Solgaret

Aster sat up, rubbing the remnants of a weird dream from his eyes. As he looked out the window, the bright morning sun spilled in, filling the room with a sense of peace and tranquility. But the serenity was short-lived.

BANG BANG

The sudden, insistent pounding on the door made Aster's heart skip a beat. He tossed off the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet dangling in the air. With a sense of trepidation, he slowly made his way to the door, the banging growing louder with each step.

As he turned the door knob and pulled the door open, a sliver of darkness from the corridor beyond slipped in, like a cold breath.

But before he could step back or even process the gloom, a fist came hurtling out of the shadows, its trajectory aimed squarely at Aster's face.

Aster's head jerked sideways, avoiding the blow by mere inches, so much so that the thumb was touching his left ear. "Sh*t!" he cursed silently, his mind racing.

With lightning-quick reflexes, Aster shot his right hand out, clamping onto the arm that had launched the fist. His grip was like a vice, unyielding and intense. A high-pitched yelp of pain and surprise pierced the air, and Aster realized that his attacker was another orphan like him, who lived over here. He knew the orphan well, oh so verily.

Before him stood a boy, gritting his teeth and with a face contorting in agony, sporting spiky red hair and eyes the color of pure gold.

"Wait. I'm sorry! Leave me alone!" The boy screamed as he clasped his arm in pain.

"Hah? After you tried to punch me? I don't think I should, my dear Daryl." Aster coldly replied, tightening his grip.

"The senior nun will get you…." Daryl barely let out his voice.

'Oh yeah…..I can't get overconfident. What am I doing? There's still no guarantee that this is all an act. I'm still in this godforsaken orphanage. '

'Yet I still want to believe in it….'

'So it shall be then.'

"Hah…." Aster took a deep breath, which made him notice his unusual heartbeat.

'Hmm?'

BEAT BEAT

'For some reason, my heart keeps beating so....loudly. Though not out of fear, nor out of anxiety. It's out of....anger, and....hatred.'

At that moment, Daryl couldn't believe his eyes.

It was a phenomenon he had never seen before, as if straight out of a horror fantasy. Words would not be enough to describe what would happen to him.

Aster's eyes, locked onto Daryl's, transformed into piercing gold, reminiscent of a ravenous beast's fierce stare. Daryl's vision began to blur, suffused with a crimson haze, as a dark, ethereal shadow emerged from the ground. It crept up Aster's body with an unnerving slowness, like a malevolent entity claiming its host.

The shadow coalesced into a twisted, humanoid form with milky white eyes that seemed to bore into Daryl's soul. Razor-sharp, elongated fangs replaced its fingers, grasping Aster's arms with an unyielding grip. The creature's maw was a nightmarish parody of a mouth, with teeth that appeared to be jagged extensions of its face. Its smooth, hairless skin was stretched taut over its skull, devoid of a nose or any discernible features.

As the creature's unblinking white eyes fixed onto Daryl, it spoke in a voice that was both distorted and horrifying, like the cacophony of a thousand screams. "BOW DOWN, TO THE KING," it commanded, its voice dripping with an otherworldly menace. Saliva dripped from its teeth, casting a macabre glow in the faint light.

"Hah….Haah….AAAAAAAAHHH!!!" Daryl screamed, his senses deafened, the only thing he could see being that….that terrifying monster.

Yet, no one heard him, not even he himself.

The creature's head loomed closer, its jaws yawning open with an unholy slowness. The fangs, like ivory scimitars, slid into position, poised to strike and drag Daryl into the abyss.

BEAT BEAT BEAT

Daryl's heartbeat grew in a continuous rhythm. His eyelids closed, as he felt himself fainting with a loud thud.

"Hah? Why am I spacing out?" Aster's consciousness returned as he saw Daryl laying on the ground, unconscious. He looked at his hands.

"What did I do?…." He wondered.

LOUD FOOTSTEPS

Aster heard the rapid thud of footsteps approaching, and as he turned left, his gaze fell upon the dead end of the corridor, its walls protruding left and right. Out of these protruding corridors, emerged two figures. One was Marcus, clad in his signature long, black leather coat. The other was...drumroll please...

The senior nun!

'What do I do now? If they catch me with Daryl unconscious, they're obviously gonna blame me for it. Then I'll get punished…..'

Marcus and the senior nun rushed towards Aster, halting in front of him.

Aster looked up at them.

Marcus wore a surprised and worried expression, a bead of sweat trickling down his left ear. While the senior nun's very existence had been shaken by an unholy horror, her expression giving off total flabbergasted vibes.

She bore into Aster's soul, her gaze fierce and accusatory.

"You!" the senior nun exclaimed, her hand raised and ready to strike Aster. But Marcus intervened, his voice calm and measured.

"Wait! We don't know what happened yet. Don't jump to conclusions," Marcus said, his eyes locked on the senior nun's.

"But, Sir Marcus, it's obviously this fiend who has done this!" The senior nun pointed her finger at Aster.

"Just wait. Let me examine him." Marcus knelt beside Daryl, his right palm pressed against the boy's chest.

"His heartbeat is steady, and his breathing is normal. He's simply fainted; there's no need for concern."

As Marcus looked up, the senior nun's expression transformed. Relief washed over her face, and she clasped her hands together in gratitude. "Oh, heavens! Thank the Lord for sparing this innocent child!" Her laughter echoed through the corridor, filled with a warm, joyous spirit.

Marcus then turned towards to Aster, before asking him,

"Aster. Let me be completely serious over here. I've found minuscular traces of mana in the boy's body. Is it possible that...you've awakened?"

"What?" The senior nun too, turned to Aster.

"I….don't know. I woke up to the sound of someone banging at my door, and then when I opened it, standing before me was Daryl, who immediately threw a fist at me. I just moved out of the way and grabbed his arm, a little tightly. From there on out, I went blank. The next thing I knew, he was just lying there." Aster replied.

Marcus exhaled a deep, weary sigh - "Haaahh..." - as he stood up, his shoulders relaxing from their tense posture.

"So... what now? You're going to leave me now, right?" Aster asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Marcus's expression turned quizzical. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I did a mistake. So you must be angry with me. Right? You're going to leave now, right?"

"No. Who the hell told you that?" Marcus replied, a flick of anger in his expression.

"What?" Aster was surprised. He had expected Marcus to get angry and leave him. What was happening?

"Haah…Listen to me, Aster." Marcus knelt down, placing both of his palms on Aster's shoulders, looking deep into his eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I'm telling you this for the last time. I won't repeat it again. You're…..my family. I won't just leave just because of an accidental mistake like this."

"But-" The senior nun interrupted, only to be stopped by Marcus again.

"Don't say it. I can watch the last 5 minutes of the past. I know what happened. Aster is innocent here." Marcus glared at the senior nun, his emerald eyes shining with a fierce gleam.

"Now, listen to me, boy. Once again, you're my family. Don't even think about me leaving you. I would never betray or leave behind one of my own, ok? Now, stop thinking like that. Abandon those useless thoughts and start to truly see your new life, with a new perspective. It's all ok now." Marcus said, after pulling Aster towards him and giving him a tight hug.

"Get ready. We're about to leave." Marcus stood upright, taking a short glance at the senior nun.