Dream Beyond Life's Edge

Home Visit

"Can you please stop, just calm down!"

"Ehehehehehe! Come get me!" Leaping from his sister's grasps, the boy ran and circled the small square room.

The annoyed girl easily caught up and picked him up by the shoulders. "Come on Joseph, don't make everything so hard. Just eat okay, I'm not asking you for much."

"After I eat, we'll play hide and seek, got it?" Joseph gave an ultimatum to the long conversation they had.

"No! You need to rest! Please, you're sick. Isn't your body supposed to get tired because of that?!" Something snapped inside her. Her feet, seemingly having a mind of its own, constantly pushed her to go to the meet up she was supposed to be having with her friend, but her rational mind forced her to stay, rapidly draining her stamina.

"Are you mad, Talia?" Joseph worriedly asked.

Seeing his innocent gaze, Talia's heart melted. She sighed, feeling suasible for easily losing the irritation she previously felt. "No, I'm not. Just annoyed at mom for leaving so suddenly. Right when I was supposed to meet up to discuss the festival too."

"Really, so not at me?"

"No, of course not." Talia crouched down and stroked Joseph's head softly. "Can you please eat now?"

Joseph's energy instantly diminished hearing the word eat. "Okay..." He lazily said. His arms swaying back and forth as he walked barefooted across the white carpet.

"Thanks." She sat down on the bed and her back fell onto her bed, arms laid out. "Aahhh, I want to go..."

"Why not leave then?" With porridge smeared on his mouth, Joseph turned at her with a confused, but slightly intrigued look.

"Mom told to not leave you here alone in the house because you got sick. 'What if something happened,' she said. And look, you're just fine here. Energetic even!" Talia's indignation once again spilled out. "Hmmm... Maybe it's because you're still a kid. Wait, it's because of that isn't it."

"I— Augh gah!" Joseph choked on his porridge.

"Swallow your food first before talking." She got up from the bed, walked to Joseph, and cleaned Joseph's mouth with a piece of cloth she grabbed from the table.

"Sorry, back to what I was saying—"

A loud slam came from the front door. Talia's heart jumped at the noise.

"Come on, I got interrupted twice!" complained Joseph.

"Sorry, I'll have to get this." She folded her hand as a cheap apology. "Coming!" shouted Talia as she was running down the stairs, leaving her brother and the bowl of porridge in the bedroom. After reaching the door, she chanted the password inside her head.

Gaia-ris: Brigirete junor.

With a click, the door unlocked itself.

"Hello, Wh—Ahhh!"

"Bahhh!!" The instant she unlocked the door, a blonde-haired girl kicked the door wide open while screaming.

Talia's heart jumped as she fell on the floor with a thud.

"Talia, goooood morning! Did that surprise you?" she loudly said as she raised her hand high.

"Alexia, don't do that! The door could've broken."

"Ohh sorry, I didn't think about that. Just got a little too excited." Alexia rubbed her head looking flustered.

"I didn't think you guys would come here."