A Haunting Melody: The Golden Lyre

14 | Mu

The symbol Mu (μ) is given to Hunters who kill a Siren in its domain - the ocean. The kill has to happen underwater, and once the Hunter is gifted this mark, they too have the ability to breathe underwater.

***

She couldn't remember how it happened.

Astrid kneeled there stiffly in the dark, feeling the cold, wet sand being crushed between her bare toes and sticking to her knees. She couldn't remember why she was at the beach in the dead of night. She couldn't really remember anything.

All she could really focus on was the body which lay motionless before her. Before she knew what she was doing, she felt herself cry out and hold the limp, cold body close to her, not wanting to let go.

Her chest ached at the sight. The person she loved most in the world lay dead in her arms, their blood drying on her hands. Her tears streamed relentlessly down her face as she rocked the lifeless body back and forth, begging them not to leave her alone...

***

Astrid sat stiffly between her two best friends during lunch. Sam wasn't speaking to Rose ever since the incident at the party and Rose was being Rose, by trying to blame everything on him for being mad at her.

Astrid felt drawn. The nightmare she had was playing on her mind and she found that she simply didn't have the energy to get involved in this mess.

Rose had been desperately trying to get Sam to speak to her by trying to come up with excuses about what happened at the party and trying to make light of the situation by teasing him that he had been really drunk.

Sam was not having any of it and refused to even look at her, let alone reply to any of her comments.

Eventually, Rose huffed in frustration, "Are you seriously still mad at me? Really? What's the big deal? I kissed Conner, so what? You're being really pathetic," she said, crossing her arms.

Sam still said nothing, but this last comment was the last straw for Astrid. Her patience had officially run out.

"Are you joking?" Astrid asked, turning to face Rose with piercing eyes.

"What?" Rose asked with a shocked expression.

Astrid never usually disagreed with Rose.

"If you can't understand that this is entirely your fault, then you're not the person I thought you were," Astrid said angrily.

Rose stared at her with her mouth agape.

"Well I see whose side you're on now," she replied irritably, picking up her bag and storming off.

"Whatever," Astrid huffed and crossed her arms.

She sat next to Sam in silence for a while, fuming over what had just transpired. Rose was so immature sometimes. She had really expected better of her. Eventually, Sam cleared his throat.

"Thanks for sticking up for me. I don't know what's going on with her," he said exasperatedly.

She nodded slowly, staring into the distance. What was going on with her? Why was David missing? She pulled out a sandwich and started chewing slowly, deep in thought. She was so distracted that she didn't even react when Sam did his usual 'poison check' with her sandwich, taking a bite and handing it back to her with a nod of approval.

***

Astrid threw her school bag onto the floor beside her desk and immediately untied her wild, black hair. She had a headache from having her hair tied up all day.