Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 59: A Dream and Rebuilding

Leena dashed after a tiny girl. Her long golden hair bounced around like a golden mane. The little girl was wearing a basic Wayfarer’s outfit of a military styled jacket and a pair of bunched up trousers, clearly too big for her stumpy limbs.

She was running within a grand hallway that put the Sinwen residence to shame. Royal red carpets line the hall, and sparkling chandeliers shone from above. Unlike the Sinwen’s, which were dull and cracking.

“Astrid, wait up!” Leena shouted after the young girl.

Her eyes widened as Astrid halted to an abrupt stop. A group of children stood in Astrid’s way. They held expressions filled with friendliness, but Leena had personally witnessed how cruel the children of nobility could be. When she was younger, she had experienced bullies from the Lower District, but where they resorted to physical violence, the noble caste relied on emotional torment. Rumours, and as a result–segregation.

“Florrie, get out of my way!” Astrid stomped her foot against the marbled floor.

“Why are you being mean to me in my own home?” Florrie crossed her arms in arrogance. “This isn’t like your lame house filled with emotionless men in armour!”

A red tint emerged from her puffed-out cheeks, her hands trembled. “You–” She took a miniature step forward before holding herself back.

“Look at this,” Florrie pinched a glittering necklace from around her neck and pulled it taut in display, “Not you, your cousins, or even brothers get given gifts like these. My mother said it’s made from the pearls of the Leviathan.” She raised her head, yet Astrid still didn’t react.

“Your house is cracked and used. Unlike this, look at the walls and beautiful pictures.” Florrie pointed her little finger at the grand paintings and etchings on the walls.

“Astrid…” Leena grabbed hold of her lady’s hand.

Florrie glanced at Leena. “And how dare you bring a stinky slave from the Lower District here? She doesn’t even know her manners in front of a noble–”

Astrid screamed and launched herself at Florrie. The forward momentum sent them both crashing to the floor. Astrid didn’t wait as she slung her fist to Florrie’s face. With a thud, a sharp cry left the little girl’s mouth.

Astrid scrambled to her feet as she realised what she had done. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Ar–are we still friends?” She mumbled.

“Friends?! Who would want to be your friend, you devil!” Florrie wailed as the others sent verbal abuse toward Astrid. “You hit me!”

“Little demon!”

“Assaulter!”

“I’m going to tell everyone that you’re crazy and attacked all of us!”

The shouts continued. The golden-haired girl could no longer take it as she ran away. Leena broke out into tears as she chased after her. They sprinted out of Florrie’s family manor and a few minutes later; they were wandering around a pond.

“Astr–my lady…” Leena wiped her face with her sleeve. “Be–because of me, you lost your friends.”

“Who needs them anyway?” A tear fell down Astrid’s cheek as she violently wiped it away. Her gaze fell onto Leena with worry. “Will you be my friend forever?”

“Forever and ever.” Leena held onto Astrid’s hand as the little girls broke out in a cry that startled the birds lazing within the tree’s.

Astrid’s eyes snapped open. Damn dream.

She wryly smiled and continued her morning routine. She yawned and raised her arms to stretch. Her pale, toned stomach appeared from underneath her silk pyjamas. Astrid ruffled her golden hair. Just like usual, she looked over at the door, where a pair of boots were impatiently shimmying on the spot.

“Come in Leena.” Astrid meandered over to the table and poured herself a drink. She clicked her dry tongue against the roof of her mouth and swallowed the cool liquid.

Leena opened the door and walked in with a handful of garments. “Good morning, my lady.”

“I think I’ll keep my battle outfit on for today, you know, with criminals running around and all that.” Astrid changed into the outfit that Rumaisa had designed and created for her. Each time she looked at it, she liked it more and more. It hugged her like a second skin.

“Breakfast out in the town?” Astrid crouched down and laced up her boots.

”Ah, but I don't think they have repaired it yet,” Leena said.

“Then we can lend a hand.” Astrid stood up and grabbed hold of the cape from the coat hanger.

It was the rare cape she had received back from the Underbelly. She had thought about buying a new one, but she had become quite attached to it. Not because of the quality, but it was the beginning mark of her adventure. Every time she looked at it, it reminded her of Rachelle’s shining eyes. Excited over an item that she vastly out-levelled. Astrid smirked at the memory.

She took a quick glance outside at the clouds. Clear. Astrid nodded and set out into the halls of the Sinwen manor. She wasn’t sure why, but she looked closer at the walls. Up in the top corners, the age of the building was displayed. Cracks and splits had marred the wall. She had noticed it when she was little, often wondering why the grandeur was severely lacking compared to the other noble households. Her expression soured as she remembered Florrie and the others.

Astrid and Leena approached the grand doors of the Sinwen manor. The entrance with the angel carved into the white wood. Astrid had always rushed past it without a single thought, but today, she stood on the spot and gazed at the image.

“My lady?” Leena said, “is everything alright?”

The angel was no ordinary angel. It was Goddess Iara, the one who gifted humanity their powers; their System. It brought forth a new age to their home planet, Ruitera. With them and thanks to a genius scientist and engineer; Eben Ross, their technology, literally leapt through space and time. They sent probes to the far corner of the vast, unexplored universe. They travelled through black holes and continued further than humanity ever thought achievable. Then… they were cut off, they lost all contact with them. It was like someone, or something, had simply flicked a light switch.

The scientists and space engineers worked tirelessly to reconnect to them, but they were gone. Until a few years later, one of them blinked back online. What took its place, however, was the end of humanity, but also the beginning of something new.

Astrid swaggered up to the door. Her head raised up high as her hand brushed up against Goddess Iara’s face. Everyone believed Iara to be their saviour, their guiding light for humanity. But Astrid thought differently. What if they had never received their gifts? What if they hadn’t sent probes out into space? Would interdimensional monsters have flooded the world and had their natural resources plundered, submerging their world in vicious waters?

Astrid sighed. She shook her head. If none of that happened, she wouldn’t have been born. She wouldn’t have been able to call the people that birthed her Mother and Father. She wouldn’t meet Leena, or Daniel and the others. And she wouldn’t have been given her abilities that brought her a new life. It was selfish, but that was human nature. Everyone in the past was long dead, their bones lost underneath the ocean floor. Never to be seen again.

Astrid pushed open the doors, not giving the guards a chance to open them for her. She gazed down the thousand stairs and onto the buildings still being repaired.

“They are still repairing them?” Astrid asked.

Leena nodded, “they made sure to first repair the granaries, then the noble houses. The shopkeepers are last.”

“Well, that gives us a chance to help then, doesn’t it?” Astrid smiled.

She walked down all the steps and approached the first building that needed help. It was the baker's that she often stopped at as it was close to where she lived. It shocked Astrid to see that he no longer wore his tall baking hat. She had long thought that he had glued it on to his head. Astrid glanced at his balding head. She caught her laugh as it threatened to leave her mouth and quickly admonished herself.

Balding is no laughing matter, Astrid! Astrid nodded to herself.

“Hey Astrid, what are you doing here?” Garret swept a mound of dirt out of his broken shop.

“Thought I’d lend a hand." Astrid said. "Well, more like I'll lend my mind.”

“Are you sure?" Garret chuckled. "Don’t you have anything else to do other than help out an old man?”

“Not until I get a letter through my door telling me otherwise,” Astrid said. “I’m on call.”

“Ah, the life of a Wayfarer,” Garret continued. “I hope your new team is treating you well.”

“They are.” Astrid smiled.

“Well, if they’re ever mean to you, show them in my direction.” Garret thrust his fist forward. “I may be a baker, but these arms have kneaded dough in the tens of thousands!”

“I’ll make sure to tell them,” Astrid smiled. “Now I’ll get to work.”

Astrid moved the debris from inside the shop and shoved it outside. She controlled the dust within the air and corralled it outward by making a box out of matter. It was surprisingly fun. Connecting to so many things at once reminded her of controlling her blades. Especially with trying to figure out ways on how to better move the dust within the air.

Ha, mother would be ecstatic. Astrid chuckled as she imagined what it would be like if her mother had her abilities.

Just as Astrid had finished cleaning the inside of the shop and was going to move on to the next building, she noticed the bricklayers giving her glances now and then. One of them slapped the youngest on the chest as he opened his mouth to talk.

“Sorry, could you please give us a hand?” The man said. “I just noticed you helping… and th–thought you could–never mind.” He shuddered his head.

He fancies me? Astrid thought.

“Of course I will.” Astrid smiled. “You need me to raise the bricks?”

The man’s eyes lit up. “Are you sure? That would be a lifesaver!”

Astrid got to work once more and lifted the bricks for them to stick it together with mortar. With them not having to haul bricks up ladders all the time, the job was quick to get done. Astrid was pleased to smell a fresh smell of baked goods waft through the stench of dust and stone.

Garret walked out with a tray full of golden brown pastries. Astrid and Leena salivated as their eyes were glued to the tray.

“Here everyone, have a break and get something to eat.” Garret placed the tray in front of them.

Astrid immediately pinched hold of a croissant and, without waiting, bit into the flaky, buttery goodness. The sweetness of salted butter tickled her taste buds.

“Mmm, so good.” Astrid tapped her foot on the ground. “Thanks Garrett!”

“No. Thank you.” Garret chuckled. “You saved us a lot of time.”

In a few bites, the pastry was gone, and she replaced it with another. That was the best thing about constitution points. No matter how much she ate, she wouldn’t get fat! Although… she wondered if there was a limit.