Aria and Irana locked eyes, neither moving nor speaking. The only sound that remained was the faint crackling of dying embers around them. Smoke curled in the air, drifting like silent ghosts through the ruins of the once-burning building.
Ten seconds passed.
Then twenty.
Aria took a step forward.
Irana stiffened.
“Onee-chan…?” Irana called out again, her voice barely above a whisper.
But Aria didn’t respond.
She didn’t blink.
She just kept walking.
Irana felt her throat tighten. It was as if Aria couldn’t even hear her. As if she was moving with a purpose Irana couldn’t understand.
Ariana, still clutching her injured hand, watched the eerie interaction unfold. She could feel the shift in Aria’s presence the moment her attention moved away from her. The overwhelming force pressing down on her had lifted.
Now was her chance.
Summoning whatever energy she had left, Ariana tried to ignite a flame in her palm—just a flicker, just enough to launch one last attack. If she could just hit Aria while her guard was down—
But nothing happened.
Not even a single spark.
Her breath hitched.
What…?
The realization sent a chill down her spine. She wasn’t just exhausted—she couldn’t use her fire anymore.
And if she couldn’t fight—
Her eyes darted to the exit.
As Aria continued her slow, deliberate approach toward Irana.
“Onee-chan… It’s me, Irana. Don’t you recognize me?”
Her voice was soft, uncertain. She searched Aria’s empty, emotionless eyes, desperately looking for some kind of response. Some flicker of familiarity.
But Aria didn’t react.
She didn’t acknowledge her words at all.
Yet, Irana didn’t even consider running away. It never even crossed her mind.
This was her sister. Her Onee-chan. No matter what had happened to her, Irana refused to believe that Aria would ever truly hurt her.
She took a step forward—
And then something sharp whizzed past her cheek.
Irana froze.
She reached up, her fingers grazing her skin, feeling something warm and wet smear across them. When she pulled her hand back, her fingertips were coated in red.
Blood.
Her own blood.
For the first time, her heart skipped a beat.
But instead of panic, instead of fear—
She felt hope.
If Aria truly wanted to hurt her, that attack just now wouldn’t have just grazed her. No, this was proof—proof that deep down, her Onee-chan was still in there, holding back.
So, with renewed confidence, Irana’s expression brightened.
She opened her mouth, ready to reassure Aria, ready to tell her that she was here, that she wouldn’t leave her, that she would bring her back no matter wha—
BAM!
Something heavy slammed into her face.
Her entire world blurred into a swirl of colors and stars as her head snapped to the side.
There was a brief pause.
Then, the pain registered.
Aria had just punched her.
In the face.
Irana staggered, blinking, trying to process what had just happened.
Her brain short-circuited.
She lifted a trembling hand to her now throbbing cheek. “D-Did I just… Did I just get decked?” she mumbled in disbelief.
Her legs wobbled slightly, but she forced herself to stay upright.