Chapter 1 Meet Astraeus!!!

Author's Point Of View :

In a mansion that rivaled a royal palace, tucked away in the heart of City M of Country A, lay a bedroom drenched in shades of royalty and mystery. The walls were painted a deep, luxurious lavender, accented by the soft glow of white fairy lights draped like fallen stars. Fresh white lilies lined the vanity, their scent light and ethereal filling the room.

On a sprawling king-sized bed, Astraeus lay buried beneath a soft, furry violet duvet. Though he was a young man in his early twenties, there was an angelic, delicate quality to his features that seemed almost otherworldly.

A stray beam of morning sunlight peeked through the small gap in the violet curtains, striking his face directly. Astraeus stirred, a frown marring his smooth, moon-like forehead. The warmth was an unwelcome intruder in his peaceful slumber. His delicate nose flared in irritation, and a faint rosy hue spread across his cheeks not from health, but from the rising heat of his annoyance. His lips, naturally plush and pink, curled into a pout of subconscious sadness as he struggled against the wakefulness.

The sunlight made his skin glow as if he wore a literal halo. Groaning, he extended a pale, slender hand, fumbling for a spare pillow to bury his face and escape the golden glare. But just as he reclaimed the darkness, his phone erupted into a loud, jarring ringtone.

His beauty sleep was officially shattered. Astraeus let out a soft, frustrated whine, his long lashes fluttering as he opened his innocent, hazelnut colored eyes. He blinked rapidly, squinting against the brightness of the room. With a heavy sigh, he reached for the side table, his fingers grazing the cool glass of his phone.

Looking at the caller ID, he huffed, his chest rising and falling with irritation. He swiped the screen to answer.

On the Phone Call :

"Yes, Zephyr "

He managed to mutter the greeting to his best friend, only for a sharp, high-pitched yell to blast through the speaker, making him wince.

"What the fish?! 'Yes'?! Is that all you have to say, Astra? And can you please do me the honor of explaining why you sound like you’re speaking from inside a grave?"

Zephyr’s voice was laced with suspicion. Astraeus froze, his sleepy brain finally connecting the dots. He cursed under his breath, the fog of sleep vanishing instantly.

"Oh, shit!"

He shot up in bed, the violet duvet sliding off his chest as he checked the time on his screen. His heart skipped a beat.

"God! It's already 9:00 AM. I’m late. I’m so late!"

He whisper-yelled, his panic rising. On the other end of the line, Zephyr’s silence lasted only a second before he exploded in anger.

"Late?! For heaven's sake, don't tell me you were still sleeping! It’s high time, Astra! Do you think I’m mad? I’m standing here with all my luggage, waiting for you to pick me up for the airport, and you’re over there dreaming?! What the fish! How can you be so careless? We have a flight in two hours and you’re sleeping like a pig!"

Astraeus rolled his eyes at his dramatics, though he knew he was right. He let out a long yawn, rubbing one eye with his fist like a tired child.

"Calm down, Zephyr. Take a deep breath, buddy. Take a chill pill. You’re blabbering at the speed of a rocket. And look, thanks to your loud voice, I’m wide awake now. But let me remind you, this is all your fault. You’re the one who dragged me to that club last night even after I said no. I went to sleep late because of you. If we miss this flight, the credit goes entirely to Mr. Zephyr."

He accused him back, his voice regaining its sassy edge. On the other end, Zephyr went silent, the metaphorical image of a cat caught stealing milk. He knew he was right, but he wasn't about to surrender that easily.

"Whatever! If you’re finished scolding me for trying to get you out of your boring shell to have some fun, then drop the attitude, get your royal ass off that bed, and get ready! Move fast or we are losing those tickets!"

"Yeah, yeah... I’m coming."

He hung up the phone and dragged his body out of the luxurious warmth of the bed. He trudged toward the bathroom, shedding his shiny white silk gown of a sleepwear into a wash bag beneath the sink before stepping under the steaming spray of the shower, desperate for the hot water to wash away the traces of his dreams cum nightmare.

Astraeus' Point Of View :

As the steam filled the bathroom, I stared at my reflection in the fogged-up mirror.

My name is Astraeus. I’m a twenty-three-year-old virology student, currently living in a beautiful mansion in city M of Country A, thousands of miles away from the only people I have left with. My family is small: my elder brother, my sister-in-law, and my precious niece. They are everything to me now, especially since the day my world shattered at eight years old.

I can still see the rain from that night. The night my parents died in an accident right before our eyes. It left me traumatized, an orphan in a cold world. But my brother, Orion, who is ten years older than me, never let me feel the weight of that emptiness. At eighteen, he was broken too, yet he stepped up to be my shield. He became my mother, my father, and my protector. He fought off greedy relatives who wanted our inheritance and took over our father's business while finishing his own college degree. He loves me more than his own life.

Five years later, when I was thirteen, he married his childhood sweetheart, Lyra. She became the motherly figure I craved, my best friend who treated me like her first-born child. And then... He came into my life. Shiloh. Lyra’s younger cousin-brother.

He was my sunshine. He was the angelic light that chased away the shadows of my parents' death. Shiloh taught me how to live again. He healed the scars on my heart with just a smile. Then our family was blessed with my niece, Artemis, our ‘Baby’. Life felt like a fantasy. A living dream.

But dreams are meant to be broken. My nightmare began the day I lost him.

I never realized how much of my soul was tied to Shiloh until he was gone, leaving me to face this cruel world alone. One storm, one day, and my sunshine was extinguished. I lost my smile. I lost my hope. People tell me it wasn't my fault, but I know the truth it was all because of me. The guilt was a burden that made it impossible to breathe.

So, I ran. I ran here for an internship, trying to escape the memories. Brother Orion was against me leaving, but Lyra supported my decision, she knew I needed space to survive the depression that was swallowing me whole. My brother sent Zephyr, my childhood best friend, with me to look after me.