Chapter 39: The Advice

Note:

In this chapter, there are two characters named Armann. One is the Armann we know, Astra's rescuer, and the other is Senior Armann. There are many Armanns in the world who's messenger dreams. They all bear the same name, Armann, and share no other identity except for their physical appearance.

Third Person's POV

Ever since Astra had that unsettling dream, her nights became restless. Each night, the same scenes replayed in her mind like a loop, casting a shadow over her ability to find peaceful rest. The vividness of the dream lingered long after she awoke, leaving her feeling unsettled and on edge throughout the day.

Astra found herself tossing and turning, unable to escape the grasp of the haunting images that seemed to follow her even in waking hours.

"No! No! No!" Astra would shout, only to fall asleep again.

She kept it hidden from Armann because she was afraid of what might happen. She also wasn't comfortable with what he was asking her to do.

The other day, even though Astra had just woken up from the dream, he immediately asked her to write it down in his notebook. Even though she wasn't fully awake, Astra still felt an uncomfortable feeling as she wrote.

She felt like something was wrong with what was happening. Astra understood that she had agreed with the Overseer to tell everything she dreamed about. But the way Armann urged things seemed like there was something else going on. She suspected Armann had other intentions besides just saving her.

Because of this, Astra began to avoid Armann to be careful. She also chose to hide her situation about dreaming the same exact thing over and over from him.

This avoidance of her put the Armann to think also, leaving him with a lingering sense that something was amiss, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Frequently, Armann found himself drawn to Astra's room, especially now as he projected himself astrally, eager to witness exactly what she saw in her dreams.

Even before, Armann struggled to see clearly the dreams of their own kind, the superhumans. While for plain dreamers, dreams are clear as a sunny sky. Superhuman dreams are like a sky obscured by countless clouds, making it impossible for Armann to see it due to their unique abilities.

Although it's not entirely possible for them to enter their dream. They can only enter through two ways. Either they must be allowed by the Superhuman to enter their dream or if the dreamer calls or thinks of them (Armann).

Armann stood on the right side of Astra, who was peacefully asleep in front of him.

Armann gently waved his hand to dispel the bubble of Astra's dream. As usual, he only saw glitches in her dream. Observing Astra's appearance, he noticed she was sleeping soundly, so he decided to leave and finish his work for the night as Armann.

While in Astral Projection, Armann ventured out into the city, visiting each of the locations on his list.

He arrived at a simple two-story house with a well-kept yard. Politely, Armann entered through the gate, pretending to open it even though he simply passed through it.

Armann entered and searched for the owner of the end thread.

He climbed to the second floor and entered the first door. Here, he found out that someone had arrived before him.

"Oh, it's you," the other Armann calmly remarked. A hundred years ago, when Armann arrived in front of the Supreme Head as a messenger of dreams, his gentleman was there and soon became his friend. He was only a decade ahead, so he preferred to be called as Senior Armann.

Their client today was a married couple. The Senior Armann had finished his duty with the woman, ready to leave.

Armann, not batting an eye to his senior, approached the husband and waved. He transferred the dream into the book and replaced it with a new one.

"It's been a while since we last met. I've been handling all your clients in the past, and now you won't even talk to me?" the Senior Armann jokes, but with a hint of teasing in his tone.

"About that, thank you very much," Armann replied, nodding slightly as a sign of respect for his colleague's work.

"Tss," the senior muttered, slightly annoyed. If he hadn't mentioned it, Armann wouldn't have thought of thanking him.

"I don't accept thanks. You owe me," demanded the Senior Armann, but it was evident that he was teasing Armann.

"Huh?" Armann hesitated. "Fine, I'll treat you to a meal. Let's meet tomorrow at the K restaurant," he added.

"No! I want you to treat me to the Dream Hotel," he said with a mischievous grin.

Armann was about to refuse when he was interrupted.

"How many times have you done this?" the senior Armann asked, specifically speaking to the husband's client.

"After him, it's just one more, and then I can go home," Armann innocently replied.

"Good. She'll be my last," the previous Armann said, referring to the wife. "I'll wait for you at the entrance of the Dream Hotel, okay?" the Senior Armann added.

Even though Armann hadn't agreed yet, a decision was quickly made, and the senior Armann vanished swiftly to prevent any further refusal from him.

Armann had no choice but to comply with their agreement. Besides feeling indebted to him, he had also planned to treat him before, so he decided to go.

He finished the last name written in the book before heading to the designated meeting place.

Armann teleported to the middle of the forest. Some had just arrived, while others were already walking ahead.

Armann walked along the stone path to reach the actual dream hotel. The small treehouse was now in sight, and Armann spotted him easily.

"I thought you weren't coming anymore. Come on," the Senior Armann said with a cheerful smile, already climbing up.

The treehouse had a few flights of stairs before reaching the entrance. When they turned the doorknob, they were greeted by the incredibly happy and bright lounge area of the hotel.

"Welcome to Dream Hotel. Do you wish to check in?" greeted the middle-aged lady sitting at the front desk.

"No, we're just going to eat at the restaurant here," the Senior Armann casually replied, winking at the woman before swaggering off to the bar area.

Like any typical hotel, there was a bar area, restaurant/cafeteria, salon, rooms, and services, among other amenities, all designed for superhumans.

While waiting for their order, Armann glanced around the surroundings. The place was incredibly beautiful, and its aesthetic interior matched the eternal ambiance of the place.

Fourteen years ago, this hotel was still illegal because it wasn't recognized by the Supreme Head. However, due to an unknown incident, they reconsidered this place, and eventually, it was approved.

"You tell me. What are you up to that I need to cover your clients?" Senior Armann confronted, sounding friendly.

"Just the usual," Armann replied, sidestepping the question, which sharpened the gaze of his companion, Senior Armann.

"You're not trying to get into trouble, are you? Oh, don't you dare do that, I'm telling you. You know what happens to those who disobey, right?" Senior Armann advised. He knows how precious Armann's job was, which is why he wanted to know the reason behind his absence.

"Of course not!" Armann quickly defended himself.

"Then why?" he asked curiously.

"Ah, not in particular!" Armann replied, being defensive.

Their paths don't usually cross, so Senior Armann was determined to know what was going on with his friend.

As Armann said that, their food order arrived just in time.

"Thank you," Armann said to the waiter who served them.

"You haven't changed a bit," Senior Armann remarked when the server finally left. "I feel like the reason you were nowhere to be found for the past few days is because of some confidential mission. And you're just going with the flow like an order from Elderly, and then you'll leave everything behind," Senior Armann speculated.

"How did you know?" Armann exclaimed in surprise.

Senior Armann suddenly spit out the water he just drunk because of this. He quickly wiped the mess on the table and took a sip of water again.

"Seriously? Am I right?" Senior Armann asked loudly.

Armann was taken aback by his Senior's reaction, but he decided to answer.

"It's true. I did it because that order came directly from the Elderly," Armann replied.

"What order? You know what? Don't answer that question," the Senior exclaimed in surprise, quickly retracting his question. He knew it wasn't appropriate to inquire about the mission given to him by the Elderly, but he couldn't believe that his guess was actually true. "Anyways, do you mean, after your mission, you're going back like nothing ever happened?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Correct! I'm just doing this until they finish whatever they want on her. Then, my life will go back to normal," Armann replied flatly.

"Ha! Good luck. Just hope that humans aren't involved in this mission unless—" the Senior's words trailed off as he prepared to eat.

"Unless what?" Armann inquired, as the Senior didn't continue his sentence.

"Unless you want trouble. Humans have what they call emotional attachment. Of all emotions, this is the hardest and most painful because once their trust is betrayed, it's hard for them to trust you again," the Senior remarked, asserting his seniority.

Upon hearing the Senior's words, Armann sank into deep thought. He had lied to Astra and deceived her until now. He felt anxious that one day Astra might suddenly discover the truth. He also thinks that maybe that's the reason why Astra has been trying to avoid him for the past few days.

"How sure are you?" Armann asked curiously, as the Senior seemed confident in what he was saying.

"Kid! I've been here longer than you by a decade. In my time here, I've experienced everything I needed to experience in this world. I already look and act like a human when I'm outside," the Senior replied confidently, with a hint of pride in his words.

"So you know what it's like when people find out you've been deceiving them?" Armann asked curiously once again.

"Of course. In my job as a bank teller in the morning, I've encountered many," he said, leaning in slightly towards Armann.

Armann also moved closer to hear what he was about to whisper.

"Humans have what they call intuition. They can sense whether you're deceiving them or not. Some get angry like a raging volcano. They'll tear you apart until there's not a single hair left on your body. Others just avoid you and that's it," he exaggeratedly added.

Armann suddenly felt afraid upon hearing this. His heart raced as fear washed over him, sending shivers down his spine. His hands instinctively clenched onto his own body, a feeble attempt to anchor himself against the rising tide of anxiety. He could feel his pulse pounding in his temples, each beat a reminder of the ominous warning he had just received.

In a reflexive gesture, he even found himself gripping onto strands of his own hair, as if seeking some safety for his hair.

"Is that true? How accurate can you be?" Armann asked.

"Based on my own experience," the Senior boasted, placing his hand on the table to show off.

"So you've experienced being bald until your hair falls out?" Armann asked, his voice lacking sympathy as he innocently posed the question.

The Senior's elbow slipped off the table in surprise, caught off guard by the unexpected inquiry.

"Something like that. Anyways, let's just leave it at that and eat, shall we?" the Senior said abruptly, hoping to steer away from the conversation.

Armann obediently followed suit, innocently joining in the meal, but the questions lingered in his mind.

As the conversation finally came to its end, finally got to eat before Armann asked the Senior another question.

"Hmm, Senior, I just have one more question," he began again.

"What is it?" The Senior asked without courtesy, not even bothering to look at him.

"Well, since you have more experience than me, I thought maybe you know the answer," Armann said.

"What is it then? Just get to the point!" The Senior replied, slightly nervous, fearing it might be another unexpected question.

"What do people often do to forgive those who lied to them?" Armann asked.

The Senior lifted his head, surprised, and looked to see if the Armann was serious about the question.

"You want to know how?" The Senior asked, wanting clarification.

Armann nodded, studying the Senior carefully.

"Hmm, some try to reconcile by bridging the gap through apologies and honesty. Others use tactics and offering various things to appease the angry person. Some resort to food and outings to ease the anger they feel," the Senior replied. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.

"Ah, nothing, nothing!" Armann quickly denied. "Just curious," he reasoned.

The Senior didn't sense any dishonesty and continued eating.

After eating, more and more Armann are coming to the hotel. The two Armanns leave the place and return to their bodies.

Armann opened his eyes and first saw the clear white ceiling of his room. Like a zombie from the graveyard, he stood up and went to the bathroom.

Upon leaving his room, he saw the next door where Astra's room is located. Armann pondered on the advice given by him earlier. It crossed his mind to follow his Senior's advice.

As a precaution, Armann first sensed whether Astra was inside his room or not.

'She's inside,' Armann said to himself, confirming Astra's presence. 'To ease her anger, I should give her some food and take her outside,' Armann added to his thoughts.

Though his soul was satiated from the food he had at the Dream Hotel, his physical body wasn't. He decided to take this opportunity to invite Astra for breakfast outside.

With that in mind, he decided to dedicate today's whole day just for Astra. He got his phone in his pocket and texted the bank that he will request for sick leave today.

After that, carefully, he walked towards Astra's room door, ready to knock when something came up on his mind.

"What if she doesn't agree? Maybe next time," he thought to himself as he walked back to his room.

Midway through, Armann found himself contemplating again.

"Why wait til next time? Why not now? I'm just inviting her. There's no such big deal," he reasoned with himself.

He hesitantly returned to Astra's door, raising his right hand to knock but hesitated once more as another thought struck him.

"Why am I in such a hurry? She won't know the truth yet, anyway. Besides, I have nothing to do with her. I don't care if she gets angry or not," Armann muttered to himself, retracing his steps.

Again, he stopped midway and scratched his head in frustration at his indecision.

"Enough! This is it! I'm sure," he decided, muttering to himself as he walked back to Astra's door, but once again, he hesitated and backed out.

About to leave the front of Astra's door, it suddenly swung open, revealing Armann with his hands poised as if about to knock.

"Why? Do you need something?" Astra asked immediately.

Armann felt nervous because he didn't know what to say. He averted his eyes to think of an excuse when he suddenly noticed Astra's outfit.

"Where are you going?" Armann blurted out suddenly, quickly lowering his hand.

"Going out," Astra replied simply.

"Going where?" Armann repeated, clueless.

"School. Today's my first day back at school. We have morning class so I need to leave early," Astra answered.

Armann felt a pang of guilt realizing he had forgotten about Astra's school schedule. He nodded awkwardly, trying to muster a supportive smile.

"Oh! I see. Well then good luck," Armann simply said.

Astra, unsure of what to do next, prepared to leave but found herself blocked by Armann standing at the door.

"Um, I'm leaving," Astra said, gesturing to Armann to step aside.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Armann quickly retreated from the door, giving Astra space to pass.

Despite her confusion about the Armann's action, Astra gave a slight nod of farewell to him before finally making her way to the door. She paused only to slip on her shoes before departing.

Meanwhile, Armann stood there, still and contemplative.

*Ting* His phone rings out with a notification.

Without hesitation, he retrieved his phone from his pocket and read the message.

[Leave approved! Please get well soon and stay hydrated.] The message said.

"What am I supposed to do now?" He muttered to himself, feeling lost inside his house alone.

~To be Continued ~