The kitchen fell into a suffocating silence.
The moment of rebellion faded as quickly as it had appeared, like a flame extinguished by an invisible breath.
Aron shrank under the gaze of the three.
He couldn't do anything to help—and maybe he had only made everything worse by telling them.
'I don't know how this world works… or how dangerous it can be.'
'I thought I could trust them to help her… but it looks like I can only rely on myself for that.'
Aron hated himself for being in this situation.
And even more for dragging his parents into it.
Before he realized it, he felt a tear slowly run down his face.
Warm.
Heavy.
Aron didn't cry when he died.
Not even when, at times, he missed and longed for his other family—the one he left behind.
Not even when he thought he might never see them again.
And yet…
That tear came.
Not from sadness.
Not from anger.
But from guilt.
And from a suffocating sense of helplessness that gripped his chest like never before.
Matilda sighed.
"I'm sorry for saying that… but I'm thinking about your safety and everyone else's."
"The whole world is searching for it, everywhere."
"If any kingdom finds the world's physical body and the news leaks… you can be sure that kingdom would be destroyed in less than a week."
"We left the city to avoid getting involved in this… and when we got home, we realized we're practically in the middle of that chaos."
"The most viable option, right now… is elimination."
Aron trembled when she said the last sentence.
The words weren't spoken with cruelty.
But with coldness.
And that made everything worse.
Sabrina stood up immediately, picked Aron up, and hugged him tightly, as if trying to shield him from the world itself.
"Don't cry, sweetheart…"
"That was just one option… and since you don't agree, we won't talk about it anymore."
Her voice was gentle.
But there was tension hidden within it.
"But this is a very important matter… and we need more information to think of viable solutions."
"Come on… I'll take you to your room."
"Tomorrow we'll talk more calmly."
Aron didn't respond.
He remained silent as his mother carried him.
His eyes were still open.
But distant.
In the kitchen, the silence lingered after they left.
Matilda and Arthur said nothing.
They didn't need to.
A little while later, Sabrina returned.
There was something different in her expression.
Fatigue.
Worry.
And a weight she was clearly trying to hide.
Arthur stood and walked over to her.
"Did he fall asleep?"
Sabrina hugged him and nodded, resting her face against his chest.
"I never thought I'd use a sleeping powder on my son…"
Her voice faltered slightly at the end.
Arthur held her tighter.
"It was necessary, dear."
"Tomorrow he'll wake up calmer… and then we can talk things through."
"He wasn't the only one shaken by this."
He let out a low sigh.
"We thought we were going to surprise him…"
"But he's the one who gave us quite a surprise."
Matilda stood up from her chair.
"I'm sorry for saying that."
"I spoke without thinking."
Sabrina slowly pulled away from Arthur's arms and shook her head.
"You didn't say anything wrong."
"That… is probably still the best option for us to get through this storm without getting soaked."
She looked at the table for a moment, lost in thought.
"But we need to understand why this happened…"
"And how it's going to affect our lives from now on."
"We have to wait until tomorrow for Aron to tell us more."
"We have very little information… and that makes any decision dangerous."
Arthur nodded slightly.
"First of all… we need to know Aron's position."
"There's no point in us deciding something he won't accept… and losing his trust in the process."
He looked away, serious.
"It's a good thing only we know about this…"
"If anyone else did… we might not still be alive by tomorrow."
Sabrina looked at the food on the table.
Almost untouched.
"This dinner was a disaster…"
"It was supposed to be a celebration of our return…"
She slowly walked over, gathered the dishes, and took them to the sink.
The sound of the plates felt too loud in the silence of the house.
"Matilda," Sabrina called, without turning around.
"Hm?"
"Could you stay with Aron… in case he wakes up in the middle of the night?"
Matilda stayed silent for a moment.
Her eyes softened slightly.
"Alright."
"Then let's get some sleep."
"Tomorrow… is going to be a long day," Sabrina said after throwing away what hadn't been eaten and storing the rest.
The three of them headed to the living room.
Sabrina and Arthur went to their room after saying goodbye.
Matilda remained still for a moment.
Thoughtful.
Then she turned and walked toward Aron's room.
She opened the door slowly.
The room was quiet.
Aron was sleeping deeply.
The blanket covered his body up to his chest, rising and falling gently with his breathing.
Matilda approached.
Sat on the edge of the bed.
And carefully ran her hand through his hair.
Her gaze, once cold…
Now carried something more.
Guilt.
And determination.
'I'm sorry… my little angel…'
'But your safety… is my priority.'
She closed her eyes for a moment.
'If there isn't a better alternative…'
'even if you hate me…'
'I'll kill anything… that puts you in danger.'
The words echoed only in her mind.
Heavy.
Irreversible.
Matilda then lay down beside Aron.
In silence.
Watching his peaceful face—in painful contrast to the chaos approaching.
---
Aron woke up still confused, with no memory of falling asleep the night before.
For a few seconds, he remained still, staring at the ceiling as he tried to organize his thoughts.
The feeling was strange… as if something had been interrupted halfway through.
'Yesterday…'
The memories came back slowly—the conversation, the tension, the weight in his chest.
His gaze lost focus for a moment.
"Good morning."
The voice pulled him back.
Aron was slightly surprised, but didn't show it.
He slowly turned his head to the side.
Matilda was lying beside him, resting her head on her arm, watching him in silence.
For a brief moment, Aron hesitated.
"Good morning," he replied, not very firmly.
Matilda sighed.
"Are you mad at me?"
Aron turned his gaze back to the ceiling.
He took a little longer than he should have to answer.
"No… I understand why you said that."
The words came out calm, but not entirely light.
Matilda nodded.
"Then…"
Aron sat up before she could continue.
He quickly ran a hand over his face, as if trying to brush away the lingering unease.
"Just because I understand… doesn't mean I agree."
A brief silence followed.
"She hasn't harmed me… and I feel like she won't."
He lowered his gaze for a moment.
"And… if it really is the world's consciousness…"
"Then it wasn't by chance."
His voice grew a little firmer.
"And I want to find out why."
Matilda watched him in silence for a few seconds.
Then sighed.
Without arguing, she stood up and began making the bed.
Aron followed her movements with his eyes, still thoughtful.
Part of him was still tense… but another part seemed more resolute.
When she finished, Matilda turned to him.
"Come on. Your parents are probably waiting in the living room."
She walked to the door and opened it.
Aron got up right after and followed her.
As he left the room, he felt his chest tighten slightly.
'This isn't over yet…'
In the living room, Arthur and Sabrina were already waiting.
Sabrina smiled when she saw him.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"
Aron hesitated for a moment before answering.
"I think so."
He sat down, still a bit stiff.
Matilda blinked at Sabrina and gave a slight shake of her head.
Arthur noticed the exchange of looks and stepped in.
"Aron."
His tone was serious, but not harsh.
"This situation is very dangerous… and for us to find a safe solution for all of us, we need to know everything you know."
He paused briefly.
"We're not going to force a decision."
"We want to understand what you want…"
"...and, based on that, find a way that works for everyone."
Aron looked up, surprised.
For a moment, he didn't respond.
'I thought they were going to pressure me…'
The tightness in his chest eased a little.
'…but if he's telling the truth…'
His shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
'…maybe there's still a way.'