Third Person's POV
Armann strolled towards the direction of the nearest convenience store in their area. Astra trailing behind him, simply following along as she was unsure of their destination.
Upon arriving at the convenience store she visited earlier that morning, Armann held the door open, not releasing the handle until Astra had entered as well.
Once inside, Armann grabbed a basket and headed towards the aisles, engrossed in his shopping while Astra watched on quietly from the sidelines. Sensing Astra's hesitant curiosity, Armann glanced back at her with a gentle smile, acknowledging her presence and making her feel more at ease in the store.
"If you want something, feel free to pick whatever you like," Armann said casually, motioning towards the array of items in the store as an invitation for Astra to choose.
Astra's face lit up with delight at Armann's offer, a wide grin spreading across her face. She eagerly made her way to the chip aisle they had passed earlier, her eyes scanning the colorful packages.
With a sense of excitement, she carefully selected a variety of snacks, placing them thoughtfully in Armann's basket, which was quickly filling up with their chosen goodies.
Armann's eyebrows are frowning in surprise at the growing pile of snacks.
"Seriously?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Yeah," Astra replied, nodding enthusiastically, her smile unwavering not realizing the situation.
Armann couldn't help but chuckle at Astra's infectious enthusiasm, finding himself unable to resist her excitement. He simply shrugged, accepting the situation with a grin.
They continued walking through the store, with Armann leading the way. Every time Astra spotted something new to her eyes, she would secretly add it to the basket, waiting for Armann to look away before doing so.
Glancing over at Astra, Armann couldn't help but admire her carefree spirit, her joy contagious even in the simplest things. He shook his head in amusement, silently grateful for moments like these amidst life's challenges.
They ended up with two baskets full of groceries. They paid for their items at the cashier and headed out of the store.
Outside the convenience store, there were several sets of tables and chairs. Armann sat down near the door and set down his bags of groceries.
Astra followed him and took a seat across from Armann. She only had the items she had purchased earlier from the distant grocery store, while Armann carried three bags containing their recent purchases from the convenience store.
Armann reached into one of the bags they had just bought and pulled out two bottles of juice, sandwiches, and noodles. This would be their dinner for tonight so they could simply relax when they got home later. Plus they had stocked up on essentials so they don't need to buy tomorrow anymore.
"Here," Armann offered, handing the food to Astra.
Astra took it and opened the containers. The noodles needed hot water, so she would have to go back inside to fill the cup.
Astra was surprised when Armann suddenly took the noodles he had just given to her. Without a word, he went back into the store to prepare the ingredients for the noodles before adding the hot water.
Astra was taken aback by this, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she picked up the sandwich and started eating. She had been hungry for a while, but with all the thinking she had been doing, she had forgotten to buy something on the way.
She also forgot that outside the Armann's house is not safe. She's thankful that nothing happened to her while she's alone earlier.
Astra finished her first sandwich, but Armann still hadn't returned, so she decided to get another one. Unbeknownst to Astra, she almost finished the second sandwich when Armann suddenly returned.
Armann was amused by what he saw. He stood in front of Astra, watching as she took the last bite of her sandwich.
Armann bought only two sandwiches—one for himself and one for Astra. Since Astra had already eaten both sandwiches, there was nothing left for him to eat.
"Oops, sorry," Astra muttered when she noticed Armann paused in front of her, staring at her mouth. She felt a slight embarrassment, causing her to cough and clear her throat. She quickly opened the juice, but because of the soreness, she didn't have enough strength to open it.
Armann, finding himself with nothing else to do, settled into his seat and snatched the bottle from Astra's hand, which seemed on the verge of slipping due to the cold. He opened the bottle and handed it back to Astra, placing the cap on the table with his right hand.
"Take it easy. No one will take away your food," Armann sarcastically remarked as he placed the noodles in front of Astra.
"Sorry, I was just surprised by you. Plus, I'm really hungry," Astra replied, her shiver subsiding.
"Tss," Armann muttered. In his thoughts, if he hadn't brought Astra here, he wouldn't have realized he was also famished.
"Take it slow," Armann reminded her again.
"Okay," Astra replied.
Still feeling hungry, Astra quickly opened the noodles even though they weren't fully cooked yet. She took a sip and burned her tongue, but she quickly recovered and took another slurp of the noodles.
Armann quietly chuckled at Astra's action, finding it endearing despite its silliness.
'Food really makes people do strange things,' Armann thought to himself, opening his own noodles to eat.
As they ate, Armann noticed a group of students entering the convenience store. It reminded him that Astra was indeed enrolled in school.
"By the way, you've been absent from school for a while now because of what's been happening. Do you want to go back to your school again?" he began, stirring the noodles as they were still hot.
Astra paused slightly in her eating to respond.
"Why bother? No one's looking for me there anyway," she replied simply then continued to eat.
"How can you say that? Your professors and friends might be worried about you, especially your friends," Armann concluded.
Astra chuckled slightly, finding it hard to believe.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Astra retorted.
"Huh? Isn't that true?" Armann said uncertainty.
"How could they worry? They might not even know that I'm not attending anymore," she confidently replied.
Armann fell silent, feeling pity for her situation. Unsure of how to respond to that, he try to ask another question.
"But aren't you going to finish your studies? What about your job?" Armann asked.
Astra fell silent for a moment. She stared blankly at Armann's noodles, lost in thought. She recalled her Aunt Morph's advice to make friends with her classmates and how she wanted her to have someone to graduate with.
Armann was taken aback by this. He began to think it was his fault that Astra suddenly seemed so sad.
"Should I?" Astra replied, uncertain but still considering the idea.
She wanted to fulfill her aunt's dream for her, but fear held her back.
Unbeknownst to Armann, Astra had come from school and her former job earlier, so what he was suggesting now unknowingly added to Astra's pain.
"Why don't you give it a try? If you want, you can even transfer to another school just to finish your studies," Armann suggested, still unaware of his unintended impact on Astra.
"No, That's fine. I'll continue what I've started. After all, that's what my aunt wants for me. To finish my studies," Astra replied simply, returning to her food to conceal her sadness.
Armann's expression changed. He felt a twinge of sadness upon learning that Astra's aunt also wanted her to graduate.
With that in mind, Armann felt something in his pocket. He took it out and examined it.
It was the thing he had brought with him earlier while searching for Astra. He realized that Astra had no protection against Nyx or even the Grim Reaper. He couldn't locate her either, so he decided to take the bracelet to give to Astra.
Astra was busy eating, so Armann didn't know how to give her the bracelet.
"Hmm," he began. "Since you'll be going back to school again. You need to leave the house to go to school," Armann hesitantly said.
Astra lifted her head, waiting for Armann to continue.
"Hmm," he repeated. "You'll need this," he added, placing the bracelet on the table.
It was a thin gold bracelet, adorned with a pendant crafted in the shape of an eye. Its iris, a mesmerizing shade of purple, seemed to hold the mysteries of the universe within its gaze, as though it possessed the ability to see anyone that can't see.
"What's this?" Astra asked curiously.
"This is the bracelet that will guide me to find you wherever you are," Armann replied. "The surroundings may seem quiet because they're not making themselves known, but we can't deny that they're around us," he added, referring to Nyx and the Grim Reaper.
"Ah," Astra replied simply.
Armann picked up the bracelet with his right hand while extending his left arm.
"Let me do it," he insisted gently.
Armann's gesture indicated that he intended to put the bracelet on Astra's wrist, prompting an immediate refusal from her.
"It's ok. I can do it myself," Astra objected, her hands instinctively slipping away as she waved them in refusal.
"It's not possible. This bracelet needs to be worn by the person who should be looking for you.
"It's like that. That bracelet needs to be worn by the person who will protect you so that I can find you anytime you need me," Armann explained.
"How does that work? Does that mean you'll just appear out of thin air like magic when I need you?" Astra asked in wonder.
"Sort of. So don't lose it. When you feel scared, just call my name and I will be there. The bracelet will light up to indicate that you need me, so I can find you wherever you are," he replied.
Astra was delighted by this revelation. She found it amazing that there was something like the bracelet that could locate a person. Despite her fear of Nyx and the Reaper, she now felt reassured that she would be safe wherever she went.
Astra extended her right hand to Armann. He took it and placed the bracelet on Astra's wrist. As soon as Astra put on the bracelet, it immediately blended in with her hand.
The bracelet shimmered, but Astra didn't feel any sensation. It looked as if the bracelet wasn't there on her hand, but upon closer inspection, you could notice it.
Astra gazed in wonder at the bracelet on her wrist, admiring its unique beauty.
"Now, I won't worry about where to find you," Armann said unconsciously.
"What did you say?" Astra asked. She didn't quite catch what Armann said because he spoke softly.
"Nothing," Armann denied, then sat back in his seat and began to eat, avoiding further conversation.
~ To be Continued ~