Chapter 31: Another show
Third Person's POV
In the adjacent chamber, where Armann and Astra were waiting, the three Elders observed in silence, accompanied by the Overseer. Their attention was fixed on the large mirror mounted on the wall, yet it reflected nothing but a simple painting on the other side.
"Where is she?" Elder Mundorus inquired to the Overseer without turning his face to him.
"She's on her way," the Overseer replied as there was a sudden knock on the door.
He immediately headed there to open it. There, he saw a woman with curly hair flowing down her back. She wore a simple dress paired with an old brown cardigan. Additionally, she had glasses perched on her nose and various types of lucky bracelets adorning both her left and right wrists.
"They're waiting for you," the Overseer said.
The woman gracefully entered the room, her presence commanding attention as she approached the area where the three Elders stood.
"Good morning Elderly Phias, Elderly Resias and Elderly Mundorus," she greeted, offering a slight bow as a sign of respect towards them.
Elderly Resias briefly glanced at Michel before redirecting her attention to Astra.
"Michel, allow me to introduce you to Astra," Elderly Mundorus said, gesturing towards Astra who was in the adjacent room. As he spoke, a warm smile graced his features, indicating a sense of welcoming and anticipation.
Michel followed the direction indicated by the Elderly and spotted an innocent-looking girl standing before them. Unaware of being watched from across, she continued to browse through the items.
On the other hand, Michel was taken aback and found herself questioning whether she had entered the right room.
"Is that my office?" She murmured to herself, her words escaping unconsciously.
She couldn't recognize her office anymore. What used to be her clean and minimal room was now filled with strange objects. It resembled more of a den for fake fortune-tellers found in alleyways. Michel couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping over her as she surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings.
"What is going on? Who is she?" Michel inquired to the Elderly, her curiosity tinged with politeness.
"She is the key for us to win," Elderly Mundorus replied, his voice carrying a sense of being proud and determined.
"We want you to go inside and delve into her pure memories. Examine everything about her, including her strengths and weaknesses," he added.
"May I know the reason why?" respectfully, Michel inquired.
"Because there's a possibility that she might be one of us. We want to confirm it," Elderly Resias responded once more.
She was well-versed in the knowledge about their kind and their capabilities, but Michel couldn't help but wonder at the Elderly's response. She knew that they were powerful, especially Elderly Phias who could see both the past and the future of any person years ahead just like her.
"I can sense your confusion," Elderly Phias suddenly spoke, as if he could read Michel's thoughts. "You're right that I can see all the memories of anyone, but she is different. I cannot see her future," he added.
Michel understood that this was the reason why they struggled to determine whether Astra would indeed become one of them or not.
"But if you can't see her future, how could I possibly do it?" Michel addressed respectful yet feeling discouraged. She thought her ten years of service is still not good enough for this task.
"We believe that your skills and experience provide you with enough knowledge. Besides, we are not going to assess her future but rather his past," Elderly Mundorus explained calmly, his wisdom anchoring the discussion assuring them with precise results.
"It's truly a great honor, but you are still capable of seeing her past, right?" Michel queried once more, her face betraying her confusion. Despite her respectful demeanor, she couldn't shake off her concerns so she asks.
"You're right. Even though I can't see her future, I can still see her past specially because that's what we truly need. However, I can't deny that I'm growing old. My body can no longer withstand the intense power emanating from Astra's inner being," Elderly Phias responded with a sigh, his words carrying a weight of resignation.
Due to his old age, Elderly Phias gradually felt a twinge in his knees, prompting him to decide to take a seat.
He eased himself onto the chair and slowly adjusted its position. The Overseer quickly offered him assistance.
Michel, filled with curiosity, watched as Elderly Phias took his seat, waiting for him to continue speaking.
"Astra is going through a very intense ordeal. She bears a wound that still haunts her to this day. I'm certain her subconscious is in confusion and darkness right now." he continued with a serious yet calm tone.
Upon hearing this from Elderly Phias, Michel couldn't help but feel curious about the wound he mentioned. 'What could it be that Astra still carries with her?' she thought to herself.
Gradually, the other two elders also began to feel a numbness creeping into their limbs. They had been standing for a long time, observing Astra, so they decided it was time to take a seat.
"Right now, Astra's mind is still in the state of absorption regarding various matters. Go out and accompany her. Explore her memories from the past and inform us," Elderly Mundorus instructed. "Be cautious and don't let yourself be deceived by whatever you may see," he added.
"Does she already know what we should do to her?" Michel asked, curiosity evident in her tone because they seemed strange to her this time.
"No," Elderly Mundorus replied simply. "She doesn't need to know yet," he added.
Michel felt a bit wrong doing this but she just simply nodd, understanding the importance of discretion in their mission. She prepared herself mentally to delve into Astra's memories, knowing that uncovering the truth would require both caution and empathy.
"However, in order for me to uncover her past, I need to touch her," she asked again, pondering how she could accomplish the mission.
"There are items in that box that you can use to disguise yourself. You can pretend to be a fortune-teller and use it as a pretext to touch her," Elderly Mundorus replied.
This explanation clarifies everything for Michel. She finally connected the dots. That's why her office's appearance had changed, due to the plan laid out by Elderly. Despite her hesitation, she had no choice but to follow the Elder's orders, no matter how evil they might seem.
"If you understand everything, go ahead and get what you need from the box and head over there," Elderly Resias said, her tone slightly stern. She was talkative, but when it came to matters concerning the Darsha, she remained quiet except for Elderly Phias.
"Understood," replied Michel, bowing slightly to show her respect. She approached the box containing clothes and various items.
As she busied herself rummaging through the contents, Elderly Mundorus signaled to the Overseer. The Overseer immediately approached and leaned in slightly to allow Elderly Mundorus to reach his ear.
He uttered a soft whisper with voice barely audible, before gracefully bowing as a silent indication of their imminent departure from the room.
The Overseer headed towards the door and opened it, holding onto the door handle, waiting for Michel. When Michel noticed this, she quickly grabbed a long piece of fabric. She bowed again to the Elders and swiftly made her way to the door.
The entrance to the next room is not far, so they were outside in just a few steps. Michel quickly tied the head wrapper around her head and adjusted her glasses.
The Overseer gave her a thorough look, leaving her puzzled.
"Why? Is there something wrong?" she innocently asked, scanning herself.
"The glasses don't suit your disguise," came the cold reply as he placed his hand in front of her, asking for Nichel's glasses.
"What?" Michel responded cautiously.
"Give them to me," the Overseer insisted. With no other option, Michel reluctantly handed over the glasses.
Michel's vision wasn't blurry before, but because of her ability to see into people's past and future, she gradually began to enhance the clarity of her eyesight. Although Michel's eyesight wasn't significantly impaired yet.
For one last moment, the Overseer checked Michel again before grasping the door handle. Ready to open it, but before doing so, he added one final remark.
"We'll leave the two of you inside for you to focus only on her. From there, it's up to you what's going to happen next," the Overseer last words before finally turning the handle and opening the door.
Upon entering, Michel saw Astra and Armann engaged in conversation. Astra was taken aback by their arrival, causing her to stand up. Michel casually made her way to her seat and began arranging the items on the table, pretending not to notice the surprise on Astra's face.
"They're calling for you," the Overseer stated, glancing towards Armann.
This was his plan to leave Michel and Astra alone in the room. Michel understood this once again, so she adjusted her seat.
"Alright, I'll follow," Armann replied. "I'll just step out for a moment. Can you stay here?" Armann asked Astra.
Michel seized this opportunity to interject.
"Don't worry. I'll accompany him," she assured.
"Thank you," Armann replied. "I'll be back."
As Armann and the Overseer exited the room, a palpable sense of anticipation filled the air, creating an awkward atmosphere for both Michel and Astra.
'What's my next move?' Michel anxiously questioned herself. She was unsure how to act in front of Astra and how to persuade her to let her hold her hand.
Michel glanced around nervously, searching for a solution until her gaze landed on Astra. Astra appeared nervous, like a child being left at daycare for the first time. Michel felt a pang of sympathy and decided to speak up.
"Don't be afraid. Come, take a seat," she said reassuringly.
Despite her reluctance, Astra hesitantly took the seat opposite her.
"By the way, I'm Michel. I know it's a masculine name, but that's my real name. What's yours?" she introduced herself cheerfully, attempting to break the ice.
From that moment onward, Michel spotted an opportunity to broach a topic. This presented her with the chance to embark on the mission entrusted to her. With determination, she prepared to delve into the conversation, hoping to gather the information needed to fulfill her task.
~ To be Continued ~
PS: I'm so excited to upload the next chapters. I can't wait to tell and show you the spark of romantic love from "someone". Can you guess who it might be?