Chương 30: Vol. 1 - Life

The clouds around my ankles rippled, thinning into mist. The golden glow fractured into drifting shards of light, each one fading faster than the last. Valtheris's silhouette blurred, dissolving into the brilliance as though he were stepping backwards into some unreachable horizon.

"Wake," his voice murmured—everywhere and nowhere at once. The ground vanished. The light collapsed inward. And I fell—softly, weightlessly—out of the dream and back into my own body.

"No, I will not trust him," I sat up on my bed. It was just a coincidence.

"Papa, who're you talking to?" Stella yawned.

"No one," I murmured.

"Go back to sleep, Stella." I pulled the blanket over my body. No, I can't trust Him, not just yet. There is so much I still don't know about Him. How can I trust someone I don't know? With me here with my loved ones, nothing can hurt them. No, I'll make sure nothing ever harms them. For all I know, He could be an evil god wanting to destroy the world. But on the other hand, from His aura, He could be a powerful being that I cannot provoke. However… that powerful aura had come from only a fragment of his soul.

A sliver. A whisper. What happens when all the pieces are placed together? The thought struck me like cold water. I shivered.

"Hoshikawa—""Aaaah!" I screamed, jumping out of my bed.

"Kawa, it's me, dear," I turned to see my mother.

"Is something wrong? You look paranoid, dear." My mother frowned.

"No…nothing's wrong," I muttered, embarrassingly trying to find an excuse.

"Breakfast is ready downstairs. Ella, or rather your father, is waiting for you," She sighed. Clearly, my father was planning something fit for his stupidity.

"Alright, I'll head down now," I followed my mother. Step, step, step.

"Morning," Ella said glumly stirring jer bowl of cereal. I couldn't help but chuckle upon seeing her bed hair flying everywhere.

"Ah, there you are, Kawa." My father looked up from his newspaper with a sheepish grin plastered onto his cheeky face.

"What do you want this time?" I groaned.

"Aw, don't be such a baby," He chuckled. Then he dropped the bomb.

"We're going to battle."

"Battle?" The words echoed in my head. I stood frozen, letting his words sink in.

"Yes," My father grinned.

"Whoever loses, doesn't get lunch."

"Well, don't get too cocky, I might beat you this time," I teased lightly.

"Oh, you sure?" He countered.

"Of course. And as the graceful som I am, I will only limit myself to two elements, Fire and Shadow." I smirked.

"Ara~ ara~ This is getting interesting, let me join," My mother's voice rang smoothly.

"In that case, I will add the Healing element." I grinned slyly.

"Ah, one more rule," my mother whispered, as if she suddenly remembered something dangerous.

"You will only be able to use your Celestian skills."

"Ah, sure," This house had long become a competitive battlefield.

"Ella, go play with your toys," Mom ordered.

"Ok…" Ella sighed. ~~~~~~~~~~"Let the Hoshino family battle begin!!!" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The shout echoed through the trees. Leaves trembled. Birds scattered skyward. I caught a glimpse of Ella and Stella peeking from the window, her small hands pressed against the glass, eyes sparkling with excitement.

The backyard had been far too small for what was about to happen—so we'd moved deep into the forest, where ancient trunks and open clearings could withstand astralis tearing through the air. The moment my foot touched the forest floor— I felt it. My father's astralis locked onto me like a predator scenting blood.

"Tch—already?" I muttered. The ground exploded. Flames erupted where I had been standing an instant earlier, followed by a spiraling torrent of compressed water that sliced through the air like a blade. Dad had already formed his handsigns. Polaris. Vega. Rigel. Deneb. Altair. Astralis surged violently between his palms. A weapon formed—a long, gleaming halberd made of rotating fire and water, steam screaming as the elements devoured each other.

"So predictable," I grinned. My shadow stretched unnaturally, swallowing my feet as I vanished into it just as the halberd cleaved through my afterimage, splitting a tree clean in half. The forest shook. Mom didn't move from her position. She raised one hand calmly, eyes half-lidded.

"O light that mends shattered flesh, O breath that returns warmth to blood— Answer me now, 「Sanctum Bloom」." Golden astralis unfurled from her palms, forming sigils in the air. The moment splinters grazed Dad's arm, the wounds sealed instantly.

"Don't hold back," she said gently.

"You'll regret it if you do." Dad laughed.

"That's my line." He shifted stances—hands already moving again. Bellatrix. Castor. Sirius. Arcturus. Capella. The halberd dissolved—reforming into twin astralis blades, one burning white-hot, the other flowing like liquid steel. He vanished. Not fast. Locked. My instincts screamed. I twisted— Too slow. The fire blade skimmed my shoulder, heat ripping through my coat. I hissed, sliding back across the dirt. Astralis flared inside me.

"Alright," I said, wiping blood from my lip.

"My turn." Shadows surged upward, wrapping around my body like armor.

"O darkness that devours light, O silence between heartbeats— Carve your dominion, 「Umbral Sever」!" A crescent of compressed shadow tore forward, splitting the earth and forcing Dad to cross his blades defensively. The impact sent him skidding backward, boots carving trenches into the soil. Mom's eyes sharpened. She lifted both hands.

"O astralis that binds life to will, Grant clarity, grant endurance— 「Luminous Convergence」!" Golden threads wrapped around Dad, reinforcing his core.

"Again!" Dad barked. He slammed his hands together. Aldebaran. Spica. Bellatrix (Alt). Mira. Alnitak. Astralis screamed. The forest floor liquefied as a massive astralis greatsword formed—fire along its edge, water spiraling at its core. He charged. I inhaled slowly. Fear vanished. Healing astralis pulsed through my veins, knitting burned flesh, sharpening my focus.

"O warmth that refuses to fade, O spark that defies extinction— Ignite my will, 「Stellar Rebirth」!" Flames erupted from my shadow armor, black fire laced with gold. We collided. Fire and shadow clashed. Water hissed into steam. Trees were uprooted, the shockwave flattening the clearing. Dad pushed harder. I smiled. Then I stepped into his shadow. His eyes widened.

"—What?!" I emerged behind him, palm already glowing.

"O shadow that devours even flame— End this dance, 「Eclipse Break」!" I struck. The blast sent Dad flying across the clearing, crashing into a boulder hard enough to split it in two. Silence. Then— Mom clapped once, sharply. Golden astralis flowed, healing Dad before he even stood.

"…You've grown," she said softly. Dad laughed as he dusted himself off.

"Yeah. I felt that one." I exhaled, shadows retreating as the forest slowly settled. Leaves drifted down. Ella burst from the house, cheering.

"I win," I said, grinning, astralis still humming beneath my skin. Dad crossed his arms.

"For now." Mom smiled. And as the sunlight filtered through the trees, I knew— This was no longer just training. This was proof. ~~~~~~~~~~"Dad, I know you're starving," I poked Dad's arm.

"Just have one tiny bite! Don't be so hard on yourself." I waved a piece of steak in front of his nose, temptingly. Dad grumbled about something and looked away.

"Mom and Ella are already eating," I pointed at two figures busy gulping down the miso soup I made.

"It was just a game, Dad, just have one bite, say aahh." I opened my mouth.

"Kawa, I already said—" Before he could finish, I shoved a piece of meat into his mouth.

"Hehehe," Ella giggled.

"Ara, ara," Mom smiled. And this is the daily life of my family and me. No matter how weird they are, they're still my family, and I would do my best to protect them.