Astralyth Online

Chapter 72 – Progress and Plans

After the worst of her embarrassment over Lyra’s undying love for Sarah comment faded, Madelyn sat on her bed, staring at her hands. She replayed the moment just before Lyra’s teasing remark in her mind. Her magic had actually done something when she was trying to control it. The blue specks of light—what were they? She had no idea, and neither did Lyra, but it was something.

She exhaled slowly, running her fingers over the pendant resting against her chest. Now, she could consciously transform into her fox form and create… glowing blue lights? She wasn’t sure what they meant or what purpose they served, but it was progress.

Her ears suddenly perked up as she heard the sound of the front door opening. Her father was home.

Immediately, she jumped up and rushed downstairs, her tail swishing excitedly behind her. Entering the living room, she spotted her dad setting his bag down, rubbing the back of his neck as he let out a tired sigh.

“Hey there, kiddo,” Jack greeted with a small smile, his exhaustion clear but his warmth unmistakable.

Madelyn grinned. “Hey, Dad,” she said, stepping closer. “Rough day?”

Jack chuckled. “Just a long one.”

They made their way to the kitchen, where Emily was just finishing up dinner. The smell of freshly cooked food filled the air, making Madelyn’s stomach rumble.

“Perfect timing,” Emily said, giving Jack a knowing look as she set the last dish down on the table. “You’re just in time to eat.”

Jack sniffed the air and let out an appreciative hum. “Smells amazing.” He turned to Madelyn, his expression more serious now. “How was your day?”

Madelyn hesitated for just a moment before deciding to be honest. “Eventful,” she admitted. “I, uh… might’ve made some progress with my magic.”

Jack raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a chair. “Oh?”

Emily turned her attention fully to Madelyn now as well, her curiosity piqued. “What kind of progress?”

Madelyn fidgeted slightly, her ears twitching. “I was trying to focus like Lyra told me, and I… I created these little glowing blue lights.” She glanced at Lyra, who was floating nearby. “We don’t really know what they are yet, but it’s the first time I’ve been able to do something on purpose.”

Jack frowned slightly, crossing his arms. “That’s good, I guess, but are you sure they’re not dangerous?”

Before Madelyn could respond, Lyra had already taken the opportunity to speak. “There’s nothing wrong with them!” the fairy declared confidently, waving a tiny hand. “We’re not entirely sure what they do yet, but they don’t seem harmful. Just a manifestation of her magic.”

Jack’s expression remained skeptical, but he nodded slowly. “Alright…”

But Lyra wasn’t finished.

“I did touch one, though,” she continued, grinning mischievously. “And it basically echoed what Madelyn was feeling—warmth, happiness… oh, and so much love for Sarah.”

Madelyn’s ears shot straight up, her face instantly burning red. “Lyra!” she yelped, lunging for the fairy in an attempt to shut her up, but Lyra easily dodged, twirling through the air with a giggle.

Emily let out a delighted oh, her eyes lighting up with amusement, while Jack just blinked, his eyebrows rising slightly.

Emily tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “So these little lights… they show your emotions?” she mused, her gaze shifting back to Madelyn. “Are they the same as the blue butterflies Kim saw last night?”

“Wait—butterflies?” Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

Madelyn hesitated, her fingers idly tracing the rim of her plate. “Yeah. Kim showed me a video at school—after last night’s weather weirdness, people saw these glowing blue things floating around the city.” She paused, her ears twitching slightly. “And, well… I think I made them appear.”

Jack leaned forward slightly, his expression unreadable. “How?”

Madelyn’s face heated up. “Um… after Lyra put me in Sarah’s bed.”

Jack blinked.

Emily let out a delighted little ohhh and smiled knowingly.

Lyra snickered from her perch on the table, kicking her tiny feet. “Best decision I ever made.”

Jack let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples. “Okay, so, let me get this straight. Your magic reacts to emotions, and when you felt at ease—safe, comfortable with Sarah—you unconsciously released some kind of glowing blue energy across the entire city?”

Madelyn groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “When you put it like that, it sounds way worse.”

Jack shook his head, but his expression was more thoughtful than annoyed. “It was something I wanted to ask you about anyway. Dana, Marcus, and I have been looking into the weather anomaly from last night. We managed to get some footage of it—including these ‘butterflies,’ as you call them.”

Madelyn’s head snapped up. “You have more footage?”

Jack nodded. “Yes, and not just from security cameras. Some satellites actually picked up something strange, too. We were going to analyze it further, but if you were the source of it, like we were thinking…” He trailed off, rubbing his chin.

Emily looked between them, her expression concerned. “If Maddy was the source… and it really did envelop the entire city, then what does that mean?” Her gaze flickered to Jack, then Lyra. “Is her magic getting stronger? Or is she losing more control?”

Lyra nodded confidently, arms crossed. "Well, of course it is growing. It’s been getting stronger every day since I got here."

She shrugged, her tiny wings fluttering behind her. "It’s natural. I mean, why wouldn’t it be? From my understanding, your magic was locked away for sixteen years. Now that it’s free again, it’s trying to catch up—to get to the level it should be."

Emily frowned, glancing between them. "What exactly does that mean? How much stronger is it going to get?"

Lyra sighed, floating a little higher in the air as she crossed her arms. “Well, if Maddy is anything like Aeloria, what she’s done so far is just the first drop in an ocean.” She twirled a finger, creating a tiny swirl of golden dust in the air. “She’s barely scratching the surface.”

Madelyn swallowed hard, her hands tightening into fists in her lap. She already knew her powers could be massive—after all, she was the daughter of a goddess—but hearing it phrased like that sent a wave of unease crawling up her spine. Just the first drop in an ocean? How was she supposed to control something that vast?

“But there’s nothing to worry about,” Lyra added quickly, waving her hands before Madelyn could spiral into panic. “That’s why we’re doing this, right? So you don’t end up leveling a city on accident.”

“Not helping,” Madelyn muttered, rubbing her temples.

Emily immediately sat beside Madelyn, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. The warmth of her mother’s embrace helped to ease some of the tension in her chest, grounding her in the moment. Her tail, which had been flicking anxiously, stilled as she leaned into the comfort.

Jack exhaled, his expression tightening with concern. “Maddy, if you’re open to it, I think it’s time we take a more direct approach. I’d like to bring you to my workplace—soon. Dana, Marcus, and I have spent years working with unexplainable things, trying to make sense of them. We have equipment that might be able to shed some light on how your powers work—what triggers them, how they react, maybe even how to control them. I think we need to start looking for answers before something bigger happens.” His tone was steady, but there was an undeniable urgency beneath it.

Madelyn’s ears twitched, and her tail flicked uneasily as she stiffened. “Your workplace?” she echoed, her voice hesitant.

Jack nodded. “I have to arrange a few things first, so it won’t be before next week. But I want you to think about it.”

Madelyn bit her lip, glancing down at her hands. She knew she probably had to go. If anyone could help her understand her powers, it was her dad and his team. And it wasn’t like she was making much progress on her own. Still, the idea of being studied—even if it was by people who cared about her—made her stomach twist.

Her tail curled slightly around her leg as she hesitated before muttering, “Okay… I’ll go.”

Jack gave her an approving nod. “I’d like Lyra to come as well. If she’s been guiding you, she should be involved in whatever we learn.”@@novelbin@@

Lyra flipped her tiny hair dramatically. “Obviously. I’m going where Maddy is going.” She landed lightly on Madelyn’s shoulder, as if to prove her point.

Jack smirked slightly but then grew more serious. “And I think you should bring Sarah too.” He held up a hand before Madelyn could protest. “She’s clearly an important part of your magic. Every time something major has happened, she’s been right there with you. If we’re going to figure this out, it makes sense to include her.”

Madelyn’s ears twitched, and her face heated slightly, but she couldn’t argue. Sarah had been there for every major shift in her magic. Maybe it wasn’t just a coincidence.

Jack nodded. “Alright, I’ll arrange something.”

With the heavier topic settled for now, the conversation drifted into simpler things—school, upcoming plans, and light teasing about Sarah, much to Madelyn’s embarrassment. Her parents didn’t push her anymore, likely sensing that she was already overwhelmed.

By the time dinner was ready, Madelyn felt a little lighter.

After taking a quick shower, which felt almost completely normal to her now, Madelyn said goodnight to her parents and made her way to her room. She closed the door behind her, sighing softly as she flopped onto her bed.

Reaching for her phone, she instinctively checked her messages, fully expecting to see something from Sarah. But as she unlocked the screen, there were no unread messages.

Madelyn frowned. She didn’t text me? Sarah had been the one to start most of their conversations lately, whether it was teasing her, checking in, or just saying something silly to make her blush. So why was it so quiet now?

She felt a small pang of disappointment but quickly shook it off. She’s probably just busy. Still, she hesitated for a moment before typing out a quick message.

Madelyn: Hey, hope your evening isn’t too boring without me

I wanted to tell you—I kind of did something new with my magic before dinner. These little blue glowing lights appeared when I focused. I have no idea what they do yet, but it’s progress, right?

She hovered her thumb over the keyboard, debating whether to add something else. After a brief moment of hesitation, she took a breath and typed again.

Also… my dad wants to take me to his work next week to try and figure out how my magic works. He thinks they have equipment that might help. I was wondering if you’d want to come with me? I’d feel a lot better if you were there.

She reread the message twice before quickly hitting send—before she could overthink it. Setting her phone down on her bedside table, she lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, her tail curling over her stomach as she waited for a reply.

Lyra, who had been lounging lazily on her pillow, fluttered onto her stomach. “You’re pouting,” the tiny fairy pointed out.

Madelyn groaned. “I’m not pouting.”

“You totally are.” Lyra grinned, hovering above her. “Sarah hasn’t messaged you, and now you’re all mopey.”

Madelyn rolled onto her side, causing Lyra to flutter back slightly. “I just thought she would have sent something. She’s usually spamming me.”

Madelyn let out a soft sigh, turning onto her back as she stared at the ceiling. “Maybe she already went to bed,” Lyra suggested, stretching her tiny arms before flopping back onto Madelyn’s pillow.

“Yeah… maybe,” Madelyn murmured, but she wasn’t really convinced.

Her thoughts drifted, her mind running over everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. A month ago, she had been just a normal teenager, playing a game with her friends. Now, she was a foxkin girl with strange powers she didn’t understand, the supposed daughter of a goddess, and had somehow managed to get a girlfriend in the process. Her whole life had flipped upside down so fast, and no matter how much she tried to act like she was handling it, the weight of it all still lingered.

Before she could spiral any further, Lyra’s tiny voice broke through her thoughts, softer than usual. “Maddy, you’re overthinking again.”

Madelyn blinked, her ears twitching as she turned her head toward the fairy, who was watching her with an uncharacteristically gentle look. “You don’t have to figure out everything all at once,” Lyra continued. “Things will fall into place, piece by piece. You just have to keep going.”

Madelyn exhaled, some of the tension in her shoulders easing at the reassurance. She hadn’t even realized how tight her grip had gotten on her blanket. “Yeah,” she murmured, unclenching her fingers.

Lyra smirked. “And besides, you’re sixteen. That’s practically a baby by my standards. And babies shouldn’t worry so much.”

Madelyn rolled her eyes, but somehow, the ridiculous comment had a positive effect on her. Her tail gave a small flick of amusement, the tension in her chest easing just a little. “Thanks, Lyra,” she said, her voice quieter.

Lyra rolled onto her side, curling up comfortably. “Yeah, yeah. Sleep well, Mads.”

Madelyn sighed, closing her eyes, but sleep didn’t come easily. Her thoughts kept drifting and turning, refusing to settle no matter how many times she tried to push them away. Her bed was comfortable, but something still felt… off.

Then, an idea struck her.

The best sleep she had gotten in the past few days had been when she was in her fox form. It was warm, comfortable, and oddly natural. Maybe… maybe that would help?

She hesitated for only a second before closing her eyes and focusing. She concentrated on the shift, on the sensation she had learned to recognize, letting it come naturally instead of forcing it. And—maybe—she let herself think about Sarah for just a second.

That familiar warmth spread through her body, and she felt herself shrink, her limbs shifting, her tail fluffing out behind her. When she opened her eyes again, she was curled up as a small fox, her fur brushing against the soft sheets.

Carefully, she crept out from under the blankets, her sharp teeth gently grabbing the fabric. She tugged at them, carefully arranging them into a small nest-like bump at the center of her bed. She nosed at it a bit, adjusting it just right, before circling twice and settling into it, curling up into a tight little ball.

The warmth of the blankets surrounded her, the soft, cushioned space making her feel safe. Her tail wrapped around her body, her ears twitching slightly as she let out a small breath.

Yeah… this feels right. Even better if Sarah were here though.

The thought hit her before she could stop it, and immediately, her ears twitched, heat creeping up her face. Oh my god, what is wrong with me? She curled in on herself a little tighter, pressing her nose against her tail as if that would somehow hide her embarrassment. It wasn’t like she needed Sarah here or anything… but the idea of being curled up against her, feeling her warmth, hearing her steady breathing—ugh. Her tail flicked in frustration at herself.

She let out a quiet huff, trying to shake the thought away.

Just go to sleep, Maddy.