𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕺𝖓𝖊
𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: A high-school project gone wrong sends Astraea Aphelion fifteen centuries back in time, where she has to face a world of dragons, magic, and evil sorcerers. Luckily, she is not alone. In between hardships, she finds a...
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📍 Ealdor
⏳ June, 504 AD
[warnings: references to self-harm, mental illness, death]
Night had fallen upon the lands at some point while my mind continued to spin, not allowing me to make a single move to try to get back to the village. My body continued to tremble, there was a slight ringing in my ears, my vision was blurry, and my oxygen intake was hindered at best. I'm not sure of how much time passed after I collapsed onto the ground – but I still felt almost paralysed, entirely scared, and completely nauseated.
Part of me wanted to believe that everything has been a dream. That the lights in the distance are policemen with flashlights as they comb the Texan countryside for the missing girl and her horse. Only a couple of days have passed and Dallas and I will soon be brought back home to San Antonio. But, as I looked down at the armour on my body and at the bow that laid some metres away from me, I knew that it was just wishful thinking.
Here is reality: I killed multiple people... in successive order... without an ounce of remorse... without hesitation. Who cares if it was in defence of other people? The fact is – I killed them. My hands are covered in blood forever. No amount of scrubbing will ever wipe it. It's permanent. I could go on countless missionary trips for the rest of my life, and it still won't stop being true.
"Astraea!" I heard faint male voices calling in the distance.
I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my mind of the haunting thoughts as I allowed myself to glance around a little more. Dallas stood beside me, his head down as he nibbled on some grass. I reached out to him and tangled my fingers in his mane, feeling desperate for something to ground my senses.
"Astra!" I heard again. I opened my mouth, wanting to shout back, but a sob came out instead. I let my head fall against my horse's leg beside me and did my best to take deep breaths in defiance of the deadly squeezing feeling in my lungs, attempting to stop the crying that threatened to take me over. Murderers don't get to cry.
"Astra," the voice was softer this time. Closer. I turned my head again and spotted a figure running towards me, then it dropped to its knees in front of me. It was a pale and teary-eyed Merlin. "Oh, Astra," he mumbled as he moved to hug me tightly. I dropped my head to his shoulder, but remained unmoving otherwise as my body kept trembling.
"Arthur! I found her!" my friend called out.
A frantic-looking Prince appeared on the scene shortly after and he instantly dropped to the ground next to Merlin. "Astra," he whispered as the sorcerer released me slowly. I looked up through a blurred sight to find worry clouding his pretty eyes.
Arthur gently cupped my face and wiped away some tears (which was useless 'cause they just kept on coming); and I watched out of the corner of my eye as Merlin looked my body up and down – presumably in search of injuries. I knew there were none, but found myself unable to tell him that as I kept struggling to breathe properly.
