Aster stared at the smoothly sliced boulder, his eyes wide with pure amazement. Back home, a rock that size would require heavy machinery to break, but Alaric had just clean-cut it with a single swing of a sword. It was incredible.
Sylas just gave a small laugh, crossing his arms as he looked at the sweating swordsman. "Always busy? Don't you ever take a break, Alaric?"
Alaric shrugged, reaching up to gently pat the lazy owl still resting on his head. "Strong people don't take breaks."
"Fair point," Sylas nodded, gesturing toward the younger boy beside him. "Anyway, we didn't mean to interrupt your workout. Aster here wanted to find you. He realized he never got the chance to properly thank you for saving his life yesterday, so we tracked you down—with a little help from your sleepy friend here."
Aster took a few steps forward, clearing the distance between them. He looked up at Alaric, his eyes filled with that same deep, genuine respect he'd felt watching the swordsman train.
Standing right in front of him, Aster paused, took a breath, and bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you," Aster said softly but clearly. "For yesterday. If you hadn't shown up when you did... I wouldn't be here right now. I really appreciate you saving my life."
Alaric blinked, clearly caught off guard by the formal gesture. He looked at Aster, then up at Sylas who was just smirking in the background, and finally back down at the boy. The heavy, lazy owl on Alaric's head didn't even open its eyes, completely unbothered by the serious moment.
Alaric's sharp expression softened just a fraction. He reached up, shifting his sword strap, and let out a quiet exhale.
"Don't worry about it," Alaric said, his tone gruff but no longer cold. "It's my job to kill the monsters. I'm just glad we got to you in time."
Alaric nodded slowly, his gaze shifting from Aster to the massive boulder he had just sliced in half. He reached up and absentmindedly scratched the feathers of the lazy owl still perched on his head.
"Do you even know everything about this world yet?" Alaric asked, his voice calm but serious. "It's a lot to take in when you first drop into it."
Aster smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I was really confused at first, but Sylas already explained everything to me this morning. He told me about the kingdom, the Vanguard, and how the heart-animals work."
Alaric listened, but his sharp eyes didn't leave Aster's face. The soft, relaxed atmosphere faded a bit as Alaric's expression grew intent.
"Then let me ask you something," Alaric said, leaning slightly on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Now that you know how things work here... which side do you plan to choose?"
Aster paused, the sudden seriousness of the question catching him a bit off guard. He looked at Alaric, then glanced over at Sylas, who was watching him quietly, waiting for his answer.
Aster let out a soft laugh, reaching up to rub the back of his hair awkwardly, a bright, genuine smile breaking across his face.
"Of course I'm going to choose Neolux's team," Aster said, his tone warm and filled with certainty. He looked between the two older mages. "My benefactors and my friends are all right here. You guys saved my life, and you've been looking out for me ever since I woke up. There's no way I'd choose anyone else."
Sylas's grin widened, and he let out a proud laugh, throwing a heavy hand onto Aster's shoulder. "Hear that, Alaric? The kid's got good taste!"
Alaric stared at Aster for a long moment, watching the determination in the boy's eyes. Finally, the corner of his mouth twitched upward into a rare, faint smirk, and even the lazy owl on his head seemed to hoot softly in approval.
"Glad to hear it," Alaric said, adjusting his sword. "Then you better rest up tonight. Tomorrow, we find out what kind of power you're bringing to the team."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Aster... Aster, wait up!"
Laughter echoed through a hazy, sunlit hallway. Faces he knew so well—his old friends from his previous life—were running ahead, turning back to wave and call his name. Aster reached out, trying to catch up, but the faster he ran, the further away they drifted, their voices stretching and distorting until the sunlight turned into a blinding white flash.
Aster snapped his eyes open, sitting up fast.
He was in his room at the Vanguard quarters. It was morning. His shirt was soaked through with sweat, his heart was hammering against his ribs, and a sharp, throbbing headache pulsed right behind his eyes. He sat on the edge of the bed for a long moment, pressing the palms of his hands against his temples, trying to shake the lingering weight of the dream.
After a long, hot shower, the headache finally faded into a dull ache. Aster dried off, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and took a deep breath before opening his door.
Standing right there in the hallway, leaning casually against the stone wall, was Sylas.
"Morning, Aster," Sylas said, his lips curling into his usual easygoing smile.
But as Aster looked closer, he noticed how exhausted the blue-haired mage actually looked. There were dark shadows under Sylas's eyes, and his posture lacked its usual energetic bounce. He looked like he hadn't slept a single wink.
"Morning, Sylas," Aster said, his brow furrowing as he stepped into the hallway. "Are you okay? You look completely wiped out. Did you even sleep last night?"
Sylas blinked heavily, letting out a small, self-deprecating chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, is it that obvious? Don't worry about it. I just had to stay up all night studying up on some dragon lore and ancient beast files. The higher-ups needed some research done on a few dragon species that have been stirring lately."
He straightened up, giving Aster a reassuring pat on the shoulder, trying to force some energy into his voice. "Never mind me, though. Today is the big day. Are you ready to head to the God's Heart?"
Aster nodded, but as they started walking down the quiet corridor, a thought from the previous night crossed his mind.
"Hey, Sylas," Aster asked, looking around. "Speaking of the team... I realized I didn't see Kaoru or Fleur in the living quarters or the dining hall last night. Where are they staying?"
Sylas slowed his pace, rubbing his tired eyes with a sigh. "Ah, yeah. You won't see them around the standard Neolux quarters. Kaoru and Fleur are actually part of a special joint team."
"A joint team?" Aster tilted his head in confusion.
"Yeah, but don't think it's some grand, honorable thing," Sylas chuckled, shaking his head. "To be completely honest, no one in their right mind actually wants to go to that team. The different sides and factions in this kingdom absolutely hate each other's guts, so trying to make them work together is usually a total nightmare."
Aster blinked, surprised. "Then why are Kaoru and Fleur in it?"
"Because those two were just bored," Sylas said, rolling his eyes playfully. "They didn't care about the politics or the drama. They just wanted something to do, so they joined it for the hell of it. Right now, that entire team only has four people in total—Kaoru, Fleur, and two other misfits from the other sides who can actually tolerate each other without starting a war."
Sylas stretched his arms over his head, yawning deeply. "They have their own separate barracks because of it. But hey, less drama for us. Now, come on, let's get you to the God's Heart before I actually pass out right here in the hallway."