"Don't worry—she didn't take anything life-threatening," the doctor said, voice calm but brisk as he packed away his tools. Zee stood beside the cot, her hand gently wrapped around Mae's, still unconscious beneath crisp white sheets.
"She'll need rest, but you're elves. Tougher than most. I doubt this is much for your kind."
Zee stiffened at that, almost flinching. The words weren't cruel—but they were dismissive. She bit the inside of her cheek. Maybe it was true, but Mae was still her sister, not just another elf. Just another fighter. The doctor didn't wait for a response; the cuts had been cleaned, the bandages already applied. All he left her with was silence.
Zee exhaled through her nose and sat down slowly on the edge of the bed. Her fingers interlocked with Mae's. They were warm, twitching faintly with every breath Mae took.
"Why did you have to push so hard?" she whispered. "Why'd you want to hurt him that badly?"
There was no answer.
"You always call me the dumb one," she said with a small, breathy laugh, "But this—this was dumber than anything I've ever done."
She stared at her sister's sleeping face, brushing a loose strand of hair back from her brow.
"You weren't winning. You knew it. He hit you again and again, and you still went into that state. You couldn't even touch him—but you still charged him like..." She trailed off. "Why?"
Her gaze dropped, her thumb brushing over her sister's knuckles as she hummed under her breath.
"I guess… you two are alike in that way. Even when you're losing, even when it's hopeless, you don't back down. I wonder if growing up with you… if that's why I…" Her voice trailed off, cheeks flushing as realization crept up on her—another piece falling into place about her feelings toward Xain. It made too much sense now.
Then—
"Why'd you stop?"
Zee jolted, the words snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts. She looked down to see Mae awake, her expression smug and teasing. Zee's eyes widened.
"Ma-Mae! You're awake!" Zee leaned down and wrapped her arms around her, only for Mae to uncharacteristically squeak in protest.
"Oww—still injured, little sister!"
Zee let go instantly, backing off with a sheepish chuckle. "S–Sorry…"
Mae sighed, then gave her a crooked smile. "Dumber than anything you've done, huh? Even dumber than stealing from a noble?"
Zee's face turned crimson. "Y-you heard all that?"
Mae's smug grin was answer enough. "It was adorable, really. That moment you realized why you like him so much…"
Zee made a strangled series of sounds, too flustered to form a coherent defense, her face reddening further by the second.
"Speaking of him…" Mae's voice took on a mischievous lilt. "Hey Zee, how do you feel about sharing~?"
"Sh–Sharing?" Zee stammered, thrown off, her embarrassment now mixed with confusion. "What do you mean?"
Mae's grin widened. "Well~ You know, sisters share a lot. But twin sisters? We share everything." She leaned in, voice dropping to a playful purr. "So what if we just—"
"No!" Zee cut in immediately, realizing exactly what Mae meant. "Absolutely not! And why would you even want to after what he did to you!?"
Mae tilted her head and twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, looking mockingly heartbroken. "Awww~ You won't share? How sad~"
Zee opened her mouth to protest again, but Mae beat her to it. "I don't even know why myself, honestly," she admitted with a dreamy shrug. "But something about the way he looked down at me... talked to me like I was nothing..." Her grin turned wicked. "It made me feel so incredibly hor—"
"Okay! Nope! I don't need to hear that! Stop!" Zee yelped, holding up both hands like a shield.
Mae laughed, clearly enjoying every second of it. "Think he'd be able to tell us apart if I grew out my hair?" she asked, grinning innocently.
Zee narrowed her eyes. For a split second, she looked ready to knock her twin out again herself.
---
Xain's heart hammered as he stood in front of the fighters' waiting room doors. His hand hovered on the handle for a moment before gripping it tighter.
"This is gonna be worse than last time," he muttered.
He pushed the doors open.
Every fighter besides Calvinel and Bryanard was already waiting on the other side—standing. Watching.
Xain let out a breath through his nose, gaze sweeping over them.
"Yeah," he said flatly. "I expected as much."