Chapter 9 The Shields Resolve!!!

Author’s Point Of View :

Seeing Astraeus's state, Orion’s eyes went wide in horror and he ran to Astraeus and tried to calm him down

"ASTRA! Astra, look at me!"

Orion yelled, pinning his brother’s shoulders to the bed.

Astraeus gasped, his lungs burning. He saw Orion’s face, but he was still trapped between the dream and the reality.

"Big brother, I didn't do it! I didn't do it purposefully! You know me. I could never harm anyone intentionally!"

He grabbed Orion’s white silk pajama top, his fingers trembling violently. Tears flooded his eyes, blurring the room into a sea of grief.

"I wouldn't have done it if I had the smallest idea. Please forgive me, Brother! Please don't hate me! I promise I didn't do it on purpose!"

Orion felt a sharp, agonizing pain in his own chest. He pulled Astraeus into his arms, crushing the boy against him, letting Astra’s tears soak into his shoulder.

"Calm down, Astra. Breathe. Just breathe, Baby."

Orion whispered, his voice a low, vibrating hum intended to ground his brother.

"You didn't do anything. It wasn't your fault, and I know it. We all know it. You cannot blame yourself for things that were never in your hands. You aren't a monster, Astra. You're my brother."

"But they said... they said I killed them..."

Astraeus sobbed, his voice breaking into a million pieces.

"Who said that? It was just a dream, Astra. A cruel, lying dream."

Orion held him, rocking him slightly, until the violent tremors subsided into rhythmic, exhausted shudders. Astra’s grip on Orion’s shirt loosened as he drifted into a state of shock-induced lethargy.

Orion’s eyes, however, were not soft. They were dark, cold, and dangerous. He looked toward the doorway, where Zephyr stood, pale as a ghost, his hands over his mouth.

"How long?"

Orion asked. The voice wasn't his usual one. It was the voice of the man who ran an empire. A voice that demanded blood.

Zephyr swallowed, his voice a mere whisper.

"For six months, Brother Orion. Ever since the... since the accident."

Orion stood up slowly, laying Astraeus back against the pillows he covered him with sheets. He walked toward Zephyr, his shadow stretching long and menacing across the floor.

"And how often does he endure this?"

He inquired and Zephyr quickly replied

"Nearly... nearly every night."

He answered, shocking Orion.

"What?!"

Orion’s voice didn't rise, but the intensity of it made Zephyr flinch.

"Why do I not know this? Why was I not informed? Did you think my brother’s sanity wasn't important enough to merit a phone call to Country A?"

"I’m sorry, Brother Orion!"

Zephyr cried, his own tears beginning to fall.

"I wanted to tell you! I wanted to tell Lyra! But he made me swear. He took a promise from me on - his very life that I wouldn't say a word. He didn't want to be a burden. He said you already had the weight of the company on your back, and Lyra was grieving for her brother. He didn't want to add to the pain."

He looked at the sleeping, broken figure of Astraeus.

"The nightmares were there before, but tonight... Tonight was the worst I’ve ever seen. I had to break my promise. I couldn't watch him die inside anymore. You’re like a father to him, Brother Orion. Only you can save him from himself."

Orion closed his eyes, a flicker of pure agony crossing his face. He had failed. He had sent Astra away to heal, thinking the distance would help, but instead, he had sent his little star into a void of isolation.

"Go to your room, Zephyr."

Orion commanded, his voice weary but firm.

"We will talk in the morning. And you will tell me everything. Every dream, every panic attack, every word he whispered in his sleep. Do not leave a single detail out."

"I won't, Brother Orion. I promise."

Zephyr turned and hurried away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

Orion turned back to find Lyra standing by the bed. She had been watching in silence, her hand over her heart. She looked at Astraeus, the boy she had treated as her own child and then at Orion.

"He hasn't forgotten anything, Love"

Orion whispered, his voice cracking.

"The guilt... it's a poison. We thought sending him away was the answer, but the silence only made the voices louder."

Lyra stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Orion’s waist and leaning her head against his back.

"We were wrong, Orion. We tried to protect him, with distance but he needed our presence. He needs to know he isn't alone in that forest anymore."

Orion turned in her arms, looking at his wife.

"He thinks he’s responsible for Shiloh. He thinks he’s the reason your brother is in that hospital bed. How do I fix that, Lyra? How do I fix a soul that wants to be broken?"

"You don't break down, Orion."

She said, her eyes fierce with determination.

"You are his shield. You have to make him open up. You have to force him to share the pain until it’s small enough for him to carry. We will cheer him up. We will bring the light back to this villa if we have to burn every shadow ourselves."

Orion looked back at Astraeus, who was now sleeping fitfully, his face still pale under the moonlight.

"I will."

Orion vowed.

"I will bring back my old Astra, or I will lose myself trying."

.....

The Following Morning :

The sun rose over the Empyrean Villa, but it brought no warmth. The atmosphere in the breakfast room was stifling. Lyra was moving mechanically, setting the table with Astra’s favorite foods, crepes, fresh fruit, and the specific tea he used to love.

Orion sat at the head of the table, his coffee untouched. He hadn't slept a wink. He was waiting for Zephyr.

When Zephyr finally entered, he looked like he hadn't slept either. He sat down tentatively, the weight of Orion’s gaze almost physical.

"Start from the beginning."

Orion said, his voice flat.

"Country A. The first month."

Zephyr took a deep breath.

"At first, he tried to be strong. He went to his galleries, he did his interviews. But at night... The screaming started almost immediately. He would wake up calling for his mom and dad. Then, after a few weeks, the dreams changed, they became about the accident with Shiloh. He would dream that he was the one who pushed him off the chopper, or that he was the one who strangled him. His mind is reinventing the tragedy to make himself the villain."

Lyra set a plate down with a loud clack, her eyes brimming with tears.

"My poor boy. He’s been living in a horror movie for half a year."

She wept...

"He stopped eating."

Zephyr continued, his voice trembling.