Third Person's POV
The following day, the sunlight beautifully cascaded upon the surroundings as if it owned the place. Its rays directly pierced through Astra's bedroom window, gently waking her from sleep.
Astra had a big smile on her face, showing she had a good night's sleep. She stretched a bit, getting ready to start her special day.
While humming to herself, she neatly made her bed, like she was prepping for a big event. But when she stepped out of her room, she almost bumped into Armann, who was sprawled out on the floor, hugging a pillow like it was his best friend.
"Oh, you scared me!" Astra exclaimed in surprise.
Armann isn't moving or anything while his eyes are closed. He seemed lost in thought, his hair messy, and dark circles evident beneath his eyes, indicating a sleepless night.
The appearance of Armann in front of Astra is far from the usual. In her eyes, he always seems more serious than hers, with a behavior as serious as a judge in court. His tone is always around 10-20 decibels, and he moves with the precision of a Swiss watch, keeping his actions minimal as much as possible. He also dresses decently, with a formal and precise mannerism, and his manners are top-notch, especially when it comes to eating and other activities.
"Mr. Armann?" Astra awkwardly calls out to him. "Are you okay?" she asks, her concern evident in her voice.
"Huh?" Armann responds with a puzzled tone. His mind is still in a fog, and the situation hasn't fully sunk in yet.
Astra scans Armann from head to toe, checking if he's alright. She thinks he looks okay, so she decides not to dwell on it, figuring he might still be half asleep.
With that in mind, Astra continues walking to the kitchen, leaving Armann to his thoughts.
She proceeded through the pantry and opened the refrigerator. She decided to cook a simple breakfast and included Armann in her cooking plans.
As she cooked, Armann suddenly snapped out of his daze, realizing it was already a sunny morning. He flopped onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
"I still can't sleep!" he complained.
He spent the entire night sitting in his room, waiting for sleep to come and hunt him. Normally, he would fall asleep quickly and engage in astral projection, but tonight seemed different.
Hours passed, and he still couldn't drift off. Eventually, he decided to try sleeping in the living room instead. Maybe he could sleep better there. Carrying his pillow, he left his room and comfortably settled on the sofa. He thought he might finally fall asleep, but his conscience continued to bother him, keeping him on the brink of slumber.
Armann tried everything—sitting, flipping over, standing, running, and various other activities—to tire out his body, but he still couldn't sleep. Eventually, he gave up and sat on the sofa in a cross-legged position.
From that position, Armann began an astral project and wandered aimlessly around their place.
As he pondered the events of last night, Astra suddenly appeared at the kitchen entrance.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Armann let out a loud scream, sounding like a startled woman.
"Why are you screaming?" Astra asked, feeling a bit offended. 'Do I look like a ghost to make him scream like that?' she wondered to herself.
"Because you startled me!" Armann replied in agitation.
"I wasn't trying to startle you. I was just calling you because breakfast is ready. Come on, let's eat," Astra said, then returned to the kitchen because she wasn't finished setting the table yet.
Armann seemed like a lost child, only realizing his actions just now. He felt embarrassed and hurriedly went back to his room.
A few minutes later, he emerged and headed to the dining table. He sat down slowly, feeling sheepish about his behavior, but Astra didn't seem to mind as she continued eating. Armann felt embarrassed about earlier as he scooped rice onto his plate.
Armann cleared his throat to get Astra's attention, causing her to look up.
"Oh, you're here. Sorry, I started eating without you. I was getting really hungry," Astra apologized, then resumed eating.
While eating, Astra considered asking Armann about what he was doing on the floor earlier, but seeing the traces of embarrassment on his face, she decide not to do it. Instead, she chose to ask him something else, noticing his discomfort and wanting to respect his feelings.
"By the way, where are we going later?" Astra asked before taking a sip of water.
Armann paused in his eating and put down his spoon, which he had been about to lift to his mouth.
"We're going to our headquarters, where all the Armanns like me and even the Elderly are," he replied.
"Oh, is it far from your house?" Astra asked again. She was excited to see her aunt, so she was quite curious.
"Not really," Armann replied, his voice subdued as he returned to his meal, though his mind seemed preoccupied.
"Really? That's good. I can't wait to see Aunt Morph," Astra exclaimed.
As Astra's words hung in the air, Armann suddenly choked on his food, causing Astra's eyes to widen in alarm.
Reacting swiftly, Astra rose from her seat, her concern evident as she rushed to Armann's side with a glass of water in hand. Placing it gently in front of him, she offered it with a reassuring smile.
"Here, take a sip. Are you okay?" Astra asked, her tone laced with genuine concern as she watched him closely, ready to assist in any way she could.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just choked on my food,"
Armann replied, his tone attempting to convey nonchalance despite the lingering discomfort in his throat while faking a smile.
His heart raced as Astra unexpectedly broached the subject of her aunt. Armann hadn't anticipated the conversation taking such a personal turn so quickly, and he struggled to compose himself.
With no intention of elaborating further, Armann remained silent, pretending as if nothing had happened.
The rest of their breakfast passed in silence, the tension between them palpable. Despite Astra's excitement, Armann couldn't shake off the unease that lingered within him.
As they finished eating, Astra's eagerness got the best of her, prompting her to leave the building ahead of Armann. Moments later, Armann reluctantly follows, his mind still reeling from the conversation they had just had.
In just a few minutes of driving, they arrived at their destination. From the car, Astra could see the beautiful greenery stretching out beyond the city limits. Although they passed by several houses along the way, the noticeable distance between each dwelling stood out.
As they entered through the entrance, Armann parked the car in front of the building. It wasn't particularly large, but its structure boasted a modern design that caught her eye.
Several cars and motorcycles were also parked outside, but they appeared to have been unused for quite some time, covered in a thick layer of dust.
Armann led the way inside, with Astra following closely behind, her nerves tingling with anticipation. As they walked, Astra couldn't help but look at their surroundings.
The area outside the building seemed neglected, with the vehicles parked outside showing signs of disuse. However, upon entering, Astra was pleasantly surprised by the pristine condition of the surroundings. The interior was immaculately maintained, with no trace of dirt or grime in sight. The white walls gleamed under the lights, and the furnishings appeared to be well-cared-for, reflecting a sense of order and cleanliness.
Armann paused momentarily in his stride, causing Astra to bump into his broad back. He turned to look at her, concerned about what had happened. Astra offered a soft apology and flashed a peace sign, trying to ease the tension.
Returning his attention to the path ahead, Armann look in front. With Astra's curiosity, she peered around from behind him. Armann's tall stature meant that he occupied most of the space, so Astra had to peek around his arm to see ahead.
There were no people around, nor any obstacles in sight in front of Armann, yet they stood there without any apparent reason. Armann's slight bow that made Astra puzzled.
After a moment, Armann resumed walking. Despite her confusion, Astra followed him obediently, her mind swirling with questions specially about her Aunt.
The length of their journey only added to her bewilderment, as they seemed to be getting nowhere despite their continued adventure. 'Isn't this building supposed to be small? Why does it seem so large?' Astra wondered to herself.
They continued walking without encountering any stairs or elevators, making Astra question the purpose of their journey on foot.
After minutes of walking, they reached a large door that seemed to be from ancient times. It was adorned with many unknown carved symbols, resembling feathers and circles, which intrigued Astra.
"Why are we here?" Astra innocently inquired, her gaze fixated on the majestic door in front of her.
This moment felt distinct from the ordinary doors they had passed earlier. While others were plain white, black, or brown, all uniform in size, the door in front of her stood out. It's the last room and nothing more to see ahead.
Astra felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness, pondering what awaited her on the other side. She couldn't shake the thought that perhaps her Aunt Morph awaited her within the confines of this room.
~ To be Continued ~