Third Person's POV
After that day, Armann's worries eased, knowing that Astra would be safe wherever she went.
They had also spoken to Astra's professors about her returning to school next week, but until then, Astra busied herself catching up on the activities she had missed.
"There's so much to do," Astra complained to herself.
Armann already leaves for work. Meanwhile, Astra was busy with her schoolwork, trying to make up for lost time.
Astra stood up to stretch. She had been sitting in her room for a while, and now her back was starting to ache.
"I'll take a break," she said to her undone activities.
She left her room and headed to the kitchen for a drink.
"Hmm," she muttered, pondering what she could do to pass the time.
Looking around the house, she noticed a bit of dust on the plants on the kitchen counter. Even the plants in the living room had a little dust on them. Because of that, she decided to do some cleaning.
She grabbed some water and a cloth and wiped down the leaves on the kitchen counter.
Astra found herself quite enjoying the cleaning. After wiping down the plants, she put away the groceries they had bought last night in their proper places.
For hours, Astra kept herself busy with household chores until lunchtime arrived.
"At last, it's done," she said, feeling accomplished. As she put away the cleaning supplies, while thinking what to cook.
She missed cooking homemade meals because she usually only prepared simple dishes.
After tidying up, Astra returned to the kitchen. She had been craving pork cutlets and curry for a while now, so that's what she decided to make.
First, she prepared everything she needed for the pork cutlets. She tenderized the pork and coated it in flour, then egg, and finally breadcrumbs.
While the pork was frying, she started making the curry. It was a simple curry, so she finished it quickly.
"I'm full," Astra said with a satisfied smile, her craving finally satisfied.
After resting for a few minutes, she decided to wash the dishes she used. She re-entered her room, feeling quite sweaty from all the work she had done.
After taking a shower, she dried her hair while watching TV. Feeling both tired and refreshed, Astra didn't realize she had fallen asleep on the sofa.
Before long, she found herself entering the realm of dreams.
Meanwhile, at 5 o'clock, Armann left work. He worked as a bank teller in a small bank.
As he drove home, he noticed a newly opened coffee shop bakery nearby, so he decided to make a quick stop to buy something.
As he entered, Armann was greeted by the beautiful ambiance of the place. It looked so clean and the flowers on the side added to its beauty. It was a combination of a coffee shop, bakery, and flower shop.
Armann stood in line at the lone cashier. Since there was someone ahead of him, he took the opportunity to glance at their menu.
While browsing through the coffee selection, he glanced at the counter beside the cashier. There were numerous bread and cakes on display, which reminded him of Astra.
"Ultra Coffee Cake," Armann blurted out, recalling the name of the cake.
He remembered that Astra liked coffee-flavored pastries. He thought, why not buy her a cake?
The cake wasn't too big, so he wasn't worried that they wouldn't be able to finish it.
After the customer in front of him left, Armann stepped forward while still looking at the variety of cakes.
"Good afternoon, sir. Are you dining in?" the cheerful cashier greeted.
"No. For takeout," Armann replied casually.
"What can I get for you, sir?" the cashier asked again.
"Hmm, what flavor does this Ultra Coffee Cake have? Is it purely coffee?" Armann inquired, pointing to the cake on the counter with his index finger.
"Yes, sir. From the inside flavor to the icing, it's all coffee flavor, sir," the cashier replied. "We also have something lighter, sir. This Mocha Moist Cake. It has mocha flavor inside, but the icing is sweet creamy caramel," she suggested.
Armann pondered deeply. He knew Astra loved coffee, but he hesitated because she might not like the Ultra Coffee Cake.
As the line behind Armann grew longer, he started to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, Armann simply pointed to the Ultra Coffee Cake he had initially indicated.
Although Armann was accustomed to conversing with others due to his job, he still felt uneasy when surrounded by many people.
He also ordered a Dark Ice Coffee and paid for it.
"What's your name, sir?" the cashier asked, holding a pen and cup.
"Armann," he murmured softly.
"Sorry, sir, what was that again?" the cashier inquired again.
"Armann," Armann replied a bit louder this time.
"Alright, sir Aman, we'll just call out your name," she replied as she wrote the name on the cup.
"Ah, no. Armann," Armann corrected his name.
"Yes, sir, Aman," the cashier repeated.
Armann could do nothing but accept that his coffee would bear the wrong name.
He decided to let it go to avoid further confusion. He stood in a corner near the receiving area, waiting for his mistakenly named order to be called.
Several minutes passed before his name was finally called.
"Sir Aman?" the coffee presenter shouted.
Armann felt slightly embarrassed but quickly approached and hastily retrieved his order before leaving.
After that incident, Armann finally reached his home. He opened the door and heard the sound of the TV. He thought Astra might be watching, so he went excitedly to show her the cake he bought.
Upon arriving, he was slightly surprised to see her sleeping with the TV still on.
He was slightly disappointed but shrugged it off, deciding to just go to the kitchen to put the cake in the fridge.
As he was about to head to his room, he noticed Astra mumbling something in her sleep.
"Astra?" Armann called out, checking if she was awake yet, but she wasn't.
She was just talking in her sleep. It's a condition where people talk while their asleep, being vocal about what they are experiencing in their dream.
Armann was about to dismiss Astra's behavior until he noticed something unusual. She was sweating profusely even though the air conditioning was set to 20 degrees. Her brow was furrowed, as if she were in distress.
"No! No! No!" Astra muttered in her sleep.
Alarmed, Armann quickly approached her.
"Astra?" he called again, but she didn't wake up.
He used his power to call out to Astra in her subconscious.
When Armann entered Astra's dream, he was immediately overcome with fear due to the intense darkness and the rapid ticking of a clock. The sound of the clock was deafening.
'Astra!' he called out again.
His voice echoed, causing a light to appear. He approached it and saw Astra sitting, staring into nothingness.
As soon as Armann touched Astra's hand, they quickly exited the dream world and woke up.
Astra sat up, taking deep breaths, her eyes wide with shock from what she had seen.
"What happened? Did you have a nightmare?" Armann asked, his tone filled with concern.
Astra nodded, still catching her breath.
"Just a moment," Armann said, walking towards his room.
He quickly returned with a notebook and a pen in hand.
Even in this kind of situation, Armann still remembers his duty to collect any kind of dreams.
"Write down what you saw here," he said. "Don't think of anything yet. I know what you saw was scary, but you need to remember it. The fate of the world depends on it," Armann added, handing over the notebook and pen.
Astra nodded again in agreement and began to write. In the notebook, she detailed everything she saw in her nightmare.
Afterwards, Armann picked up the notebook again.
"I'll take this to headquarters immediately for analysis," Armann said. "For now, just rest here and I'll get you something to drink," he added.
He placed the notebook on the table and went to the kitchen to get some water.
While fetching water, Armann remembered the cake he brought. Though it might not be the right time, Armann still wanted to give the cake to Astra.
Upon returning to Astra, he handed her a glass of water and sat beside her.
"Are you okay now?" he asked.
"Yes. Thank you," Astra replied.
"You must have been really scared," Armann said, his voice laced with concern. "I don't know if you feel like eating, but I passed by a bakery earlier selling coffee-flavored cake. It might help you relax a bit," he offered, hoping to provide some comfort to Astra amidst her fear.
"Sure. I love that," Astra replied gratefully, a small smile appearing on her face.
Excitedly, Armann retrieved the cake from the fridge, its aroma filling the room with a delightful scent. He carefully carries it, its moist layers glistening in the light. With a spoon and plate in hand, he returned to the living room, his steps light with anticipation, eager to share this simple joy with Astra.
As Armann approached Astra, he noticed her tense posture slowly relaxing as she caught a whiff of the cake's rich aroma. He set the plate down on the table, the cake's soft texture inviting and comforting.
"Here you go," Armann said softly, offering the plate to Astra. "Take your time and enjoy it."
Astra nodded appreciatively, her eyes lighting up as she took a small bite of the cake. The familiar taste of coffee mingled with the sweetness of the frosting, soothing her nerves and bringing a sense of calmness to her troubled mind.
Armann watched with a sense of relief as Astra's demeanor softened, her earlier fear gradually fading away with each bite. He sat beside her, offering quiet reassurance as they both savored the comforting indulgence of the cake.
As they sat together in the warm glow of the living room, the tension of the night slowly melted away, replaced by a sense of peace and companionship. For a moment, all that mattered was the simple pleasure of sharing a delicious treat and the comforting presence of each other's company.
~ To be Continued ~