Emotions. They were such a strange concept. It was what made one human, yet it was also what broke them apart, piece by piece, until nothing remained but hollow shells of who they used to be.
Astra Kayzer lay motionless on her bed, her empty gaze fixed on the crystal chandelier that hung above her.
She remembered drowning. Not in water, but in waves of foreign feelings that crashed against her consciousness since she was just a child. Happiness that wasn't hers bubbling up during her maternal grandmother's funeral. Rage burning through her veins at the seventh birthday party of a classmate her mother had forced her to attend. Love swelling in her chest while watching strangers argue on the street when she was just there to buy a book. A thousand emotions per day, each borrowed, none belonging to her.
They called it a gift. This ability to absorb others' emotions like a sponge soaking up spilled wine. But gifts weren't supposed to suffocate you. Gifts weren't supposed to make you question which laugh was yours, which tear belonged to your pain, which smile stemmed from your joy. Gifts weren't supposed to force you to build walls so high and thick that eventually, nothing could penetrate them anymore.
She looked at the clock, realizing it was three in the morning.
"Looks like I won't be sleeping tonight either," she murmured to herself.
With a soft sigh, she slipped out of the bed and went towards the two carry-on bags that were placed in the corner of her room. She ignored the bigger one and instead, open the smaller one. Inside, different things were neatly organized. She picked up a large sketchbook and the pencil case before closing the bag once again.
She stood up, looked around the wide room, and decided to sit on the loveseat. She did not know how much time passed while she sat there, her pencil moving over the sketchbook when the door of her room suddenly opened without a knock.
Her eyes snapped towards the door, watching Rosseta standing there.
She held a small smile on her face when she looked at Astra, "Oh, you are awake. That's good. The breakfast will be served in an hour. You may get ready until then."
And then, without waiting for her response, she turned around and left, closing the door harder than one would expect. Astra stared at the door for a couple of seconds, before she looked back at her sketchbook and continued what she was doing.
Twenty minutes later, she closed the book and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She slipped out of her clothes and turned on the tap. Her shoulders relaxed with the warm water hit her skin.
Once she was done, she pulled on a robe and rubbed her hair with the towel while she made her way to the walking closet. Yesterday, she had not seen what this closet looked like from the inside so when she stepped inside, she froze.
This was not a closet. This was a whole boutique.
The space stretched further than she expected, with rows of hanging clothes organized by type and color. From casual clothes to formal dresses and even swimsuits and pajamas, there was nothing that could not be found here.
To her left, rows upon rows of designer bags lined the walls. Below them, shoes were arranged by style and color, from ballet flats to stilettos. A massive mirror covered the entire right wall, making the space appear even more vast than it already was. There was even a tufted velvet sofa in a shade of lavender at the side. In the center of the room, a glass island housed a collection of jewelry and watches
As the daughter of Elena Lennox, arguably the most influential designer of the decade, Astra was no stranger to excessive displays of fashion. But this... this was something else entirely.
Thankfully, nothing inside was exaggerated or overwhelming. Most of them were in soft, pale colors that she preferred. Though she did spot a few dresses in bold colors too.
"Well," she murmured to herself, pulling out a soft gray sweater dress that fell just above her knees and a pair of black leggings, "at least I won't have to unpack."
Once she had changed, she dried her hair before pulling it into a ponytail and left her room. She did not wear any makeup, did not feel the need for it. She rarely wore it and when she did, it was minimal.
Astra had no issue finding her way to the living room. Her memory was sharp enough to remember the way from last night but she did not know where the dining hall was and had to stop a maid to ask. Once she got there, she realized it was just her present and the maids working. Even Nanny Rosseta was nowhere to be seen.
She looked at the time on her wristwatch and knew she had come right on time. Rather than question the absence of others, she took her seat at the long mahogany table. Almost immediately, a maid appeared at her elbow and served her breakfast
She was nearly finished with her meal when Calix strode in, dressed in a tailored suit. Despite being only nineteen, he had been involved in the business for years. And now that Allaric was on a two-week vacation, Calix had been left to ensure the company ran smoothly without their enemies using this opportunity against them.
"Good morning," Astra greeted him.
"Good morning," Calix returned, settling into the chair to the left of their father's empty seat at the head of the table. "You are up early."
"I am used to it,"
"That is a good thing, but you could have rested longer today. Yesterday must have been exhausting." He told her with a slight concern, "Look at Rowan, I doubt he'll surface before noon but then again, I don't remember him ever waking up early. He is often late for school because of his laziness."
Calix's words told her two things. One, they did not have a specific time for meals. They ate whenever they felt like eating. And two, Rowan was lazy. While she didn't care much about the latter, the former intrigued her.
"Master Calix, you are here," Rosetta greeted him with a smile before she looked at Astra. "Ms. Astra."
Her eyes swept briefly over Astra before returning to Calix. "Is that all you're having for breakfast? Shall I have something else prepared? It will be a tiring day at the office and I doubt you'll have time for a proper lunch."
"It's alright, nanny Rosetta," Calix responded, his eyes fixed on Astra who was focused on eating.
"Then, should I have the kitchen prepare a lunch for you to take along?"
Astra's hand paused mid-motion, her spoon hovering briefly above her plate before she continued eating but her action was noticed by Calix. He tilted his head slightly, observing her before he turned his attention to Rosetta.
"Than I would have to trouble you, Nanny Rosseta,"
"Ah, what trouble. I am just doing my work. Just wait for a moment, I'll have the kitchen prepare something right away."