Astralyth Online

Chapter 24 – Find me

Madelyn’s friends had stayed for hours, filling the house with laughter, chatter, and an energy she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever. They had talked about everything and nothing, stories and jokes flowing as effortlessly as they used to. Snacks were devoured, and drinks emptied until the evidence of their time together—crumbs, empty glasses, and wrappers—piled up around them.

As the hours passed, she felt her fears begin to slip further and further away. She had been so terrified that her friends wouldn’t see her the same way or that somehow her transformation would put distance between them. But the more they laughed and joked, the more she realized how wrong she had been to doubt them. Sarah, her parents—everyone had been right. Her friends hadn’t seen her any differently. If anything, their bond felt stronger, more deeply rooted in acceptance and understanding. Madelyn felt as though her friendship with each of them had reached new heights that afternoon.

David had continued to bring up theories, making everyone laugh as he came up with increasingly outlandish explanations for her transformation. James had tossed out more light-hearted jokes, leaning into fox-related puns that earned him plenty of groans but even more laughter. And Lillian had been her steady, reassuring self, always there with a gentle word or a warm smile whenever Madelyn needed it. Their easy acceptance felt like a gift she hadn’t known she needed so badly.

Eventually, as the evening grew darker and shadows began to stretch across the room, her friends had gathered their things and headed home, each of them giving her an extra hug or a warm pat on the back before leaving. Their voices lingered in the air long after they’d gone, like an echo of the joy and relief she’d felt in their company.

Now, with the house quiet again, Madelyn settled on the couch beside her parents, the three of them surrounded by the calm silence of the evening. Her mom had already gathered the empty glasses and plates, and her dad had tossed away the trash, leaving the house in peaceful order.

Madelyn let out a contented sigh, sinking back into the soft cushions. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed this—a day filled with laughter and the unconditional support of her friends and family. Her tail swayed gently beside her, a relaxed, happy motion that mirrored the quiet warmth she felt inside.

Her mom looked over, smiling as she brushed a stray strand of hair from Madelyn’s face. “You seem happy,” she said softly, her eyes shining with warmth.

Madelyn nodded, her fox ears twitching with contentment. “I am. I was so scared… but it was all for nothing.” She laughed quietly, the sound light and free. “I thought they wouldn’t understand, but they… they were amazing.”

Her dad gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “We knew they would be,” he said, his voice steady and reassuring. “Real friends stick by you, no matter what.”

Madelyn looked between her parents, feeling a surge of gratitude for their unwavering support. She leaned her head against her mom’s shoulder, a small smile lingering on her face as she whispered, “Thank you… for everything.”

Her mom wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “Anytime, sweetheart. We’re proud of you.”

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Madelyn closed her eyes, savoring the peaceful moment.

Madelyn felt herself drifting off, her head resting comfortably on her mom’s shoulder and her dad’s reassuring presence on her other side. A peaceful warmth filled her, a big smile softening her face as sleep finally pulled her in. But almost as soon as her eyes closed, a strange awareness crept over her, and she found herself opening them once more—not in the comfort of her home but in the stark, sterile surroundings of that same, haunting place.

She was back in the white-walled building.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Why does it have to happen again, after such a good day? she wondered, her tail giving an irritated flick as she took in the sterile, empty hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly before her. The peaceful warmth she had felt moments ago had vanished, replaced by the uneasy tension she had come to associate with this place.

Taking a steadying breath, she started forward, following the now-familiar path down the winding hallways. The walls gleamed, pristine and devoid of any signs of life, the cold white lights casting harsh shadows in every corner. Her footsteps echoed faintly against the cold floor as she moved, a steady rhythm that felt both grounding and eerie. She wished she knew why she was back here—why this dream always dragged her away from everything just when she was finally at ease.

There has to be more to this, she thought, steeling herself as she turned another corner. There was something significant about this place; she could feel it, a pull in her chest that urged her forward. She knew the way by heart now, each hallway and turn etched into her mind as though she had walked them a thousand times. Her fox ears perked, twitching at the faint hum that vibrated through the building, the sound unsettlingly mechanical yet familiar, as if it had always been part of the dreamscape.

Finally, she reached the doorway to the room. The massive glass tank filled with yellow, liquid shadows loomed in the center, and inside it, as always, floated the woman with the amethyst eyes. Her dark hair drifted around her like smoke, and her serene expression seemed almost knowing, as if she was aware of Madelyn’s arrival, of her silent questions.

Madelyn stepped closer, her hands instinctively curling into fists as she studied the woman’s face. She had no idea who this woman was, nor why she appeared in every one of these dreams, but there was something about her—a connection that felt both comforting and deeply unsettling. She wanted answers, wanted to understand why she kept coming back here, why this woman seemed linked to everything strange and mysterious in her life.

“Who are you?” Madelyn whispered, her voice barely audible in the stillness. The woman didn’t respond, her closed eyes giving no indication she had heard. But for a moment, Madelyn thought she saw a faint twitch flicker across the woman’s face, an almost imperceptible shift that made her heart skip a beat.

The lights in the room dimmed, shadows creeping along the walls as if in response to her question. Madelyn felt a chill run down her spine, the silence around her thickening, pressing in on her. There has to be a reason, she thought, clinging to that belief. There has to be more.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer to the tank, her reflection visible in the murky glass. She knew, somehow, that she had to keep coming back. She just hoped that, one day, the dream would finally give her the answers she sought.

Madelyn stared at the woman in the tank, her amber eyes fixed on her as if drawn by an invisible thread. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, even as questions filled her mind. There was something haunting about the woman’s face, something oddly familiar yet distant, like a memory just out of reach. Madelyn’s fingers twitched at her sides as she took another cautious step forward, peering through the glass.

Her thoughts drifted back to the last dream she’d had with this woman. The sterile white walls had dissolved, replaced by the warmth of a cozy, torchlit cave, with soft moss underfoot and the gentle glow of light filtering through. She could almost feel the earthy scent of that cave as she remembered it, the strange comfort it had brought her. There, in that other world, the woman hadn’t been confined in a tank. Instead, she’d been laughing, her amethyst eyes alight with life, her laughter blending with the carefree yips of a fox kit racing around her feet.

Madelyn’s heart softened at the memory, her tail giving a slight, involuntary swish as she recalled the kit’s antics. It had seemed so young, so full of energy, darting around the woman with boundless joy. The scene had felt like an invitation, a glimpse of something precious and hidden, something Madelyn felt she was meant to understand but couldn’t quite grasp. She had watched the woman and the kit, feeling an odd sense of belonging and connection, even if she didn’t fully understand it.

But now, here in this cold, sterile room, the woman was back in her tank, her eyes closed, her expression serene yet distant. Gone was the warmth and the light of the cave. Only shadows and silence surrounded her, and Madelyn’s chest tightened with a strange sense of loss.

“What changed?” she whispered, her voice barely breaking the silence. “Why am I seeing you like this?”

The woman’s eyes remained closed, her dark hair floating around her like tendrils of smoke in the tank’s shadowy liquid. Madelyn leaned in closer, studying her face, searching for any hint of recognition. But there was no answer, only the faint hum of machinery and the distant echoes that seemed to pulse through the walls.

The silence pressed on Madelyn, growing thicker with each passing moment. She wondered if the cave and the kit had been a glimpse of this woman’s past, a memory—a sliver of the life she had once led. Or maybe it was a message, a warning. But the images blurred in her mind, and she found herself unable to make sense of them.

Frustration bubbled up inside her, and she clenched her fists, a mix of determination and helplessness tightening her throat. “If this is a dream,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite her uncertainty, “then… why can’t you speak to me? Why do I keep seeing you, over and over?”

A soft hiss filled the room, and Madelyn’s eyes widened as she noticed a faint ripple within the tank’s liquid. The woman’s eyes remained closed, but something in her expression shifted, almost imperceptibly—a slight lift at the corners of her mouth, an echo of the smile Madelyn had seen in the cave.

Madelyn’s heart pounded, a surge of hope mixing with unease. She felt that the woman was on the edge of answering, of sharing something crucial, something that would change everything. But as she waited, the room around her began to blur, the edges of her vision dissolving into a haze.

“No—wait!” she called, reaching out to the tank, her fingers barely brushing the cold glass before it vanished.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the dream slipped away, leaving her alone in the dark, clutching at empty air.

Madelyn felt a familiar emptiness sink into her chest. She was back in darkness, alone, and once again, the dream had left her with nothing. Every time she came here, she felt like she was on the edge of discovering something vital, only for it to slip through her fingers.

But then, as she stood there, the darkness around her began to shift. The shadows softened, the cold fading away, and she found herself back in the cozy cave from her last vision. She looked around, the earthy smell of moss and soft ferns filling the air, the golden light casting warm patches across the ground. Despite the comforting surroundings, she let out a desperate sigh, her frustration bubbling over.

“What do you want to show me?!” she cried, her voice echoing through the cave as she clenched her fists, barely keeping her emotions in check. Every encounter, every hint, seemed to lead nowhere, leaving her more confused than before. Why was she here, in this comforting place, yet unable to understand its purpose?

Before she could sink further into frustration, the soft sound of footsteps reached her ears. She turned, and there, standing at the entrance to the cave, was the woman from the tank. But this time, something was different. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her expression was raw, filled with a deep, almost unbearable sadness. She looked like she had been crying—like the weight of the world had pressed down on her, leaving her drained and vulnerable.

Madelyn’s heart thudded in her chest as she watched the woman, her earlier frustration dissolving into quiet empathy. This wasn’t the serene, distant figure from the tank, nor the joyful woman from the dream with the fox kit. Instead, this woman looked haunted, raw with pain, as if every burden in the world rested squarely on her shoulders.

The woman didn’t seem to notice Madelyn’s presence, her gaze unfocused as she moved deeper into the cave. Madelyn watched as she sank onto one of the soft cushions, her shoulders slumping as her head dropped into her hands. A low, broken sob escaped her lips, and Madelyn felt a pang of sorrow echo through her chest. She had never seen this side of the woman before, and the sight unsettled her deeply.

Cautiously, Madelyn moved closer, her steps barely disturbing the earthy ground. She wanted to reach out, to offer some kind of comfort, but as she drew near, she could feel an invisible barrier between them—a wall that held her back, forcing her to remain a silent observer. She opened her mouth to speak, to call out, but no sound left her lips. The woman seemed locked in her own world, unreachable.

“Please…” Madelyn whispered, her voice desperate, as if hoping it might somehow break through to the woman. She felt her heart ache as she watched the woman’s silent sorrow, her own hands curling into fists at her sides. What happened to you? Why are you in so much pain?

Then, through the muffled sobs, she heard the woman murmur something, her voice barely a whisper. “I will get you back… no matter what,” she said, her words trembling with raw determination. “It’s all my fault, and you… you had to pay.”

Madelyn’s breath caught as a determined look settled on the woman’s face. Her expression shifted, her jaw tightening as if steeling herself against the sadness that threatened to consume her. She took a steadying breath, her gaze distant but fierce. Madelyn felt a glimmer of hope, sensing that this was the woman’s resolve, her promise to make things right.

But then, as if sensing something, the woman’s head suddenly snapped up, her eyes locking directly onto Madelyn. The fierce determination faded, replaced by a look of quiet despair. For a heartbeat, they simply stared at one another, and Madelyn felt the world narrow, her surroundings fading as the woman’s gaze pierced her.

"I… I failed," the woman whispered, her voice breaking, a single tear slipping down her cheek and catching the golden light of the cave. Her breath hitched, and her eyes, filled with despair, met Madelyn’s.

"Help me… find me," she murmured, her voice thick with grief. "They keep me… locked away, hidden. I can't reach you… can't protect you… while they hold me here."

Madelyn’s heart pounded as the words sunk in, and before she could process them, the scene began to dissolve. The warm, golden light of the cave dimmed, the walls fading into shadow. Desperately, Madelyn reached out, her hand stretching toward the woman, trying to hold onto this fleeting moment, to connect with her.

But as her fingers brushed the empty air, the scene vanished entirely, leaving Madelyn alone in the still, empty darkness, her hand grasping at nothing.

The woman’s final words echoed in Madelyn’s mind, lingering like both a promise and a plea.