Chapter 23: Fate's Surprise

Third Person's POV

Astra sends a message to a stranger online during a dark night, waiting eagerly for a reply. However, her aunt interrupts, calling her to dinner before she receives a response. Despite leaving the message unanswered for the moment, Astra's curiosity remains, lingering in her thoughts as the evening unfolds.

On the other side, as Bryan sat quietly in his room, scrolling through the internet on his phone, he suddenly received an anonymous notification. At first, he thought it was just a stranger, but something about it made him stop and think.

The person who just add him send a message that began with a simple greeting, "Hi Mr. B.Copper," and went on to explain how the sender stumbled upon his comment about Dark Aislings.

With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, Bryan read through the message, feeling intrigued by sender's words. He sensed a connection and wondered what insights he could offer in response.

[Hi Mr. B.Copper,

I hope this message finds you well. I came across your comment about Dark Aislings and it really caught my attention. I've been trying to understand some strange happenings in my dreams lately, and your insights are exactly the same as mine. Could you possibly answer some of my questions regarding this?

Hope to hear something from you soon,

Astra]

Bryan took his time deciding whether to accept the message. He noticed how the sender structured their message, finding it unusual that someone still used a formal format nowadays.

He also noticed the sender's name, Astra. He wasn't sure if it was the same Astra from work who sent him the message, as he only had his coworker's phone number.

Feeling a sense of responsibility and curiosity, he decided to accept and reply to Astra's message. He typed out a response, expressing his willingness to help and offering to share his own experiences with dreams and Dark Aislings.

A surge of excitement runs in his blood. It was rare to find someone who shared his interest in the mysterious realm of dreams, and he looked forward to exchanging thoughts and insights with her.

[Love the formal vibe in your message! What era are you? Haha, just kidding. Anyway, sure thing. I can maybe answer some of your questions.]

Once he finished writing his message, Bryan waited, eager to see how Astra would respond and hoping that their exchange would lead to a deeper understanding of the enigmatic world they both inhabited.

Bryan settled onto his couch, flicking through TV channels while waiting eagerly for a reply. Time dragged on, but no response came. Frustration runs at him as he checked his phone repeatedly, hoping for a notification, yet it remained silent.

Sighing with disappointment, Bryan finally decided to call it a night, feeling exhausted from the anticipation. He resigned himself to the fact that the sender might take their time to reply, and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Astra returned to her room after eating dinner. Her heart pounding with anticipation as she glanced at her computer screen. She was accepting and had hoped for a quick response from B. Copper, but all she saw were three little dots moving, indicating that the sender was still typing.

'How long is his reply, and he's still not done typing?' Astra wondered to herself.

Feeling a mix of excitement and impatience, Astra settled into her chair, eager to see what message would eventually appear. She knew she had to be patient, but the wait felt endless.

Staring off into space, Astra decided to watch some videos online. She didn't pay much attention to the video, as her mind wandered to other realms. In her imagination, she found herself in a distant land, accompanied by her dearest person in the world. There, they lived quietly, with her loved one serving as a great comfort to Astra.

Hours passed, yet Astra still hadn't received a message from B.Copper. She glanced at the time on her computer and noticed that it was already late into the night. Since she had an early start at school the next day, she decided it was best to get some rest for now.

Under the bright moon in the sky, Bryan and Astra slept soundly, eagerly anticipating the news of tomorrow. As they drifted off to sleep, their dreams were filled with possibilities of what the new day might bring.

As they slept peacefully, unaware of their surroundings, a figure stood silently nearby, watching over Astra with a vigilant gaze. In the tranquility of the night, the mysterious watcher observed, his presence shrouded in darkness as he kept a protective eye on Astra, ensuring her safety through the night.

The mysterious man sat in a chair facing Astra.

"Why does all the misfortune seem attracted to you?" He murmured to himself as he observed her peacefully sleeping on the bed.

As he watched her, a mix of curiosity and concern danced in his eyes. He pondered over the circumstances that seemed to continually surround her, wondering if there was more to her than met the eye. Astra's presence seemed to draw the attention of both fortune and misfortune alike, leaving him fascinated by the mystery she embodied.

Armann keeps a sharp-eyed watch over Astra in her daily life. Sometimes, she goes to the Convenient Store as a regular customer. Other times especially at night, he's in an Astral Projection state, observing her and her Aunt Morph.

As he quietly sits, Armann's mind replays the information he gathered from his conversation with the Elderly the other day. He can't believe that the woman in front of him is being pursued not only by death but also by Nyx, the goddess of the night.

In his contemplation, Armann reflects on the complexities of Astra's situation and the weight of his responsibility to protect her. He wonders about the significance of her connection to Nyx and what it means for their ongoing battle against the forces that seek to harm her.

As he got lost in his thoughts, Armann settled into a comfortable chair, feeling the weight of exhaustion. He leaned back against the chair's support and closed his eyes. While resting, Armann suddenly felt a chill in the air around him, and the window of the room suddenly opened, allowing the cold wind to enter.

Armann was puzzled and slowly walked towards the window to check. As he peeked outside, all he saw was a quiet street and a flickering streetlight.

Armann was about to return to his seat when suddenly a dark attack flew towards him. He quickly summoned his purple bow and countered the attack.

Looking outside the window was the reaper, the one responsible for the sudden attack.

"You're quite diligent in your watch," remarked the Reaper, summoning his scythe again.

"Likewise," Armann replied, his response tinged with sarcasm. The tension in the room intensified as they faced each other, ready for whatever confrontation lay ahead.

'Why didn't I sense him?' he questioned himself.

The reaper swung his scythe with full intent of killing, thinking this will be the end. The gleaming blade slicing through the air as Armann deftly countered with his bow, the clash of metal ringing out in the room.

Meanwhile, Astra remains asleep to the chaos that is happening around her, lost in the depths of her peaceful dream.

With an intense gaze in his eyes, the reaper moved in swiftly, closing the gap between himself and Armann as he launched another attack. Armann, recognizing the danger of engaging in close combat with his opponent, focused on blocking the reaper's attacks, knowing that his bow is useless at such close combat.

Their duel unfolded in a shower of movement, each strike and block sending shockwaves of destruction in the room that the furniture is all damaged. Splintering and shattering under the force of their clashes, while sparks danced in the air, casting an eerie glow over the chaos.

As they are busy fighting each other, another unexpected visitor arive. From the void, a sudden chill enveloped the surroundings. Extremely from early, the area this time was marked icy, and although the two weren't affected by the cold, they still felt the malevolent presence that made them stop and watch what will happen next.

From the floor, a dark, ghostly figure rose beside Astra's bed. It stood facing Astra, hidden in shadow, concealing its face from both of them.

"You've brought acompany with you!" Armann exclaimed, assuming the newcomer was an ally of the reaper.

"I don't know him," replied the Reaper. "You, who are you?" he added, turning to address the shadow.

The shadow entity slowly turned to face the two of them. As its gaze met theirs, Armann felt a chill run down his spine, a sense of recognition dawning upon him with each passing moment.

Nyx embodies a formidable force, shrouded in mystery and darkness. With an unstoppable desire to possess Astra's abilities to disrupt the balance between the real world and the realm of dreams. It moves with a precise plan of sending chaos and disturbance that will make everyone to experience nightmares.

Armann was about to attack Nyx, ignoring the reaper by his side, but Nyx used its power to stop him.

In an instant, Armann found himself unable to move. His body, who's sleeping far away, experiences Sleep paralysis that overtook his body. As he struggled against the invisible bonds holding him, Armann realized the extent of Nyx's power and the dire situation he was in.

The reaper, on the other hand, merely observes the unfolding events. His familiarity with Nyx stemming from their past association in their group. However, due to Nyx's misuse of its inherent abilities with darkness and nightmares, its reputation took a dark turn.

The reaper thought that Nyx is here because of Astra having a nightmare, and he appears to favor this outcome, hence his inaction. He speculates that if Astra were to die due to nightmares, her soul would be easier for him, as it would willingly leave her body in fear. In such a scenario, he plans to swiftly move and collect the soul and make it vanish like a wisp of smoke.

Meanwhile, Nyx turns and pays attention, gazing toward Astra, ready to strike, but suddenly Astra immediately sits up from her bed, as if fleeing from an intense chase, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. While collecting her breath, she notices the black entity standing closely to her.

"W-who are you?" Astra stammers, trembling with fear.

~ To be Continued ~