The Downfall Of Us All (Dabi X OC)

Chapter 21

Astra:
The sun rays peeked through the blinds, drawing me out of a deep sleep. As I got up and stretched, I went down to the lobby to check the mail.
"Morning Astra! Sleep well?" asked Jack, one of Keigo's employees. Jack Bowyer was tall and lanky, with dark hair and green eyes. We've chatted from time to time since he moved here from America a few months ago.
"I slept well. Thanks," I said, as I collected the mail from the container.

"See you later, Jack!" I waved him goobye and went back up to Keigo's penthouse.

As I entered the living area of the penthouse, I began flipping through the mail in my hands. One of the envelopes caught my attention due to its bold handwriting and unusual seal. It was addressed to me, but why? After careful consideration, I opened the letter and read the contents.

"Astra, your destiny is in your hands, but be careful who you trust. There are those who would use you as a pawn and discard you once your usefulness has been exhausted. Make sure you are working towards the right goals and with the right people. Your future depends on the decisions you make now, so choose them wisely."

It was from AFO, but how?

I raced to my bedroom and shut and locked the door behind me. My heart was pounding so hard in my ears. It felt like my whole world was spinning. I kept reading the letter over and over, trying to process the message and its implications.
"He knows about me," I whispered to myself, feeling a chill run down my spine.
I stood there nervously for a few minutes, trying to gather the courage to face this new reality. This is exactly what I didn't want to happen, but now the cat was out of the bag. I felt scared and uncertain of what was to come next.

My heart skipped a beat when I suddenly heard the notification sound from my phone. I nervously reached for it and saw that it was a text message from Rei, who had asked if I had any plans today.
I quickly replied that I didn't have any plans and agreed to go shopping with her, Sophie, and Nejire.

I then set my phone back down on my bedside table and picked the letter back up. I had to hide this letter, or else people might start asking questions. I shoved it underneath my mattress, hoping no one would find it.
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As we were walking around the shopping mall area, looking for a dress for me to wear to the birthday party Keigo had planned for me, I couldn't help but smile to myself about the moment I had shared with Toya the other night. However, Sophie suddenly caught on and asked what had made me all smiley.
I blushed and replied, "Uh, nothing."
"Ooh, I bet it's about Toya," Nejire chimed in as Sophie's grin grew ever wider.
"You two totally did it, didn't you?" Sophie continued to tease.

I tried to hide my hands in my face, feeling slightly embarrassed as Sophie continued to tease me.
Rei just chuckled and said, "So, when am I expected to have some grandkids?"
I felt my face turn even redder as Sophie laughed even harder, and Nejire joined in the fun.
I just wanted to melt into a puddle and disappear during all of this. This certainly wasn't the conversation I was expecting to have today, and it all seemed really sudden. I felt overwhelmed and just wanted to go home.
As we sat down drinking coffee in a small cafe in the shopping mall, continuing our conversation, a loud explosion rang out in the distance. I looked up and saw people running in all directions. Panic and confusion spread through the cafe as everyone scrambled to figure out what was happening. It took me a few moments to realize that something terrible was happening nearby.

"What was that?" I asked myself as I tried to figure out what was happening.
Suddenly, I heard a person running by and heard them say: "It's a Nomu!"
I was taken aback by this news and realized that we were in danger.
"We need to go somewhere safe," Rei said, and everyone agreed as we tried to push through the crowd. I then got separated from the group and had to manage on my own. I was in a frantic as I called out their names, to which they didn't hear me.