Mother really couldn't believe her ears. Father had saved up a lot of gold for this, only to hear he didn't spend any on the main goal it was truly something amusing.
"Did you really get good quality people, Mr. Vulgabread? Now they sound dodgy!" she questioned.
Father waved his hands, assuring Mother he was just as surprised they were willing to work for free and that he wasn't joking.
I also subscribed to the school of thought that nothing good comes free, especially if it involves humans, but Father was so sure about these people.
All Astraya could focus on was that we were finally getting to leave this place for once.
"Finally, I can get to see my teacher!" she whispered out beside me in her seat, completely excited.
"We'll go meet them tomorrow," Father replied with a smirk.
Astraya's fork dropped.
"W-we're leaving the barrier! Yes, yes, yes!" Her voice was filled with sheer excitement.
But I wasn't in the slightest. All I could think of was what would happen to me. Would my pendant still work now that Morad had left the pendant ? Had it lost its protective feature? What would happen to me? Astraya was good, but me? What if that Shadow Demon shows up again? All these thoughts ran through my head as I clenched my fist.
Morad, ever watchful, turned to me and asked, "Astraga, are you okay? You seem tense."
For a second, even I forgot to breathe.
"The barrier?" Mother's voice echoed, as if she hadn't heard right. "You mean… they're going outside?"
Father nodded casually, chewing. "Yes, of course. It's about time you two saw more than fog and grass."
Astraya's face lit up brighter than any of her spells. "Finally! Father, are you serious?" she asked again, looking at Mother, as we knew who was really in charge when it came to decisions about our safety and whereabouts.
"Deadly serious," Father said with no care in the world.
But Mother's smile faded, her eyes sharpening. "You can't be serious."
Father sighed. "It's just a visit, my love. A day at most. The world has changed, yes, but they need to see it. And the people who would make them stronger and feel safer are just beyond the barrier. The children are growing too fast. We don't want them to completely live in a type of paranoia I mean, even if it's true, they should touch grass… grass beyond the barrier."
"I don't know about this, it sounds risky," she said coldly. "You just came home, and now you will take the kids, leaving only me behind! What if—"
Before Mother could finish, Father cut her off gently, his hand grazing her face. "I understand your fear, my dear, but fear is not what we need now, not what our children need right now. What we need is action and a step towards getting them their freedom, their right to life. Someone from the comfort of his home, or whatever, decided our children have no right to life. That is not something you or we should be afraid of, but to fight against."
Father was a man known for many things, and speeches was one of them. His words resonated with Mother, and that was it we were heading outside.
The table fell silent. Even Morad stopped moving, floating still as a statue. As he whispered to me, "Astraga, I'm coming too, right?"
I stared at Father hopefully, and he smirked. "Of course you're coming, Morad, is it? Hahah! We'll experiment along the way."
Morad could have immediately rejected that, but knowing I was going, he just had to accept.
Time passed quickly. Father asked me so many questions about Morad: why he was floating if he was a water type, what his abilities were all of which I answered carefully without revealing too much. He also wondered if he could replicate it, a thought which made him realize he hadn't gone to check on his pond yet. The family laughed as Astraya also annoyingly bragged about her win against morad and I. Mother, too, seemed impressed. It felt like a perfect night, something I hadn't shared in my previous life. Maybe life in this world isn't so bad, especially when you share it with loved ones people you care for the most.
---
Morning came too quickly.
The air felt soft, light, and gentle, with birds chirping and a cold breeze blowing. "This is nice," I said to myself.
"BORING!!" Morad's voice immediately countered. "Why do I have to stay in a bowl? I'm a fish, you know!"
"Yes, you're a fish, act like it for once, tch. And besides, use that bowl to rest up. We don't know how people would react to seeing a floating fish," I advised.
"Ugh, fine, fine," Morad replied, unsatisfied but with no choice.
"You know, for a fish, you're damn heavy," I said to him, shifting the glass bowl.
"How dare you, Astraga! You know I'm recently sensitive about my weight," Morad pouted.
"Don't worry, Morad, you look just nice," Astraya said, her eyes gleaming at him.
Morad sighed. "Sometimes, Astraya, I don't know if you mean that as a compliment or just as food in your eyes."
She chuckled hard. "Hahaha."
Astraya and Morad had formed a strange bond, as she sometimes joked about him being tasty. Astraya did have a strange sense of humor.
Father had left early something about preparing the carriage and also checking the ponds. He was already aware of everything inside the barrier but wanted to see it for himself so he could record everything and eventually submit it to the academy at Manyblood.
But aside from that, the carriage Father was preparing was apparently another reason he'd gotten home so fast he'd bought a horse carriage. It wasn't just any carriage, either. He said the horses were "mana-tuned," whatever that meant, and that it would help us travel faster than regular horses.
Beside us—in fact, everywhere—checking every minute detail of our hair, nails, teeth, and even ears, was Mother. She made sure there wasn't a single thing off before we left. The plan was simple: if anything she checked wasn't perfect, Father was in trouble, dead meat. The moment felt like we were going to kindergarten or something.
Hold still," she said, squinting at me. "I said still! I swear, both of you can train all you want to fight demons, but you can never be trained enough to beat me, your mother."
I hate to admit it she was right I hight doubt there was a pendent in existance that will keep her from us at this point she was relentless that's for sure
Astraya giggled. "Mom, it's not like we're going to war."
Mother raised an eyebrow. "You're leaving the barrier. That's war enough for me."
I didn't know what to say. I just had to surrender.
She brought out the jug—the jug with an endless amount of purification water, I think and started chanting softly. The water glowed faintly between her hands, a pale, silvery hue. It shimmered like moonlight caught my eyes. The spells she used for our affinity tests were different from this.
Then she pressed her palms against our arms and faces, the liquid light coating our skin in a thin, invisible layer that tingled faintly.
Astraya and I wore a miniature version of a scholar's coat I think that's what Dad called them. They were pristine white with black trim and gleaming silver buttons, a testament to the price they were worth. A small, crimson rose emblem was pinned to our lapel, a silent badge of our unique heritage, even though Father hated the Fuls so much he used this emblem a lot, even in his books. Beneath the coat, practical dark trousers and sturdy boots suggested a readiness for both travel and adventure. It was nice; I liked the outfit.
"There," she said softly. "Purification Water. It'll let you pass through the barrier safely."
Astraya blinked. "Wait, Mom, this is how Dad goes in and out? That's awesome!"
She nodded. "It's my key. But it's not meant to last forever it'll fade once you're through and back. It's a one-use enchantment and needs to be replenished after."
Astraya smiled, holding out her hands to look at the faint glow. "It… it's definitely more like a blessing."
Mother's lips curved into a tired smile. "Exactly that, a mother's blessing to her children for a safe journey."
She stepped back, her eyes scanning us from head to toe, then glanced at Morad. "And you…" she said, leaning toward his bowl. "You'll protect them, won't you?"
Morad bubbled nervously. "Uh… yes, ma'am."
"Good. If Astraya taunts you on the carriage, let me know. I will personally deal with her."
Astraya nearly choked on her saliva as I laughed at the whole situation. I muttered, "Don't worry, Mom, I will also deal with her."
When she was satisfied everything was in order, Mother's expression softened. Her hands trembled as she touched our pendants the tiny, koi emblems that hung from our necks.
"Still intact," she whispered, almost to herself. "Thank goodness. I'm always grateful to Anaya."
Then she pressed her forehead against ours, one at a time. "Don't take them off. No matter what happens."
I nodded silently, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Astraya hugged her tightly, her voice barely a whisper. "We'll be back soon, Mother."
Mother smiled, but her eyes shimmered. "You better. And make sure your father doesn't come home with crazy people."
From outside, a loud whistle sound accompanied by heavy claps, used to gain someone's attention, rang out.
Fweeeeeeeeeet! Clap, clap!
Father stood far ahead, waving his hand, his figure a blur through the glowing veil that separated us. He was shouting something cheerful, as always. "Let's go! The world won't wait forever!"
We walked until her voice could barely reach us.
"Be safe!" she cried, tears carried by the wind. "Come back home!"
The purification layer pulsed faintly. The barrier loomed before us a translucent wall of swirling, humming softly with ancient energy.
Astraya looked at me, her excitement tempered now by awe. "This is it."
Morad's bowl trembled in my hands. "I really don't like this idea anymore."
Father's voice came faintly from the other side. "Step through! One at a time!"
For years, that barrier was our safety.
And now, we were about to walk through it.
I took Astraya's hand, feeling the faint hum of her mana steady against mine.
Together, we stepped forward.
The air shimmered then shattered like ripples on glass.
Light consumed us.