Chapter 1455: Last breath

"Uncle Haines?" Atlas stopped, eyes on the front door where Haines stood. "Are you leaving?"

The second those words slipped past Atlas’s lips, Penny and Slater came up behind him. They turned their heads toward Haines, tilting them slightly.

"Just... going for a walk," Haines offered them a brief smile. "I’m glad that you made up."

With that, Haines turned and dragged his feet out the door. He limped, though not as badly as he had when he returned with Penny many months ago.

"Going for a walk?" Slater mumbled. "At this hour?"

It wasn’t that late, but some might consider it so. Penny and Atlas, on the other hand, stared at the front door before exchanging glances.

The corner of Penny’s mouth curled up slightly, forming a theory about where Haines was going. Unlike her, Atlas didn’t smile. However, he also had a good idea—Haines was going to meet Grace.

Atlas had found out about it the night Penny spiked everyone’s drinks, and they ended up delivering Haines right to Grace’s doorstep. Even so, Atlas didn’t care much—it was Haines’s life, and his uncle was old enough to make his own choices. The age gap didn’t bother him either; after all, it wasn’t him who was about to date a younger woman.

"Stop asking, Third Brother." Penny grabbed Slater’s arm and dragged him along. "Let’s just go."

Atlas lingered for a moment, keeping his eyes on the door before the corner of his mouth quirked up. He slowly followed his younger siblings to the garden. Their parents had insisted they sit through a movie until they genuinely made up, but since they already had, they decided to watch the meteor shower together instead.

It had been a while since they had time to relax like this, and the medication was working wonders. It was a good thing Zoren had planned to bulk-buy stars—he knew about the meteor shower in advance.

Once they set up their little gathering in the garden, they sat down with snacks and drinks. Obviously, Penny, Zoren, and Slater were only drinking milk. Atlas had his wine, while Hugo had his beer.

"What time is the meteor shower?" Hugo asked, looking up at the sky.

"In a few minutes. Max is half an hour." Zoren checked his wristwatch.

"Second Brother, stop chugging your beer. You might nod off before you see them!" Slater exclaimed before turning eagerly to Penny. "Say, Penny, do you like stars?"

Penny scrunched up her face at her third brother. Until now, she hadn’t realized Zoren was still keeping an eye on outer space to buy more stars—or whatever else was up there. If she answered yes, she was sure Slater would start browsing star catalogs too. But if she said no, Zoren would be devastated.

What a tricky question!

"The air is nice," Atlas murmured, letting the wind blow against his face. Seated beside him, Zoren nodded in agreement.

They waited in companionable silence, passing the time while Penny and Slater bickered over something nonsensical. Hugo, meanwhile, chugged his drink like water, thinking about how he had nearly died last night. Thankfully, Renny hadn’t actually tried to kill him. Instead, the black panther had ripped his jeans and then jumped on him, pinning him with his full weight. It didn’t kill Hugo, but it had nearly suffocated him.

Atlas and Zoren simply enjoyed the quietness and the little noises around them.

"Penny, you’re being selfish now!" Slater yelled, frowning. "I’m just saying—"

Before he could finish, he noticed something in the sky. Instinctively, he looked up and saw a streak of light flying across the night. Penny followed his gaze, catching the second one, then the third, before the sky erupted in a dazzling meteor shower.

They stared in awe, their mouths slightly open. Their eyes twinkled, mirroring the celestial display above. It was breathtaking, casting a hush over them.

---

"See?" Charles turned to his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "They’ll be fine."

Allison smiled at him before shifting her gaze to their children. They had only come down to check on them, wanting to see if they were following her instructions. But Butler Jen had informed them that their children were in the garden, so the couple had come to see for themselves.

Standing not far from them, Butler Jen smiled as he observed Charles and Allison resting their heads against each other. He, too, watched the meteor shower from his vantage point, warmth spreading through him at the sight.

"How cozy," he murmured, turning his gaze back to the children. His eyes softened, memories of their younger years surfacing. To him, Atlas, Penny, Hugo, and Slater were still just little kids, marveling at something incredible for the first time.

Slowly, Butler Jen looked up at the sky, his smile widening. "How beautiful, indeed."

---

Hugo watched the shower in awe. "So pretty," he whispered, smiling. "Though... somehow, it looks familiar."

He had never seen a meteor shower before, yet an overwhelming emotion welled up in his heart. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but it was strong—so strong that it made him wonder why.

His eyes reflected the meteors streaking across the sky, twinkling with admiration. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly. For some reason, he felt... relieved.

---

[SHORT FLASHBACK]

"Hah..." Deep breaths rattled Hugo’s chest, his strength slowly slipping away. Each inhale burned his lungs, sending a sharp pain through him, making him cough.

Wincing, he tried to get up—but he couldn’t. His strength trickled away like water down a drain. No matter how strong his will, his body refused to listen. How could it, when it was already riddled with bullets?

Blood seeped from multiple wounds, pooling beneath him as he lay there, bleeding out. But just as he began to accept his end, something caught his eye.

His gaze shifted upward, where a streak of light cut across the sky, followed by another. Then, a shower of them.

"..." A shallow breath escaped his lips, his body relaxing at the sight. For some reason, it brought him comfort. As if the universe had orchestrated this moment just for him—to console him.

A weak, bitter smile formed on his face as he used the last of his strength to reach for the sky.

"Penny," he whispered, voice barely audible. "I’m... sorry."

And as those words left his lips, his hand fell limp at his side.

His final breath slipped away as his eyes remained open, staring at the meteor shower above.