We are all Lost Stars ---A Zodiac Story---

Chapter 1

"ASHLEY!"

Her father's voice echoing through the house. It seemed that he had found another reason to use her as a punching bag. She sighed as she got up from her bed, making her way to her father. "Yes, father?" She answered once she was in front of him.

"I saw your grades. Your tutor had informed me that you haven't had any progress," His eyes, how she despised them. "Your teacher has also told me that you've been running away from classes. A lady does not run away," She remained silent, clenching her teeth so she wouldn't make a smart remark. That only lead to more trouble. 

And more bruises.  

"I see that you have not learned your lesson," He said as he kicked her in the stomach. The pain hitting her and she started to have trouble breathing. "Get up! On your feet, now" She hadn't realized that she was on the floor, but she obeyed his command.

She stood in front of him only to return to the floor with a burning cheek. He continued his abuse kicking her and hitting her with a rod. He eventually stopped panting and threw the rod. "You will not run away and you will learn to become a proper lady," He warned as he put on his coat and hat leaving her on the floor.

Once she was sure that her father was out the door she started to mutter very colourful language to her so-called father. She started to get up and returned to her bedroom. She stuck a note on the door that said to not come in at all costs. She knew even with the sign they would come in and realize that she was gone but honestly, she couldn't bring herself to care. 

She walked down the stairs heading for the door, turning the doorknob. Her wrist was grasped and she was turned around. 

"Where do you think you're going, Lady Ashley?" It was Sarah, her maid that was assigned to her since she was 5. She was like a second mother but Sarah had always been on her father's side. "I'm going out for a walk," Ashley answered to which Sarah shook her head. 

"The master has specifically told me to not let you out of the house," Ashley sighed and glared menacingly at Sarah. "You won't tell my father that I have left the house, or else, I'll kill you," Her hand blazed with fire. Sarah stepped back in fear but she did not move away. 

"If your father finds out I lied I will die,"

Ashley put a hand on her chin as she tapped, pretending to think. "Then I suppose the question is," Sarah looked at her questionably.  

"Who do you fear more?" Her eyes glowed red.

Thump. Her maid took a step back and tripped on the carpet, falling to the floor with a thump. Her face pale as her whole body shook with fear. Ashley only shook her head and went out the door. 

She walked for a bit before stopping as she looked around her destination. 

The seashore. Somewhere she had always gone off to when she was bored or frustrated. 

She slowly put her feet in the water, but never going in the water any further. The water was the land of the drowned. The people of the surface was never allowed to enter the water without a pass, but then, after all, nobody could stay for long or they would be the ones to drown.

She quickly looked around making sure that no one was around. She then took her hand out in front of her and took a deep breath, slowly in the palm of her hand the same flame appeared. Then a rustle from behind, startling her as the flame faded. She turned around to see a boy, he was tall and his short-sleeved shirt showed that he wasn't skinny as a twig, like the other boys around her village but he wasn't as muscular as the knights that were around father. 

His appearance wasn't intimidating so she wasn't that afraid of confronting the boy. "Who are you?" She asked him, keeping her distance. "Um... Hi? I'm kinda lost? I'm looking for my friends, I got separated from them." He answered nervously as he put a hand through his bright orange hair. 

"...." 

Ashley remained silent since she knew that no one does not just get lost and end up near the land of the drowned. Unless for business or to ... commit suicide.

But he seemed to be neither of the two possibilities, she has been here a lot after all and the people she has met, they had an empty look in their eyes. Their letter in their hand, in a bottle. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at his bulky backpack, that seemed over packed for a traveller staying at the surface for a few days. Especially if they weren't around here.

He had no wings so he wasn't from the land above. Perhaps from the land beneath? She stared suspiciously as he started to sweat. "So um..... What are you doing here? When are you going to leave?" He asked as he put a hand through his hair once again.

"Just wondering if anyone would miss me if I disappear from this world," She answered turning away from him, her voice simply in a light tone but behind her words, a hundred meanings. She stared back at the water, the sunlight shimmering on the water surface.

His eyes then widened as he called out to her. "You can't end yourself-! You have so much-"

"I know," She said as she cut him off. "There's so much more to life. I've got so much to live for. I can't commit suicide and all that. I've heard it all before. Unfortunately, I can't drown myself even if I wanted to," She answered as she stared at the water. This time with a little resentment.

"..... And why can't you?" He asked slowly and cautiously. "The people of the land of the drowned are very kind. Despite the land's name. They make sure that there are no people drowning in their lands and kindly return them to their homes."

She was punished dearly once she had arrived home. One of the bad days as she would call it. Where there were more than bruises and scratches. She turned back to see him staring and decided that it was time for her to ask questions.

"Who exactly are you? You aren't exactly around here if you're from the surface. Or perhaps you're here for a different reason? Unless you're a traveller, from the land of the drowned? But you're packed so heavily and you don't seem to have a drop of water with you. As they can't stay far away from the water," The boy started to get more nervous and kept sweating.

"You can't be from the land above as you have no wings, perhaps from the land beneath? But what would a person from the beneath be here? Near the water?" She interrogated him. Laying the facts in front of her.

She watched him as a predator waiting to pounce on their prey. He kept putting his hand through his hair nervously looking behind her as if he was waiting for something. Or someone.

He never answered her questions and instead kept asking questions of his own, asking her when she was going to leave. She was starting to get impatient and was going to leave until she heard the splash of water from behind her.

She turned around to see 2 boys coming out of the water. People of the land of the drowned she assumed. Water dripping from their hair, both of them stunned to see her as if they hadn't expected someone to be here. She sighed and thought of all the things they could be.

Here to meet a friend? Unlikely.

Here on vacation? Maybe

Here on illegal business? 100%

She mentally screamed at her luck.

She did not come here to meet a bunch of stupid criminals