A Silent Vow

The sharp clack of stones echoed softly in the crisp evening air. I struck them together over and over, my small fingers gripping the rough edges as sparks leaped from the surface. A faint glow flickered beneath the dry leaves, a tiny ember that hesitated before catching.

"There you go," Heath murmured, crouching beside me. His sharp gaze, always watchful, tracked every movement. He was neither too strict nor too lenient—always on point, always teaching something. "Now, Astrea," he continued, shifting his gaze to her, "blow air on it, slowly."

Astrea, her small frame bent forward, inhaled deeply before exhaling over the fragile ember. The smoke curled up in soft wisps, dancing in the dim light.

"That's it. Keep going," Heath instructed, his voice calm, almost approving.

Just then, my father's familiar voice cut in, laced with amusement. "Heath, don't you think you're being a little too hard on them? They're kids."

Heath didn't even look up. "And kids need to learn," he replied matter-of-factly. "You never know when survival skills will come in handy."

My father sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You and your lessons…" But he didn't argue further.

Then, suddenly—

Astrea inhaled at the wrong moment and sucked in a mouthful of smoke.

Astrea jolted back, coughing violently, arms flailing as if she could swat the smoke away.

"Y-You—" I clutched my stomach, trying to breathe between fits of laughter. "You look—so ridiculous!"

Astrea shot me a glare, her cheeks burning red. "Shut up, Arden!"

But that only made me laugh harder.

Before she could retort, the small fire finally caught, crackling to life with flickering tongues of orange and gold. Heath and my father exchanged a satisfied glance before stepping away, leaving us on our own.

That was when things went south.

The moment they left, Astrea turned to me with narrowed eyes. "You laughed at me."

I smirked. "Because you looked funny."

A smirk crossed her lips.

I should've been more careful.

Without warning, she grabbed the water pipe nearby and sprayed me.

Cold water hit my chest, making me jump. "You—!"

I lunged for another pipe, twisting it open. Water shot out, splashing her head to toe.

"Arden!" she shrieked, stepping back.

"You started it!"

Before long, the clearing turned into chaos. Water sprayed in every direction. The dirt beneath us turned to mud as Astrea and I battled for dominance.

Kai, standing at a safe distance, watched in horror. "Alright, enough—"

Astrea and I locked eyes.

Without a word, we both turned and blasted him.

Kai barely had time to react before a stream of water hit him straight in the chest.

"Wha—!? I'M NOT PART OF THIS!" he yelped, scrambling away.

Astrea grinned. "You are now."

Mud splattered everywhere as Kai ran in circles, trying to escape the barrage. For a good few minutes, we chased him across the clearing, laughing and slipping in the mud.

By the time Heath and my father returned, we were drenched.

Heath sighed, rubbing his temple. "I should've known."

My father chuckled. "At least they'll sleep well tonight."

Astrea and I burst into laughter at the sight of Kai's drenched state

Kai groaned. "I hate both of you."

"Dry them fast, or they'll catch a cold. It's already fall," Heath remarked, his arms crossed watching the mess we had made with mild exasperation.

My father gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Don't act like you're not the one who made them do all this in the first place."

Heath shrugged. "Learning is one thing. Making a mess of themselves is another. That part wasn't my doing."

As we stepped into the house, shivering and leaving wet footprints on the floor, my father sighed, shaking his head with a knowing smirk.

"You never learn, do you?" he muttered, grabbing a towel and ruffling my hair roughly.

"Hey! Not so hard!" I protested, but the warmth of the towel was comforting. The cold clinging to my skin slowly faded as he wiped me down, making sure I wasn't completely drenched.

On the other side of the room, my mother, Alexia, was tending to Astrea, her movements much gentler. She wrapped a soft towel around Astrea's small frame and carefully dried her hair, dabbing away the water on her cheeks.

Astrea sniffled, her voice muffled under the towel. "I'm not a kid anymore ,aunt Alexia"

"Yeah Yeah" my mother chuckled, tucking a few damp strands of Astrea's hair behind her ear, "but you look just like one when you're all wet like this."

Astrea grumbled, crossing her arms, but didn't pull away.

Meanwhile, Kai had wisely retreated to his home the moment we reached the doorstep, muttering something about how he refused to get sick because of "two fools who don't know when to quit."

I sneezed

Astrea smirked from under the towel. "Deserved it"

Before she could gloat any further— Achoo!

She sneezed as well

I grinned. "Guess you did too."

She pouted but didn't argue.

My father let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Honestly, you two…"

But despite his words, there was warmth in his tone.

"Dry off and change," my mother said, gently rubbing Astrea's hair with the towel. "I'll get you some warm tea."

Heath gave one last glance at us before turning away. "Make sure they don't run off again," he muttered to my father before heading off.

We were finally ushered inside, our feet leaving damp prints on the wooden floor. My father focused on drying me off while my mother took care of Astrea. Kai, being the only one with any sense, had already disappeared to change his clothes.

Will, stepped aside and placed his hand on a simple metallic plate near the wall. A faint hum resonated as intricate patterns flickered across its surface—the Arcanet establishing a connection.

A moment later, a familiar voice came through, slightly distorted but clear enough.

"Will," Silas greeted, his tone steady. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," my father replied, exhaling. "Just letting you know—Astrea's staying the night."

A brief silence. Then, a light chuckle. "I figured. Lia doesn't mind either."

Across the room, my mother, Alexia, continued drying Astrea's damp hair, her touch soft and careful. She glanced toward my father but said nothing, a quiet understanding passing between them.

Will leaned against the wall, rubbing his neck. "You sure? She's no trouble, but—"

"Will," Silas interrupted, his voice firm. "I trust you."

A soft pulse signaled the disconnection as the glow of the Arcanet faded. Will turned toward my mother with a smirk.

"Silas and Lia don't mind her staying here tonight."

Astrea, still warming her hands near the small indoor fire, let out a slow breath. She didn't say anything, but the way her shoulders relaxed told me enough.

I grinned, nudging her lightly. "Looks like you're stuck with me longer."

The night stretched endlessly, an ocean of shimmering lights flowing like a river across the sky. A soft breeze brushed past, carrying the crisp scent of autumn. The balcony of my house was quiet, save for the gentle rustling of leaves and the occasional creak of the wooden railing beneath our arms.

Astrea sat beside me, swinging her legs idly as her golden hair caught the moonlight. Her eyes, wide with wonder, were fixed on the stars.

"They look like tiny crystals," she murmured.

I followed her gaze, tracing the constellations. "Not one, not two… there are millions of them."

Willenstein stood nearby, leaning against the railing, his expression unreadable. He remained silent for a moment before finally speaking smiling softly.

"You know," he murmured, "the sky didn't always look like this."

I turned to him, puzzled. "Huh?"

Will's eyes stayed on the sky. "For more that three centuries, no one could see the stars."

Astrea furrowed her brows. "Why?"

"There was a thick blanket of clouds," he said, his voice quieter than before. "It never parted. No one knew what the sky really looked like anymore. Even the sun and moon barely shone through at times."

He exhaled. "The people born during the Great Luminar War never saw an open sky. They only heard about it in stories."

I blinked. "…You're saying for centuries no one saw this?"

He nodded. "Not until the war ended."

Astrea hugged her knees. "That's… kinda sad."

Will gave a small, nostalgic smile. "It was. I remember the first time the clouds finally broke apart… I didn't believe it at first. It was overwhelming. Seeing the stars—real stars—felt like staring at something forbidden."

Soft footsteps interrupted the conversation.

"They really are beautiful," Alexia's voice joined in as she stepped onto the balcony. She crossed her arms, looking up at the night sky with a faint, unreadable smile.

"You never saw them either, did you?" Astrea asked.

Alexia shook her head. "No. When I was little, the sky was always covered. I grew up thinking the stories about the stars were just that—stories. I thought people were just making things up to comfort themselves." She paused. "But when the war ended, and the sky finally cleared, I realized how much had been stolen from us. This was what the world was supposed to look like all along."

I stared back up at the sky. The stars twinkled gently, scattered endlessly across the vast black canvas. I tried to imagine what it would be like to never have seen them. A world without stars, without the sky itself.

"…Do you think people wished for this?" I asked.

Alexia my mother glanced at me, her expression thoughtful. "I think they did. Even if they had never seen it, they still believed in it. The idea of a sky full of stars… it gave people hope."

Astrea remained quiet, her gaze never leaving the shimmering expanse above. The soft glow of the stars reflected in her eyes, a quiet longing hidden within them.

Will exhaled, leaning further against the railing. "Hope, huh?" He let out a small chuckle. "I suppose that's what kept everyone going."

The night air was crisp but not unpleasant, wrapping around us like a gentle whisper. Silence settled between us—not awkward, but peaceful. A quiet understanding.

Astrea yawned, rubbing her eyes. I smirked. "Getting sleepy already?"

She shot me a glare but didn't deny it.

Alexia chuckled. "Alright, you two. Enough stargazing for tonight." She placed a gentle hand on Astrea's back, guiding her toward the door. "Come on, let's get some rest."

Will pushed off the railing. "You should sleep too, Arden."

As we stepped back inside, the warmth of the house wrapped around us like a soft blanket. The faint crackling of embers in the fireplace mixed with the quiet rustling of the night breeze through the wooden walls.

Astrea slowed her steps, glancing at me before tilting her head slightly. "Hey." She wisphered

I blinked, rubbing my tired eyes. "What?"

She rocked on her heels, crossing her arms with a little smirk. "I'm going to the market tomorrow."

I raised a brow. "Why?"

Her lips curled into a tiny, mischievous grin. "Just to play around…" she said in a sing-song voice, then giggled. "I'll be waiting, so don't be late!"

Something about the way she said it—like she had a secret, some little plan tucked away—made me narrow my eyes. "You're up to something."

Astrea clasped her hands behind her back, swaying slightly. "Maaaaybe."

I sighed, but a small smile tugged at my lips. "Fine. I'll come."

She beamed at that, as if she already knew I would. Then, with a quick twirl on her heel, she dashed off toward her room, her tiny cape fluttering behind her.

I shook my head, amused. Whatever she had planned, I had a feeling tomorrow wouldn't be as simple as just 'playing around.'

Still, with that thought lingering in my mind, I finally crawled into bed, the faint sound of her giggles echoing in my ears as sleep pulled me under.