'thud'
'thud'
A frail and skinny looking young boy with a black hoodie walked on the street, his boots thudding on the brick pavement, breaking the eerie silence all around him.
It was dark, being midnight. The air was cold and shivery, sending a chill down the boy's spine. The crickets sang from the distance harmoniously. The pale white moon illuminated the pavement with it's silvery glow.
To his left, a tall street light flickered beside a wooden bench.
He stopped to glance at it, raising his head at the illuminating yellow light, before sitting down on the cold wooden bench.
As soon as he sat down, he felt a heavy sense of relief. His legs which had been feeling 10 times more heavy and tensed now slowly relaxed.
He also felt...
Empty. Lost. Without a cause. These words were the best that could describe the boy.
His hands were buried deep in his hoodie's pockets, and his black hoodie obscured his eyesight.
It was as if the world had been taken away from him, the emotions inside slowly swirling away.
*The story will now be in third person*
He had now lost his everything, his world- His Mother.
*flashback*
Aster pushed open the hospital room door, it's hinges softly creaking through the ghostly silence. He stepped inside, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting of the room.
In front of him, His Mother, Naele, lay in bed, her frail and skinny form swallowed by crisp white sheets. Her once-lustrous black hair now fell in limp strands around her pale face.
Aster felt a sense of tightening in his heart as he slowly approached her bedside. The antiseptic scent mingled with a hint of Naele's favorite perfume, a poignant reminder of happy times.
He tried to smile, seeing his mother's skinny and pale face, filled with wrinkles.
" Mom. "
Aster said softly, his voice trembling.
Naele's eyes, sunken into sleep, opened. A warm smile spread across her face.
" Aster, my baby, " she whispered, her voice weak but still filled with warmth.
Aster took her hand, feeling the thin and wrinkled skin, delicate bones underneath. He sat beside her, the plastic chair creaking beneath him.
" How are you feeling today? " Aster asked, trying to sound cheerful.
" Tired. " She replied, her breath shallow.
" But seeing you makes me feel better. "
Aster squeezed her hand gently.
" I'm here, Mom. I'm not going anywhere. "
Naele's gaze drifted to the window, where sunlight was filtered through the blinds, casting a kaleidoscope of shadows on the floor.
" I'm proud of you Aster. " Her voice barely above a whisper.
" You're strong, just like your Father was."
" Why are you talking about that man? He left us a long time ago." Aster tried hiding the frustration in his words.
" He is not that man, Aster. He is your Father. You shall soon discover the reason why he left us. " She softly whispered.
" What? "
" Nothing, my dear boy. "
" Ok..." Aster could've sworn that she had said something.
" How's your training going on? Is it good? Did you receive your status yet? "
" No, Mom, I didn't receive a status yet."
A Status.
An indication that you were chosen to be an Awakened from God, gaining the ability to use special powers.
In this world, receiving a status is considered a gift from God, some also seeing it as a curse.
You cannot manipulate getting a status. A Status can be handed to you anytime, anywhere. Once you get a status though, You are set out to be an Awakened, which was exactly what Aster wanted.
" Oh...don't worry my child....I know you will soon get a status. " Her voice comforting as she softly smiled once again.
" Ok, Mom. "
Naele gently placed her hand on Aster's cheeks, providing it with a sense of deep warmth.
She looked into Aster's eyes, Aster slowly realizing what was happening.
" My boy....."
Aster's eyes stung as he fought back tears. He leaned forward, his forehead touching hers.
" I love you, Mom, " He whispered.
" I love you too, Aster " Naele replied, her voice slowly fading.
" I have one last thing I want to say to you...Open the blue box in the basement...Always remember...."
Aster's heart skipped a beat as he waited for her to continue.
"...that you are loved ", she finished, her pale eyes locking on to his.
The machines surrounding Naele softly beeped, a steady heartbeat of technology.
Aster held her gaze as they shared a moment of pure connection.
He held his mother's hand, feeling her warmth seep away. Her eyes, once bright with love, grew dull, and her chest stopped rising.
"Mom?" Aster whispered, his voice cracking.
The machines surrounding her flatlined, their steady beeps replaced by eerie silence.
Aster's world shattered. He felt himself disconnecting from reality, as if floating above the scene.
"No, no, no," he whispered, his eyes welling up with tears.
He leaned forward, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the faint scent of her perfume.
"Please don't leave me," Aster begged, his voice muffled.
The hospital room seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them suspended in time.
Aster's tears fell onto her skin, warm and futile.
Naele's hand relaxed, slipping from his grasp.
Aster's heart shattered into a million pieces.
****
" Hahh...." Aster sighed.
" Why does it even matter now....getting a status.....becoming an Awakened...it was all for my Mother..."
But she was dead.
" I wonder if I should use this..."
Aster's right hand rummaged through his pocket as he pulled out a small, glass bottle.
It was like one of those bottles that contained medicine and pills.
Yes, This bottle was also the same. It contained a harmful drug which allowed the user to feel an excruciating amount of pleasure. But, if the user would take more than one pill, the person would die....instantly.
Aster held it in his hand, slowly examining it by holding it to his face.
" My life is over now anyways...."
Just as Aster was going to open up the glass bottle, he stopped for a moment.
" Wait...I feel like I missed something. Wait a second..."
A faint memory of the last time he was with him mom appeared to him.
' open the blue box in the basement.. '
" Aah! The box! "
The bottle in Aster's hand slipped and fell to the ground.
' Clink! '
With a loud, sharp sound, It smashed into the ground and shattered to a thousand pieces.
Aster stood up and turned, glancing right, upon the whitish brick pavement.
He started to move as his footsteps quickened, turning into a sprint.
' I have to go back home and open the
box!'
This thought was the only thing that crossed Aster's mind as he ran and ran.
***
' thump '
' thump '
Aster frantically climbed down the stairs to get to his basement.
As he finally reached the end, he stood in his basement. It was dark and smelled dusty and stale as if it had been left closed for years.
" Hah....Hah...." Aster took a moment to regain his breath.
" Sh*t! Why does it smell so bad?! Looks like I gotta find the switch first.
He looked left and right. As it was dark, He couldn't see a thing.
To hopefully find the switch, Aster started to put his hand on the dusty, old wall, expecting to find the switch.
" Come on...come on..." Aster carefully moved his hand, moving up and down to cover more area as well.
His palm then landed on a triangle-like structure. It was the switch.
" Yes!! "
Aster flipped the switch. The dark and eerie room flashed to life in a bright,white light, attacking his eyes.
" Aah! My eyes! "
After rubbing them with the tips of his fingers, Aster slowly opened his eyes.
Before his eyes were scattered and taped- up brown cardboard boxes. The basement was small, having no shelves or countertops. It was just plain floor. And on that plain, wooden floor, there were nothing but cardboard boxes.
" What the hell? I thought Mom said to open the blue box....But there's so many!! How can I find one singular blue box out of all of these?! "
Aster was frustrated.
One would expect a basement to have old clothes, tool boxes, house paint, gas cans, etc.
But Aster's house was a very small one. It was all he and his Mother could afford. He didn't even have a car.
It also had a very small basement as well, which meant there was not actually that much space to put old things down there.
Due to those reasons, All Aster had in front of him were scattered cardboard boxes all across the floor. A LOT OF THEM.
" How do I find the box Mom mentioned now?....."
Aster sighed.
He tried to look around but all he could see were cardboard boxes.
So now, in this small and dusty basement, Aster had to find a singular box in between hundreds of boxes.
Easy, right?
Aster's gaze first landed upon the biggest box which had yellow tape closing it's flaps.
He bent down as his hand ripped the adhesive tape off.
' rrriiippp '
" Ugh...I hate this sound.."
The adhesive tape was finally fully ripped off and Aster opened up it's flaps.
The box was filled with tools. Old screwdrivers, hammers, cutting pliers, etc.
" Oh...this looks like a tool box...guess I'll move on..hmm? "
Aster's gaze landed upon a small, rectangular, photo. He picked it up and blowed the dust off of it.
" Phooo!! Who's this? "
On the photo were two people.
One was tall, with long black hair cascading down her back with green eyes.
The other person was short. He only reached upto the woman's waist, holding it tightly with his hand.
It was Aster's Mom and Aster.
A warm smile grew upon Aster's gloomy face. He looked sad and heartbroken a while ago, but now, he had changed his mind.
He was going to live. For his Mom's sake. To be an Awakened and make his Mother who was watching him from above proud.
" Hmm...Mom...I'm sorry for trying to do such a stupid thing....I'm sorry...I'll be good and make you proud now.." Aster caressed the photo with his hand.
" Hm? But what's a photo of me and mom doing in a tool box? Whatever I guess. My mood's lifted now. "
With a spark of determination, Aster started to search for the blue box once again.
He stood up and looked for more unique-looking boxes.
Looking left and right, Aster finally spotted a cluster of boxes at the other edge of the room.
He walked towards the cluster as he slowly bent down to remove some of them. Putting his hands on the two boxes in front of him, Aster moved them aside, left and right.
" Oh...The box...It's here...."
In the middle of the cluster of boxes which had been opened, stood a singular blue cardboard box. It was covered in black straps, staining it's blue shade.
" I finally found it.....What do you have in store for me, Mother? "
Aster took off the black cotton straps that covered the blue box.
He then opened the flaps.
Only to find....