Chapter 34 – For Her

Madelyn’s mind spun with questions, each one layering on top of the last until it became hard to think clearly. What were her parents talking about? What connection could they mean? She turned over in bed, trying to put the pieces together. Her father was working on a case involving unexplained disappearances… people going missing without a trace. But how could that possibly link back to her? And if it did, what could it mean?

She gripped her blanket, feeling the frustration build. The need for answers tugged at her, tempting her to dig deeper. But after everything she’d been through today, she was just too tired, too overwhelmed to act on it. Another thought crossed her mind, a quieter whisper among her chaotic thoughts: Maybe I could find something online.

If Aeloria really was connected to all of this, maybe someone else who played Astralyth Online knew more. Perhaps there were forums, discussions, or theories she could explore, other players who might have stumbled upon the same mystery. The thought of searching the game’s community gave her a strange glimmer of hope, a small sense of control in this tangled mess. But even that felt like a task for tomorrow.

Instead, her thoughts drifted to her dreams. Would she dream of the woman again tonight? Of Aeloria, if that was truly her name? Since this strange journey had started, it felt like the woman had been a constant presence, her face appearing in dreams almost as often as it didn’t. But why? Was there something specific that triggered these visions, or was it all random

Madelyn’s eyelids grew heavy as she pondered, exhaustion overtaking her. The questions lingered, swirling just beyond her reach as she slowly drifted off, her mind slipping into the quiet edges of sleep. As her thoughts grew hazy, the image of the woman—the softness of her touch, the warmth of her embrace—lingered in her mind, a comforting presence.

If there’s a reason for all of this, Madelyn thought as she fell into sleep’s grasp, then maybe, just maybe, the answers will find me.

With that final thought, her breathing softened, the tension in her body easing as she surrendered to the pull of sleep, hoping that, somewhere within her dreams, she would find a clue—or at least some solace in the woman’s presence once more.

Madelyn opened her eyes and found herself once again standing in the cold, sterile hallways. The walls were a stark, unbroken white, almost clinical in their emptiness, and a faint hum echoed through the air, making the whole building feel alive in a disturbing, artificial way. The lights above cast a harsh glow, and the silence weighed on her, pressing down as if the walls themselves were watching her. She could feel it—that unmistakable pull, drawing her forward, deeper into the building. The woman was here. Somewhere. Waiting.

Madelyn’s steps quickened, her bare feet soundless on the cold, hard floor. She didn’t need directions; some part of her seemed to remember the way. She moved through the winding hallways with an unspoken urgency, passing doors and identical walls until she reached the room she knew so well. The heavy door stood ajar, just enough for her to slip through.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Madelyn pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was the same as it had always been—dim, bathed in a sickly greenish-yellow light from the tank that dominated its center. There, suspended in the viscous yellow liquid, was the woman. Cables snaked from her body, tethering her to the bottom of the tank in a cruel web of technology, while her eyes remained closed, her expression serene, as if she were simply sleeping. But Madelyn knew better. There was an aching sense of life, trapped and caged, radiating from her presence.

Madelyn’s heart tightened, her fox ears twitching with unease as she took in the sight. The woman’s face, so familiar now, looked peaceful but tired, a subtle hint of pain hidden behind her calm expression. And yet, something about her seemed stronger this time, as though she were holding on more fiercely, reaching out with everything she had left.

Madelyn took a step closer, her hands clenching at her sides as she struggled to find her voice. “Are you… Aeloria?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Who are you to me? How do you know me?”

The woman remained motionless, her eyes closed as if lost in a deep, eternal slumber. Madelyn let out a frustrated sigh, feeling helpless, as her hand pressed against the cool glass.

“Why can’t anyone tell me what’s happening? I don’t understand!” she burst out, her voice thick with desperation. “If you can’t tell me, can you at least show me? Like you showed me the vision with the fox kit in Astralyth Online?”

A sudden warmth spread through her palm, as if the woman were reaching back without moving at all. The hum in the background faded, the sterile walls blurring as a wave of colors and sounds washed over her senses, pulling her into something beyond the room.

A new room came into view, one that felt oddly familiar yet unsettling. Madelyn looked around, trying to piece together where she was. The walls were bare and white, much like the room with the tank, but this time, the tank was missing. Her eyes scanned the empty space until a door swung open with a sharp creak.

A man in a white lab coat entered, pushing a cart. Madelyn’s heart skipped as she recognized what was on it: the tank. The woman was inside, her eyes open, though clouded, her expression distant and filled with sadness. She looked scared and disoriented, almost like she wasn’t fully present, as though she were sedated. There were no cables, no yellow liquid surrounding her, just a haunting emptiness that seemed to consume her from within.

The man muttered to himself as he adjusted the cart, his voice low and urgent. “With you… I can cure her,” he whispered, a note of desperation edging his words. “With you, I won’t have to be scared anymore. My little girl… she can grow up strong, healthy, safe.”

Madelyn felt a chill creep up her spine, a sense of dread settling deep within her. She watched as he moved closer to the tank, his gaze fixed on the woman inside with a mixture of longing and fear. His words grew softer, almost pleading.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I’ve worked for so long, done so much… all for her. This is the only way, isn’t it? The only way to make sure she doesn’t suffer… not anymore.”

The woman in the tank blinked, her eyes briefly focusing on the man before slipping away again, lost in whatever daze she’d been placed under. Madelyn felt her pulse quicken, a knot of frustration building in her chest as she tried to understand the strange, twisted connection unfolding before her. Why did this man see the woman as some sort of key? And what did he mean by a cure?

The man continued to push the tank forward, his voice barely above a whisper as he spoke, almost to himself. “So close to saving her,” he murmured again, his tone a mix of desperation and reverence. “My superiors, they want to play god, but I don’t care about any of that. I only want to save my flame, my light—my little girl.” His hand trembled as he reached down, connecting a tube to the tank’s base, securing it with practiced precision.

Madelyn’s breath caught as she watched a yellow liquid begin to flow through the tube, slowly filling the tank around the woman. Her heart pounded, an overwhelming urge to intervene crashing over her, but her legs felt rooted in place, as if the very floor held her captive. All she could do was watch, helpless, as the woman’s eyes fluttered open momentarily, confusion and fear reflected in their depths before the daze returned, her expression clouding over.

“Don’t worry,” the man whispered, his eyes fixated on her with a twisted kind of affection. “It won’t be long now. Soon, you’ll have given me everything I need, and then… she’ll be safe.”

Madelyn wanted to scream, to shout at him to stop, but the words caught in her throat, stuck behind an invisible barrier. Desperation clawed at her as she fought to move, her limbs straining against whatever force held her bound. All the while, the yellow liquid continued to rise, encasing the woman slowly, inch by inch, like a prison made of liquid gold.

The man took a step back, his hands falling to his sides as he watched the tank, seemingly lost in thought. “You’re the last piece, you know,” he said softly, his tone almost regretful. “If there were any other way, I would’ve taken it. But my little girl deserves a chance, and if this is what it takes…” He trailed off, his eyes darkening with a determination that left Madelyn’s stomach twisted with dread.

The woman’s fingers twitched as the liquid reached her chest, her eyes flickering open again, wide and pleading, but her gaze held no focus. Madelyn could almost feel the woman’s terror as her own, the silent scream in her eyes echoing in the quiet room. She struggled against her invisible bonds, desperate to break free and stop this nightmare unfolding before her.

But the man turned his back on the woman, looking towards the doorway as if envisioning a future he’d sacrificed everything for. “One day, my girl will understand why it had to be this way,” he whispered, his voice carrying a hint of sorrow.

Madelyn’s fists clenched, her entire body shaking with the urge to break free. She tried to reach out, even just to speak, but it was as if she were merely a shadow, a helpless observer. The tank filled completely now, the woman’s face partially obscured by the yellow liquid, her once vibrant expression now drained, hollow.

A single tear escaped Madelyn’s eye as the final bubble of air slipped from the woman’s lips, vanishing into the liquid. The sight crushed her, the silence that followed even more suffocating than the liquid in the tank. She felt herself slipping, the room beginning to blur around her, but she held onto one thought with every fiber of her being.

This isn’t over. I will find you.