DYLAN'S POINT OF VIEW
"I'm not stupid enough not to notice. I've known for a while now that something was wrong. Do you even know what runs through my mind whenever I uncover something strange? I get so frustrated that I start suspecting even the people closest to me. Even my own pracien—" her voice cracked "—I doubted her too."
She glanced at Forelody, who looked at her with deep pity, before turning her tear-filled eyes back to me. The tears wouldn't stop no matter how often she wiped them away. Her tightly clenched hands trembled visibly.
"Just tell me the truth. Please. I need clarity," she pleaded, voice breaking. "I just want this frustration to end. I'm tired of it. I want to talk to them… I want to see and hold my family again. Please. I miss them so much, Brother Dylan."
Her voice faded as her knees gave up. I caught her before she could hit the floor, her body limp in my arms. Most likely from exhaustion. Without thinking, my hand brushed her cheeks, wiping away the streaming tears.
Something heavy sank in my chest at the sight of her so utterly defeated. I couldn't help but pity her. She was nothing like the Rhein I first met back in the human world.
I exchanged a look with Forelody and Tyler; both gave me a small nod and perched themselves on my shoulders.
A faint smile tugged at my lips as I watched her peaceful sleeping face.
"Don't worry. You'll see them again when you wake up."
RONA'S POINT OF VIEW
"Natre, when will I even finish all these documents? It's already afternoon, and my hand feels like it's about to fall off from signing." I was close to tears. I had been complaining for hours, yet my pracien still wouldn't let me leave. Every time I tried to sneak away, she would smack me with her wings or talons.
"You still have a hundred more to sign. Not my fault if your hand hurts—you should blame your crown," she scolded, shooting me a sharp look as she dropped another sheet in front of me with her beak. I pouted.
Seconds later, my phone rang. My brows knit when I saw Principal Oak's name flash on the screen. I answered immediately.
"Princess, she knows already."
"Thanks, Principal. I'm on my way." A smile broke across my face as I looked at Natre. "We're going to the aleid."
"What about the documents? You're not done yet."
I raised a brow at her, surprised she didn't understand the weight of what the principal had just said. "They can wait. My sister comes first. She knows the truth now, so let's go."
The moment I stood up, she flew to my right shoulder. In an instant, we teleported to the principal's office—where she sat at her desk, speaking with Dylan in a grave tone.
"Where is she?" I asked. They both rose when they saw me. My eyes swept the room, but Rhein was nowhere to be found. "Why isn't she here?"
"She's in my office with Forelody and Tyler," Dylan replied. "She fainted earlier after confronting me."
I gave him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. He immediately raised his hands in defense. "It's not what you think! I didn't hurt her. Probably exhaustion."
"The selection for the student rankings just ended," Principal Oak added. "She might have overused her magic—though I doubt it. Most likely, it's due to her transition into a true hwizta mnarillaza."
A proud smile tugged at my lips. "My sister really is exceptional."
"That's what puzzles us," the principal continued. "How did she complete the transition in just weeks when it normally takes months?" Dylan's eyes, equally serious, fixed on me, waiting for an answer.
Because she carries the most powerful stone in this world.
I bit back the truth and simply smiled. They could never know—Rah's orders are absolute.
"It just means she's… different."
We returned to the palace together—Dylan, Forelody, and the unconscious Rhein. Now, we were walking toward the rah and nhar's private chamber.
Teleportation doesn't work here; after the last time I popped in unannounced, they'd been startled into spilling their coffee.
My gaze kept darting to Dylan. He was carrying my sister, and I was keeping a very close eye on his hands, making sure they stayed where they belonged.
"W-what?" he stammered when he caught me watching. "You're thinking something bad about me again."
"For all I know, you might suddenly get handsy."
"I may be handsome, but I'm not indecent."
My eyes rolled on instinct. "Whatever."
Forelody called my name from where she perched on my left shoulder. "I'm sorry, Princess. I think I'm partly to blame for Rhein's suspicions."
Her feathers were now pure white, her beak and talons a vivid green—a change that must have been caused by Rhein's completed transition. Natre hadn't changed color when I transitioned. My sister truly was special.
I gave her a reassuring smile. "It's not your fault. It was part of the plan. And the test is now complete—she passed."
"Really? That's wonderful!" She paused, then asked softly, "So she'll know everything now?"
"Yes."
"I just hope she won't be angry at me for keeping secrets," she murmured sadly.
Her words gave me pause. Knowing my sister's aversion to secrecy, she probably would be upset.
When I opened the double wooden doors to our parents' chamber, they were bent over their desks, reviewing paperwork like corporate executives.
They stopped as soon as they sensed us, surprise flashing across their faces before it melted into joy. They came forward, though they restrained themselves from embracing Rhein right away—they knew she had to hear the truth first.
"Mother, Father, she knows now."
We left for Rhein's assigned room in the palace. Father carried her this time—probably sharing my suspicion that Dylan couldn't be trusted with her.
Father laid her gently on her pristine bed. Mother tucked her in and sat beside her, taking one of her hands while Father took the other.
"How will you explain everything to her?" I asked.
They smiled at each other instead of answering. Father placed his palm on Rhein's forehead, a bright light flaring between them.
"She doesn't need the dream anymore," he said minutes later. "Her suspicions were correct."
I frowned. "Does that mean she knows about the deore mnarillaza as well?"
"No. Not yet," Father replied.
"I'll explain that part to her later," Mother volunteered.
Rhein's eyes fluttered open. She scanned the room, looking at each of us. Confusion gave way to realization, and then tears spilled freely down her cheeks. Her trembling hands reached for our parents' faces.
"Y-you're alive, Mother, Father," she whispered before breaking into sobs and pulling them both into a desperate embrace.