[46.1] Astra POV: The Sleepy One's Rude Awakening

[Author's note: This chapter is from Astra's perspective.]

I looked at the piece of homework while scratching my head. I furrowed my brow before finally giving up and slamming the paper down, "I don't understand it!!!"

I ran out of the house waving my arms, "Mama! Mama!"

My mother sat in the garden grumbling as she tried to figure out why she couldn't get her plants to grow. Hearing me call for her, she turned to face me. Her face was a complete blur, but I could always recognize her.

Her voice was sharp, "Aren't you supposed to be doing your homework?"

I plopped down on her lap and looked up at her with an overly cute expression, "I want candy."

She didn't back down, "Did you finish your homework?"

"Mama…"

I forced myself to look even cuter, but she wouldn't budge.

"Go do your homework."

I grimaced, "But Zephyr isn't doing his!"

She let out an irritated sigh, "Where is he?"

I shrugged.

"Let's go find him."

I hopped up with a bright grin and held her hand. As we walked around the mountaintop, Zephyr came running over sobbing loudly.

He and I had yet to grow into our adult bodies and now his childish face was bruised and swollen, "Mamaaa!"

My mother panicked and rushed to hold him, "What's wrong!?"

Ugh. She always babies him.

He sobbed, "Atta beat me up again!"

I looked up to see Atta bouncing over with a proud expression in her eyes. She pulled out her chalkboard and wrote: "I'm training him!"

Zephyr burst into more sobs, "I-I-I DON'T WANT T-TO TRAIN!"

My mother let out a sigh, "Atta. Stop trying to train him. He doesn't want to do it."

Atta wrote on her chalkboard: "But he's weak! The humans will kill him if he doesn't train!"

She stomped her foot in frustration and pointed to her chalkboard to emphasize her point.

Zephyr burst into more tears and wailed at the top of her lungs, "I DON'T WANT HUMANS TO KILL ME!!!!"

My mother let out a groan and bent over to pick him up, "Humans aren't going to kill you."

He screamed louder, "H-H-HOW DO YOU KNOW?!"

She retorted sarcastically, "Because I'm from the future, now would you stop crying?"

"L-LIAR! YOU'RE JUST SAYING THAT!"

She tried to rock him to get him to stop crying, but he wouldn't stop. She looked at us feeling exasperated, "Where's your older brother?"

I answered, "He's making dinner."

My mother cooed at Zephyr, "Do you hear that? Let's go see what tasty things your brother is making. Maybe there will even be candy~"

My mouth dropped open, "How come HE gets to have candy and I can't!?"

My mother clicked her tongue, "Come on then. Let's all go get candy."

I grinned brightly and started to hop after her, but was suddenly held back.

The dream around me faded and I was left facing Atta who was holding me. She suddenly looked older than in the dream and I could recognize immediately it wasn't from a memory.

Without a word, she drew her location on the chalkboard and pointed at it.

I suddenly awoke from my uncontrollable sleep with a start, "Atta!"

She's close by!!

I beamed brightly and quickly crawled out of bed. I rushed out of the door only to be surprised to see the entire house with bodies on the floor.

That's not good.

Usually, my brother is controlling those bodies.

Did something happen?

I heard Rose shouting down the hall and ran down in a panic. She was carrying someone into my brother's room and shouting orders.

I rushed over, "What's wrong!?"

She pushed me away, "Astra! Go grab me those vials from Moni's study!"

I didn't need to be yelled at twice and rushed to his office. I threw open the door in a panic and looked around. He had the vials hidden away on a shelf for emergency situations, so I grabbed a chair and pulled it over. I pulled out a book and flipped it open revealing the vials hidden where pages should be. I grabbed a handful and ran back into the room where Rose was struggling to contain him.

She quickly grabbed a vial and opened it up.

The liquid mana entered his body and his complexion slowly started to improve.

But it wasn't enough.

I stood at the doorway, fidgeting, "I-Is he going to be okay?"

He looks…

Grey.

Rose brushed the sweat from her forehead but didn't look away from Moni as she treated him, "He will be fine. Just go and hide. When he awakens he will surely go on another rampage. I don't know if his body can prevent it this time."

I recognized that the situation was out of my control and stepped away to give them the room to figure it out. I walked down the hallway feeling anxious and paused to look at the giant cocoon on the ceiling in one of the rooms.

Lene is still asleep since it's daytime and Rose is preoccupied with Moni…

Isn't this the perfect time to sneak away and find Atta?

Maybe then I can convince her to stop fighting with Moni.