Black Star

Page 94: Awoken

3rd person's POV

Another week went by, and it was not as good as the previous one. Since Astraea's breakdown he completely shutdown and won't interact with anyone, only his soulmate from time to time. Seeing him like that, Oberon decided to fully focus on him and so both are like ghosts that haunt the temple; people know they are there, but nobody see them.
Atlanta asks how is his friend when Oberon went downstairs to grab his dinner and Astra's as well, but every single day is the same answer: the Lord of the Sun became a statue, he stays on his terrace and stares at the last rock in the distance with a lifeless look and hours fly by like that. He doesn't move to drink, to eat or wash up, and somehow talking about his state triggered Oberon. Atlanta asked if the friend needed support since the Lord of the Moon cried without realizing it, but he blew up like a bomb.

"This is why humans deserve only the worst!" he shouted controlled by his frustration. "You did this to Astraea, dumb and greedy homunculus!"

"Come on my friend, it is not fair to find these people guilty for what their ancestors did to us. They have no faults-"

"Bullshit! They keep their stupid world where a person of good intelligence and sensitivity cannot exist in your fucking society without having some anger about inequality! And it's not just a bleeding-heart, it's just a normal reaction to a nonsensical set of values where you have scented shits and there are people sleeping in the fucking street!"

"I admit that if we could look into each other's heart and understand the unique challenges each one of us face, I believe we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, tolerance and care." Atlanta's words hit the Clover habitants very hard, since there are two very distinct social ranks sat at the same table.

"Let me drag Astra out of his depression and then we plan the attack, I want these fuckers out of here." Oberon grabs the food and disappears with heavy steps, leaving a deafening silence behind.

"Asta bro, why you don't go to Lord Astraea and keep him company?" Leo suggests once his father apologized for his friend's outburst and sat to eat again with a sad, almost miserable look in his eyes.

"Huh? Am I allowed to?" the kid lost his appetite, and hearing how broken is Astraea, makes him depressed as well.

"Nobody is prohibiting anybody to go. I suggested you for the blood that runs in your veins." Leo smiles in a sad way but tries to keep his cheerful side untouched. "Being Y/n's twin makes you Astraea's child too, you know? Why otherwise you think Lord Oberon would call you 'nephew'? Oh, no offence Father Orsi, you are a splendid father figure to all these young souls."

"Rest assured Leo-san, I know what you wanted to say." the priest smiles kindly at the constellation and then looks over the prodigy orphan. "I think you should try, Asta. I lost Y/n twice and as a foster parent I know how awful is to lose a child... I cannot imagine how Astraea-sama is, but I'm sure your lineage will relieve his pain for a bit."

Convinced by everyone, Asta accepts the quest. He takes a tray to lay his dinner on and is escorted to the entrance of Astraea's room. Before leaving, Leo whispers an advice that should help the Lord, ruffles the manaless boy's hair then pats it as encouragement and he goes back.

I hope I'll be able to make him smile a bit; I have some of Y/n's advices with me. Knowing how loved is Astraea-san to her, it makes my heart bleed seeing him like this... It makes me remember the stories I have heard when he was younger. With a big breath, the kid swings on his feet to gather courage and finally parts his lips. "Um, Uncle Oberon?" the kid's trained ears catch the delicate sound of the vest brushing the floor and with a beating heart, he sees the curtains separated by the man who puts Eden to shame.