Everlasting dream (18+)

Chapter 54 — Hold the door

[Aster]

The air was crisp and chilly as the siblings stepped outside the cave. The sky above was a deep, dark blue, with the faint glow of stars fading into the brightening horizon. The swaying pine trees whispered gently in the breeze, their branches rustling softly against one another. The dew-kissed grass and wildflowers glimmered like precious gems scattered across the forest floor, catching the limited light available. Aster's ears picked up the distant chirping of birds, welcoming the coming sunrise.

Aster and Silvia have been waking up before dawn every day for three weeks now to go outside and gather mushrooms. They've already used up their all winter supplies, which means they have no other option but to gather food for themselves and their mother, until she fully recovered. And since they have no idea when that will be, they plan to gather enough food to last through the next winter.

The air was thick with mist, which is the reason why they had to wake up very early in the morning. During the cold and damp hours before sunrise, the moisture in the air condensed into a dense fog that limited visibility and made it hard to see far ahead.

With dangerous creatures lurking around the forest, it was simply safer for the kids to go outside when visibility was at its lowest. All they had to do was be really quiet and not get lost, as simple as that.

Aster turned to his sister, watching her close the wooden barricade behind them as quietly as possible, careful not to wake their mother up. Silvia looked like a mess, her eyes half-closed and her hair disheveled, with strands sticking out in all directions.

She looked like she was going to fall asleep on the spot. Aster couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his adorable, sleepy sister. Clearly, she is not a morning person, not even a little bit.

— "Stand still," Aster whispered, wrapping Silvia in their handmade disguise cloak, which they'd spent the entire week making. It was made out of an old brown blanket from beneath their bed, with countless pine branches attached to the surface. It may not look like much, but it did a good job blending them in with the forest and preventing monsters from smelling them.

Silvia let out a wide yawn in response as Aster covered her silver hair with a hood and secured a cloth around her mouth and nose to hide her white, pale skin from view. She mumbled something incomprehensible as he tied the final knot behind her head and adjusted the cloak, making sure she was fully covered.

Silvia took the second cloak from Aster's shoulder and returned the favor, helping her little brother put it on. She also helped him hide his long silver hair and cover his face. "Alright, all done," she said, her voice muffled by the cloth covering her mouth and nose. "Let's go." She handed one of the spears they'd left beside the door to Aster before picking up the other for herself.

Now fully disguised, they turned away from the cave and began walking side by side, their footsteps slow and quiet as they navigated through the mist-shrouded trees. They moved cautiously, always keeping a watchful eye on where they placed their feet and listening intently for any suspicious noises that might signal danger lurking nearby.

Every tree, rock, and bush seemed to hide some monstrous creature, only waiting for the siblings to let down their guard. Their imaginations played tricks on them, making the forest seem more menacing than it really was. But, of course, that was only in their imagination... or so Aster hoped. Their mushroom-gathering trips had been nothing but uneventful so far, and Aster really hoped they would remain this way.

After about fifteen minutes of walking through the misty forest, they arrived at a small clearing filled with mushrooms. It was one of the many spots they knew of, a place where they gathered mushrooms with their mother many times before.

Silvia immediately spotted a familiar mushroom and rushed happily towards it. Her movements were a bit clumsy as she ran, thanks to her cloak being a bit big, but she managed not to trip and fall, at least. Silvia knelt on the ground, setting her spear aside before pulling a small knife from her pocket. She started cutting the mushrooms while Aster took off his leather backpack, grabbed an empty sack, and placed it beside his sister.

Taking his knife as well, Aster crouched next to his sister, beginning to gather the mushrooms by cutting them at the base and putting them in the sack. Focused entirely on their task, there was nothing but silence besides the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional bird call.

They worked tirelessly until the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the entire forest. This signaled that they had about an hour left before the mist disappeared completely, making their stay here more dangerous. With so much unknown, it is better to avoid risks and hurry their work, gathering mushrooms as quickly as possible to fill the sack. And so they did.

Fortunately, there were many delicious mushrooms in the area. It was rare to see so many, but yesterday's rain must have provided the ground with the necessary moisture for them to sprout. The siblings used this opportunity to its fullest. As they harvested more and more mushrooms, the sack became full, and they even began filling Aster's backpack.

"Alright, I think it should be enough," Silvia whispered, her voice muffled by the cloth covering her mouth and nose. She stood up, putting her little knife back into her pocket. "The mist is almost gone. We need to return," she said, dusting her hands off.

— "Okay, let's head back then," Aster agreed, picking up his leather backpack from the ground and helping his sister put it on. He then lifted a much heavier, full sack of mushrooms over his shoulder, grunting softly as he adjusted to the weight.

They walked side by side, making their way back to the cave. The sun's light became brighter with each step, and the mist dissipated faster, revealing a beautiful, peaceful forest around them. The grass swayed in the breeze, and the sun's warm rays shone down over everything.

Despite the day's beauty, Aster couldn't help but feel sad as he walked alongside his sister. He wished with all his heart that those monsters didn't exist so he could enjoy a simple, carefree day with his mother and sister. Playing in the sun and laughing together without the constant threat of monsters lurking around every corner.

He wants to see Silvia laughing as she tries to catch a butterfly and his mother's smile as she chases her kids around. Simply roll in the grass just because they feel like it. He wants to hear their girlish laughter echo through the forest and notice once again how incredibly similar they sound. 

Not constant training with spears or watching Silvia torture herself each evening trying to improve her magic. All three of them, alone, with no one else around. Without threats. Without fear. This was Aster's everyday wish, a thought that constantly chased his mind. It seemed so simple yet so distant and impossible to fulfill.

Hope kept him going these days, the only shield against despair. Aster hoped they had already become strong enough to protect themselves from any threats that came their way. He hoped their efforts would be enough to survive the harsh winter ahead. He hoped his mother's full recovery was just around the corner. And he hoped that everything would eventually get better, just as they had been only a year ago.

There was quite a lot of hope and zero certainty, and it was not a nice combination. Aster didn't like it in the slightest. When it came to Silvia and Nivalis, he would rather watch the entire world burn than gamble with their lives. He saw what the afterlife was like. Those two don't belong there.

With a sigh, he adjusted the heavy sack on his shoulder and continued walking towards their home — one step at a time.

...

"We are home!" his sister's cute, muffled voice said, hopping through the entrance of their cave with a happy bounce in her step. Shutting the door behind them, Aster leaned his spear against the rough rocky wall before placing the heavy sack on the floor.

"Welcome home, my loves," their mother's tired, pained voice called out from bed. Her words were a mix of relief and exhaustion. "How did it go?"

"Hihi, look at all of these!" Silvia exclaimed, racing to the bed without bothering to remove her cloak. She kneeled beside their mother, pulling down the cloth covering her mouth to reveal a happy, excited smile. "We found lots and lots of them! Look," she said, her backpack thudding onto the floor beside her mother, her tiny hands struggling to pull it open. "See, see? There are so many, Mom."

"That's wonderful, honey. Great job, both of you," Nivalis whispered, giving a weak yet warm smile. Her gaze shifted from Silvia's face to Aster's as he approached his sister from behind. The girl tilted her head back, her golden eyes meeting her brother's.

Aster's slender fingers slowly tugged at the strings holding her cloak together, carefully unwrapping his sister like a precious gift. He pulled the cloth away, revealing her petite form, her tunic clinging to her skin, glistening from sweat.

"Ahh, finally!" Silvia stretched her arms up, releasing a long, relieved sigh. "I was getting so hot and sticky under there," she mumbled, fanning her face with her hands. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her silvery hair was tangled and messy, falling down her shoulders and chest in waves.

— "You have ice magic, silly," Aster chuckled, now removing his cloak and revealing his equally sweaty state. "Just cool yourself down," he said, folding the fabric and placing it on the ground.

Silvia squinted her eyes at her brother, pouting her rosy lips. "Oh, shut up. Smarty pants," she muttered, sticking her little tongue out. However, she still placed her palms on her flushed cheeks. A layer of frost coated her fingers, and a wave of relief spread across her face, making her lips curl into a smile.

— "You really forgot you have ice magic, huh?" Aster couldn't help but chuckle as he walked past his sister and ruffled her hair, earning himself a loud "Hm!" of protest from her. He leaned down to press a tender kiss against his mother's cheek, whispering a gentle "Hi, Mom."

Nivalis smiled at her little son and kissed him back, gently pressing her soft, warm lips against his. The boy's eyes closed momentarily, enjoying this short, brief sensation, the taste of his mother's love. When he opened them again, his golden eyes met his mother's sapphire-blue irises, shining brightly despite her tiredness.

Before she could say anything, her stomach suddenly growled loudly. Both her children giggled at the sound, exchanging knowing glances. Her cheeks blushed a bright pink as she averted her gaze, mumbling a quiet "Sorry" under her breath.

"I'll prepare you a nice and tasty breakfast, Mom. Don't worry," Silvia said excitedly as she picked up her backpack from the floor. "It will be A-mazing!" she announced, taking her little brother's hand. "Let's go. I'll give orders, and you'll do everything else," she declared happily, dragging her brother out of their mother's sight.

Aster shook his head, a soft smile spreading across his face as he let himself be pulled along. "Yes, yes. My mistress commands. Whatever she wants, she gets," he teased, following his sister to the fire.

Nivalis couldn't help but chuckle quietly and whispered, "She truly a copy of me when I was her age," before closing her eyes.

"You're not allowed to fall asleep before our masterpiece is ready!" Silvia yelled from the kitchen, earning another quiet chuckle from Nivalis.

...

It was a sunny afternoon, with a vibrant blue sky above and a gentle breeze rustling the leaves of the trees and swaying the grass beneath their feet. After a satisfying breakfast, Aster and Silvia worked outside, hanging mushrooms on strings tied between two trees to dry in the warm sunlight.

— "I think the batch from last week is good enough," Aster said, glancing at the strings full of brownish-reddish mushrooms gently swaying in the breeze. "Let's take them off once we finish this one."

"Alright," Silvia replied, nodding as she continued her work with a sharp stick and string, carefully piercing each mushroom with the pointy tip. Her long silver hair was now neatly braided, falling over her delicate shoulder. Her beautiful golden eyes were fixed intently on the mushroom in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed in concentration.

"If we keep this pace up all summer, do you think we'll have enough to last until next year's spring?" Silvia asked, her voice filled with curiosity and concern.

Aster carefully considered his sister's question, looking up at the sky and humming softly. "I don't know," he admitted, returning his gaze to the half-full string. "Maybe," he added, stabbing another mushroom. "Right now, it's the season when it rains the most, so there are plenty of mushrooms growing around. But as the sun gets hotter, there will be fewer of them, and we'll either have to spend more time in the forest looking for them or find another food source."

"I don't like that," Silvia mumbled, her tiny fingers working on another mushroom. "What else can we do? Fishing?" she asked, glancing at her little brother.

— "Ugh... Yeah, maybe. Not with a bow, though. I don't think we have the strength to pull the bowstring," Aster answered, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll see when the time comes. For now, let's focus on mushrooms."

Silvia nodded silently. Aster looked at his sister, sighing quietly as he saw her sad, gloomy expression.

— "Don't worry. I have a plan," Aster whispered, smiling gently. "Once we can't find enough mushrooms, I was thinking of finding a beehive and trying to get honey from it," Aster said, scratching his chin. "Although, I'm definitely not looking forward to getting stung," he shuddered at the very thought, making Silvia giggle softly as she worked alongside him.

"Mmm, honey..." Silvia murmured, a nostalgic smile spreading across her face. "It's been ages since I last tasted it," she said, her eyes still fixed on the mushrooms before her. "Back in the village, whenever I got sick, Mom fed me honey to make me feel better. To be honest, I didn't like it at first," she admitted, shaking her head. "I refused to eat it, no matter how hard she tried. Until she came up with a solution."

Aster nodded, listening intently as he worked alongside his sister. "What solution?" he asked curiously.

"Well..." she hesitated, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I only ate it when Mom fed it to me from her fingers. I don't know why, but it tasted so much better when Mom fed me this way... Like, a lot, lot better. I think she has magical fingers or something," she joked, giggling at her own words. "Before going to bed, I would sit on her lap and suck her fingers clean while listening to a story. It was nice," Silvia said, blushing slightly, looking at her little brother from the corner of her eye.

— "Pfft... Haha!" Aster couldn't help but laugh, realizing something.

"Hey! I was just a baby back then, Asty. It was okay. No, no, don't laugh, it's not funny," Silvia pouted, her cheeks blushing even more pink as she glared at him. "Mom's fingers were just so... and... and... Hey! Stop laughing! You have no idea how good it was," she squealed, hitting his arm with a playful punch.

— "Sorry, sorry. No, I think it's cute, really. It's just..." Aster apologized, struggling to maintain a straight face. "Now I know why you always suck your thumb in your sleep," he chuckled, trying not to burst out laughing again.

"I do not suck on my thumb," she denied, her voice rising in protest as she puffed out her rosy cheeks. "I do not, mister."

No brother would pass such a golden opportunity to tease his sister. "Yes, you do. Every night, and you make those adorable slurping sounds. You even drool a bit, too," Aster said, smirking as he looked at his sister's blushing, angry face.

"No, I don't. You are making it up," Silvia muttered, glaring at her brother. Her rosy cheeks grew even more flushed with each passing moment, making her look like a tomato. Priceless.

— "Oh, you absolutely do-" Aster started teasing his sister again, but Silvia suddenly lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and tackling him to the ground. They landed softly on the grass, with Silvia straddling her little brother's torso. Her hips pinned him to the ground as she put both her palms on his shoulders and leaned forward, her nose almost touching his.

"I. Don't. Suck. On. My. Thumb," Silvia whispered, her breath tickling his face. "Understood, little brother?"

— "Why? I think it's cute," Aster chuckled and smiled up at his sister, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "So what if my baby sister likes to suck things? There is nothing wrong with it!" he said, bringing his index finger close to her puffy lips. "Here, you can suck mine as well if you want-" he began, but a high-pitched squeal replaced his words as his sister started tickling him.

"Meanie, meanie, meanie!" Silvia laughed as her slender fingers attacked her little brother's vulnerable armpits.

— "Aah! I-I'm sor... Aah! S-stop it," he gasped between giggles. His little body twisted and squirmed beneath his sister, helpless and completely at her mercy. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, and his hands tried desperately to grab her wrists, but she easily avoided them, continuing her relentless assault. "We are being... Too-Ah!-Loud. We should- Oh, no. Please, stop it, please, Silvia, not my sides," Aster begged, tears forming in his eyes. His sides were super ticklish.

A few minutes later, Silvia finally stopped, allowing Aster to breathe. His gasping for air was music to her ears. A wide, smug grin spread across her face as she watched her little brother's flushed cheeks and his messy, tangled hair sprawled out on the grass.

"Oh, we are so going to practice spears after this," she declared, dusting off her clothes. "And no complaints when it's your turn to receive a week of butt massages, little brother. It will hurt, and I won't be gentle," she smiled at him, grabbing her stick and stabbing the next mushroom with too much force.

...

It hurt badly, and she wasn't gentle. Aster took note for the future: Tease your sister after training, not before. Never before.

The siblings spend the rest of the day in their cave, doing chores and training with spears. As night began to fall, the last rays of sunlight peeked through the cracks in the barricaded door, casting a warm, golden glow over the walls and floor.

It was a long, tiring day, and their bodies ached everywhere, their hearts racing from the exertion. Aster had bruises on his forearms, and Silvia had a scratch on her left calf. Despite the pain, they couldn't help but smile. It truly felt like they were improving, albeit slowly.

They had trained for hours, practicing their attacks and defense until their muscles screamed in protest. And a little bit more after that. Lying on the smooth, cold stone floor, the siblings caught their breath, staring at the ceiling above them.

— "We need to wash ourselves," Aster whispered, rolling his head to the side and glancing at his sister.

"Noooo," Silvia moaned, closing her eyes and turning her face away. "I'm too tired," she protested, stretching her sore arms up and letting out a cute yawn.

— "Come on, lazy butt," Aster chuckled, sitting up and poking his sister's cheek playfully.

"Nuh-uh. I'm staying here, and I am not moving a single muscle," Silvia pouted, frowning cutely as Aster continued to poke her cheek. "You can try to clean me up, but I'm not going anywhere," she mumbled, crossing her arms in defiance. "I will stink and do it proudly! Lying here, on the ground! Doing nothing!"

Aster scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Alright, I'll heat up some water and bring it here. Stay here and..." he glanced at her dirty, sweaty tunic, "...do not move, I guess."

Silvia was beaming with triumph as she closed her eyes and stretched her legs out, wiggling her little toes happily. Aster chuckled softly before standing up and walking towards the fireplace. Their mother was sound asleep, and the only sound inside the cave was the fire crackling.

Speaking of, the fire was quite low. They got a bit carried with their training. Aster added a few pieces of wood to the flames, making it burn brighter. The entire cave lit up, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls and floor. With the fire looking good, Aster picked up the dirty pot beside the fireplace and carried it along with a bowl of water outside to clean it.

Opening the door, Aster stepped into the chilly evening air and closed the door behind him. The stars twinkled high above, shining faintly against the evening sky. Pink and purple hues colored the clouds as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon, giving way to the darkness.

Doing dishes without direct access to water was not fun. Aster sighed, walking a little further away from the cave entrance to reach the sandy soil. He placed the pot on the ground and used a handful of sand to scrub away the stubborn bits of food and grease that had clung to its surface.

A soft burst of wind rustled the grass around him as he was almost done rinsing the pot with water from the bowl. The wind carried with it a strange, foul smell that seemed to come from somewhere behind him. Aster quickly recognized the scent.

He quickly jumped forward, away from where he had been sitting, without even turning around. He heard something hit the ground where he had been just a moment before, and then he heard a noisy, angry roar.

Aster spun around, still holding a metal pot in his trembling hands. Countless high-pitched, piercing laughs echoed in the air and seemed to be coming from all directions simultaneously. In front of him stood a creature—a disgusting, foul-smelling monster wearing a matted fur coat, holding a long spear in his right hand. Its grey skin was covered with some gross liquid, and it had sharp teeth and blood-red eyes that stared right into his soul.

A goblin. It was similar to the one Aster fought before, but taller—much taller—at least two heads above Aster. It wasn't as skinny and hunched as the previous one, either. This one looked stronger, with broad shoulders and visible muscles on his arms. Behind him stood four other creatures, smaller than him but bigger than the one Aster killed. And who knows how many more were hidden in the shadows.

— "They found us!" Aster screamed at the top of his lungs, his heart pounding wildly from the adrenaline rush. The creature snarled and charged at him with its spear raised high, mouth open wide, and saliva dripping down its chin. Without thinking, Aster lifted his arms in front of him, protecting himself with the metal pot.

A loud, metallic clang rang in his ears as the spear connected with the pot. The impact made him stumble backward, and he barely managed to stay on his feet. But he wasn't given time to recover as the goblin swung its spear sideways, aiming at his torso.

Aster raised his arms again, blocking the attack with the pot once more. The force of the blow sent a numbing pain through his arms, but he held strong.

"Asty! Asty!" Silvia's scream sounded from behind him, followed by the noise of a wooden door being opened wide. Loud laughs echoed through the air again, and four other goblins rushed to the cave entrance. Aster quickly threw the pot at the goblin before him and turned around, running towards the cave as fast as he could, desperately trying to reach it before they did.

— "Close the door! Close the door!" Aster yelled, his feet pounding against the ground. Silvia stood motionless, her golden eyes wide from shock and her face pale with fear.

A second later, Aster crashed into his sister, grabbing her tiny body and pushing her inside. The wooden barricade slammed shut behind them, followed by the sound of something hitting wood hard. Aster grabbed a spear nearby and pushed it between the rope handle and the rock, locking it.

The noise rang through the cave repeatedly, getting louder and louder with each impact. Their mother, woken by the sudden noise, screamed something at them, but Aster couldn't make out what she was saying. His eyes remained fixed on the wooden door, watching it tremble and shake violently, the spear creaking and bending under the force.

The end had never felt so near.

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