"Hey, wake up! How long are you going to keep sleeping like this? Come on, wake up now, or you'll be late again!"
*This voice... Lunar?*
Nova slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, but there was something he immediately felt—a weight on his chest that made it somewhat difficult to breathe.
After his eyes began to focus, the sight he saw was his 11-year-old little sister sitting casually on top of his stomach, both hands on her hips in a victorious pose.
"Finally awake, Brother!" said Lunar while grinning widely, looking very satisfied with her method of waking him up.
"Hey, I know Mom must have told you to wake me up, but..." Nova complained while rubbing his eyes that still felt heavy, his voice hoarse from just waking up. "But can you please not sit on top of my body like this? What do you think I am? A mattress?"
"Obviously a human, right? What, do you think you're not human?!" Lunar answered lightly while laughing a little.
*This kid...*
Hearing his sister's answer that showed no remorse whatsoever, Nova immediately sat up with a sudden and slightly rough movement, causing Lunar to lose her balance—
THUD!
"Ouch... that hurts!" Lunar fell to the floor beside the bed. Her face immediately changed from happy to sulking. "Brother! You're so mean!"
"That's payback for sitting on top of me like I'm some kind of riding horse," Nova replied without any remorse.
Before Lunar could protest further, Nova had already gotten up from his bed and gently—but firmly—pushed his little sister's small body out of the room. Lunar was still protesting loudly, but Nova didn't care.
"You've finished your task, right? I want to shower and get ready. Don't disturb me again," said Nova while closing his bedroom door slightly harder than necessary.
SLAM!
"Tch, you're the most annoying brother in the world!" Lunar shouted from behind the door while sticking out her tongue, even though she knew her brother couldn't see her. She stood in front of the door for a few seconds, still annoyed, before finally giving up and walking downstairs with heavy steps toward the kitchen, where her mother was busy preparing breakfast.
The aroma of fried chicken and sambal could already be smelled from the stairs, making her stomach growl softly.
"Hmm, what's this?" asked Hanah, their mother, while smiling seeing her daughter's expression as she entered with a sulking face. "Why does your face look so upset? You're usually cheerful in the morning."
"It's all Brother's fault, Mom!" Lunar complained while immediately hugging her mother's waist from the side, seeking comfort. "I already woke him up nicely, but he was mean to me instead!"
"Nicely?" Hanah raised one eyebrow, her tone showing doubt. "What actually happened?"
"I don't know! I don't want to tell! Just ask Brother yourself if you want to know!" Lunar buried her face against her mother's side.
"Lunar dear," Hanah stroked her daughter's head gently, "Mom's asking one more time—how exactly did you wake your brother up?"
Lunar lifted her face, her expression turning innocent. "I woke him up by... sitting on top of his body, then pulled his cheeks a little while yelling. Like usual, right, Mom?"
Hearing her daughter's honest confession, Hanah couldn't hold back the small laugh that escaped from her lips. "Haha~"
"Why are you laughing, Mom?" Lunar looked at her mother confused.
"Lunar dear," said Hanah while gently pinching both of her daughter's white cheeks, making Lunar wince slightly. "It seems you really did deserve that payback. Mom doesn't know exactly what your brother did to you earlier—though Mom can guess—but Mom knows your brother wouldn't really use violence against his own little sister."
"But Mom," Lunar protested with a dramatic tone, "he dropped me from his bed! I fell to the floor. Isn't that violence against his sweet and innocent little sister?"
"His bed isn't that high, is it?" Hanah asked with a small smile. "Only about... what, 40 centimeters from the floor? And the bedroom floor has thick carpet. So that's pretty much fine, right? You can still walk here perfectly."
"But it still hurt, Mom!"
"That's called consequences, dear," Hanah patted her daughter's head. "If you disturb people while they're sleeping in an annoying way, don't be surprised if you get payback."
Lunar puffed out her cheeks, still unsatisfied with her mother's answer.
"Alright, forget about that issue for now," Hanah diverted attention while glancing at the wall clock showing 7:15 AM. "It's time now, you also need to hurry and get ready. You said you'll go to school together with Ena and Noah, right? They must be getting ready now."
"Huh?" Lunar's eyes widened. "Mom's right! I almost forgot! This is all because of Brother making me upset!"
"And now you're blaming your brother again for your own mistake," Hanah shook her head with an amused smile. "Go quickly, dear. Don't be late."
Lunar immediately ran upstairs in a panic. She entered her room, showered hurriedly, put on her school uniform that her mother had prepared on the bed—then quickly combed her hair in front of the mirror. After feeling neat enough, she grabbed her bag and ran back downstairs.
"Mom, I'm leaving!" she shouted while running to the front door.
"Be careful on the road! Don't forget—"
But Lunar was already out before her mother finished speaking. Outside, her brother Noah and her friend Ena were already waiting patiently in front of the gate.
"That child," Hanah muttered while shaking her head, watching her daughter leave in a hurry. She returned to the kitchen, turned off the stove, and looked toward the stairs. "And... what else is that child doing up there? Why is he taking so long?"
◇◇◇
In Nova's room, second floor.
Nova had just finished showering. His black hair was still wet, dripping a little water onto his shoulders. He stood in front of his wardrobe, staring at the school uniform already hanging neatly—white shirt, black long pants. With mechanical movements, he began putting on the uniform piece by piece.
But his mind wasn't focused on the clothes.
*Speaking of which,* Nova stared at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror, *was what happened last night actually real?*
*Somehow it still feels like a dream,* he continued in his mind. *But what he said, I still remember very clearly. Even too clearly. If it really was just an ordinary dream, I shouldn't be able to remember the conversation in this much detail because the human brain usually forgets most dream details after waking up...*
*Justice, huh?*
"Nova!" His mother's voice from downstairs interrupted his reverie. "What are you still doing up there?! Your food will get cold if you don't come down quickly!"
That voice dispersed all his thoughts. Nova shook his head, deciding to think about it later. He left his room, but before going down, he grabbed his favorite black hoodie hanging behind the door and put it on over his school uniform.
Nova's family home was quite large and comfortable. They lived in a middle-class residential area built neatly. His house had two floors with a total of four bedrooms and five bathrooms—each bedroom had a private bathroom, and one additional bathroom was located near the kitchen on the ground floor for guests. On the second floor there were three bedrooms—Nova's room, Lunar's room, and Noah's room. His parents' bedroom itself was on the ground floor, near the family room.
Nova lived in Selangor, Klang area.
Nova walked down the stairs with slow steps, his hand holding the strap of the backpack he had brought from his room. When he reached the ground floor, he immediately headed to the dining room and sat in his usual chair—the chair at the very end, near the window.
On the table, there was already a plate containing warm white rice, sambal fried chicken still releasing steam, and stir-fried vegetables.
*Looks like Mom cooked sambal fried chicken today,* he thought while starting to pick up his spoon. *This is one of my favorite dishes!*
His father, as usual, was sitting on the living room sofa connected to the dining room, his eyes fixed on the TV screen showing morning news.
"Speaking of which, Nova," his mother suddenly appeared from the kitchen carrying something in her hand—a small bottle containing white pills, "are your grades at school doing okay?"
Nova, who was chewing his fried chicken, stopped for a moment, glancing at his mother with a flat expression. After swallowing his food, he answered casually, "That question is more appropriate to ask Lunar."
"Haha," Hanah laughed a little while sitting in the chair in front of Nova, placing the medicine bottle on the table. "Mom just wants to know, what's wrong with that? Who knows, maybe you're not completing school assignments or having problems with certain subjects?"
"Yeah yeah," Nova let out a long sigh, taking more rice with his spoon. "Don't worry. My grades are still doing fine."
He continued eating casually, but his eyes occasionally glanced at the medicine bottle his mother had placed on the table. That small bottle was very familiar to him—he had been seeing it every morning for years.
After a few bites, Nova finally asked with a slightly tired tone, "Speaking of which, Mom... until when exactly will I keep taking that medicine? I've been taking it since I was 7 years old, right? That's been a very long time."
Hanah looked at her son with a gentle smile but there was something in her eyes that Nova couldn't read. "Hmm, hasn't Mom already told you many times, dear? That medicine is to keep your body healthy and your immune system strong."
"Alright," Nova put down his spoon, looking at his mother with a slightly skeptical gaze. "That's the answer you always give every time I ask this. But Mom, if that medicine is really for making the body healthy and strengthening the immune system, why aren't Lunar and Noah taking it too? Why only me?"
That question made Hanah pause for a moment. "Your two siblings are different from you, Nova. They're always playing outside, running around, sweating, exercising without being told. Unlike you who always spend time in your room, reading books or playing on the computer. Do you know that's not healthy if you keep being like that? Your body needs extra nutrition because you lack physical activity. That's why you have to take it, understand?"
Nova stared at his mother for a few seconds, trying to find signs of lies in her face. But there were none. His mother's face remained calm and convincing as usual.
"Yeah yeah, I understand," Nova finally gave up with a resigned tone. He muttered softly, almost like talking to himself, "Even though I don't think that's a reasonable answer at all."
"What did you say?" Hanah asked with a slightly suspicious tone.
"Nothing, I didn't say anything," Nova quickly diverted, returning focus to his food.
"Come on, finish your food quickly and take your medicine," Hanah reminded while pushing the medicine bottle slightly closer toward Nova. "Just one pill as usual."
Nova nodded. He continued eating quickly, finishing the rice, fried chicken, and vegetables on his plate in a few minutes. After finishing, he opened the medicine bottle, took out one small white pill, and put it in his mouth. He took the glass of water his mother had prepared and gulped it down.
As soon as the pill went down his throat, his facial expression immediately grimaced slightly.
"It really tastes as bad as usual," Nova complained while putting down the glass somewhat hard. "Every day it still tastes bitter. Why isn't there a fruit-flavored version or something?"
Hanah just smiled gently seeing her son's annoyed grimacing expression. "Medicine is still medicine, dear. Not candy."
"Yeah yeah," Nova stood up from his chair, taking his bag that was lying on the chair next to him. "Alright, Mom, I'm leaving for school now."
"Be careful on the road, dear," said Hanah while waving her hand. "Don't forget to come straight home after school ends. Don't play around first."
"Yes, Mom," Nova answered while walking toward the front door.
He opened the door and left the house. Every house in their residential area was surrounded by a stone wall about two meters high with one large gate door big enough for a car to pass through.
Nova walked toward the gate, opening it with some effort because the hinges were a bit heavy. When he opened the gate and started walking to the right—the direction toward his school—suddenly a woman's voice called his name from the direction of the neighboring house.
"Hey! Nova? Where are you going?"
Nova turned around. From inside the gate of the neighboring house, it was Anna, Ena's mother—his two siblings' good friend. The woman was already dressed neatly, a work bag on her right shoulder, apparently getting ready to leave for work.
Nova looked at her with a flat expression. "Can't Auntie see what clothes I'm wearing right now?"
Anna squinted with an amused smile, looking Nova up and down. "Hmm... black hoodie over white school uniform, backpack on your back, and school shoes on your feet. Yep, very clear."
"Then why are you still asking where I'm going?" Nova asked back with a slightly cynical tone.
"Haha," Anna laughed a little while shaking her head. "Alright, you really are a kid who doesn't like small talk at all, huh, Nova? Even for simple morning greetings."
"Whatever Auntie wants to say," Nova answered with a flat tone. "So, what does Auntie actually want? I could be late if I keep chatting here."
"Nothing important actually," said Anna while stepping out from her gate, closing it gently. "I was just about to leave for work too, just wanted to talk to you for a bit. We rarely chat."
Nova waited patiently, though his face showed he wanted to leave immediately.
"Speaking of which," Anna continued with a slightly more serious tone, "have you still not awakened your power?"
That question made Nova slightly startled, but he quickly hid his expression. "Why are you suddenly asking that, Auntie?"
"Well, just curious," Anna answered while walking slowly parallel to Nova. "I mean, your little brother—Noah—already awakened his power since last year, right? And he's one year younger than you. I think you should also be able to awaken your power already, right? Or... is there a problem?"
Nova let out a long sigh, his facial expression turning slightly annoyed. "Haah, I don't know and I don't care at all about anything regarding that power, Auntie. I'm still too young to think about complicated things like that."
"But—"
"But if Auntie is really curious and wants to know when I'll awaken my power," Nova cut in with a sarcastic tone, "maybe the answer is... when I'm nearly dead."
Anna fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Ha ha ha, Nova, that's really not funny, you know."
"I didn't mean it as a joke," Nova replied flatly.
"Alright alright," Anna raised both hands in a surrender gesture. "Forget that question. You're right, you're still too young to be forced to think about things like that. Sorry if I interfered too much."
She glanced at the watch on her wrist, then said, "You should leave for school quickly now, Nova. I think you're starting to be late. Your school starts at 7:45, it's already 7:35 now."
"Whose fault does Auntie think this is?" he said with a slightly annoyed tone.
"Mine maybe?" Anna said while smiling innocently, as if not feeling guilty at all.
Nova could only let out a long sigh, shaking his head wearily. Without saying anything more, he started walking faster toward his school, leaving Anna who was still smiling behind him.
"Be careful on the road, Nova!" Anna shouted from behind.
Nova only raised his right hand as a sign he heard, without turning around.
*Adults always like to ask unimportant things,* he thought while continuing to walk.
His school indeed wasn't too far from home—only about a 7-minute walk at normal speed. But because he was already somewhat late now, he had to walk a bit faster than usual.
*Justice...*
That word echoed in his head.
*Why does it have to be me?*