The streets of Natanstrelle never ceased to amaze Astrid's inexperienced eyes. Walking hand-in-hand with True, she allowed his warmth to bring her security as they explored the central city together. 

The surrounding buildings towered over them, with bricks of gold, silver and white. Carved in their outer walls were swirling symbols. These shining patterns etched into the stone lit up Astrid's violet eyes. An unaccounted for feeling of love radiated from these buildings and grabbed at her heart. 

"What are they?" she asked True, pointing at the shiny, spiralling markings.

A scorching heat prickled True's eyes and a lump came to his throat. These symbols were an everyday thing for him, he took them for granted. But Astrid. How would she know what these were? Why would those that dragged her up within the Emerald Army tell her of such a beautiful, love filled Natanstrellean tradition? The injustice of this realisation caused True to scowl. However, the curious look in Astrid's eyes as she waited for an answer, melted all that anger away.

"These are family symbols. Local families mark their place of residence with messages of hope and pride for where they belong and those they share a home with," he explained in tenderness.

"Oh," Astrid looked at all the curling shapes in the structures standing all around her. "They're beautiful," she breathed in awe. "Were they carved with light magic?"

"They certainly were," True confirmed, with a smile. "Now, watch this!"

He took out his light orb and let the power grow to fit his palm. He grabbed Astrid's hand with his free hand and pulled her closer to his side; lifting the orb in front of them both. Just like that, the symbols lifted off the walls like bright, glowing stickers. They floated in the air around the couple, dancing in a flurry, like dozens of golden butterflies. 

Astrid was speechless at the sight, she stared with eyes wide. Mesmerised by the beauty, she let go of True's hand and walked up to the fluttering gold symbols. She reached out and let one land with grace upon the back of her hand. It sat there for a few seconds then dissolved into her skin like a snowflake. With an excited giggle, she flung her arms out and encouraged more symbols to land on her. She spun on the spot and danced with glee. True watched her every movement, his heart skipping, for what he saw moved him so deeply.

When True returned his light orb to his pouch, the very last of the flying symbols returned to their carved image and dissolved into the brickwork they were carved into. Astrid watched them as they went and turned to face her husband with a beaming grin. She then ran to him and leapt into his arms.

"Thank you!" Astrid squeaked, as she squeezed him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked his hand down the length of her ebony hair.

"You are very welcome, my Astrid," he whispered into her ear. "You are always welcome."

They stayed in that place for a few minutes until True decided it was time for them to return home. With a nod of agreement Astrid walked by his side back towards Slànacus house. 

Three pairs of dark eyes peered from the shadows and watched her every move, with evil, scheming grins.

"Who allowed Astrid to go out at this time?" Celeste asked in a rush of anxiety. 

She barged into the healing lab, not worried about the amount of noise she made with her entrance.

"True went with her, they decided to explore Central City. True remembered how beautiful he used to find his home town at dusk," Naomi explained, her voice not at all as manic as her younger sister's. She didn't even look up from the potion she was measuring out on the counter. "What's the problem?"

"True with her or not, it's just not safe for that girl to be out there!" It seemed that how calm Naomi was, really ruffled Celeste's already worked up feathers. 

"Don't be such a worry wart, Celeste, they'll be fine."

"You don't know that! You can't just pretend Noir-Astra isn't out there! Everybody knows it's only a matter of time that he targets her!" The youngest and shortest Slànacus sister's voice rose an octave as Naomi's ever calm demeanour showed no change. 

"You always were dramatic, Little Sis," you could hear the smile that Naomi spoke with; this did nothing for Celeste's anxiety.

"Why are you so calm? Were you dozing this morning when Vicora informed us of the Sprèintis boys' disappearance?" 

"Of course I wasn't." Naomi could no longer stop herself from glaring at her fuming, younger sister.

"Noir-Astra is taking children now! We need to be more careful!"

"Those boys are legally men, Celeste. I know it's hard to see them that way, but they are. They have their own minds. All we know is that they haven't been home in a couple of days. There could be a number of explanations. Calm yourself!" 

"No! I shan't!" Celeste retorted with a childish air. "I'm getting Vicora!"

"Fine go get her. See if I care!" Naomi scoffed, before she brought her focus back to the various ingredients sitting in front of her.

"Okay then, I will!" 

Celeste stormed out and stomped her way down the stairs.

Vicora was sitting peacefully at the kitchen table, cradling a warm cup of tea up to her pursed lips. 

"VICORA!" The bellow that Celeste made from the kitchen door made the eldest Slànacus sister start and spill hot liquid down her front. 

"Ah!" Vicora screamed as the tea scorched through to her skin. "Celeste! What's the matter with you?" she questioned in frustration, as she rushed to get a tea-towel to pat down her wet blouse.

"Sorry, Vicora, but you must come and speak with Naomi. She really doesn't care about our safety at all, and frankly I'm tired of her recklessness!" Celeste didn't manage to calm her voice when speaking to the head of her family.

Vicora let out a deep, calming breath.

"If I go up and speak to her, will you calm down and let me go back to my cup of tea?" she bargained, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes!" Celeste answered impatiently.

"Do you promise?"

"Yes!" 

"Fine, let's go." Vicora waved a steady hand to the open kitchen door, Celeste rushed out and Vicora reluctantly followed her to the healing lab.

The tension True and Astrid walked into when they got home was hard to bear. They made their way to the living room and sat down. Celeste was sitting on a skinny wooden chair in the far corner of the room. Arms folded, legs crossed and her foot menacingly flicked up and down, like the tip of an angry cat's tail.

"Are you okay, Celeste?" Astrid asked her adoptive aunt. But Celeste didn't so much as respond with a shrug. "Celeste?"

"Oh, ignore her!" piped up Naomi, from the opposite side of the room. "She's in a foul mood. Just let her have her tantrum!"

Celeste stabbed a glare at her sister and clenched her teeth making her jaw-hinge bulge in silent fury.

"Have you two fallen out, or something?" True asked, his gaze switching back and forth between the two.

"Oh, you know, sisters," Naomi said with a sigh and a shrug. Celeste gave a resentful scoff and turned her head away in spite.

"Oh, okay then," True glanced at his equally baffled wife.

"So," began Naomi, moving closer to the couple. "How was your walk?"

"Oh, it was amazing! We saw the symbols on the buildings and True made them fly! They danced with me! It was like nothing I have ever experienced!" Astrid told Naomi excitedly, she clapped her hands together as the image of what she saw on the streets of Central City fluttered to the forefront of her mind.

"Ah, Beanna-Cessori," Naomi responded with a nod. "They call that the Ancestor Blessing. It is beautiful. How lovely of you to show her that, True. Wonderful," Naomi gushed with parental love in her eyes. She then threw a look at her younger sister- who then got up with a stamp of her foot and left without a word.

True and Astrid had no idea, how such a quick look like that could be so offensive to Celeste, but she was clearly mad at something that didn't need to be said out loud.

"I fancy a cup of tea, do you guys want one?" Astrid asked after an awkward moment of silence.

"Yes please," True answered her and planted a grateful kiss on her cheek. 

"I would love one," Naomi accepted the offer also.

Astrid got to her feet and made her way to the linking lobby. But a shrieking voice made her stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is everyone in this family crazy? Am I the only one who cares about that girl and the future of this land?" 

Astrid could not make out the words that a quiet mumble uttered in response to the rants and raves of Celeste. However, she could hear a hint of a mentally drained tone within the sound.

"No! Enough is enough! I won't sit idly by when the cursed child is going out at night making a spectacle of herself!" Celeste yelled at her oldest sister. "The Fiosolim family have warned us that Noir-Astra is after her and you guys are letting her go out there when people are going missing!" 

Celeste's words drove into Astrid's chest making it tight and uncomfortable. For her own sake, Astrid knew that she should stop listening but she couldn't help herself. Celeste certainly didn't seem to care whether she was overheard or not.

"Why are you lying to yourself? You both are! I can't believe it has come to this! She is Noir-Astra's child! Tainted from birth! Her eyes dictate so! She is destined to destroy us and you two have allowed her into our home!"

Suddenly the sound of the front door shutting resonated through the house and Astrid was gone.

She ran.

As far as her desperate legs could take her.

Her heart hammered relentlessly in her chest. It felt so heavy she thought it may fall right through her. Things were too good for too long, that was the sinister thought that swirled inside her head. She faced acceptance from more faces than she thought was possible. She made friends, allies. She thought. However, after hearing what Celeste had said in her unexplained anger, Astrid's mind was filled with crippling doubt.

The ground became uneven under her rushing feet. She stumbled, twisted her ankle and landed heavily on her hands and knees. A sharp pain stabbed through her foot and jagged rocks scraped and dug their way into her hands.

Short gasps of despair shook her as tears began to drip on to the street underneath her. She could not silence the voices of her depression.

"I am cursed, forever cursed," she declared over herself in deep strife. "There is no hope. There is no place for me."

Darkness then fell around her. Light snubbed out from the surrounding streetlights and windows. In a panic, Astrid twisted her body this way and that, trying to make out anything in the pitch black.

"Who's there?" she called out warily.

She then felt strong, rough hands grab the tops of her arms. They yanked her to her feet.

"Is this her?" A voice, unfamiliar to Astrid, asked in the shadows.

"Yes it must be. Who else could it be?"

A chorus of laughter then vibrated through the night air.

"Well, go on. You do it brother!" ordered a sinister sounding squeak of a breaking adolescent voice.

Then too hands grabbed Astrid's cheeks and she was forced to look into the face of a lad that, she was sure, could not be much older than herself, if not younger.

When her eyes met the chasms of darkness that the lad possessed, a deep fear rose from inside of her. Her scream resounded into the shadows that took over the street they stood on.

Then without warning, taking all three of Noir-Astra's puppets by surprise. A violet glow shot out from Astrid's eyes. It lit up the whole area around them, casting the shadows away.

The lads began to panic as the dark power possessing them fought to escape the purple haze. They ran to take cover from the mighty power radiating from Astrid, who had no control over what was happening.

When the three lads were out of sight, the violet light faded away. The street then returned to its original state.

"Astrid!"

She heard True call her name as she collapsed to the ground. All energy to stand was drained from her.  She lay in the foetal position on the hard ground and closed her eyes.

True ran to her side and pulled her into his arms.

"Astrid, Astrid! Wake up!"

Astrid's eyes blinked open and a small smile played on her lips.

"Don't worry, my True. He didn't get me," she announced with a smile before closing her eyes again.

"What? Who? What happened?" True asked, glancing all around, searching for a glimpse of anything suspicious. But there wasn't anything to see and neither did Astrid have an answer. She snuggled into True's chest and fell into a deep sleep.

True slowly got to his feet, with his love cradled in his aching arms. Took a deep breath and shook all thoughts of the night's mystery out of his mind for the mean time. All that mattered to him in that moment was to get Astrid back home, where she belonged.