"Let's go," Asher says, taking the lead and setting off on the hike.

Estoria follows closely behind him as they continue to climb up the mountain.

Despite Asher's initial enthusiasm to see the stars, they both eventually gave up halfway and decided to take a seat on the grass, midway up the mountain.

"The view from here is also pretty nice," Estoria commented, finding solace in the scenery despite not making it to the summit.

Asher replied, "Yeah, I can see the stars." 

Estoria noticed that he's been acting somewhat differently all day.

Both of them gaze at the stars in the night sky for a while, finding a sense of peace in their distant beauty.

Asher suddenly opens up and asks, "Would you like to know about my family? I used to have one." His tone suggesting a willingness to share more about his past.

"Sure, tell me all about them," She responds, ready to listen to Asher's story.

Asher begins to open up, saying, "I had an older sister. She was the one taking care of me for as long as I can remember. Our parents were rarely ever home." His voice carrying a hint of emotion as he delves into his family's history.

Asher continues to share his family's struggles, "Occasionally, we'd go without food for days because our parents would often forget to buy groceries during their long absences. My sister would somehow manage to find bread for me, although I never knew how she did it." His words reveal the hardships they endured.

Estoria comments, "Your older sister was the real MVP," acknowledging the incredible strength and care she displayed during those challenging times.

Asher looks at her and asks, "What does that mean, MVP?" He seemed unfamiliar with the acronym, Of course.

Estoria explained to Asher with a smile, "It means she's the best of the best." offering a simple definition for the acronym.

Asher agrees, saying, "That she was," and he resumes gazing at the stars, lost in his memories of his remarkable sister.

Estoria further asks, driven by curiosity. "She was? Where is she now?" wanting to learn more about Asher's family and his sister's current situation.

Asher opens up more, sharing a troubling memory. "One day when our parents came home, they said someone wanted to buy me for a lot of money. They were going to sell me to him, but my sister argued back to protect me. My father got really angry at her for it..." He pauses in the middle of his sentence, his voice filled with a mix of emotions.

Estoria offers her reassurance, "It's okay, you don't have to tell me if it's difficult for you." Wanting for Asher to feel comfortable sharing only what he's ready to reveal.

Asher's eyes well up with tears as he continues his emotional narrative. "It's fine," he says, pushing through his emotions. "As I was saying, that night, my sister, who was already quite bruised, asked me to run away from home and seek help. She promised to keep our parents distracted by telling them I had fallen asleep. I was strongly against the plan because I knew what would happen to her if our parents found out I was gone, especially when they had agreed to sell me to a man the next morning. I told her repeatedly that I wouldn't leave without her." He continues carrying a heavy weight of sadness.

Asher's tears fall freely as he shares the heartbreaking tale. "I was crying and yelling stubbornly, which made our parents hear us. They grew so angry that they even started hitting me, knowing it would lower my value. But my sister hugged me one last time and told me to run, not to look back if I loved her. She said she'd never talk to me again if I didn't. Despite knowing what awaited her, I ran away as fast as I could. She blocked both our parents from going after me. She held onto them, not letting them go after me. She was only 10 years old at that time..." Asher's voice trembles with the weight of the memory as he breaks down in tears.

Estoria expresses her regret, "I'm sorry, Asher. I didn't realize. I shouldn't have asked you," and quickly wrap her arms around him, offering a hug.

Asher cries for a while, and her shoulders become damp from his tears. Estoria lets him release his emotions, providing a comforting presence.

As he gradually became calmer, he reassured her instead, saying, "It's okay, you don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."

Estoria never had someone comfort her before, so she didn't know what else to do in that situation, she felt lost, also feeling a bit uncertain about how to handle the emotional moment.

Asher gently pulled away from the hug, and his gaze returns to the starry night sky, seeking solace in the celestial beauty above.

Asher shares, "The stars always remind me of her, especially today. It's the day I ran away." His eyes remained fixed on the stars, carrying a sense of tender nostalgia.

In the presence of Asher's raw emotions, She had countless questions, but words escape Estoria. It felt as if speaking would only lead her to tears, and she remained in a contemplative silence, offering her silent support.

Asher continued to speak, sharing more about his past. "You know, I even went back after some time to check if my sister was still there. I heard that our parents had fled after leaving their daughter unconscious in the house, not even telling anyone. When they found her, it was already too late... But the whole town held a funeral for her, so at least she's resting now."

"I read somewhere in a book that people like her become the brightest stars in the sky," Estoria remembered, providing a touch of comfort and hope in the midst of Asher's story. It's was a way to honor his sister.

Asher expresses his gratitude, looking at her with a gentle smile as he said, "Thank you for helping me, Estoria. I really had nowhere else to go. When I came to ask you for help, you didn't ask me anything but offered to help without any special conditions. Thank you." His words conveying sincere appreciation for the support and kindness he has received.

Estoria responds to Asher with a warm voice, saying, "You don't have to thank me. I did it because I wanted to, and I would do it again." Her words a reflection of genuine care and willingness she had to help him.

Asher asked with a serious expression, "Are you planning to adopt another child?" He's curious about my future plans?

Estoria offered a sarcastic reply to the conversation, saying, "Yeah, you'll have to take care of them, too." It's a lighthearted response to his question.

Asher replies with concern, saying, "I don't want to see you adopting just about anyone." He seemed protective and cautious about who she might choose to adopt in the future.

Estoria clarified with a smile, "I was just teasing you; I don't want to adopt more kids either. You're enough already." Clearing up the misunderstanding, assuring him that she had no intention of adopting more children.

Asher speaks once again, "I'm serious. You can't even protect yourself, so how would you protect another kid? You were just lucky with me; I can protect myself and you," with a sense of pride. 

Concerned about her safety and well-being.

Estoria expresses her genuine gratitude, "Thank you for protecting me, Asher," As she stands up and extends a hand to help him up. It's a small gesture of appreciation for his care and support.

Asher mumbles to himself, "but maybe a little sister would be..."

"It's getting late, and we have to wake up early tomorrow morning, so let's go to sleep now," She says to Asher as he takes her hand and gets up too.

As they head down the mountain, Estoria couldn't help but wonder about what Asher was mumbling to himself about. His words about a little sister linger in her mind, leaving her curious about his thoughts and desires.

They returned back to the Inn tired, and after watching Asher go back to his room, Estoria returned to her bed and drifted off to sleep.