Astralyth Online

Chapter 69 – Weather Anomalies

Madelyn watched the video on Kim’s phone a second time, her amber eyes studying the flickering blue shapes on the screen. The lights indeed looked like butterflies, just like Sarah had said. Their soft glow, the way they drifted and pulsed in the night air—it was mesmerizing, almost otherworldly.

Then, a tiny voice whispered in her ear, so quiet only she could hear.@@novelbin@@

"Butterflies? They look more like fairies to me."

Madelyn nearly let out a laugh but quickly covered it with a cough. Of course, Lyra would see fairies. Tucked into her hair in her flower form, the tiny fairy had been quietly observing the conversation without anyone noticing.

“I also think they look like butterflies,” Madelyn said, her voice carefully casual as she handed the phone back to Kim. “Where do you think they come from?”

Kim leaned forward, adjusting her glasses. “Oh, my dad and I aren’t sure, but something weird is definitely happening lately. Especially the weather. First, we had the worst storm in sixteen years, and now last night, it was almost a storm again before it suddenly stopped. And then the blue butterflies appeared.” She frowned, her voice lowering. “It’s almost like… the weather is alive lately.”

Madelyn’s breath caught in her throat. Worst storm in sixteen years. The weather is alive? Her mind raced as the pieces snapped into place. That storm—the one everyone had talked about—was the night she had her nightmare and lost control. And last night, she’d had another nightmare, only for everything to stop the moment she had calmed down in Sarah’s arms.

Did the weather react to me?

Her fingers curled slightly, her mind reeling. It made too much sense to ignore. Lyra had told her that her emotions influenced the world around her, that she still had no real control over her powers. But she had never thought about it on this scale.

If the weather was reacting to her emotions… what did that mean? How much of it was her doing? And if she lost control again, how bad could it get?

Sarah must have noticed the shift in her expression because she subtly squeezed Madelyn’s hand under the table. The gentle pressure grounded her, pulling her away from her spiraling thoughts.

“Alive, huh?” Sarah said, tilting her head, keeping her voice light. “Sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie.”

Kim nodded seriously. “Exactly! The patterns don’t make sense. It’s not just random storms—it’s reactionary. Something is triggering them.”

Madelyn swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod. “Yeah… weird.”

“We’ll figure it out though, no worries, Madelyn,” Kim said, her tone reassuring despite the underlying excitement in her voice.

Madelyn didn’t really know how to react. Her brain was working overtime, trying to piece everything together—the storm, her emotions, the strange blue butterflies, or fairies, or whatever they were. Was she truly the one causing all of this? How much of what was happening around her was because of her growing but uncontrolled powers?

Sarah suddenly stood up, stretching dramatically. “Well, let’s get ready for class,” she announced, then turned to Kim and Lillian with a grin. “Oh, by the way—Kim, Lillian, want to come shopping with Maddy and me this Sunday?”

Lillian perked up, clearly interested. “Oh? What are you shopping for?”

Sarah smirked. “Oh, you know, girly things. Maybe some cute outfits, maybe some stuff for Maddy.”

Madelyn blinked, heat rushing to her face. “W-What? Why for me?”

Sarah winked at her. “Because I have plans, Maddy.”

Kim’s eyes lit up at the idea. “Ohhh, that sounds fun! Yeah, I’m totally in!”

Lillian laughed softly, nodding. “Same, I’d love to come.”

Madelyn groaned, already regretting agreeing to whatever Sarah was scheming. But at the same time… a small part of her was kind of excited.

“Great!” Sarah clapped her hands together. “It’s a date.”

“A d-date—” Madelyn started, but before she could fully process the word, Sarah had already grabbed her hand and was tugging her toward the exit.

The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, though Madelyn found herself distracted, her mind circling back to everything that had happened—Kim’s video, the storm, the strange connection to her emotions, and, of course, Sarah’s constant teasing.

By the time school ended, she was walking back home with Sarah at her side, their hands occasionally brushing as they talked about small things—weekend plans, their teachers, and what kind of chaos their shopping trip might bring.

Before long, they reached the point where they had to split up for the day. Unlike the past few nights, Sarah was heading back to her own house instead of staying over at Madelyn’s.

Madelyn turned to say goodbye, but before she could, Sarah leaned in and pressed a quick, playful kiss to her lips.

“See you tomorrow, Maddy,” Sarah said, a mischievous glint in her green eyes. “Can’t wait to see you in your PE clothes.”

She winked, then turned and walked off, laughing as Madelyn stood frozen in place, her entire face burning.

Madelyn groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Why is she like this?” she muttered.

With a deep breath, she shook her head and continued toward home, her thoughts a swirling mess of emotions.

Madelyn walked the last stretch home alone, already missing Sarah’s easy presence beside her. It was strange—she had spent years walking this route by herself, yet now the absence of Sarah’s teasing and laughter made it feel… emptier. She shook the thought away and picked up her pace, eager to get inside.

As soon as she entered the house, she kicked off her shoes and headed straight upstairs. The first thing she did was pick out a dress, something soft and flowing that felt nice against her skin. With a deep breath, she let go of her Human Disguise skill, feeling a familiar tingling sensation as her fox ears and tail reappeared. Her tail swayed freely behind her, a small relief after being hidden for so long.

As she finished adjusting her dress, Lyra fluttered into the air, transforming back into her fairy form with a shimmering glow. “Finally! I was getting stiff being stuck as a flower all day,” she sighed dramatically, stretching her tiny limbs.

Madelyn rolled her eyes with a small smile. “You’re the one who insists on hiding in my hair.”

“Best seat in the house,” Lyra said smugly.

Shaking her head, Madelyn made her way downstairs, stepping into the living room where her mother was sitting on the couch, focused on her laptop. The rhythmic sound of typing filled the quiet room until Emily noticed her daughter standing there.

“Oh, hey, sweetie,” Emily greeted, closing her laptop just enough to give Madelyn her full attention. “How was your day?”

Madelyn hesitated for a moment before walking over to the couch. “It was fine,” she said as she sat down beside her mother. She twisted her hands together before glancing up. “But… there’s something I want to talk about.”

Emily’s expression softened, and she immediately placed her laptop aside. “Of course, Maddy. What is it?”

Madelyn took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking. “So… at lunch today, Kim showed us this weird video,” she began, glancing between her mom and Lyra. “It was from last night, after the weather suddenly calmed down. There were these glowing blue butterflies floating in the air.”

Emily’s brows lifted slightly. “Glowing butterflies?” she repeated, intrigued.

Madelyn nodded. “Yeah. At least, that’s what they looked like. Sarah said the same thing. But then Lyra—” she gestured toward the tiny fairy, “—said they looked more like fairies.”

Lyra crossed her arms, nodding in agreement. “They do look more like fairies to me. But that’s the thing—there shouldn’t be fairies in this world.”

Emily frowned slightly. “So, if they aren’t normal butterflies and they aren’t supposed to be fairies, then what are they?”

“That’s what I don’t know,” Madelyn admitted, shifting in her seat. “And it gets weirder. Kim also mentioned how the weather has been acting strange. First, we had the worst storm in sixteen years, and then last night, it almost stormed again, but it stopped—like, instantly.”

Madelyn hesitated before voicing what had been weighing on her mind since lunch. “I think… it might be connected to me,” she said quietly.

Emily’s gaze sharpened as she turned to look at her daughter more closely. “Connected how?”

Madelyn swallowed. “Like… my emotions. The first storm happened the night I had that nightmare, and the one last night started because I had another nightmare. But then, when I calmed down—when I was in Sarah’s bed—it just stopped.” She glanced at Lyra, needing some kind of confirmation. “That can’t just be a coincidence, right?”

Lyra floated up from Madelyn’s shoulder, nodding solemnly. “Nope. Not a coincidence at all. It has to be you.”

Madelyn looked at her mom hesitantly. “Does that… sound weird? Like, am I just overthinking this?”

Emily didn’t respond right away, but she didn’t look surprised, either. Instead, she reached out and gently brushed Madelyn’s hair back. “No, sweetheart,” she said softly. “It doesn’t sound weird at all.”

Madelyn blinked. “It doesn’t?”

Her mother shook her head. “Your dad and I had the same thought when we saw the news. After what happened with the storm the other night and how it lined up with your nightmare, we were already wondering if something like this might be happening.” She gave Madelyn’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I think your emotions are affecting the world around you. And when you felt calm or safe, maybe that’s why things return to normal so suddenly.”

Madelyn’s stomach twisted at the confirmation. She wasn’t sure if she had wanted to be right about this or not.

“Yup, no doubt about it,” Lyra chimed in, crossing her arms. “Maddy’s got the makings of a full-fledged goddess, whether she realizes it or not. Right now, her emotions are in the driver’s seat, and the world is just reacting to them.”

Madelyn slumped back against the couch, exhaling slowly. “That’s… a lot.”

Emily turned her attention to Lyra, her brow furrowed in thought. “And what about the blue butterflies?” she asked. “Do you think they’re connected to Madelyn too?”

Lyra hovered in the air, tapping her chin. “Well, I’ve never heard or seen something like it.”

She crossed her arms, deep in thought. “It doesn’t look very natural, and it probably wasn’t fairies either. This world doesn’t have the right kind of magic to sustain fairy life. If there were fairies, I’d know

Emily frowned. “So… it is connected to Maddy.”

Lyra let out a dramatic sigh. “Most likely, yeah. If those butterfly-fairy-things aren’t naturally occurring, then it probably means Maddy did something unconsciously.”

Madelyn groaned, rubbing her temples. “Great. So now, on top of messing with the weather, I might also be creating magical creatures?”

Emily reached out and gently rubbed Madelyn’s back. “Sweetheart, I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it means you can influence the world in ways beyond just the storms.”

Madelyn gave a small nod, though her mind was still spinning. “I just… don’t understand how I did it. Or why.”

Lyra shrugged. “Beats me! Maybe it’s your emotions again. Or maybe you’re tapping into something even deeper.” She grinned. “Hey, at least they weren’t monsters, right? Imagine if you accidentally summoned a storm and a bunch of creepy shadow creatures or something.”

Madelyn shot her a glare. “Not helping, Lyra.”

Emily chuckled, shaking her head. “For now, let’s focus on keeping your emotions steady. The more aware you are of how you’re feeling, the more we might be able to figure out what’s triggering these effects.”

Madelyn sighed, leaning into her mother’s warmth. “I just want to understand what’s happening to me.”

Emily kissed the top of her head. “We will, sweetheart. One step at a time.”

Madelyn closed her eyes for a moment, letting herself soak in the comfort of her mother’s reassurance. But deep down, she knew she couldn’t ignore this. If she really was affecting the world around her, she needed to figure out how—and fast. Because if she ever lost control again… she had no idea what else she might create.

Emily continued, her voice gentle but firm. “Your father is looking into things together with Dana and Marcus. He’s doing everything he can to find answers.”

Madelyn nodded slowly. She knew her father and his colleagues had connections that most people didn’t, and if anyone could dig into the strange occurrences surrounding her transformation, it was him. Still, the idea that he needed to investigate her made her stomach twist.

“Yeah! And I’ll help you get control of your abilities too!” Lyra interjected, puffing up her tiny chest with pride. “No offense to your dad and his research, but you don’t need just information—you need training. Lucky for you, you’ve got a top-tier fairy guide at your service.”

Madelyn raised an eyebrow. “Top-tier, huh?”

Lyra huffed. “Excuse you, but I have years of experience with magical beings. You just happen to be the most unpredictable one I’ve ever seen.” She smirked. “But that’s what makes you fun.”

Madelyn let out a small laugh, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “Thanks, Lyra. I appreciate it.”

Emily gave Madelyn’s hand another reassuring squeeze. “We’ll all figure this out, Maddy.”

“So,” Lyra said, hovering right in front of Madelyn’s face, “training starts now or after snacks? Because I’m voting snacks first.”

Madelyn rolled her eyes. “Snacks first, obviously.”