"Aster, dear, take a day off... you’re working too much."
A slender, mature woman wrapped her arms around Aster’s neck from behind, embracing him.
She was a beautiful thirty-seven-year-old woman with brown hair and green eyes. Aster, who was leaning against the couch, raised his head and met her concerned gaze.
That beautiful woman with jewel-like eyes was Jasmine...
Aster let out a soft sigh and gave her a weak but genuine smile.
"I’m fine, Mom. I still need to work tonight. I’m more worried about you... you know... there’s no need for you to keep working two jobs. Just stay with one. Your exhaustion and dark circles are obvious."
His mother gave him a small, bitter smile.
Their lives were difficult and hectic. They had no luxuries and lived with only the necessities.
Jasmine worked two jobs: as a clerk at a pharmacy and at a restaurant during the night shift. Aster, meanwhile, worked all day until the early hours of the morning making deliveries through an app.
But despite all their difficulties, they were both happy and never complained about their circumstances.
Jasmine had once lived a more peaceful and stable life. She had owned a flower shop, but five years ago, she had gone bankrupt and was forced to sell her store.
Looking at the mature woman, Aster reached out and gently caressed her face.
Aster was actually an orphan.
Jasmine was the one who had adopted him and had never allowed him to go without anything he needed.
Now twenty years old, he did everything he could to help the woman he was eternally grateful to.
"I’m fine, dear, I..."
Aster didn’t let her finish.
"You’re not fine, Mom! You go from one job straight to the other every day... You barely have an hour of break between them."
"But I do have my breaks," she replied.
Aster simply snorted.
"Fifteen minutes?... Seriously?"
He asked, genuinely exasperated.
Aster stood up from the couch and walked over to her.
"Now, young lady, listen to me."
He stood in front of her and gently held her face between both hands.
"You’re going to your room to rest... and later, at dinner, we’ll talk."
He kissed her forehead and guided her to her bedroom.
After helping her lie down, he covered her with the blanket.
"Rest well... I don’t want the most important woman in my life dropping dead from exhaustion."
She still looked a little hesitant, but accepted with a smile filled with love and gratitude.
Just like him, she was also incredibly grateful to have him in her life, a life that had once been lonely.
She slowly began closing her eyes as exhaustion finally overtook her.
Now comfortably nestled in bed, her eyes closed and her breathing slow, Aster smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Outside, he ran a hand through his black hair.
"Haaaaaaa... I need to work more."
He said while looking at the now-closed door and rubbing the back of his neck.
Today was his day off, which he had chosen to spend with Jasmine so they could have the day together.
Aster began walking around the house, looking around.
’I’ll take advantage of the time and clean the house until dinner.’
Throughout the day, he cleaned the entire house, room by room, except for the bedroom where Jasmine was resting.
When dinner time arrived, Jasmine left the bedroom and looked around.
The house looked cleaner than she remembered. It also seemed more comfortable now, despite being a simple home.
When she reached the kitchen, she saw Aster with his back to her, preparing dinner. A delicious smell of homemade food filled the room, bringing a sense of comfort and warmth with it.
She leaned against the wall and watched him concentrate on preparing the meal.
After some time, he turned around and his eyes settled on her, who had apparently been standing there watching him for a while.
With a smile, he asked:
"How long have you been there?"
She pushed herself away from the wall, walked to the table, and sat down.
"For a little while."
Her voice was still sleepy and soft.
Aster nodded.
"I’m almost done... just wait a little."
After finishing, he placed the food on the table, and the two of them began eating dinner.
Soft laughter accompanied the meal. Memories came and went, while that small sense of peace kept them going every day.
......
His eyes still saw nothing but darkness, but little by little, a light began to break through as a weak groan echoed.
"Argh..."
Aster’s eyes slowly opened as his mind struggled to anchor itself to reality.
’My body feels heavy.’
I forced my eyes open as a strong light bathed them.
I squinted, still adjusting to the brightness.
My head throbbed as if I had been struck by several hammers.
The ground beneath me was soft. My fingers touched it, feeling something fluffy and comforting.
I forced myself to sit up.
I remained sitting there on the green grass, still somewhat dazed as I looked around.
It was a patch of grass surrounded by a garden.
It seemed like I was alone.
Looking up, I saw that I was inside something that looked like a glass greenhouse.
"Where the hell am I?"
I muttered while rubbing my face.
My mind was a mess.
Memories flooded into my head.
Constant routines, exhaustion, happiness, gratitude, and...
My eyes widened when the final memory returned.
The infernal rain of fire across the sky, buildings, people turning to ash as reality itself collapsed.
I remembered hearing that voice, but... that was the least of my concerns.
Breathing heavily, I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself.
"Argh... argh... argh... calm down."
"Fire, screams, the fear of death... those feelings are still deeply rooted in me."
I spoke while staring at my hand, its palm facing me.
My fingers trembled without stopping.
’Did I die?’
I wondered.
’If everything was real, then the end was inevitable.’
Another thought came to my mind.
"No..."
My voice came out weak.
"No, no, no, no... my mother... she’s okay... right?"
"It doesn’t matter what happened to me... but she can’t... no... please."
I bit my lips hard enough to make them bleed, but my desperation was interrupted by a light that appeared in front of me.
[Greetings, Chosen One.]
[Congratulations on being chosen to compete for one of the Thrones.]
"Hm?"
I fixed my eyes on the silver-and-violet screen floating before me.
"What is this?"
’I’ve never seen this language before, but I understand everything it means...’
"Who are you? And what do you mean by ’Chosen’? And what are these Thrones?"
Aster waited for an answer, but the response didn’t satisfy him.
[That is something you will have to discover for yourself, Host.]
[As for who I am, you could say that I am a kind of assistant for your journey toward the Thrones.]
[You are currently in the Preparation Room. I will guide you based on what you are capable of understanding for now. But as for what the Thrones represent, it all comes down to one thing.]
The screen remained silent for a while, and Aster waited in silence.
[It all comes down to conquest and power... That is all I can tell you for now. In time, you will learn more about the truths. Telling you now would do you more harm than good... you can be certain of that.]
[Good. We have some time, so I will give you some basic guidance. Then we will begin preparing for your inevitable beginning.]
’I’m confused about all of this, but... panicking won’t solve my problems.’
"All right, but... before that, can I ask you something?"
[...Ask. If I can answer you, I will.]
Aster nodded as he held his chin and narrowed his eyes.
"Did I die?"
"And what happened to Earth?"