The Starling's Secret

2 - What Are You Hiding?

Chise's POV

As I close the front door of the house, I sigh. Another lost battle.

Something's not right - I know it.

She's still acting... off.

Ever since Chisa Flashed at the College... she hasn't been the same. I remember the look of sheer terror on her face as her glowing, purple eyes revealed her future. I could feel her trauma as she snapped out of her trance. It was horrible. As she thrashed around, screaming painfully, I was sick to my stomach. I didn't know what to do. She's my twin, and I didn't know how to help her.

Elias had to put Chisa to sleep - there was no other option. It was the only way to calm her down. When he touched her, he explained that her emotions went haywire - she was hysterical.

I was worried. And disturbed. I'd never seen Chisa act that way before. The amount of pain and fear in her eyes haunted me. I felt helpless - I didn't see what Chisa saw. But I knew for a fact it involved Joseph... That Alchemist damaged her both physically and mentally. He is evil - I can never forgive him for what he has done to her. Chisa told me how he tortured her, and I'm ashamed to say, but I looked into her past. I saw everything. I cried myself to sleep that night - she went through hell...

But that won't ever happen again - we defeated Joseph. He won't be a threat for a long time now. He'll never hurt her again.

But Chisa's Flash... I know she saw him in it... in her future... What else could have scared her so badly?

When she eventually woke up three days later, much to my relief, her frantic eyes immediately searched for me. I hadn't left her side. I engulfed her in a tight embrace while she breathed heavily, shaking like a leaf, trying to calm herself down. Her anxiety was overwhelming. After half an hour of comforting her, I eventually asked what she saw that made her so upset. Chisa locked eyes with me; her eyes held so much torment and agitation. Then, she whispered in a broken voice:

"Joseph..."

Then she wailed. My heart shattered; she was petrified of him. She didn't say anything else and I didn't pry any further. She's fragile enough as it is - I didn't want to make it worse. I couldn't force her to talk about it - I would never do that.

She stayed cooped up inside for another month. Chisa was fed up - and so was I. She wanted to venture outside... and I didn't blame her. Sitting in the same spot all day with nothing to do is probably mind-numbingly boring. Eventually, we were allowed to take her home. I thought she'd be more comfortable away from other Alchemists. She smiled like a Cheshire Cat when she saw our home. Chisa practically glowed and her eyes sparkled when she saw the garden. She always loved nature, even when we were little. I remember my sister just stood there, arms outstretched, allowing the breeze to twist through her hair. She smiled - a genuine smile. She looked happy and relaxed - I was happy for her.

Then suddenly, for a split second, her smile faltered, and she became tense. But she quickly hid it, plastering the same smile on her face as before. She thought no one noticed... but I did. What are you hiding, Chisa?

Everything went downhill from there...

For the first few days though, she was like a ray of sunshine. She cooked with Silky, played with Ruth, did some gardening, and studied Magic diligently. However, after a while, she spent less time doing these things. She became a dull cloud, only showing glimpses of the sun. Chisa was acting strange, too. She started speaking less and less. She kept zoning out with wide, fearful eyes. The shadows under her eyes became more prominent - I sensed her anxiety every night. But she never said a word.