by one, until Devin found himself flanked by them from all sides. It was evident that the men thought they had successfully trapped their quarry. But they were mistaken. In a single swift motion, Devin took out the knife hidden under his cloak. A cold breeze blew through the forest with the smell of rain and metal. Before the men could react, there was a flash of silver blades in the dark. One after another, the assailants fell onto the wet ground, vanquished even before they attacked. Devin calmly put his blade away without a second glance. Holding an infant in his arms, he continued moving through the storm, carefully carrying the child, as if she had never been in danger. Once the man was convinced that nobody was pursuing him anymore, he ran deeper into the forest. When he came to the edge of the cliff, he made a careful descent through the tight opening, all the while holding the baby tightly. Having reached the ground, he continued on. Far away, he noticed a tiny cottage and sighed with relief. He was sure that the people living there would help him and the baby. The rain beats down fiercely onto the little cottage while thunder shook the mountains like the growl of an angry creature. The storm was raging so strong it made anyone think twice before stepping out, but the man in the cloak didn’t show any signs of fear. He rushed towards the old wooden door of the cottage and knocked on it with all of his strength. BANG! BANG! BANG! "Open the door!" The loud banging on the door woke up the couple sleeping inside the cottage. The husband sprang up from his sleep looking worried. "Who is this at this hour?" "I am not sure," his wife muttered with fear when another thunderclap rattled the walls. She clutched his arm fondly. "Do not unlock the door yet. It might be unsafe." Before they could do anything, they heard a familiar voice calling out from the other side of the door. "Open up! It is me, Devin!" The husband and his wife exchanged glances of surprise. They quickly rushed out to open the door. A gust of cold air filled the room bringing along the scent of rain and wet mud. Standing outside was Devin. His cape was soaking wet, and he was short of breath, but despite everything, both of his hands were carefully hiding something under the cloak. "Please..." Devin gasped. "I'm holding a baby." The woman's eyes widened. Without hesitation, she carefully lifted the infant into her arms. The child remained peacefully asleep, completely unaware of the danger that had surrounded her. Only then did Devin release a long breath of relief. "Devin," the woman asked softly as she cradled the child, "how did you find us? And whose baby is this?" The husband closed the door behind them before turning to him. "The storm is raging outside," he said. "What happened?" For a long moment, Devin remained silent, struggling to catch his breath. His shoulders rose and fell heavily before he finally spoke. "I rescued her..." His voice was barely above a whisper. "...from King Malagar." Silence filled the room. The couple stared at him in disbelief. "The king?" the woman whispered. "Why would King Malagar want to kill an innocent child?" Devin slowly removed his soaked cloak and sat beside the fireplace, allowing its warmth to ease the cold clinging to his body. After a moment, he looked at the couple. "You both remember what happened after Malagar betrayed and murdered his twin brother, the rightful king." The man nodded while maintaining his serious expression. "It is impossible to forget," "After the discovery of the betrayal," Devin began again, "the prophecy was revealed." The woman unconsciously grabbed onto the sleeping baby tightly. "What prophecy?" Devin looked away, avoiding her gaze. "It is said that someday after the kingdom has been doomed, a baby will be discovered. A baby who will give life to everything that was lost." "The baby..." the man said softly. "...will destroy the king," Devin added. The silence filled the cottage. The woman stared down at the baby with a thoughtful expression. "You mean to say..." she asked quietly, "...that this baby is the child in the prophecy?" Devin nodded slowly. "I am sure she is." The husband frowned. “But how? Where did she come from?” “No one knows.” Devin rubbed his forehead as past events came flooding back to his mind. “A palace servant found her lying alone in one of the Kingdom's garden.” “The kingdom's garden?” the husband repeated incredulously. Devin nodded. “That should not have been possible; since Malagar has come to power, the palace has been heavily guarded and no one can sneak in.” “And the servants,” the husband asked. “They weren’t even expecting a baby.” “Then the guards?” “They swear they saw no one.” “Then the nobles?” “None of them know anything.” Devin shook his head. “It seems as if the baby just … appeared.” Again there was silence in the room. The noise of the rain hitting the roof was louder than the spluttering fire. "At first," Devin continued, "Malagar simply considered her an unwanted baby, and ordered his servants either to throw her away or let anyone who wanted take her." He paused for a moment before speaking again. “For three days… nobody would touch her.” The woman cast her eyes down at the baby with pity. “What had changed?” “A witch arrived at the king’s palace.” They both sprang upwards at once. "She stood in front of the king and said…” Devin's voice became almost whispering. “Why do you keep her alive who will be the one and will eventually take your throne away from you?" The man's face changed. “Malagar accepted it.” Devin replied bitterly, "And once fear appeared in his heart, he did not see merely an innocent child anymore.” There was silence again in the house. At the last, the woman spoke up. "What are you going to do now?" she said softly, looking at the baby. "Are you going to take care of her by yourself?" Devin shook his head as he answered. "No." He looked up to see their eyes. "You are going to," he said. "What?" the husband said. "Why us? You can leave her with those that took care of your son." "I can't," Devin said quickly. "If I take her there, I will expose those people." He sighed deeply. "You know the people I am leaving my son with are members of the underground rebellion. They are in great danger already, resisting King Malagar. If he finds out where they are because of me...then it will be risky" The husband hung his head in shame; he knew deep down that Devin was right. The woman stared at Devin, worry on her face. "And what about you?" she raised the question. A slight smile crept on the weary face of Devin. "I lived for years on my own," he replied in a low voice. "But now that I am a wanted person…I cannot offer her tranquility." Devin's eyes focused on the baby in the crib. "And she will never experience tranquility if she stays with me," he said. "And you two live far from this kingdom, far from the palace ties. You can give her the normal life that I could not give." The husband and wife glanced at each other nervously. The woman hugged the baby even tighter. "But what if she isn't the child of prophecy?" she said quietly. "What if it is all just a coincidence?" Devin was silent for a moment. After a brief pause, he replied with calm assurance. “If she is not... then love and guard her as you would your own daughter.” He looked down at the sleeping baby. “But if she is indeed the one...” “Then nothing can save her from what is her fate.” The couple stood still in silence, trying to digest the information they have just received. Prophecy, treason, the king's apprehensions, and the small child sleeping in the lady's arms, everything occupied their minds. Finally, the lady looked down at the baby with a tender look on her face; she stroked the child's hair away from her forehead. "We will get out of here," she said. "We can start over in a different place, away more far from the kingdom. This baby can be a gift for us! We have waited a long time, but we never got to have our own baby." Her husband turned to her. Although there was still a worry in his eyes, he took her hand and held it. She meant what she said. For many years, he had watched his wife suffer in silence from not being a parent. So maybe this was a sign from the destiny which was finally answering their prayers. Devin smiled. "I am thankful," he said in a soft voice. Then he reached under his coat to take out a small pouch of velvet. "I almost forgot," he said as he placed it on the table. "It was in the basket when we found her." With utmost care, the man loosened the tying of the pouch and tugged it open. Inside was a spectacular silver hanging which was studded with a highly valued gem. Even in the shadows cast across it by the fireplace, the jewel twinkled with a unique glow, as though it produced light of its own. "I suppose this Piece of jewelry used to belong to her," Devin murmured. The woman picked up the hanging and put it in her hand. This item was indeed a one-of-its-kind ornament. The quality of its production was incredible, as if this thing had never been made by an ordinary craftsman. The moment her fingers clutched it, the woman had a vague understanding of what this child was not like any other baby. Perhaps everything that happened today was not just an accident at all – maybe every action, movement, sacrifice, and decision had been plotted long before. The woman observed quietly as her cousin made adjustments to his robe and got ready to get lost once again. Her husband was beside her reminiscing the old times when he and his cousin had shared laughs in the royal capital before betrayal led to the fall of the kingdom. In those times, their families lived peacefully among the great noble families of their kingdom, but today they are just survivors of a war. "Be safe." With that, Devin smiled one last time. "You too." Without saying anything more, he stepped out into the storm. The couple did not call after him. They knew that looking back would make it that much harder to leave. The cottage was silent again. The only sounds were the quiet crackling of the fire and the gentle breathing of the sleeping baby. The husband and wife were sitting in front of the fireplace, where the child was resting safely in front of them. Tomorrow everything would change. They would leave this place and start a new life, a new family. Seeing his child asleep, the husband suddenly thought of something. "What should we name her?" His wife blinked and smiled gently. "You’re right," she said. "Devin did not tell us her name. Maybe… she doesn't have one yet." The husband chuckled lightly. "Then we are the chosen ones." The woman looked tenderly at the child for some time. Outside, the storm was calming down, and the dark clouds were disappearing, allowing the sky with an infinite number of stars to appear above the sleeping kingdom. "I understand." He looked at her, puzzled. "What are you thinking?" She held the infant close to her chest. "I'm calling her... Astraea." He repeated the name softly. "Astraea..." She nodded, and her eyes spoke of that heavenly splendor that lay in wait beyond the window. "Like the stars," she murmured. "One day, when her time comes, she will sparkle enough to light the path to others who have lost their way." He smiled at her. "It fits well." They were oblivious to how the clouds had parted completely above the still kingdom. The stars were gleaming above them, brighter than they had for many years, as though the sky was harboring the first signals of a legendary story.