3 Astra 1

There was a flash of light from the wooded part of the park in the city. After a while, two figures emerge both wore a long cloak and their hood was up so you cannot see their faces. They stood there for a couple of minutes before they choose a direction to go to. As they walked away, a fog swallows them, and they vanished into the night.

Ezabell POV

It was a bright early morning when a young woman stood in front of a house that has a sign saying that it was for sale. She was looking around the place when a car stopped not too far away from her.

"Hi! Are you the one who called?" The woman who exited from the car greeted.

"Yes. Are you, Mrs. Holland. The Real Estate Agent?" The woman asked. She looked at the way the woman dress, it is too different from the way they dress in our world. Here I saw a lady who wore almost nothing and I felt scandalized about it, but I keep my opinion to myself. This is not our birthplace, and I have to follow the way this person lives.

"Yes, I am but you can call me Martina. So, what do you think about the exterior of the house?" She asked. I look again at the house. From the outside, this house looks old, but wonderful. It has been built with red bricks and has a cypress wooden decoration. Tall, wide windows add to the overall style of the house and have been added to the house in a very symmetric way. This is the reason why she called the number that was written on the wooden signage.

"How about the interior of the house? Can I have a look?" I asked Martina.

"Yes, of course. The previous owner already left the and the house is now empty," She explains as she leads me inside. As you enter the house you can see an open-plan floor, from where I stand, I can see a beautiful patio and I immediately remember Idalia. She would love that open room that leads directly into the yard.

"The kitchen is on the left side of the house. The previous owner loves to cook so it was state-of-the-art. And as you can see the patio leads into the yard, which also has a small pool at the side." Martina explains.

"The first floor has two rooms, one has a bathroom and the other can be used as a closet. Upstairs has four bedrooms, each one has a bathroom, and they're also a wide veranda overlooking the yard." I was looking around when she started walking towards the stairs. I walked just behind her as she leads me to the rooms she just mentions.

"So, what do you think?" She then asked me as we stand in the last room. I looked at the room again and saw that it was also connected to the veranda, it has its passageway.

"Yes, I'll take this house. Please prepare all the necessary papers to sign by tomorrow, I want to move as soon as possible with my daughter," I said to her, then I turned around and walk out the room.

"You already have my contact number. Just call me anytime tomorrow when everything is ready," With that, I left.

We've arrived here two months ago; our transition was not easy at all. Earth is the same as our world and at the same time, it is also different. Learning the value of money, the way they dress, the way they talk, and their view of the word magic, me and my attendant learned it all. It took us this long to feel confident to walk among them, confident enough that they would never question the story I build about us.

In this world, I see some things that could remind me of Oliasea Continent, and this is just the right place for Astra to grow up in. She could learn from here and I know that she would be safe. My ability as an Oracle is not as powerful as it was back at Oliasea Continent, I cannot know everything. Except for one thing, Astra would meet someone here, that would give her pain, and that pain will become the definition of who she will become.

Now that she was able to acquire a house, it's time to find a way of earning. The gems and jewelry that I brought and Astra's family gave are enough for us to live a comfortable life base on their value alone. But I was never the Idle person, and I want to learn more about this place. It would be great knowledge to share back home.

Time went by, Astra is now eight years old, and she started to be inquisitive about everything. Astra knew that I was not her real mother, but she has to call me Mom whenever we are outside or with the company. Astra and Ezabell Lynx, that's the name we used here. I have a Flower Shop as a business, and it's doing great. Thanks to Leena, my attendant who not only has the affinity of the Earth Element. She can grow any type of plant, and she is also very talented at arranging flowers. People love the way we present our craft that somehow, we became one of the well-known flower shops in the city.

"Zia Eza, look, look!" Astra called, so I looked at the patio door and saw her squatting on the ground and a face with so much elation is written all over it.

"What are doing Astra?" I stood to see it more clearly, and what I saw baffled me. A small sprout was poking out from the ground. At her age, Astra should not be able to manipulate the elements she's affiliated with. The youngest that ever recorded was age thirteen, usually, the age fifteen is considered a young adult.

"How did you do that?" I asked her, maybe she just took the plant and transfer it here. But I was wrong in my thinking.

"It called me, it said that it wanted to see the sun. So, I help it grows," Astra innocently answered. She is indeed blessed, looks like the first element that awoke in her is the element of Earth.

"Very well since you like to help them. Why not help Leena in calling them up every day after school, hmm?" I said to her, we must develop her abilities so that she can control them properly in the future. A wild ability, especially here in a non-magical world is dangerous. People tend to fear someone or something different from the norm.

Since that day, Astra has worked with Leena to develop her strength as an Earth Elementalist. Now Astra just turned twelve years old, and she is blooming like a beautiful lady. She has long and curly auburn hair, just like her mother. Also, a button nose that had freckles above it and a cupid bow lip. But what was so unusual about her are her eyes. Her eye changes color, in a subtle way that you won't even notice it. One moment she had these deep green eyes that would gradually change to these light blue eyes or these amber eyes that could change to red hue almost very light purple color eyes. Her eye started to change when her abilities show.

Astra is not an active girl, I let her join different clubs and sports that she wants. Especially the ones that can help her physically, like self-defense and archery.

She also has talent in arts, especially in gardening and in the kitchen. You can see the characteristics of each element on her, except the element of spirit. It hasn't awoken in her yet.

"Zia Eza, so you think that I could make it to college?" She suddenly asked one day, it took me by surprise because we never really talked about anything beyond high school. "No Astra, when you reached eighteen we are going back home," I told her. I haven't told her about her parents yet, nor had she ever asked about them, but I know it will happen soon. "Why, I thought that the reason we left was that it's dangerous for us there? Why do we have to return?" Astra asked, there's a doubt on her face. I cannot tell her everything just yet, it's not yet the time to reveal the truth about our departure and of our return. She is not yet ready.

"You will know in time, Astra. Patience is a virtue," I said to her. But she suddenly stood up and said, "You always told me that. What are you hiding from me? Why can't you just tell?" She angrily said. Yes, teenagers their angst in life. It's plenty of here on Earth, I wonder why. Back at Oliasea, the young ones already experiencing life. Maybe that's why? "Are you even listening?" She said as she slapped her hands on the table. And small vines and roots emerge from the table, her abilities sometimes tie on her emotions. It's a good thing that I have practice early on before she loses control of it. " I am. And I understand your frustration. But I know that it's not yet the right time, remember my ability, Astra. It may be muted, but I can still have a glimpse of the future." I reminded her. After that, she left. I know she will just sulk at her garden, the one that she made on her own without Leena's help.

Another year had past and now Astra is fourteen. She already shed the body of a child and the body of a beautiful young woman started to show on her. Some males already showed interest in her, and I never stop her from interacting with them. But I keep reminding her of what she shouldn't do. Young people here are so eager to love and be loved, that ends up being pregnant without a concrete plan for their future.

"Zia Leena, do you think this looks good on me?" I heard Astra's voice inside her room. As I came to look, her room is like a tornado came and messed up all of her dresses. She is so excited about the date she's going to have with one of her suitors.

"Anything you wore looks good on you, Bai Astra," Leena said to her. Astra is a beautiful young lady, but also a reserve one. I once overheard her saying that sometimes she feels that she didn't belong here. And this date has a big impact on her because someone finally acknowledged her existence.

"Astra, make sure that you are back at ten in the evening. Understood?" I said to her. She asked a few days ago if she can accept the invitation to dinner and a movie with one of her male friends and I have allowed her to go on the condition that she would be vigilant at all times. Now she is preparing for the said date.