Astra opened her eyes and was welcomed by the aroma of something delicious.
She quickly sat up, her stomach growling in response.
Without wasting another second, she got out of bed and rushed to the table where the meals were laid out.
The food looked freshly prepared.
She began eating hungrily.
She hadn't realized just how starving she was.
After she was done eating, she sat down to relax. But her eyes suddenly widened as a thought crossed her mind.
Oh no… what if the food was poisoned? she thought, her eyes growing even wider.
____________________________________________
Aldric's eyes darkened as he clenched his fist tightly, crushing the cup in his hand. The sharp pieces cut into his palm, drawing blood.
"You left because of a mere woman?" he asked calmly, but anyone could sense the danger hidden in his voice.
"She's not just a mere woman. She's the former guardian of the crystal. With the kind of power she possesses, only you and Thalion can kill her easily," Roman replied.
"And the other two?" Aldric asked.
Roman bowed his head sadly before answering, "They're dead."
Aldric clenched his fist again before slamming his hand onto the table. The impact was so hard that the table shattered into pieces. The broken remains of the cup pierced deeper into his palm, causing the bleeding to worsen. His eyes turned completely dark.
"Well done, old friend," he muttered.
Everyone present at that moment dropped to their knees — everyone except Roman. No one dared to make the slightest mistake, not if they wished to stay alive.
Because right now, Aldric's aura was extremely dangerous.
______________________________
Astra was pacing around the room when Aldric walked in. He had managed to calm himself down and decided to check on her.
She frowned upon seeing him, but her expression quickly shifted to worry when she noticed the injury on his palm. She walked over and studied his face carefully.
What could have happened? she wondered.
Aldric stared at her strangely, wondering what she was up to.
Suddenly, she grabbed his injured hand. She examined it closely and hissed.
Aldric blinked in confusion, staring at the girl before him in disbelief.
"Did she just hiss?" he asked himself — not realizing he had said it out loud.
"Yes, I did," Astra replied, earning a glare from him.
"Now stop glaring at me and tell me what happened. How did you injure yourself, annoying pig?" she asked.
Aldric's jaw dropped.
"I was angry," he found himself replying before he could stop.
Astra sighed, shaking her head from side to side like a disappointed mother.
"Being angry is always your specialty," she mocked.
Aldric was speechless. He couldn't believe he was tolerating her words.
"You have to be careful, or you'll always end up injured," she warned before making him sit down.
She carefully began removing the broken pieces of the cup from his palm.
"Annoying pig," she muttered again.
"Hey!" Aldric yelled.
Astra pressed lightly on the wound, making him flinch.
She giggled and ran off to get something.
Aldric watched the direction she had gone and smiled slightly.
He was slowly beginning to like her.
He just hoped she wouldn't get lost.