Chapter 42: The Sick Leave

Third Person's POV

After Astra left, Armann just stayed around the house, feeling restless. This was the first time he had taken leave, so he didn't know how to spend it. He leaned against the wall, staring at nothing in particular, trying to make sense of his thoughts.

"Why did I even do that? I don't care about her. She's just another mission," Armann muttered under his breath, the words sounding hollow even to his own ears.

For a moment, he let himself believe the lie. Following orders had always been simple. Do what the Elderly say, get the job done, and return to his normal life. But something was different this time. He couldn't shake the image of Astra's frightened eyes, the way she looked at him with a mix of fear and trust.

His chest tightened, an unfamiliar sensation that made him uncomfortable.

"Besides, I didn't plan any of this. I'm just following orders," he said, trying to sound convincing. Yet, the more he repeated it, the less he believed it.

He started pacing the room, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"Once this mission is over, I can go back to my old life," he said aloud, as if the empty room needed convincing.

But the thought of forgetting her left a strange ache in his heart, something he didn't understand. He stopped pacing and stared at his reflection in the window.

"Why can't I shake this feeling?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The denial was there, wrapped around his true emotions like a shield. He knew he was lying to himself, but admitting the truth was something he wasn't ready to face. Not yet.

"Ugh! What am I even thinking?" he said, frustration evident in his voice. He shook his head, trying to erase the thoughts and bring himself back to reality.

Even though his room was already clean, Armann still tidied it up meticulously. He wiped down his scrolls and books one by one. After that, he did the laundry and neatly folded the clean clothes.

With nothing else to do, Armann decided to go to the living room. There, he attempted to watch TV to pass the time.

After a few episodes, he grew bored.

"Hmm… Should I go out? But what time is it," he muttered to himself, glancing at his clock. "There are probably a lot of people outside now," he added, talking to himself again.

Despite living a human life, Armann still wasn't comfortable interacting with people, especially in crowded places. The idea of being surrounded by so many strangers made him uneasy. He preferred solitude and the quiet of his own space.

As he pondered, he weighed his options. Staying in meant another lonely day of boredom, but going out meant facing the anxiety of being among people. He sighed, feeling the familiar tension rise within him.

"What if I try astral projection instead?" he suddenly said.

Not everyone sleeps at night, so he knew it was possible to find someone asleep at this hour.

Armann lay down on his bed, adjusting until he was comfortable. He focused on the room, feeling every corner with his mind. In just a few moments, his spirit began to separate from his body, starting from his head and moving down to his feet.

Without wasting any time, Armann floated out of his room, searching for someone who was sleeping. He waved his hand to summon his book of dreams, eager to see if anyone was currently dreaming.

He wandered through various places until he found someone asleep near the school.

As he approached, he saw it was Astra, deeply asleep. In her dream, she was dancing with unknown creatures. These creatures exuded a sense of evil, and their presence disturbed him.

The creatures hissed to Armann before disappearing.

Nagising si Astra na namumutla pa ang mata.

"Hey! What's going on with you?" Armann tilted his head slightly, not understanding her. The evil just now is dancing with HER!

Astra snapped back to reality.

"Oh, sorry. What?" Astra asked, confused about what was happening.

Astra's voice gets the attention of the crowd inside the library.

"Nothing," Armann replied irritably. 'She should know who he is,' he thought.

"Why are you here? Don't you have work?" Astra whispered, acting normal.

"Nope. It's my day off from my human job," he lied.

"So that's why you're in astral projection now?" Astra casually remarked.

"Yes, why? Is there a problem? I like it this way," Armann replied defensively. 'Am I not allowed to do this?' he thought.

"Why so defensive? I'm just asking," Astra said again, covering her mouth with the book.

At this moment, Armann's intrusive thoughts ran and thought the thing happened earlier. He thought maybe he can now ask Astra to eat outside and make some effort for his lies.

Without thinking about the result, he bossy ask to hide his embarrassment.

"Whatever. I'll pick you up later. Let's eat outside," Armann quickly said and then vanished.

He was so shy, leaving the place to avoid further questions and also to hide his face.

After that, he went straight home, forgetting why he went out in the first place. Looking forward to the evening, Armann excitedly prepared what to wear later.

"Not this!" Armann said, holding up a black polo shirt while looking in the mirror. "Not this either," he muttered again to the black coat.

He returned to his closet to get another choice. He scans his clothes and notices something.

The closet wasn't very full, mostly formal wear was in there. Almost all his clothes were black, with only a few white and brown pieces.

Armann grabbed his black overcoat, the one he wore during his nighttime work. He considered it for a moment, thinking it can be used. Astra already saw him wearing this so he's a bit hesitant on the other hand.

In his mind, he wanted to impress Astra tonight.

"What am I thinking? Who's impressing who?" Armann muttered to himself, throwing the coat he was holding onto the bed.

"I-I'm just doing this because I want to make the most of my leave… yeah, that's right! I rarely get a leave, so I should make the most of it," he tried to convince himself, pacing back and forth in his room.

Armann's thoughts were a whirlwind. He glanced at the coat again, then at his reflection in the mirror. His closet was filled mostly with formal wear, dominated by black, with only a few pieces in white and brown. He grabbed his black overcoat, the one he usually wore for work at night, and held it up in front of him, debating if it would be the right choice.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. The more he thought about the evening, the more he felt a mix of excitement and anxiety.

"Maybe this one?" Armann said to himself.

He was hesitant about what to wear. Hours passed, and he was still standing in front of his closet, trying to decide.

"Why am I so worried about this?" he asked himself, feeling a strange sense of realization. "It's just dinner," he added.

Just as he was about to give up, he remembered a small boutique near his place.

"What if I buy new clothes? To put a new one in my closet! Right, right!" he convinced himself.

His attention span quickly changed. He grabbed his jacket and keys and headed out of his room. He went to the boutique to buy new clothes.

Armann spent several minutes browsing inside the boutique. Finally, he found something he liked. When he walked out of the shop, he was wearing a forest green turtleneck, black pants, and a black overcoat—the same outfit he had seen on a mannequin earlier.

Even though he had chosen dark colors again and his style hadn't changed much, Armann felt different. For him, the new outfit made him feel like a new born person, fresh and ready.

As he walked back home, putting the rest he just brought in his closet.

Since there was still time before Astra's classes ended, Armann decided to walk to the school.

He couldn't hide the smile on his face as he strolled along. Anyone who saw him thought he was in a particularly good mood.

When he arrived at the school, he positioned himself just outside the entrance, ensuring that Astra would see him as soon as she came out.

It wasn't long before students began to trickle out of the building. Some of them noticed Armann standing there and started whispering to each other.

"He's so handsome!" one girl whispered to her friend.

"Yeah, he is. I wonder who he's waiting for?" her friend replied.

"Do you think he's waiting for his girlfriend?" another girl speculated.

Armann stood there, maintaining his relaxed and cool posture. He can hear the chatter and he likes it a bit. He kept his eyes focused on the entrance, eagerly awaiting Astra. He felt a mixture of anticipation and excitement, hoping that their evening went well.

As more students exited the building, a small crowd formed near the entrance, and the whispers grew louder. Some of the students were genuinely curious, while others were just caught up in the excitement of seeing someone new and attractive standing outside their school.

Armann began to feel a bit embarrassed as the crowd's attention increasingly focused on him, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He worried that if he did, he might miss Astra when she finally came out.

Several hours went by, and the stream of departing students started to decrease. Only a few stragglers remained, and the sky was beginning to darken.

The classroom lights gradually turned off, signaling that there were no more students inside.

Armann anxiously checked his watch and glanced back at the school.

"Could she have missed where I am?" Armann wondered aloud, his curiosity tinged with concern.

With no more students in sight and the school appearing deserted, Armann decided it was time to leave.

Armann felt worried and uneasy but he couldn't stay there. He started to walk, leaving the place. Praying that Astra already went home and safe.

"What if she hasn't gone home yet?" he asked himself again.

He continued walking, thinking deeply until he heard a faint voice coming from somewhere.

"Please, anyone out there, help me!" It was a woman's voice, echoing around Armann.

~ To be Continued ~