“Thump,” Kefi’s knees gave way, and she fell heavily onto the cold stone floor. Tears finally burst free, streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.
She didn’t know how long passed, until her tears were nearly dry and her throat was raw and aching.
Then, a thought seized her like a lifeline—
Kelin! Her sister was still at home!
Right, Kelin! She must have heard the news too; she must be terrified! She couldn’t fall apart here. She was the older sister! She had to go back! She had to comfort Kelin!
With the last shred of her will, Kefi struggled to her feet. Ignoring the sympathetic or curious looks around her, she dragged her leaden legs and stumbled toward home.
Every step felt like walking on knife blades, the pain in her heart and the suffocating feeling clinging to her.
Finally, she saw the familiar wooden house.
No smoke rose from the chimney. The windows and doors were tightly shut, an eerie silence hanging over everything.
A wave of foreboding washed over her…
Her hands trembling, Kefi pulled out her key, but she missed the lock several times.
When she finally managed to open the door, a thick, sweet, metallic smell rushed out to meet her…
In the living room, the fireplace was cold.
Then, her gaze fell on the floor in front of the hearth.
A small figure lay there, still. Her dress was soaked through with large, dark-red stains, stiff and hardened.
Her sister Kelin’s little face, which was always brimming with innocent smiles, was now pale as paper. Her eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Her abdomen… there was a gaping, bloody hole…
The vivid red blood and her sister’s hollow eyes.
All sound vanished again. The world before her was reduced to that piercing, scarlet stain.
Time seemed to stand still.
At first, there was absolute silence.
Her sister’s hollow eyes…
And then—
“Aaaaahhhhhh——!!!”
A shrill, anguished scream tore from Kefi’s throat, the desperate sound echoing through the silent house.
She threw herself next to her sister’s cold body, wanting to touch her but afraid to, her hand hovering in midair, trembling violently.
Tears gushed out again, mixed with hoarse wails and dry heaves.
A heart-wrenching pain tore at her chest, as if someone had ripped her heart in two.
‘Why…’
‘Why did this happen…’
‘Mom…’
‘Kelin…’
‘It’s just me now…’
‘I’m all alone…’
‘What do I do…’
‘What am I supposed to do…’
Boundless darkness and despair crashed over Kefi like a tide, completely drowning her.
Her cries gradually faded, leaving only broken sobs and uncontrollable shivers.
Her throat burned like fire, unable to produce any proper sound…
Just at the edge of her fading consciousness, Kefi’s fingertips touched another cold object on the floor.
It had rolled not far from her sister, stained with a bit of blood.
It was the wand her mother used to use.
As if guided by some invisible force, Kefi reached out, mustering her last ounce of strength, and grasped that wand.
A chilly sensation spread from her palm…
Sefina didn’t speak. She simply supported Kefi’s back with one hand and gently patted her with the other.
She pulled Kefi tightly into her arms, her small frame trying to envelop the trembling girl, offering a little warmth and comfort in this way.
Gradually, the trembling in Sefina’s arms began to subside.
The resistance faded, replaced by the exhaustion and dependence of letting down all her defenses.
Kefi buried her face deeper into the lapel of Sefina’s cream-white coat, her tears flowing freely, quickly soaking a patch of the fabric.
Sefina’s gaze fell on the broken old wand and the double-headed needle magic tool that had rolled away on the floor nearby.
She understood.
This was likely something the Holy Maiden had risked taking from the Archive when she sensed something was wrong with the Church.
Its function was to turn the scene most deeply desired by the person who poured mana into it into a false memory.
Kefi’s greatest desire was simply for her mother and sister to be safe and happy, to be an ordinary family without the halo of the Holy Maiden or the shadow of the Church.
So, the magic tool answered her desire, building a warm cage where she had lived for so long.
This tool was important for resolving the situation in the western continent, but it had also, by a twist of fate, kept Kefi living in this false cage for so long.
Sefina continued to pat Kefi’s back gently, feeling her sobs change from violent to faint.
The hollow madness and resistance in those gray eyes had faded, replaced by a deep, profound grief.
Time flowed slowly in the silence and sobs.
***
Outside the window, the last light of day was swallowed by the ink-black winter night.
Without the fire in the hearth, the temperature inside dropped quickly. The chill crept back in, turning breath into frost.
Sefina felt Kefi’s crying finally begin to subside, leaving only the occasional hiccup.
She gently loosened her embrace and cupped Kefi’s cheeks in both hands.
The girl’s eyes were swollen like peaches, her long eyelashes stuck together in clumps by tears, her face crossed with tear tracks. Her once-clear eyes were now dull and lusterless.
Sefina used her fingertips to gently wipe away the fresh tears at the corners of her eyes, brushing away the dampness on her cheeks.
“Does it still hurt?” she asked softly, her voice gentle and warm.
Kefi lowered her eyelids. Her long lashes fluttered, and she nodded slightly.
Her throat moved as if she wanted to say something, but it seemed she couldn’t. Only a breathy sound came out, and finally, she bit her lower lip even harder, forcing back the fresh tears.
At that moment, Mia and Ellaria, who had been standing quietly by, moved forward softly.
Mia sniffled, her blue eyes full of heartache. She crouched down and gently rubbed her forehead against Kefi’s cold cheek. Her voice was a little choked, but she tried to make it warm:
“Kefi… it’s okay. We’re here.”
Ellaria also bent down, her blonde hair sliding over her shoulders. She extended a warm hand and gently held Kefi’s cold, stiff little hand.
Without many words, Ellaria just gazed at her with gentle emerald eyes and then softly smoothed Kefi’s slightly messy hair.
The warmth and closeness of her friends were like a small but real candle flame.
Kefi’s lashes grew wet again, but this time, she tilted her head slightly, actively pressing her cheek toward Mia’s, and her fingers gently squeezed back around Ellaria’s hand.
Sefina watched this scene, a little comforted.
She pushed herself up on her knees, her legs a little numb.
She looked around the cold “home” and took a deep breath of the chilly air.
“It’s late, and too cold here. I’ll go borrow some firewood and food from the neighbors. We… need to eat something hot.”
Sefina said.
She bent down and picked up the double-headed needle magic tool from the floor, carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief, and put it into her small bag.
This would probably come in handy in an unexpected way when confronting the Church later.
Then, Sefina looked at the broken wand again. After a moment of silence, she also picked up the two pieces.
“Mia, Ellaria, keep her company. I’ll be back soon.”
Sefina instructed the two girls, her gaze falling on Kefi, who was still sitting on the floor.
She was still hugging her knees, looking dazed.
Mia nodded firmly, and Ellaria responded softly as well.
Sefina smoothed Kefi’s hair one last time. Then she turned and stepped out into the cold night under the sparse stars.
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