Astia felt as if she had been reduced to dust. She continued to smile, a false smile, while feeling crushed. (This was the first blow. How else is he going to grind me into the dirt?) She sighed and said nothing more, sitting quietly in a corner.

The little girl said enthusiastically, "Let's play, please!" But Arcsiel, without taking his eyes off the book, replied coldly, "You're annoying."

But the girl didn't give up. Her gaze fixed on her new older brother, and this time she said in a gentler tone, "I want to play with my brother, please!"

Without waiting, she wrapped her small hands around Arcsiel's wrist. This action caused Arcsiel to suddenly jump and stare at her with a serious look.

"Don't do that again."

The girl, with wide eyes and a trembling voice, whispered, "Oh... I'm sorry."

She quickly pulled her hand back. Now she knew that Arcsiel didn't like physical contact, but this incident helped her learn something new about him.

Arcsiel closed his book and sighed. The little girl, excited by this opportunity, quickly went to him and asked with an energetic smile, "Is it over? Can we talk now?"

Arcsiel looked at her for a moment and said, "It isn't necessary to always have something to say."

The little girl replied mischievously, "Well, but I like to talk! Maybe you'd like to too, you just don't know how to start."

Arcsiel gave a small smile that was barely perceptible. "I'm sure I don't need to learn how to start."

The girl didn't give up. Her gaze fixed on her new brother, and this time she said in a gentler tone, "I want to get to know my brother better!"

Without waiting, she wrapped her small hands around Arcsiel's wrist. This action caused Arcsiel to suddenly jump and stare at her with a serious look.

"Don't do that again."

The girl, with wide eyes and a trembling voice, whispered, "Oh... I'm sorry."

She quickly pulled her hand back. Now she knew that Arcsiel didn't like physical contact, but this incident helped her learn something new about him.

The clock ticked, each second like a heavy bell for the girl. She had been staring at the clock hands for almost fifteen minutes and couldn't take it anymore. At that moment, Arcsiel suddenly stood up, as if he couldn't stand the atmosphere around him. The girl quickly followed him and grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Don't go... I won't say anything else."

Arcsiel said with a cold look, "Let go of me, you're too bothersome for me."

The girl paused and then softly murmured, "Okay... I'm sorry."

She released his arm, and Arcsiel left the room without another word. Astia knelt on the floor alone, put her hands on her hair and pulled. (I messed up. I can't communicate with him. I don't know how. I've never done it in my life.)

The little girl was silently crying and hitting herself. For her, it was a real failure in communicating with her family members. The Star Hall was always a special place for the Karnelius family members, but the little girl had been able to access it because Arien and Ilirian agreed. But Arcsiel, as always, was clearly unhappy with her presence.

[Arcsiel Karnelius' Perspective]

Finally. The room was empty, and a deep silence filled the space. It was the perfect time to go to the Star Hall. There was no longer any sign of that bothersome little girl to disturb my peace.

With an angry gesture, I threw the book I had just started reading onto the black sofa. I couldn't concentrate. The lines of the book had become only an extra weight on my mind. The only thing I wanted was the soothing sound of the piano.

I went to the piano next to the bookcase and sat on its white chair. My fingers automatically started moving without even looking at the notes. Each key I pressed was a reflection of the thoughts swirling inside me like a storm. It was as if with each note, I was trying to release some of my inner anger and confusion.

That girl... she had become a fixed thought in my mind. The only words I could find to describe her were "bothersome" and "annoying." But why? She hadn't done anything specific, but her smiles, her calm and kind tone... it was as if they were fraying the fabric of my peace. I felt her presence like a shadow, something I couldn't escape.

Each time she smiled, it felt like something inside me was being squeezed. Not from anger, but from an unknown feeling, something I couldn't even name. It was as if these smiles, this unpretentious and simple behavior, were awakening my old wounds.

****

A heavy rain was falling, something rarely seen in Heaven. After a long and boring class, Astia went to the Star Hall; the only place she knew where she could distance herself from others and spend some time in silence.

When she entered the hall, the melody of the piano from the hallway caught her attention. She carefully went further and saw Arcsiel sitting behind the piano, engrossed in playing. His fingers moved intensely on the keys, so much so that it seemed as if the keys might break at any moment.

Astia took a few more steps forward and softly said, "Arcs..."

At the sound of her voice, Arcsiel stopped playing abruptly. A heavy silence filled the room. Arcsiel's hands remained motionless on the keys, and a dark energy enveloped him, as if nothing could break that deep silence.