"Huh?"
The man under the hood was a familiar face. Too familiar. He stared Astrid in the eyes. This man looked exactly like Baron, but older. He smiled at her as she jumped back.
"Ah, my face has been revealed." A knife was pulled from his pocket. "Time for the lot of you to die!"
Astrid, who was on life's edge, didn't dare to
move. She was more scared than ever, yet the adrenaline running through her massive. Somehow, she was a bit excited. After the man stepped towards her, she charged at him, unknown to the consequences.
"Who are you?!? What are you after?"
He grinned.
"Astrid, Astrid, Astrid. Don't you know why I'm here? Remember what you did? I'm here to make you pay."
Astrid had no clue what the man was on about. But she knew what he was going to do next. She took a step back.
"I know you want me to die. So kill me. But leave my father. My father doesn't deserve to die."
"Oh? Even if he tried to kill you?"
"Even if he tried to kill me. He's doing it out of the safety of his own life. I forgive him for that."
The man smiled.
"Very well." He slid the knife to Astrid. "Kill yourself. Don't try anything or your father dies. I'll kill your mother as well."
"Tch. I know."
She picked up the knife. She looked to see her father still crying, taking care of his wife.
'This is it. I'll save my father this time. But if I die, will I go back to the academy?'
She brought the knife to her neck. This is it. The risk of losing it all, Mizuki, Mirage, her power....It made her psyched. She had to do this.
Or did she?
The man backed away to the door, looking a bit intimidated by Astrid's eyes. They were disturbing.
"Those eyes....Stop looking at me like that!" He knelt on the ground, clutching his head. "No, no, no, no...He's gone now! Why? Why do you look at me with those eyes? You're supposed to be scared! What's with your eyes?" He was having a breakdown, over Astrid's eyes? Astrid herself was confused. What did her eyes look like? She looked at her parents, who gazed at her in terror.
'What is it? What's up with my eyes?'
The knife she was holding fell to the floor, and Astrid walked towards the man, attempting to comfort her. However, he shouted and ran out the door.
"Leave me alone! Go away! Stop it! You witch! What the hell is wrong with you!"
Astrid was standing there in shock, she clocked the similarities. Big cloak. Tall. Holding a knife. The running away. He was the man. The man who killed her in her original world.
Her father slowly approached her.
"A-Astrid? Are you okay?"
She turned to him.
"Perfectly fine....what's up?"
"Never mind. I thought you were.....gone again..."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Please, call the ambulance. Your mother is in great pain."
Astrid nodded and went to do so.
***
"Mother! You're awake!"
Anne saw her daughter, sitting next to the hospital bed she was in.
"Are you okay, dear?"
"Mhm. The man ran away."
"Oh...He did? That's great to hear. So...Astrid, I think it's time I tell you..."
Astrid looked up in in curiosity. "What?"
"Well, you see...that man....Your father owes a lot to that man."
"Money?"
"No, not money...your father is basically working for him, as a servant. They used to be close friends.....before you....."
"I what?"
Anne let out a deep breath.
"That's all Imm going to tell you. It's best to keep some things locked away..."
***
The next breakfast was quite an awkward one. But Astrid wasn't going to keep it that way for long.
'I need to get out of this illusion, fast. I don't know how much time i've got left. I saved my father from death, so what do I do now?'
"Mother, father. I've something to tell you."
They listened in to Astrid.
"I'm going to move out."
"Eh! You're only 14! What are you thinking?"
"But I-"
"I don't want to hear it! You are staying here until you're 18!"
She cursed under he breath, before cleaning up and going to her room.
'It's a Saturday. There's no school, but what do I do?'
Then, the idea hit her. She could call upon Eta to help her. She sat down on her bed, closed her eyes, and meditated.
'Any second now....'
But nothing happened. How was she going to talk to Eta? If she couldn't do that, what was she meant to do? How was she going to get out of the illusion?