The sound of glasses clinking against each other, paired with the steady rush of running water, filled the quiet space between the sisters.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then, as she rinsed one of the glasses, Francesca broke the silence.
"You know, sis..."
Carthanalenia glanced at her, still working soap over a plate.
"Hm?"
"Someone confessed to me last week."
Her hands stopped.
The dish hovered mid-air, her fingers frozen around it as her body stiffened. Slowly, she turned toward her little sister, eyes widening slightly.
"...Confessed?" she murmured. "You're already getting confessions...?"
Francesca looked back at her with a bright, easy smile, completely unbothered as she continued rinsing.
"Yeah. It's actually kinda hard sometimes... turning people down and all."
Carthanalenia hesitated, then turned back to the sink. The motion felt automatic, like her body was moving on its own while her thoughts spiraled somewhere else.
She's still sixteen... right? Not seventeen yet. Her birthday's in August...
Her hand rose to cover her mouth briefly, brows knitting together.
Isn't that too young for something like that...?
A pause.
...No. Mom and Dad were already nineteen back then-
"Sis?"
She snapped out of it instantly.
"-?! Yeah?"
Carthanalenia turned to her with a quick, forced smile. Francesca tilted her head slightly, studying her.
"You're spacing out."
"...Ah."
"Something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing," Carthanalenia replied quickly, turning back to the sink.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the soapy water as she scrubbed a little harder than necessary.
Fran's old enough. She can handle herself just fine.
A brief pause.
...Probably.
A hand waved in front of her face.
She flinched.
"You're spacing out again."
Francesca sighed softly, turning back to the dishes as she continued rinsing. Glass and silverware clinked together in a steady rhythm.
"I've noticed, you know..."
Her voice was quieter now. More deliberate.
Carthanalenia didn't respond.
Francesca's eyes stayed on the dishes in front of her. Then, with a small snap of her fingers, the cleaned plates and glasses lifted gently into the air and settled themselves neatly onto the racks.
Carthanalenia's hand hovered over the remaining dishes for a moment, then continued as if nothing had happened.
Her expression didn't change, even as Francesca kept glancing at her.
"It's nothing-"
"It's not nothing, sis."
Francesca cut her off immediately. The running water stopped as she turned fully toward her.
Carthanalenia didn't.
She just kept washing. Rinsing the last few plates like the conversation didn't matter.
Only after finishing did she snap her fingers lightly, sending the dishes back to their racks before finally meeting her sister's gaze.
"It's really nothing, Fran," she said with a small smile.
It only made Francesca's expression harden.
She's starting to sound like Mom...
"Nothing?" Francesca stepped closer. "I'm not the same little girl you kept tricking back then, sis."
She reached out and grabbed Carthanalenia's wrist.
Carthanalenia immediately tried to pull away. But couldn't.
...What?
Her body went completely still.
Not restrained.
Not bound.
Just... unresponsive.
Her eyes shifted, slowly meeting Francesca's.
The grip wasn't forceful.
But it didn't let go.
And somehow-
that was enough.
Francesca stepped closer, closing the distance between them as everything around them faded into a dull, muted grey.
"You really think I wouldn't notice?" she asked softly.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it pressed.
"Is it really that hard to open up...?"
She took Carthanalenia's hand in both of hers now, holding it firmly.
"...Didn't I always rely on you when I was going through something?"
Her eyes began to glisten.
"Why do you keep bottling everything up... when we're right here?"
Carthanalenia's eyes widened slightly.
Not because of the words.
But because-
she still couldn't move.
No matter how much she tried.
...I can't break out of this...
Her gaze lingered on their hands.
On Francesca.
This isn't force...
Then what is it...?
A thought surfaced-
quiet.
Unwelcome.
...Is this what Mom meant?
Something we couldn't reach... even if we tried...?
Francesca's grip tightened slightly, like she was afraid her sister might slip away if she let go.
"I've been watching you, big sis..."
Her voice was quieter now, but steadier.
"The way you act like you're being subtle when you're searching for something... the guilt in your eyes... the way you look like you don't belong."
Her fingers loosened, but only enough to shift.
Then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Carthanalenia, holding her close.
"I don't understand..."
Her voice softened further.
"I thought we had each other."
A small pause.
"...So why does it feel like you're pulling away from me?"
Carthanalenia's thoughts stopped.
Not forced.
Not broken.
Just... still.
Am I being unreasonable...?
Her gaze drifted inward, her expression softening without her realizing.
They're telling me I don't have to carry everything anymore...
So why does it still feel wrong to stop?
SNAP.
The world shattered.
Gray dissolved into color.
A vast meadow stretched endlessly in every direction, filled with blooming flowers that swayed gently in the wind. Color spilled across the horizon, vibrant and alive.
Carthanalenia stumbled back slightly before catching herself.
She could move again.
A gentle warmth brushed against her skin as a breeze passed through. When she lifted her gaze-
She paused.
The meadow stretched endlessly before her, filled with blooming flowers swaying softly under the light. Colors spilled across the horizon, blending into something almost unreal.
"...This..."
"This place?" Francesca spoke quietly.
She tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear, her gaze drifting toward the distance where forests and fields continued without end.
"I made it... while I was thinking earlier."
Her voice was calm. Casual.
Like it wasn't anything special.
"I figured you wouldn't listen," she added after a small pause. "You'd probably just walk away if I tried talking to you normally."
A soft breath left her lips.
"So... I made somewhere you couldn't."
She glanced at her older sister, then lowered herself onto the grass, sitting comfortably as if she'd done it a hundred times before.
Carthanalenia's eyes swept across the landscape again.
Something about it felt... off.
Not wrong.
Just-
Different.
This isn't something Mom made...
"It's not like those spaces Mom uses," Francesca said, cutting in softly.
She looked back at her.
"...It's just a place I can make."
A small pause.
"She wouldn't find it unless I let her."
Francesca lightly patted the space beside her. As she did, a tree slowly grew behind them, its branches stretching outward until it cast a cool shade over the grass.
"Whatever it is doesn't really matter."
Her voice softened.
"I just want you to slow down for once, big sis..."
She leaned back slightly, looking up at the sky through the leaves.
"...instead of acting like something's always chasing you."
Carthanalenia met her eyes for a moment, then looked away, her gaze drifting across the endless meadow. Flowers stretched into the distance, fading into clusters of trees far beyond.
Then, slowly, she looked back at her little sister.
I can't leave...
I don't even understand what this place is...
After a quiet pause, she stepped forward and lowered herself beside Francesca.
They sat together beneath the tree.
"The wind feels nice," Francesca said softly, still looking ahead.
"...Right, sis?"
Carthanalenia didn't answer right away. She simply nodded, leaning back against the tree as the breeze brushed past her.
Something in her chest loosened.
"...Yeah," she whispered. "It is."
Her eyelids felt heavier than before.
Without realizing it, her breathing slowed.
And before long-
she drifted off.
Francesca glanced at her.
Then again.
A small smile formed as she watched her older sister finally fall asleep, resting quietly against the tree.
"Sleep tight, big sis..."
She reached out, brushing a strand of hair away from Carthanalenia's face, careful not to wake her.
Her chest rose and fell steadily.
Peaceful.
Francesca pulled her hand back and sat properly, hands resting on her lap.
"You don't have to force yourself to talk yet..."
Her voice was soft.
"...Just rest for now."
A small pause.
"You deserve that much... more than you think."
-
Time passed.
How long. She didn't know.
Carthanalenia stirred.
Something was tugging lightly at her cheek.
Her eyes fluttered open-
Only to find Francesca leaning over her, gently pinching her face.
"...Hm."
"Big sis tries to act all mature," Francesca muttered, tilting her head slightly, "but your cheeks are still this soft..."
Carthanalenia frowned, blinking up at her. The back of her head rested against something soft, though she didn't think much of it.
"...What are you doing, Fran?"
Francesca froze.
Her hands hovered mid-air before she quickly pulled them back behind her.
"...Nothing."
Carthanalenia slowly pushed herself up, rubbing the back of her neck as she sat upright. The tension that used to sit heavy in her chest felt... lighter now.
...That's new.
She glanced around the meadow, then back at her little sister, who was now fidgeting and avoiding her gaze.
A quiet huff escaped her.
Then-
a small smile.
She reached out and gently patted Francesca's head.
"...Thank you."
A pause.
"Fran."
-
A few days later
"Where's big sis?" Francesca asked, leaning slightly against the counter as she watched Anathasia untie her apron.
"She went out to apologize," Anathasia replied casually, sliding a plated dish across the counter toward her.
"To who?"
"Egrathiel."
A fork floated toward Anathasia, stopping neatly in her hand. She paused briefly, staring at the Mongolian beef in front of her before lifting her gaze.
"She seemed... lighter when she left."
Her eyes met Francesca's.
"...Did you do something?"
Francesca's hand hovered over the dish for a moment.
Then a small smile formed as she picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth.
"...Who knows."
Anathasia raised a brow, but didn't press further.