Chapter 9: Truth and Reconciliation.
Her scream of terror was followed by an angry roar that didn't come from herself. It was deep, almost guttural and animalistic and filled with bloodlust. The source came from the hallway further, reverberating in the floor and walls of the bunker.
Sirin realized she was hyperventilating.
Her throat was sore from how much she screamed and her small body tremble with every movement of her muscles. Almost tentatively, her hand reached out to the mangled form that was her sister. Brushing crimson laden white hair with utmost care as if afraid a single touch would make her sister crumble into the very earth itself.
"Kiana..." Sirin tried to call but her voice slithered out of her throat like an ichor, thick and heavy full of dread. Gently, very gently, she pulled Kiana into her embrace, mindful of the injuries leaking blood to the floor. "You fool. You really, really are a fool"
Another roar, this time the floor shook in a thunderous rhythm as a massive beast lumbered into view. For a long moment, the beast stood on its legs, perhaps in confusion to the lack of response from the girl before it. Or perhaps, it could feel the dangerous thickness of the power that created it surrounding said girl. Either way, nobody would know because a massive inter-dimensional construct in a shape of lance suddenly materialized above the girls and impaled the beast right on its center mass. It roared in pain, and then it roared no more.
Sirin barely spared the dying monster a glance as she lifted Kiana into her arms, an action far too difficult with her stupidly little body. Her left arm grew numb yet she didn't care, even when it turned dark from the amount of Honkai energy her Core pumped out. Uncontrollable, just like her emotions.
Yet, as her fingers grazed Kiana's form, her flood of power receded and subsided, until it was nothing but a gentle trickle of a rain. Cold, soothing and promising a relief. She kept one hand over Kiana's chest, steadily but gently channeling a small amount of Honkai energy into the girl.
It was the only thing keeping her alive.
"Why did you have to be so reckless? What did you hope to achieve from this?"
Black mist leaked out from the gaping wound in Kiana's stomach, the poisonous Honkai corruption from the beast being pushed by Sirin's own. The Kaslana blood within recognized the calm stream and allowed it to erode the more foreign substance, guiding and helping to fight off the volatile energy from the body. Already, blood stopped flowing out and flesh began to mend.
But it wasn't enough.
When she got Kiana back to their camp, Sirin draped Kiana in a cloak, tightening it until she was sure it wouldn't come loose. Despite her calm visage, her heart was anything but. Sirin had to keep reminding herself she couldn't panic at moments like this. It would bring troubles and hinder her thoughts. It was easier to say than do, though, especially when Kiana's breathing keep getting shallower with each gulp of precious oxygen she inhaled.
Sirin hastily brought Kiana into her embrace and continued her administration of Honkai donor.
Gritting her teeth in a mixture of exhaustion and pain, Sirin opened another portal. Almost immediately, the drawbacks from overexerting her Herrscher power hit her, the veins in her darkened left arm turned sickly purple and blood rolled down her right eye as it flickered from blue and golden repeatedly. Sirin grunted, held Kiana close to her body and jumped into the portal.
They landed in a heap of snow.
Sirin tripped and rolled on the inches thick of frozen ground, Kiana flew out of her embrace and landed a few meters before her. Her leg ached from accidentally hitting a tree root and the blood on her right eye practically made it unusable. Still, Sirin looked around until she found her sister's unconscious form.
Her breathing had grown too shallow it's almost imperceivable.
Sirin kicked her legs, crawling until she was on top of Kiana. The trickles of red tainted the white snow like a crimson thread on a pristine canvas, a work of a grim depicter which led to two helpless girls. The Herrscher quickly put her hand over Kiana's heart and kept pumping out her power, shaking from both cold and relief when her sister inhaled deeply and her breathing somewhat evened out.
She couldn't let Kiana off her anymore. Her sister's time had run out.
Kiana's life was now only teetered to Sirin's hand. She should've died but the sheer amount of Honkai energy being injected into her kept her alive. But it wasn't enough, without treatment Kiana had no chance of living. Not after losing so much blood and not in this kind of environment. Kiana was so pale she was almost blue. It was a blessing the blizzard had died down in this part of the world.
Once again, Sirin lifted Kiana up and pushed her little legs to support both her and her sister. They shook and wobbled but the owner paid them no heed. Even if they would break she would crawl until her fingers and hands fell off their sockets. Right now, she would summon a city scale void portal if it meant she could save Kiana, even if her chest bursted along with her Core.
The trip was hard and arduous but Sirin marched on. When her hands grew too numb from the cold to hold Kiana, she changed tactics and put her sister on her back. The ambient Honkai energy Sirin had was used on Kiana so the cold assaulted her form unbridled and every wound she suffered wouldn't heal instantaneously.
Red trails followed her wake in the darkness, some came from the girl on her back while some from Sirin herself. Which was whose, Sirin couldn't be sure. One thing for certain she couldn't afford to care to such a trivial thought. Right now she had only one thing in mind and that was to bring Kiana to help.
"Come on... where are you...?"
A single blue eye scanned about the surroundings as little feet ambled through snow, plunging deep before pulling out in haste steps. Sirin couldn't even open her right eye now, the blood had frozen cold and sealed her eyelid. Each flutter of her right eye sent a sharp pain and primal urge to wipe it open but Sirin fought the discomfort and her own burning needs, too focused and preoccupied to be distracted.
Finally after what to be miles, Sirin found it. A muddy road stretching into the abyss itself. Sighing in relief, Sirin began to follow the only sign on the side of the said road, still keeping herself off the main way and blending with the dark forest surrounding it instead.
This road led to a village they passed by a week prior, the only settlement in the map for miles. Sirin didn't like the place. It was too modern, too connected with the rest of the world. But it came in handy at time like these since it's her only hope of getting help. Being connected meant they have doctors, or at least someone with medical knowledge.
No hospital, though. Sirin couldn't afford Schicksal agents finding out a half Kaslana and Schariac in such a state, vulnerable for the taking. Besides, Sirin hated hospitals. Once they went into one to deliver an injured girl who was a victim to a Honkai beast attack, and once Sirin almost retched on Kiana's unexpecting back. The white marble corridors and the fluorescent light made her dizzy and the smell of intermixed medicines brought suppressed memories to the surface, many in which followed by the coppery smell of blood and countless begging that went unheeded. So yes, Sirin hated hospitals with passion. Hospitals were evil.
Sirin needed distraction. Kiana was loud and obnoxious but she had grown to appreciate it. Walking with Kiana without her being a little combustible bubble sent a sense of unease, like a missing piece of puzzle that disappeared under the dark cover of the night. The faint rise and fall of the her sister's chest was a reminder what befallen the bundle of joy, and Sirin's own inner turmoil.
"Bella?" She tried to whisper casually but there was a crack in her tone, like a webbed dam ready to burst. Her self control was her dam, and her heart was the water it tried so desperately to hold from bursting out and flooding over her reasoning, a notion growing harder with each step her small feet took. "Are you awake?"
A vast consciousness stirred inside her, a beast rolling over to her call. It was exuberant and majestic, yet composed and preserved as it sent its own gentle touch to Sirin.
"My Queen? Is... something the matter?"
Sirin feet hit a gravel and she stopped, panting her exertion and the throbbing Gem inside her body. It throbbed, pulling not just her stamina but also her flesh into it in an attempt to draw more power. Her yet to develop body couldn't accommodate it so Sirin could only grit her teeth as she willed the pain to subside.
"I need your help"
Alerted, Bella did a mental equivalent of straightening up. Her focus now lay solely on Sirin, ready to burst to her Queen's rescue at a moment notice. Sirin would've smiled in appreciation to her friend's caring attitude but even her facial muscles refused to as much as twitch from the sheer cold freezing them. "What do you need of your humble servant?"
That was another thing Sirin disliked; Bella's vehement claim to be called a servant. Sirin didn't pay much mind to it in her previous life, she even thought it was somewhat appropriate, but now she wanted Bella as a friend, not a servant or tool she could exploit to her liking but a friend like the old Bella. Sirin had brought the subject up to the dragon girl but it left Bella confused and fearful Sirin almost brought her to tears. In the hindsight, now Sirin thought about it, she shouldn't have begun the conversation with the tact of a speeding jet ski but really, who could blame her? Talks were never her forte.
... okay, maybe Sirin could blame herself. But she was young and stupid and overly eager when she first talked with Bella again. She was just too happy she got to talk with her friend after so long.
Sirin swallowed. "I need you to supply me with Honkai energy"
There was a pause, a long dead pause that seemingly stretched into eternity. In reality, it wasn't longer than 3 seconds as Sirin managed another step forward.
"Beg your mercy, but is that wise? Surely my Queen understands what it entails?"
"My sister is dying" Sirin breathed out, tightening her arms around Kiana's back. The skin and flesh underneath Kiana's thick cover were noticably cold, more than what's normally allowed. It was a literal cold reminder of what at stake. "This is my only shot"
"The human is weak. She's too weak"
"I know"
"Will she even survive? Will this be worth it? My Queen, you are putting yourself at jeopardy. You won't have enough power if Schicksal come to attack"
"I know that, Bella" Sirin replied gently. Her friend always had the best intentions even in her old life. Bella would remind her of the risks, of the dangers, in each decisions Sirin made. For her, nothing was more valuable than Sirin's safety even if it sometimes conflicting with Sirin's goals. "If it comes to that... Well, I'll see what I can"
Bella fell quiet. Only when Sirin thought her friend had refused she felt warm tendrils sneaking into her Core. Almost immediately, the revitalized Core began to supply Sirin with the much needed power, healing her wounds and fatigue while at the same time cascading her with invisible shields from the cold.
"Thank you, Bella"
"Schicksal must be alerted by now, my Queen. I'll... try to create diversions but you have to be quick"
"I know"
With her newly replenished power, Sirin tore reality, bending the very fabric of space itself to her wish. A portal emerged, bright and hot it melted the snow around it almost immediately. Sirin carried Kiana bridal style, covering her as best as she could with her small frame as she rushed into the waiting portal through the thick snow. Bella's raw power came unbridled before it cut off completely the moment she stepped into the void.
Her friend's words echoed in Sirin's head before the world turned dark.
"The human better be worth it"
Sirin woke up in cold sweat.
The darkness greeted her eyes, pierced only by the silver glow of the moon outside the window. She sighed and groaned quietly, a curse tumbled out her mouth breathlessly as she rubbed her face in a mixture of annoyance and ghostly dread.
Damned nightmares...
Turning her head to the side, Sirin saw Kiana's back facing her. Kiana's white hair splayed about the sheet and pillows, covering the surface like a never ending cloud in the clear sky. Tempted, Sirin ran her fingers onto those white locks, smile turning into a frown when her digits stopped on Kiana's exposed lower back.
The Kaslana-Schariac Stigmata embedded on Kiana's fair skin glared back to her, a contrast in a white canvas. She traced her fingers on it, silently lamenting how such a thing caused so much pain and sufferings for both her and her sister. It was not fair. To be born with that sort of burden and expected to carry it with smile and open heart. Sirin could never but Kiana had been doing exactly that despite knowing how much of a burden it was. Sirin would have found Kiana's courage admirable, that insistence of hers, if it weren't borderline suicidal.
"Those who glow the brightest, burn the fastest" Sirin whispered. To the dark, to the world and to the unaware girl before her. "Who would shine upon this void if the night lost its moon? My foolish sister... My dear, foolish sister..."
Kiana sighed in her dream, utterly oblivious. Sirin, knowing she wouldn't get any more sleep soon, rested her forehead against Kiana's back. Just to feel the warmth and the sweet scent she associated with home, her only home. Sighing herself, the Herrscher gathered her will and swung her legs over to the floor, feet shuffling into Kiana's slippers. She looked around the dark room, blinking to her reflection when she noticed two glowing golden orbs staring back.
"Oh..."
Sirin should start controlling her emotions better. Before, there was only Kiana but now she had to live with a bunch of strangers. Kiana's... friends... were alright but the stranger classmates were not. They didn't know Sirin's nature so it was paramount for her to keep her secrets.
Blinking once again, her eyes returned to their original color. Blue, like an ocean clear sapphire, a color she'd come to like for every time she lost it was that very same color that would guide her back. All thanks to an amazing woman and her daughter.
Sirin smiled at the thought. Fleeting and hardly noticable but it was there. She turned on her heel and moved to the door, opening it as quietly as she could before closing it again behind her.
A dark hallway awaited her, cold and silent with not a single soul in sight. Sirin went to the kitchen, hoping for something to cool her overworked thoughts.
She just finished rounding a corner when she realized the bright light coming from the area, spilling to the hallway and illuminating a portion of it. Sirin's step faltered, mind grinding to a halt.
"Someone's awake?" She whispered to nobody in particular, mulling over the revelation in her head. Sirin hardly knew anyone else and Kiana had made it pointedly certain for her to act friendly around others. It was easier said than done but Sirin could manage a nod if she had to, no big deal for the Queen of Void herself. She wouldn't back down from something so silly such as acknowledging someone.
Except, it was not just someone. Or rather, some people.
For the second time in ten seconds, Sirin stopped dead on her track. She took in the sight before her in utter silence, blinking once and then twice when she arrived to a point. One was the sight of Bronya sitting behind the dining table, an open can of energy drink between her palms, and two was Thunder who sat across Bronya with a steaming cup of tea. Both equally stoic and both looked at Sirin the moment she stepped under the light.
Sirin frowned.
She went to the fridge without as much as a word or acknowledging gesture. Despite her apparent indifference, her mind was racing to process the situation she found herself in. Thunder and Bronya sitting near each other without problems? No, Sirin knew Bronya had no problem with Thunder but nobody in their right mind would just sit together with a Herrscher and act as if it's normal. Except Kiana. Kiana was an exception but it's also everyone's secret that girl had a terrible sense of danger and self preservation unlike Bronya.
What the hell?
Grabbing a Coca Cola, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. Personally, she preferred something less biting but she could use something to sober her still muddled thoughts. Sirin could still feel two pairs of eyes staring at her and it took everything in her power to not look back and glare.
"I would appreciate it if you both quit staring as if I'm a madwoman" Sirin grunted, voice slightly muffled by the open refrigerator. She heard someone shifted and stood up, judging from the long step it must be Thunder. It baffled Sirin how could Mei be so relatively tall despite her Japanese origin but she supposed there's exceptions in the majority.
"Have you been crying?" Thunder said from behind her before Sirin felt a hand turning her around. The Void Queen glared at the impudent entity before her but Thunder's gaze was surprisingly filled with concern it almost looked like Mei was in control.
Wait...
"No, why?"
Instead of answering verbally, Thunder gestured towards the bathroom. Sirin scowled but entertained her nonetheless, heading towards it. The Herrscher of Thunder silently waited. One minute, two minutes and when her count hit the exact two minutes thirty five seconds Sirin emerged back with a slightly wet face.
"You wanna talk about it?" Thunder implored, tone hardly changing from her usual disinterest one despite her words.
Sirin shook her head and sat down on the furthest chair from a still silent Bronya, ignoring the odd stare she received from the younger girl. Their room was too dark for her to see the dried tear trails on her cheeks, apparently. "No. It's just some dumb nightmares"
Thunder hummed, putting Sirin's abandoned can of soda in front of her before sitting down herself. Sirin took and opened it without a word before gulping the entire fill in one go.
"You sure?"
"Quit it. Why are you both up at this hour?"
"Raiden Mei is sleeping so I might as well borrow the body while she's not using it"
Sirin's eyebrows rose up. "Raiden Mei? You calling her by name now?"
Thunder looked contemplative as she averted her eyes, dainty finger tapping the wooden table absently. "She has changed, all because of you"
"How? She looks the same to me"
"When you have to share a body with someone else you tend to notice the slightest of change" The Herrscher of Thunder replied harshly and Sirin snarled in response. It was brief and she schooled her expression immediately. "Sorry. I'm just... unsure... how much time I have left that is"
"You won't die"
"No, I won't. She and I will eventually merge. No matter how strong the Honkai is, human's conscience is something it can yet to control. It's either she submits to me or I submit to her, and I never intended to do the former"
"You're different" Perhaps, it was one of the reasons Sirin found the Herrscher before her somewhat trustworthy, or perhaps she merely felt obliged to fulfill Kiana's wish. Either way, Thunder was different and Sirin could tell the first time they met. Any Herrscher that didn't go into a killing spree right off the bat like she did in 2000 had to be special. "Why don't you listen to it?"
"What, the annoying voice claiming to be God?" Thunder scoffed. "Raiden Mei never wished such a thing. Destroying humanity? Razing the world to the ground? Killing people blindly? They were never a part of her desires. I'm an extension of her wishes and I had to take it to the extremes for her to even destroy Nagazora. Even so she still has regrets because of it" She gave Sirin a condescending look that had the Void Herrscher glaring back. "Must be nice to be in full control. No internal conflicts, no doubts and no regrets"
"You watch your damn words" Sirin growled ominously, her fingers clenched on the empty can of soda and crumpled it. "I tolerate you because Kiana begged me but keep taunting me and I will rip your Gem out of Raiden Mei's chest. It's mine, you are created out of my possession. You should know your place when speaking to me"
The tension in the air was palpable it's a miracle the atmosphere hadn't cracked from the sheer pressure. Both Herrschers kept their gazes to one another, fire dancing behind those glowing golden and purple eyes. Eventually, it was Thunder who lowered her eyes in submission. Deep down she knew Sirin could take what was rightfully hers just as easily if she so desired.
"It was the truth, wasn't it?"
Sirin blinked and looked to her side, towards Bronya and her surprisingly furious stare. The Herrscher opened her mouth in surprise, and action mirrored by Thunder. "What?"
"That was the truth" Bronya repeated, voice even despite her heated silver orbs. "You did not feel remorse nor guilt"
"Of course I did. I regret what I committed"
"No, not now but then. During the Second Eruption. You did not hesitate, you did not think of the consequences. You just did what you wanted, what you justified as right, what you saw as revenge. Did you pause when you razed cities across the planet? When you destroyed Siberia and the people there? Some might be Bronya's family but Bronya doubts Sirin would've known if Bronya wasn't here"
"I was angry. I couldn't control the hatred in me" Sirin confessed softly. "And you are right. I wouldn't have known if you weren't here. My victims are simply too much you're just another unknown number. You hate me and I understand that, I won't hold it against you"
"The Bronya is incapable of expressing emotions properly and her brain emotion center is severely damaged in the past" Bronya stated flatly, true to her words as if to accentuate her point. "Although impaired, the Bronya is still capable of feeling emotions. Sirin is correct to assume the Bronya holds what can be categorized as hatred towards her"
Sirin looked away, growing uncomfortable on her seat. Thunder didn't give her snidely remarks or teasing looks which made Bronya's words far more unbearable. She even had the tendency to look sorry instead as if Sirin had not just threatened to unplug her from Mei's body minutes ago.
"What do you want from me? Do you want to kill me? An eye for an eye?"
"No" Bronya stood up, her chair scraping against the floor with a screech. Despite her small stature, she looked bigger than Sirin and Thunder combined at the moment. "The Bronya had come to accept it. She thought the Void Herrscher had paid her sins when she died. But she's not, she's still alive so her sins are yet to be paid. The Bronya will make sure she sees her misdeeds and pays for them"
With that ultimatum, Bronya took her leave. The heavy thuds of her metallic legs sounded far too loud in the middle of the night and Sirin's racing thoughts. It's sort a miracle she managed another sentence just before Bronya disappeared into the hallway.
"Leave Kiana out of this"
The sound stopped as did Bronya who glanced back with an indiscernible expression, hooded by the darkness.
"The idiotka acts the same way to everyone regardless their background, she's innocent in this regard. The Bronya will not blame her for something not her bidding"
Bronya was gone not a heartbeat later, leaving Sirin alone with Thunder. The latter stared at her for a whole minute with a stoic face before getting up herself and leaving.
The kitchen felt too large for some reason. And too cold suddenly.
Kiana woke up on a bed too wide than when she went to sleep. The reason was obvious the moment her brain start to work a bit more properly.
"Huh...? Sirin?" She mumbled groggily, sitting up and looking around the room for a sign of her sister only to groan when sunlight hit her face from the window. Rubbing her eyes to alleviate the lingering brightness and drowsiness, Kiana stumbled out the bed and frowned when she couldn't find her slippers.
She shook her head, unruly hair swaying from side to side along the motion. Fixing her plain white shirt and short pants, Kiana stepped out of the room and hummed appreciatively when a pleasant scent entered her nostrils.
Ah, Mei's cooking.
Kiana grinned, gone any sign of sleepiness from her visage as she practically skipped into the kitchen. The sound of Mei cooking was getting louder with each of her step along with the delicious smell that made her stomach rumble. Kiana rounded a corner and greeted cheerily before she even saw her most beloved Mei. "Mei! Good mor- Huh, Sirin?"
Her sister stared back, a warm cup of tea on a hand. Sirin hadn't moved from her spot since last night, silently thinking about the conversation all the time. It was a few hours later Mei returned in full control of her body and utterly oblivious of the conversation Sirin knew she had spent the entire night awake.
Not that it mattered. Sirin doubt she could get a wink of sleep even if she wanted to.
"Good morning, Kiana" Mei greeted back warmly, motioning for the girl to take a seat as she handed her an egg bread toast, a bargain to keep the girl from pestering her until the main course was done. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah" The Kaslana replied with a smile, taking a bite and hummed. "Delicious as always, Mei!"
"I'm glad you like it. Breakfast will be done in a moment so just sit back and wait, okay?"
"Okay"
Mei smiled, pleased to herself. She wouldn't have to worry Kiana clinging to her side as she cooked. As much as she adored the younger girl's affection, it was dangerous for the both of them so this was another victory and possible accident averted. She had all the rights to feel proud to herself.
"You're just like a dog. Or a kitten" Sirin commented and when Kiana gave her an inquisitive face full of bread and egg Sirin elaborated. "So obedient to someone who feeds you food"
"No I'm not! Mei's foods are just awesome. She's an exception"
The purple haired girl laughed softly, putting a glass of milk in front of Kiana. "You said that all the time, even before my foods were decent"
Kiana's only reply was to nuzzle her head to Mei's side, earning a giggle from the taller girl. Sirin rolled her eyes and took a sip of her tea.
"Definitely a dog"
Minutes passed with Kiana making small talks or comments, the once quiet kitchen was filled with her voice. Sometimes she talked to Sirin and sometimes to Mei, though the former was more reserved with her responses. Kiana noticed this but Sirin shrugged her concern off with a shake of her head.
"It's nothing" She said simply. If Kiana didn't believe her, she didn't show it. Sirin was certain she didn't believe herself, however.
Himeko joined them not a moment later, crimson hair pooling behind her and looking more unkempt than Kiana's white one. She first looked around the kitchen, grunted noncommittally and went into the bathroom. A few moments later she returned, somewhat freshened.
"God, I hate mornings" The redhead grumbled as she sat down beside Kiana. Mei took the opportunity to give her a glass of milk.
"This should help with your hangover, Instructor Murata"
"Thanks" Himeko mumbled, downing the whole glass without a pause. She sighed, looked at Mei's back and then Kiana. "You're one lucky girl, you know that?"
"Huh? Why?"
"Nevermind. My head's killing me and your stupidity is not helping"
"Wha- Hey! I can't read people's mind, you know?!"
Himeko moaned in pain, burying her head into her arms on the table at Kiana's loud exclamation. She raised a shaky hand towards Mei and mumbled "Aspirin, right uppermost row of the cabinet beside the fridge. Goddammit, Ragna..."
"Here, Instructor" Mei said softly as she handed the requested medicine and Himeko's refilled glass.
"Thank you, Mei. You're the kindest and most considerate girl I've ever met. It's almost a shame you have to be with this blockhead over here. And call me Himeko when we're at home, please, I hate being reminded of works when I'm not working"
"Kiana is not that bad, In- Himeko sensei" Mei continued kindly, putting the food she made onto the table. Kiana's eyes glistened in awe, even Sirin looked impressed which was a new achievement. Mei allowed herself a small, proud smile. "She's just as kind"
"Kind? Yes. Dumb and obnoxious? Also yes"
Thankfully, Kiana was too preoccupied with the food she outright ignored Himeko, opting to dig in Mei's cooking and gushing the Raiden girl with praises. Sirin, who had no need of sustenance whatsoever, allowed herself a portion although on much smaller scale than Kiana's growing pile of meat and vegetables. No wonder her sister was such a hyperactive girl with the amount of calories she had to burn.
Sirin was halfway finishing her plate when Bronya joined them, looking fresh and ready for school in her uniform. She eyed Sirin and then the food before unceremoniously plopping down on the chair, giving Mei a quiet thanks when she was given the necessary utensils.
If anyone noticed the way Bronya sat further from Sirin, nobody commented on it.
"Looking sharp, Bronya" Himeko complimented with a smile, patting the youngest girl of the group affectionately. Bronya only nodded in return. "You up early?"
"Nyet. The Bronya did not sleep last night"
Sirin tensed up, gaze snapping to Bronya in a glare only to reeled back in surprise when her eyes met a pair of sharp silver. It was brief before Bronya broke the contact. "Bronya had to finish her game and won the first place before the event ended"
"Really? Gaming all night? You are a smart kid, you should've known it's not good for your health"
"The Bronya is used to sleeping for mere hours" Bronya said matter of factly, taking a first bite of her meal. "In the past, Siberia was a very dangerous place she could not afford to relax without a fear of being captured and killed. Bronya believes she should live in the moment"
The room fell silent, only Bronya's silverware making sounds as she silently continued eating her food. Himeko took the initiative to comfort her by rubbing Bronya's back with her hand. Then, to their confusion and Sirin's horror, Bronya began anew. This time her silver gaze was set on Sirin alone.
"The Bronya would like to apologize for her unruly action" She said flatly, yet the regret in her tone was unmistakable. "Bronya came to a realization, although the past was terrible it also created an opportunity for Bronya to meet many friends she holds dearly. The Bronya found love and made a promise to someone dear, one only possible because of the Herrscher of The Void"
"You're out of your mind" Sirin whispered when nobody spoke, eyes as wide as to the saucers on the table. She swallowed thickly, feeling her throat dried. "Why would you be grateful of something so terrible?"
"Sirin is incapable of appreciating the subtle values, regardless good or bad. Bronya understands this. What Bronya told her still applies, however Bronya will not hold Sirin accountable"
"I don't understand" Sirin stood up, almost frantic. Kiana tried to grab her arm but Sirin shrugged it off. "Why's every one of you so... so..."
Sirin didn't finish her sentence. She looked at everyone, heaved a shaky sigh and did a mad dash out of the house. Her utensils clattering on the floor.
"Sirin!" Kiana called out but the girl was gone. Clenching her fist to quell the concern bubbling in her chest, she bit her lip and gave Mei an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I'll be back for the food"
"Don't worry about it, Kiana. You must go. The fact Sirin didn't use her power means she wants to be found"
The Kaslana nodded, giving Bronya a glance as she jogged out to find Sirin. Bronya didn't even spare her a look, firmly keeping her focus on the food rather as she slipped through the door.
Fu Hua had always been a morning person. For long she couldn't count, she always woke up before the sun could peek over the horizon to train and conduct her duty. Training under the disappearing moon was one of her favourite moment, to enjoy the silence of a changing day to the fullest.
The peace was much appreciated as it offered her a moment of solitude. Just to think and organize her thoughts. The secrets kept within her head was worth than any gold, more dangerous than any weapon but above all more precious than anything the girl ever owned. They're the key to victory and prosperity, and they're also the key to defeat and doom. She was given a task, one she understood the necessity and importance, but also one she must carry not of her own wish.
Her memories were gone. So much she knew was burned to nothing, not even a fragment remained. She couldn't remember her past life, her promises and her dreams because her power demanded her something most valuable to an immortal being. It was mostly thanks to a certain Overseer she could recall her identity and with it the pact she made to the man.
Sucking a deep breath, she fixed her stance as she prepared for another bout of movements. Legs apart but not too much, muscles taut but fluid. She sent a barrage of lightning quick punches to the air, feet shifting on the concreted floor and boots scraping audibly as she moved about the place. The cool morning air rippled against her fists, so fast the temperature around her body rose a few degrees. But she did not care, it was what she sought to achieve.
With a deep battle cry, Fu Hua kicked her feet high into the morning sky, sending a sizable fireball that burned itself off rather quickly. The power was destructive but not unmanageable and controlling a Honkai energy was something Fu Hua mastered like breathing, a fruit of various and long hardships.
The bright orange light dissipated into nothingness and Fu Hua sighed out her tense posture. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she then decided to finish up. The sun was getting brighter with its crest getting higher and higher until its full roundness was visible. It was another thing she enjoyed; watching a brand new day making its opportunity.
Fu Hua picked her drink from where she put it on a parapet, smiling appreciatively at the warmth it radiated into her palm. Though not as good as a homemade one, these hot vending machine tea's were pretty nice especially for her who preferred practical life. Being alone for a long time had taught her to take function over form and right now the tea served her the same function as any others.
Taking a large gulp, she sighed into the morning air, watching the sun slowly emerged from the night. Though forgotten, she knew she had witnessed this view for far too much in her life. Her body knew, her instincts told her so. It was like dipping her hand into a lukewarm water, feeling the heat seeping into her flesh with every small movement she made. It was there, faint but there nevertheless.
Smiling into nothingness, she made her way back inside, down a series of intertwining stairs and railings. The dorm was designed with easy entry and exit in mind in case of evacuation so the hallways and stairs were wide enough to accommodate as many people at once. But right now it echoed empty under her feet, being the sole soul to linger around as her duty demanded her to be on the lookout when everyone else enjoyed the peace.
Somehow, it didn't sound as bad as it should. Fu Hua knew solitary life was predestined for her. Old records that transcended time were her reminders, including many Schicksal had no knowledge about. Stories of rise and fall dotted her life, of sprouting bloom and plucked leaves. She had no recollection of them but she knew they were parts of her.
She also knew they're meaningless. None of them would change her and she would never change them. Her life would always stay the same passing moments, drifting in a mellow river of passing time. The duty that kept her upright was nothing but a shadow of her former determination, blemished with the taint of betrayals and farewells. She was now not even in control of her own will, reduced to a marionette for a twisted hand to seize and manipulate.
Otto had her wrapped in his fingers and he's mastered enough to play her the way he wanted. All it took was a twitch of order and she would move to however he wished, fulfilling whatever twisted desire he had and wanted to achieve. Fu Hua was powerless against the strings digging in her muscles because any form of disobedience promised her a pain that would rip a piece of herself that still worth the sentiment. So she kept silence, until this phase of her life was over and another one started anew. Wherein Otto had the patience, she had the time to outlast him in a game of stall.
This was just another phase that would eventually be forgotten for the Immortal Phoenix.
As Fu Hua stepped down the final stair and made her way into the long winding hallway of the top floor, a flash of white on her periphery caught her attention and she went rigid on the spot. Memories of the previous day rushed inside her head, fueling her brain with chemicals and hormones that lead to two emotions; fear and apprehension. She watched rooted on her feet as who she identified as the Herrscher of The Void by her blazing golden eyes made her way towards her, feet thumping quickly in a rapid walk. Not knowing what to do in a presence of an all destroying being that was Herrscher, Fu Hua simply stared.
And stared.
And stared.
And stared until Sirin suddenly stepped aside and walked to where Fu Hua just had been. Fu Hua didn't realize she was holding her breath in her chest until she felt her lungs burn, screaming for the much needed oxygen.
She inhaled sharply, heart hammering in her ribcages she was sure it would leap and take a walk around the campus with how agitated it was if it were a bit more rapid. Fu Hua kept her wary gaze to where Sirin disappeared before quickly putting as much distance between her and the Herrscher now on the rooftop, hurriedly going down to her own room a few floors below.
That was... that was...
Putting a hand on her chest to calm her beating heart, she kept her pace brisk, unknowingly running into someone as she rounded a corner. A breathy 'ugh' left her mouth along with an apology that came so naturally.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I'm heading"
"It's alright, I'm kinda in rush too"
Fu Hua blinked, staring into a familiar face and pair of blue eyes who stared back with the same surprise she had. "Kiana?"
"Ah! Class Monitor! Good timing" Kiana grabbed her by the shoulders, effectively keeping Fu Hua in place. "Sorry, have you seen my sister? I'm in a hurry right now"
"Yes, she..." Fu Hua trailed off as her mind wandered back to the specific moment, lips turning down into a frown as she realized a few things she missed the first time. Clearing her throat and properly giving Kiana her attention back, she couldn't help the apprehension bleeding in her tone. "I saw her heading to the rooftop. She was... crying... Is everything alright?"
Kiana apparently had stopped listening when she learned the state of her sister, quickly snapping back to present time and releasing Fu Hua. She didn't even turn back when she spoke next. "Thank you! I'll treat you ice cream later!"
"You don't have to!" Fu Hua quickly responded but Kiana had disappeared into the next floor. Brows furrowed together, she sighed in resignation and fixed her red rimmed glasses before continuing her walk.
"Really, you don't have to..."
The rough, cemented surface was cold to the touch of her bare feet, scraping against soft flesh and skin alike with each tentative drag of her feet yet Kiana paid them no heed. They had been on worse places and in worse condition, something as trivial as rooftop floor was nothing to concern about.
Instead her eyes zeroed on a head full of white sitting on the building's ledge a few meters ahead of her, white mane gently dancing along with the subtle morning breeze. She felt her own hair being picked by the wind the moment she stepped outside, offering a soft soothing whisper to her agitated heart.
Kiana sighed.
She stopped directly behind Sirin, leaning against the parapet with her elbows supporting her body. But she stayed silent, waiting and wordlessly imploring but never forcing. She knew Sirin would open up to her when she was ready, rushing her would never get her anywhere.
So after a few minutes of Sirin staring onto the distant sunrise, she began.
"Don't you have class?"
Kiana smiled faintly, fingers mindlessly going to Sirin's white hair and tracing it between her index and thumb. Unlike her, somehow Sirin would manage to do her hair by herself and quickly first time in the morning.
"I'm going" Kiana mumbled softly. "With you"
A scoff escaped Sirin's lips, blue eyes glimmering under the brightening light. She didn't answer right way, content to let Kiana caress her hair for a long comfortable moment. But eventually every good things must end, and ever pretenses had to come undone.
"I still don't understand humans"
Kiana paused her movement, tugging the hair lightly disapprovingly and making Sirin hissed with the sudden pain on her scalp. But she didn't look back. As much as she wanted to glare at her sister, she also knew the pathetic state of her expression.
Lost, despondent, uncertain.
Pitiable.
"You're a human" Kiana said sharply with so much certainty Sirin almost believed her words. "What happened?"
Sirin sighed explosively, running a hand over her face and finally looking back. Sirin could feel Kiana's gaze on the dried tear trails on her cheeks, lingering for the briefest of moment before two pairs of blue eyes met. "It's that Russian girl" Sirin paused before she shrugged to herself. "Or Siberian? I don't know"
Kiana straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Bronya? What's wrong with her?"
"The same way I wronged people. Apparently, her parents were killed because of me and last night she made it very clear she hated me" Fingers clenching on her lap, Sirin slumped against the parapet as the weight of Bronya's words crashed on her for the nth time that day. It never got easier, each time the dissent was directed towards her by the victims of her misdeeds, but so few if not none of them knew her true nature. It was probably the reason why she felt it more from Bronya, simply because she knew. "But today she took a complete swivel and I can't comprehend why"
"I see..." Kiana muttered to herself, a frown on her face as she climbed on the parapet and sat there, feet dangling beside Sirin. "I didn't know Bronya could hate" She joked and Sirin snorted in a mixture of incredulity and amusement.
"Yeah? She was glaring as if to murder my soul when she learned I'm the Void Herrscher"
"People tend to do that"
Sirin rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with a pout. "You're not helping"
Kiana laughed, so bright and infectious it's almost like the sun was rising from behind Sirin despite her facing the burning star. It melted the sheer cold gripping her heart, letting it run in glaciers down and off her body until she felt nothing but lingering warmth. A shuffling from beside her made Sirin glanced to Kiana only to see her sister kicking her legs forward back and forth like a child on a park bench.
"Bronya... is smart. She's young but she knows her stuff better than most people. I can't begin to imagine what she had gone through but she has the heart and brain of a survivor"
Humming to herself, Sirin couldn't help the frown adorning her face for a brief second before it was gone. Kiana and her ability to tell people apart was something extraordinary it was almost out of the world. She never mistook someone if given the chance to know them and their habits.
While Sirin could see someone's intentions from the get go, she couldn't judge their characters even with a gun pointed at her head. Humans and their emotions were beyond Sirin's comprehension, always slipping from her grasp like the flow of golden sand.
No matter how much she tried to close her fist there would always be a gap she couldn't fit, even with her Void power.
To know whether someone wanted to hurt you was easy. There would always be a sign visible even under the dark moon. The smiles they gave would be too large, too twisted and outright hiding the fiendish desire. The eyes were the windows of the souls and thus easier to peer, not even shy to hide the gleam of malice as they raked over your body and the plans brewing behind those orbs would come to the surface on their own, pushed by the poisoned soul as a warning.
The body would try to cover the rot, unaware with the smell it radiated to those familiar with maggots such as Sirin.
To tell someone was bad was easy, but to know why people become or want to be bad was not. The motives behind their reasoning was not something Sirin could read, which was why she didn't understand people and their characters. Not just everyone willingly be a villain in their story, but just like how everyone decided to be good not everyone also wanted to be the hero.
Humans were confusing, people were contradictory. Not just to themselves but also to the world.
Just like she and Kiana, there would be someone bearing a similar face with different heart and intentions altogether. Certainty was a fraud in reality.
"I don't understand" Sirin mumbled, mostly to herself but Kiana heard it regardless. The young Kaslana smiled sympathetically, resting a hand on Sirin's slouched shoulder and rubbed her thumb comfortingly.
"To understand people is to forgive them and yourself"
"What do you mean?"
The way Sirin looked at her reminded Kiana of the times they spent behind the fireplace when Mom was still around, cuddling under the same blanket the three would share together. Kiana remembered that gaze clearly, a look of solemn wonder as she stared into Cecilia's face with her familiar blue eyes as if looking for something beneath that gentle gaze, something that wasn't there. A catch of the fruit that was kindness, a twist of the breeze that was gentleness. But it was never there, only unconditional love and unwavering tenderness existed.
Somehow, it made Sirin more confuse.
"Existence means hurting. We hurt each other just by existing and we cannot exist if we're afraid to hurt and be hurt in return" Kiana began softly, folding her hands on her lap. Sirin couldn't see the love behind Cecilia's eyes because she was afraid she would ruin it, afraid she might accidentally break it with her trembling heart. But that heart was never strong enough to simply crack it, too wounded and weary of pain and miseries the soul had been through. The soothing caress that should have been comforting was denied after being mistaken as a verdict to her past misdeeds. "So, you will have to forgive them for the mistakes they have and will be doing to you, but first you have to forgive yourself the same way"
"Sirin, you have to forgive yourself for hating people indiscriminately"
The words meant to be assuring but it stabbed her bleeding heart no less pierce. It raced and pumped cold red liquid in her veins, releasing all sorts of hormones that made her feel myriads of emotions at once. Kiana was still looking at her but all Sirin could see was the burning soil of the Earth as she rained destruction from the sky, razing cities and incinerating families in their own homes.
"I-I can't" She whimpered, tears rolling down her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I caused too much pain and unnecessary sufferings to people I don't know. If I were to forget, what do I have left to bear this sin?"
"Forgiving is not forgetting" Kiana iterated, hands flexing as if to decide whether she should grab Sirin or the parapet so she wouldn't fall into the proverbial chasm that was despair Sirin unknowingly exuding. "In fact, the two are different. One can forgive but not forget, and forgetting does not mean forgiving. But one thing always leads to one certainty; a move on. You have to move on from the hole you put yourself in" Biting her lips so hard she tasted metal, Kiana decided if she were to fall she would hold Sirin close and be with her all the way until the very end. "The future waits for no one. Bronya realized this, which is why she took one look back and decided to march on with her head held high. She knows the past means nothing but a ghost that will help shape her present and future, neither dictating nor forcing what she'll become"
"Sirin, if you don't forgive yourself you'll only be trapped in your own guilt for the rest of your life. Move on, forgive the world and most importantly forgive yourself. You'll see people don't just live in sadness and suffering but also joy and laughter. In every laugh you see there's always a sadness hidden but it's also true the other way around. People pick themselves after despair, finding resolutions and purposes along the way in a journey to find their happiness. It's fearsome, and it would be a lie if I say I'm not afraid too but if fear can drive people to do the imaginable, it surely can creates wonderful futures beyond our imagination" Kiana offered her hand to Sirin, a smile shone by the sun on her face.
She looked so sure with her words Sirin could feel herself believing every letters she uttered. "The people around you go through the same struggle, there's kinships everywhere you be. But right now? You have me, and I will never, ever, let you go. No matter how far you fall"
Slowly and tentatively, Sirin reached out to those lithe digits. The first contact felt like a crackle of firewood, igniting something within Sirin with an everlasting flame that promised not just reassurance but also assistance. It had been so long since she felt the need to rely on someone and it surprisingly felt good to just allow that someone to guide her, to embrace her and envelope her in a long lost warmth. Kiana, like many times before, still managed to offer something Sirin needed, even at moments where she thought the girl had nothing left to offer with how much she had given. It was a surprise, though not as big as she would have thought.
This is Kiana. Sirin thought as their fingers intertwined together, clicking like a piece of puzzles carved by the gods for this specific universe. They fit so seamlessly, so perfect as if it had been foreseen Sirin would need this exact moment. Kiana will never turn her back to you. She will make good of her promises and... She will make them a reality.
"Never make a girl a promise you can't keep"
Kiana laughed and it prompted Sirin to do the same. With a heart ablaze by the warmth Kiana gave her, Sirin pulled her sister into an embrace and surprised Kiana with a leap of faith. Both metaphor and literal when Kiana's laughter turned into a breathless giggle as the ledge disappeared behind them.
When they fell, they fell together. For the best or worst the sisters would never let go of each other.
TBC
Kiana: "A smile might be good"
Sirin: "Nothing to smile about in my life"
Kiana: "Me?"
Sirin: "Fine, I can do that"
This is one of my favourite chapters to write which will mark the end of the opening arc. I'll probably take a short break from this story and continue my other one. Also I have an idea for a new one shot story to commemorate Kiana's birthday in December but I'm still looking for more materials to make it a reality. Gotta finish chapter 28 and all.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy my story so far. I'll see you guys in a not so distant future, hopefully.
Cipher032 out!