Astra hadn't slept a wink. She sat at the edge of the cliff, knees drawn to her chest, watching the stars slowly fade into the soft blush of dawn. The sky lightened, streaked with pale lavender and gold. Somewhere behind her, Kriya sat in silence. Whether he was awake or dozing, she couldn't tell.
Morning crept in on a gentle breeze, rustling the grass around them.
Eventually, Kriya stirred. He stretched with a quiet yawn and walked over to sit beside her, his gaze falling on the rising sun.
After a moment, he asked softly, "How's the wound? Does it still hurt?"
Astra gave a small shake of her head. He sighed quietly in relief, but the worry didn't leave his eyes.
A few minutes passed in silence before he spoke again. "You must be hungry." She shook her head once more, but her stomach had other plans. It growled loudly in protest.
Kriya blinked at her. A beat of silence. Then a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'll go find us something to eat. Don't go anywhere, stay near the cliff."
As usual, she didn't answer. He gave her one last glance before rising and heading down into the grove of trees behind them, vanishing into the valley.
By the time Kriya returned with an armful of fresh fruit, he stopped dead in his tracks.
The cliff was empty.
His heart dropped.
"Astra?" he called, but the breeze was the only thing that answered. Panic surged up his spine. He dropped the fruit without a second thought and took off, eyes scanning every direction as he ran through the trees and along the valley's edge.
It took several frantic minutes before he finally spotted her.
She was sitting casually on a rock, legs swinging slightly, munching on something.
Relief hit him like a wave—but it was short-lived. As he got closer, his steps grew faster, then urgent, then near-sprinting.
Because something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Astra was chewing on a handful of small, glossy red berries—the wrong kind.
He rushed to her side, snatching one of the half-eaten berries from her hand and scanning the area. Sure enough, a patch of plump, glistening berries grew nearby small, red, and dangerously familiar.
The kind locals used to ferment strong mountain wine.
He turned to look at her. Her face was flushed crimson, eyes glassy, and—
"Hic."
"Oh no…" Kriya muttered, watching as she blinked up at him in slow motion.
"What?" Astra blinked slowly. "I couldn't wait till you returned… I was hungry. And these…" She held one up, "were so juicy."
Her words slurred ever so slightly, her smile far too content.
Kriya stared at her, exasperated. "You ate wineberries…"
Astra blinked at him, then hiccuped again. With zero hesitation, she flipped another berry into her mouth and mumbled, "Then it's good."
He knelt beside her, eyes wide. "No, it's not good. That's basically alcohol."
She stared at him for a long second—then, as he opened his mouth to protest again, she promptly shoved another berry into it.
"Shhh," she slurred, leaning in. "I'm hurt, remember? 'S good if I get some alcohol… numbs the pain or… something…"
Kriya coughed, spitting the berry out. "No… it's bad," he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Astra tilted her head, a lazy, lopsided smile spreading across her flushed face. "You're still a child, right? You don't get it yet…"
Kriya stared at her, deadpan. "How many did you eat to get this drunk?"
She blinked, looked at her fingers, and began counting with a furrowed brow. Then she proudly held up eight fingers.
Kriya's eyes widened. "Eight berries?!"
Astra shook her head and corrected with a giggle, "No, silly. Seven bunches. Whole."
Kriya's face drained of color. "You didn't…"
"I did," she replied hiccuping mid-word.
He looked around in panic, "Seven—why would you eat seven whole bunches?!"
Astra, unfazed, simply patted the rock beside her. "C'mon, sit! The rocks are comfy… and spinny."
She squinted at the horizon, She blinked at the horizon, clearly seeing three of them.
Kriya sighed but sat beside her, "Astra… you really shouldn't have eaten that many. Look at you—you're completely red."
"Red?" she echoed curiously, tilting her head. Her gaze darted around. "Where's the mirror?"
Then, without warning, she reached out and cupped his face, pulling him closer with surprising steadiness.
Kriya froze, startled by the sudden closeness, breath caught in his throat.
Astra leaned in, eyes narrowing with exaggerated focus. Then she smiled soft and delighted as she saw her reflection in his wide, sliver eyes. "Ah… there it is. Yes… I am red."
Kriya's heart gave a traitorous thump.
She tilted her head again, this time pressing a hand gently to her own chest. Her brows furrowed in puzzlement. "Why is it beating so fast?"
Kriya looked away quickly, drawing in a long breath, as if it could steady the jolt of surprise that surged through him. "M-maybe… maybe it's just the wineberries," he mumbled. "They mess with your heart rate."
Astra didn't answer. She simply leaned back against the rock, legs swinging idly as the wind tousled her hair. Her eyes fluttered half-closed, a peaceful smile curling on her lips.
Kriya glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then upward toward the brightening sky. "This day is going to be a long one," he whispered, almost to himself.
The river whispered beside them, soft and silver beneath the morning light. Astra trudged barefoot along the rocky edge, her steps weaving like a thread unraveling, arms swinging wildly as her emotions spilled like overturned buckets—each moment a new storm.
"I hate them!" she shouted suddenly, nearly slipping on a stone as Kriya caught her by the shoulders from behind. "All of them! Stupid, wretched demons! They took everything! My family—my everything!"
Her voice cracked. She spun on her heel and jabbed a shaky finger at the sky.
"And you!" she screamed at the clouds. "What good are you, huh? All those prayers, and not one lightning bolt when I needed it! You're all fake! I'm done! I won't even come to your temples anymore!"
Kriya stayed behind her, gripping her gently but firmly—afraid to let go, afraid she'd fall or worse, keep going until there was nothing left to burn.
She stilled. Her shoulders heaved. Her arms dropped to her sides like fallen flags.
Then her face twisted, lips trembling.
And the tears came.
Loud, hiccupy, and raw.
Kriya moved in front of her, hands lifting instinctively as he tried to calm her.
"No, no—don't cry. Don't—don't—"
"IT HURTS!" she wailed, her knees giving out as she collapsed in on herself.
Kriya panicked, crouching to catch her.
He started to reach for her—arms halfway out—then froze.
Nope. Nope. Bad idea. Too close. Abort.
He stood there awkwardly, his hands hovering like a confused scarecrow.
Then he yanked them back, turning sharply to the river.
"Think, Kriya, think," he muttered to himself. His eyes darted across the flowing water—until an idea struck him. "The river…"
He turned back to Astra, who was now half-sitting, half-folded in grief, muttering broken pieces of her pain to the grass beneath her.
"Okay," Kriya whispered, exhaling as he stepped behind her again. "We're doing this… my way."