Chapter 21 – The Awakening
The afternoon sunlight bathed the room in a bright glow, causing a four-year-old girl to open her pale blue eyes. Blinking rapidly, she sat up and surveyed the empty room, realizing she was alone.
Suddenly, a peculiar sensation coursed through her body, originating from the area between her legs. It felt as if something wanted to escape, yet she unconsciously held it back.
"Huh? What is this strange feeling? I think I've felt it before, but what is it?" she wondered aloud.
Examining the source of the discomfort, her pale blue eyes filled with panic as the sensation grew more intense by the second.
Then, she noticed glimmering blue-white crystals in the corner of her vision. The crystals sparkled brilliantly under the sun's radiant beams, adding to their allure against the backdrop of the azure sky.
"Arston," she whispered a name, as she hurriedly made her way downstairs to where the boy was practicing his magic on the side lawn.
Although she tried to move quickly, the discomfort between her legs intensified, as if what was inside her was on the verge of breaking free. She slowed her pace to a snail's crawl.
"Huff, huff, just a little bit more, and then I can take a break. I can go for forty rounds now, but it won't be long before I reach fifty," smiled the red-haired boy, drenched in sweat.
That's when he suddenly heard his name being called.
"ARSTON! ARSTON!"
"Huh? Awake already? I thought you were going to sleep until evening," teased Arston as Renica ran toward him.
"Arston, I'm in pain here," Renica said, grabbing the boy's hand, her face contorted with agony.
Arston's smirk vanished instantly as he followed the direction in which she was pulling his hand. He resisted her tugging by exerting his own force, halting her frantic motion.
"ARE YOU NUTS!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Arston scolded the panicking girl, his voice a suppressed shout.
"I... I... DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME! I WOKE UP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I'M GETTING TORTURED LIKE THIS!" Renica yelled back, frightened by the intensity of the boy's scolding.
"FOR F/CK'S SAKE, YOU DON'T EVEN REMEMBER TO PEE!"
"WHAT? I NEED TO PEE?"
Arston firmly pulled the girl's hand with the tightened leg, guiding her towards the bathroom next to the living room. He locked the door and turned away, facing the wall.
"What... What should I do?" Renica asked, her body trembling.
"Just let it out, you dumb a/s!" Arston shot back angrily.
"Are you... Are you sure?" Renica asked, her face turning nearly purple.
"MY GOD! JUST! LET! IT! OUT!" Arston screamed, unable to contain his fury any longer.
"ALR... ALRIGHT."
The sound of water hitting the ground soon filled the room.
"Ha... Goodness..."
"You're supposed to squat while you do it!" Arston reminded her through clenched teeth.
"Oh... Okay..."
Renica obediently bent her knees, following Arston's remark. Just as she was about to proceed, the sound of Irvina's voice startled them from behind the bathroom door.
"Arston? Are you okay in there, sweetie?" Irvina's concerned tone carried through the wooden barrier.
Arston's heart sank, cursing his bad luck silently. "Sh/t, Mom heard me yelling earlier," he muttered under his breath.
Quickly regaining his composure, Arston replied, "Just having some trouble with pooping, Mom. Nothing to worry about."
Irvina's voice remained filled with motherly concern. "Are you sure, honey? If you're in any trouble, you can always let Mommy know."
Arston tried to sound nonchalant, despite the anxiety bubbling within him. "It's okay, Mom. I'm almost done anyway. No trouble at all."
His mother's voice softened, relieved by his response. "Alright then, don't spend too long playing with water, sweetie. Your hands might get wrinkly. Mommy's almost finished with lunch. Could you please be a dear and call your sister down?"
Arston sighed with relief as the sound of Irvina's steps faded away. "That was nerve-wracking..." he muttered to himself, his heart still pounding.
Turning his attention back to Renica, he asked, "Are you done there?"
Renica nodded, a hint of confusion on her face. "Yup, I'm done."
Arston raised an eyebrow, remembering his mother's earlier instructions. "Did you water it?"
Puzzled, Renica asked, "Water it?"
Realizing his mistake, Arston waved it off. "Never mind. Just wash, uh, the previously uncomfortable area."
Renica looked even more perplexed. "I need to wash it too?"
Arston's frustration got the better of him as he snapped, "OF COURSE, YOU MUST WASH IT!"
Arston waited some more for the girl to finish with her business.
"Hehe".
What's so funny?"
"It tickles
"KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! "His outburst echoed through the bathroom, undoubtedly catching the attention of his mom once again.
A few moments later, they were safely upstairs in Arston's room after lunch. Arston couldn't help but squint his eyes at Renica, his curiosity piqued. "Why did you suddenly need to pee?"
Renica shrugged; her eyes filled with innocence. "I don't know. I woke up already feeling discomfort."
Arston pressed for more information, his tone weary. "You didn't randomly pee before, right?"
Renica shook her head, her expression thoughtful. "No, I think this is my first-time peeing after waking up in my bedroom."
Arston's mind raced, connecting the dots. "Maybe it has to do with the disappearance of that black mark on your neck."
Renica's eyes widened, a glimmer of realization dawning on her. "Um, maybe?"
"Are you feeling a similar sensation as before, but this time on your butt?" Arston asked.
"Umm, I don't think so." Renica closed her eyes and carefully felt her body for any abnormalities.
"You know, closing your eyes is unnecessary. If you do, I think your reaction will be even more hysterical than before. Anyway, if you do feel it later on, you'll need to go to the bathroom, squat, and release it. Then use the spray to get rid of the smell, and don't forget to wash your butt. Otherwise, you won't be sitting or sleeping on my bed!" Arston cautioned the girl about the need to defecate.
Renica felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing the boy's warning, so she nodded hurriedly.
"Hmm, it's been quiet ever since Anya went to the academy," Arston commented, observing the silent battlefield outside his room.
"What's an academy?" Renica asked.
"It's a place where people learn things."
"Is it fun?"
"I doubt it. I've read too many stories where kids bully each other."
"Hack, I've even experienced it firsthand," Arston added silently.
"Really? Isn't bullying bad?"
"Obviously. It almost always inflicts trauma on the victims, unless they can somehow fight back and break free from it."
"What about your sister? Will she be okay?" Renica expressed concern for Arston's elder sibling.
"Honestly, I don't know. We're not poor or have a bad reputation, but we're not renowned either. She better watch out for those nobles. If it were Amanda, I wouldn't be too worried, but Anya..."
"Are nobles always that bad?"
"Yeah, about ninety percent are a//holes, five percent are bystanders, four percent are decent, and only one percent truly deserve the noble title. Trust me on that. You're hearing this from someone who could be considered a veteran at handling nobles."
The boy's anger was genuine, evident from his narrowed black pupils and gritted teeth.
Standing close to him, Renica felt a bone-chilling aura emanating from his emotions. This anger was different from the times when the boy scolded her. On those occasions, she could still sense a playful sentiment mixed with annoyance.
"Um, Arston, when will you be going to the academy?" Renica changed the topic, successfully diverting the boy's rage.
"Huff, it will still be six years from now. Time certainly Favors nobody."
Two months later,
It marked Arston's fourth year on this nameless planet, or so he assumed. All the neighbours were invited, although Arston didn't know a single name. It was just Irvina being herself, inviting all the families in Umphra to her son's birthday. Everyone was in a merry mood, likely due to the delicious dishes provided by the celebrating family, sharing their joy as their family member grew older.
Everyone except for a particular girl in an icy blue gown.
"Stop worrying so much. You're not going to disappear or anything. The worst outcome is that I won't hear your questions," Arston reassured the anxious Renica.
"No! I don't want to find a new home! It's so lonely, waiting for someone to pick the doll, befriend a new family, get used to the new environment, and so on..." Renica whined, unwilling to be sent away.
"Well, you weren't exactly an invited guest in the first place. You came uninvited, yet you refuse to leave when it's time," Arston reminded her with a teasing smile.
"How rude! But, but, I like it here. Please don't send me away! WAAA!" Renica's pale blue eyes started to overflow with tears.
"Ugh, it's not me who's sending you away, you know... Like you said, all the kids you met before did the same. It's not them who wanted you to leave; it's just their time to awaken their first memory. Whereas you... you were so desperate for the kids' attention to the point where the whole family got alarmed by you!" Arston's grin grew even wider.
"WAAA! You don't know how I feel! We've shared so many moments together, and then the next morning, they couldn't even see me or remember my existence. It's unbearable!"
"Okay, okay, calm down. Here's my assumption." Arston waited for the crying girl to reduce her outburst to sobs before continuing. "I think... I might..."
Renica was about to start weeping again when Arston purposely prolong his speech..
"I'm not part of the cycle like the kids you've met."
"Huh? How do you know for sure?" Renica stopped crying and asked the boy about his strange speculation.
"Would you believe me if I told you I'm already thirty-two years old?"
Renica lowered her head for a few minutes until Arston's annoyance with the silence peaked. Then the girl burst into laughter.
"Yeah, right! Then your mom would be calling you 'daddy' instead of 'sweetie,' hehe."