Chapter 174: the damage has been done

The morning felt like an endless abyss, stretching on and on with no end in sight. The snow fell gently, blanketing the village in its cold, suffocating silence, as if nature itself was mourning the lives that had been taken. The chill in the air matched the one settling in my chest. My breath came in shaky bursts, visible against the cold as I stood there, staring into the distance. The chaos from the night before still felt unreal, as though I were trapped in a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from. 

Sirius, my first love, the father of my child, he had killed Yong. He had killed Lira. The weight of their deaths crushed me, but it wasn’t just the loss of them that made my heart heavy. It was what had led up to it. His betrayal. His actions. I could still hear his voice echoing in my mind, still feel the violence in his touch, the way he struck Yong without a second thought. 

What happened to him? What happened to the man I once knew?

The snow beneath my boots crunched as I moved toward the village center. I couldn’t stay inside anymore. The walls were closing in on me. Every shadow seemed to carry the weight of what had happened, and the accusations from the villagers were still ringing in my ears. They blamed me. They said I had brought this upon them, that I had invited the monster into their sanctuary.

I tried to ignore them, tried to tell myself that it didn’t matter what they thought, but deep down, I knew it was true. In some twisted way, maybe it was my fault. I had let him in. I had believed that the man I married could change, that he could be the man he once was, but I was wrong.

A scream in the distance brought me out of my spiraling thoughts. I turned toward the sound, my heart racing. It was faint, but I could hear the distress in the voice. Panic spread quickly in the village as people began running toward the stables, and I followed, knowing I had to see for myself what was happening but everyone in the village had gathered around Yong's dead body now.

I stood frozen, my legs threatening to give way beneath me. The world seemed to tilt and spin, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I was even standing anymore. My heart pounded in my chest, the ache deepening with every breath I took. I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout at the world, to demand that this was some sort of sick joke, but I couldn’t find my voice. 

“Is she here?” a voice called out, snapping me from my thoughts. A man from the crowd stepped forward, eyes burning with anger. “She let him in. She let him do this to us!” 

Another voice joined in, louder now. “She should leave. This is all her fault. She let him walk into our home.” 

I wanted to run, to escape from their accusations, but I couldn’t. My feet were rooted to the ground. I felt the weight of their judgment on my shoulders, their anger, their hatred, everything that I had feared, everything I had tried to avoid, was now coming to fruition. 

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t even move, as they continued to berate me. 

A hand gripped my arm, pulling me back from the crowd. “Astra.” 

It was my aunt. She had a strong grip on me, keeping me from collapsing into the snow. 

“Come inside. Let them have their moment. Don’t let their hate consume you,” she said gently, her voice calm but firm. 

I nodded, too numb to speak. She guided me away, her touch grounding me in the midst of the chaos. 

As we walked back toward the house, I felt the weight of every step. It was like I was walking through a fog, my mind clouded with grief, guilt, and a deep sense of helplessness. How had things gotten so out of hand? How had we gone from a family full of love to this shattered, broken thing?

When we reached the house, I found Aster sitting by the fire, his eyes hollow with pain. He had been there, watching everything. He had seen his father, the man he had once looked up to, commit unspeakable acts of violence. He was only a child, yet he had been forced to grow up far too quickly.

I crouched down beside him, gently pulling him into my arms. He didn’t resist, but his body was stiff, his eyes cold and distant. I kissed the top of his head, holding him close, wishing I could take away the hurt he was feeling. 

“Are you alright?” I whispered, but he didn’t respond. 

“Mom,” he said quietly after a long silence. “Why did he kill them? Why did he kill Yong and Lira?” His voice cracked, the pain in his words cutting through me like a knife.

“I don’t know,” I said, my own voice breaking. “I don’t know why he did it.”

I felt the tears sting my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Not yet. I had to be strong for Aster. I couldn’t break down in front of him. Not when he needed me the most.

The day passed in a blur. The villagers had scattered, returning to their homes to mourn their losses. The guilt I felt pressed down on me with every passing moment. I couldn’t escape it. I couldn’t run from the truth. 

But the truth was that I had to keep moving. I had to keep my son safe, no matter what. He was all I had left.

Later that evening, the door creaked open, and I turned to see my aunt standing in the doorway. Her face was pale, her expression tense. 

“Astra, there’s something you need to see,” she said quietly, her voice low.

I stood up, my heart pounding in my chest. “What is it?” I asked, my voice filled with dread.

“It’s about Sirius,” she said. “You need to see this.”

My stomach twisted, a knot of fear settling deep within me. I followed her to the back of the house, where a group of villagers had gathered. Their faces were somber, their eyes wide with shock. 

They were pointing at something in the distance. Something that had been left for all of us to see. 

In the distance, standing on the hill near the entrance of the village, was Sirius. 

And he was looking directly at us. 

My heart stopped but he didn't say anything, he simply transformed into his real

form and flew away.