The Eighth Sin

Episode 9.5 - Burning Mistakes

"Y/N, come with us." Ellie begged her older sister. "It'll be fun!"

Y/N scoffed. "Third-wheeling is not going to be fun."

Ellie and Emer were trying (and failing) to convince Y/N to come to a festival with them. Y/N suspected that this was because someone brought the fact that she hadn't been spending much time with her sister to Ellie's attention. Sadly Y/N was done with letting Ellie bringing her along just to ignore her.

"Of course!" Emer exclaimed. "Third-wheeling is boring! That's why we're bringing another person along!" Y/N gawked at him, slowly turning to Ellie.

Rage was tearing through her voice as she said, "Another person? You set me up with a blind date?" Ellie and Emer glanced at each other worriedly, as if they were expecting this reaction. Ellie placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Y/N, we think that you need to find someone to be with." Ellie said in a comforting voice. "I've never been as happy as I am now with Emer, and we want you to have the same joy."

Y/N stared at the two of them in shock and disappointment. "Don't you think that's my choice?" She asked, pulling away from Ellie's touch. "You shouldn't mess with other people's love lives without their permission. Have fun at your festival." Y/N walked out, pulling on her coat. "I'm going on patrol."

Ellie turned to look at Emer. "I just want her to be happy..."

Emer smiled at her. "We'll just have to try again. She can't fight our good intentions forever."

Ellie nodded. "I guess you're right."

A sudden scream cut through the night, which was odd considering that Y/N and Ellie lived nowhere near the town they protected so fiercely. One of the reasons was so that they didn't get attached to the citizens. Attachments could be hindering as a Holy Knight who's assigned to protect a single town. Either way, it was not often that you could hear screams so clearly near their small home, so Ellie sprinted towards the door, Emer close behind.

After a few minutes, Ellie found Y/N in a pit dug for hunting. "Y/N, I was so worried! What happened?" She asked her sister while searching around for a way to pull her out of the deep pit.

"Someone dug a pit for hunting and I didn't notice it until I fell in." Y/N said. "Calm down, I can pull myself out." Ellie sighed in relief as she saw her sister's head poke out of the top of the hole. She then dragged her torso out, her legs soon following.

As Y/N lay on the ground, panting, Emer stuck out a hand to help her up. Y/N gratefully grabbed it, but quickly let go when she felt burned. Her hand sprang back as she used her other to push herself up. She looked back from her burned hand, and Emer's hand, cradling her hurt hand. Her eyes narrowed as she examined the man who called himself Emerald. He looked normal enough, but if that was the case, then why did contact with his skin burn her?

Later that night, as they bid their farewells, Y/N couldn't help but feel that she had made a mistake. A big mistake...