daughter of darkness and light

Chapter: A Sister's Bond and a Sacrifice

The morning sun crept through the windows as I woke up, stretching out the remnants of sleep. Heading downstairs, I settled at the table and began eating breakfast. Not long after, Lily appeared, descending the stairs with a bow.

“Lily,” I said warmly, “you don’t need to be so formal with me. I’m your sister, and you only need to do this in front of others, not us. Understand?”

Lily smiled and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” she replied with a playful grin before running to hug me tightly. I chuckled and patted her head. “Alright, eat up, or you’ll be late,” I reminded her.

We quickly finished breakfast, got ready, and headed out for the day. As Lily went to her class, I headed to my office, where mountains of files awaited me. Hours passed as I powered through the paperwork, my mind focused. By the time I had completed my 89th file, I decided to take a break. As I glanced at the clock, I realized two hours had flown by.

I made my way downstairs and found Lily waiting for me. “Alright, let’s start from the basics,” I said, guiding her to the training ground. I began teaching her the shock bolt spell, giving her step-by-step instructions. After about 30 minutes, Lily’s progress was clear. “You’re getting the hang of it! Practice for an hour, and I’ll check on you later,” I told her, giving her an encouraging smile.

Leaving Lily to practice, I wandered to the garden and found solace near the lake. I began softly singing to myself, letting the peaceful atmosphere ease my thoughts. But suddenly, I felt a presence. Stopping mid-song, I turned around and saw Elisa leaning against a tree, watching me intently.

He walked toward me, and I tensed. “What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice cold and guarded.

“I’m sorry,” he said, desperation lacing his voice. “I love you. I’ll do anything to make things right—even give you back your powers.”

I shook my head, turning away. “I don’t love you, Elisa. It’s over.”

As I began walking away, I noticed him muttering a spell. I spun around, horror dawning on me as I saw him extracting the mage magic from his own body. Blood started seeping from his eyes and mouth as he pushed the magic out, sacrificing himself.

“No!” I screamed, rushing to his side just as he collapsed. “Why did you do this?” I demanded, tears streaming down my face.

With a weak smile, he whispered, “I wanted to prove myself to you.” Then, using the last of his strength, he placed the magic into my hands before passing out.

Panicking, I quickly stored the magic and tried to shake him awake, but he remained unresponsive. Without wasting any time, I gathered him in my arms and hurried back to the house. “Lily, come quickly!” I called out as I burst through the door. Everyone rushed to us, their faces full of concern.

“What happened to him?” Gabriel asked urgently.

“Don’t ask right now!” I snapped, my voice breaking. “Talia, can you get me a healing potion?”

While Talia rushed to fetch the potion, I used a quick spell to change Elisa’s bloodstained clothes. I gently fed him some soup, my tears dripping onto his face as I infused the magic back into him. The sight of him so weak, bloodied, and lifeless tore at my heart.

When I finally finished healing him, exhaustion overwhelmed me. I sat beside his bed, still holding his hand, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep sitting in the chair, tears still glistening on my cheeks.

Chapter: Confessions and New Beginnings

Three days had passed, and today was the day Elisa was supposed to wake up. I’d spent nearly every moment by his side, ensuring his healing progressed smoothly. Even now, as I sat beside him, exhaustion overtook me, and I drifted off to sleep, clinging to his arm.

I had already told the others everything that happened. They insisted that I needed to confess my true feelings to Elisa. Reluctantly, I agreed. But deep down, I was scared—scared of opening my heart again after everything we’d been through.

When I woke up, I found him still resting peacefully. I couldn’t help but admire his features—the way his soft, tousled hair framed his face, the delicate curve of his nose, and the light flush on his cheeks. He looked so serene, so beautiful in this moment, like nothing in the world could ever hurt him.

I was lost in my thoughts when suddenly, I heard his voice, soft but laced with a hint of amusement. “Enjoying the view?” he teased, his eyes fluttering open as a smirk tugged at his lips.

Startled, I quickly stood up. “I-I was just leaving,” I stammered, trying to hide my embarrassment.

But before I could escape, he grabbed my wrist gently, pulling me back. “You know, I heard everything you said while I was asleep,” he murmured, his voice low and teasing. “You love me, don’t you?” The smirk on his face only grew wider.

I felt my face heat up, and I sighed in defeat. “Fine, you win. I love you,” I admitted, my voice trembling with emotion. Without another word, I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. “But don’t you ever do something so reckless again, please,” I whispered, burying my face in his chest.

He wrapped his arms around me, holding me just as tightly. “I promise I won’t. I was a fool before, but I’ll never put you through that again,” he said softly, his breath warm against my hair.

After a moment, I pulled back slightly and looked up at him. “What about Nera and Mr. Charles?” I asked, my worry returning.

His expression darkened for a brief second before softening again. “They’re nothing to me. I’ll deal with them—permanently. The only person I care about is you. I love you, and only you.”

His words sent a surge of warmth through me, and I hugged him again, never wanting to let go. For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to feel hope for our future—a future where we could finally be together without shadows from the past haunting us.