The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Chapter Eighty-Five: Relationship Growths – Part Four

It was nice to have breakfast together. We were all sitting at the table, and it… It just felt like normal. Our conversations reminded me of when my family accepted my chimerism. After filling our bellies, Irisa and I walked with Mom and Dad to the courtyard and told them about last night. They weren’t disappointed or upset. Really, if you thought about it, our new relationship just wasn’t that different. The care we shared for each other was still there, which was the important thing. Mom and Dad hugged Irisa and said they were proud of her.   

“Tris, can I get your help?” Irisa suddenly asked.  

“Of course,” replied my Fragment of Wisdom. “I am happy to provide assistance.” 

Irisa wanted to challenge herself. She wanted to do something to prove her skills—to test her prowess and reinforce her desire to be the world’s best crafter.  

After all, she had fallen in love with blacksmithing at an early age. If there was anything that defined Irisa as a person? It would be that. I left them to their talks and returned to the dining room.   

Niva and Primrose quickly departed to their room with Lei to continue their training. That spirit refused to meet my eyes. But Niva’s [Mana Perception] was advancing steadily. She could almost maneuver herself around the inn without assistance, but channeling the skill for lengthy periods stressed her body. Niva's endurance needed work.    

Or did it? Perhaps there was something I could do about that... 

I’ll talk to Tris about it later. 

It was time to hang out with my little sister since I had spent time with Irisa. Erin's overall attitude had improved. She was much more confident and didn’t even resemble the girl she used to be. 

“But you get to have me to yourself,” I said, rubbing her head. “Let’s spend the day together.”  

“Umm… I…overheard what you said to Irisa.” Erin’s voice quivered, but she quickly recovered.  

I told her I still loved her. Nothing would change. I wasn’t leaving the family, and I’d always be here. And that made her smile. “Now, what do you want to do?  

“I want you to join Pawsome Fables! Let’s go on a quest!”  

“Are you sure?”  

“Yeah. Ms. Ginnie, is that okay?”  

“Of course, it is. I hope Chax and I don’t embarrass ourselves.”   

“I wanna show you how much better Longtooth and I have gotten! Stay right here, okay? I’ll go get my armor.” Erin finished her drink and ran up the stairs, her lion trailing behind.   

“She’s improved a lot,” Chax said. “You wouldn’t think a month would be enough time, but it really is. I think you’re going to be surprised.”   

“What about you, Tilde? Getting better?”  

“Oh, you know it, Master. I’m excited to show you how accurate I am. I might even be a better sharpshooter than you.”  

“Oh?” I grinned and chuckled. “Why don’t we put it to the test? How about a wager?"  

"Deal! The winner gets to kiss the loser!" She swapped from Maid Mode to Adventurer Mode in a flash. It was instantaneous. 

“Deal!”  

“Hey, Ginnie, why don’t we have one?”  

“Let me guess. The winner kisses the loser?”  

“Almost. How about the loser kisses the winner?”  

“Then is that even a bet?” Ginnie giggled and kissed Chax. Tris told me that the two often walked while wrapping their tails around each other. 

It was cute as hell.    

“What shall I do, Lord Springfield?”  

“Whatever you want, Surtr. Rest and relax because we’ll be put to work when it’s time to depart.”  

“I shall remain here. I am but a stray thought away if you need my power.” Surtr stretched and found a nice spot to curl up.   

Last night, Irisa had told me the lions were a huge hit. Since they weren’t wild or dangerous, the inn’s staff began to see them as cute mascots. They would always walk around. Irisa said she sometimes found Kengu being petted. And sometimes, she’d see Surtr stretch before Delouise would scratch under his chin.    

The inn’s manager was astounded by Surtr’s breadth of knowledge, which probably made adjusting all the easier since he could easily match wits and impart valuable advice.    

When Erin returned, Pawsome Fables and I left the inn and walked to the guild. My sister's daggers were showing signs of use. She held herself differently from the last time I saw her.    

All eyes were turned to me as we walked the city. I stuck out like a sore thumb as the only High Elf.  

People chatted in hushed whispers whenever I walked by. Maybe a kid would excitedly point and tell his mother he had seen the High Elf of Liberation. A little girl even wandered up and asked to hold my hand before her brother yanked her away and apologized.   

But that was fine. I gave the little child the handshake she wanted, which caused her to jump around in joy before dashing off.    

“How does it feel being the popular girl, Master?”  

“It’s…”  

“Uncomfortable?” We turned a corner, and I nodded. “You’ll get used to it. But remember, it’s a good type of fame. You saved the city-state. It’s only natural they’d treat you like a hero.”   

At the guild, I walked with Ginnie and Chax to register as a member of Pawsome Fables while Erin and Tilde looked at the quests. It amused the receptionist to see that I was still the lowest rank. I probably couldn’t reach the top, but I knew I could be promoted to at least Rank B. Maybe A. Then again, maybe higher if I used [Ira Ignis] and had Surtr.  

Erin decided on a quest to fetch some mana ore from a nearby dungeon to the south. The Crystal Veil Mines were aptly named since they spawned ore in the shape of crystals. The purer ore contained specs of light shimmering inside.  

“They’re hard to find and easy to miss, though,” said Ginnie. “Chax and I took a quest to collect some and failed the mission.”  

“But Mila’s eyes are really good,” argued Erin.   

“Agreed. There’s no one out there with better sight than my Master,” added Tilde. Nothing could escape [Skyview] and its search function, but I wouldn't use it today unless I had to.  

“Don’t worry. If we fail the quest, I can have the fine waived.” I leaned close and whispered. “Plymoise kinda owes me a little bit, so there’s that.”  

“Geez, Master. Never thought I’d see the day when you throw your name and status around. I kinda like it.” Tilde grabbed my arm, and we left before it got too late.    

“They say she killed twenty soldiers with that weird thing on her back.”   

“Nah, I heard her lion ate a hundred drakes Atrix had hidden away.”  

“You two idiots are both wrong. My brother says an elf like that is too pretty. She uses her charm to sway her enemies into turning against their allies.”   

“Your brother’s a known liar!”  

“What you’d say?! Say that to my face, bastard!”  

“Hey, I wonder if that fairy helped. She’s with the High Elf of Liberation, right? She’s cute enough to liberate my heart any day of the week.”  

“Uh, what a pig…” said the annoyed woman next to the previous speaker—a Pigfolk with green dots on his cheeks.    

For what it was worth, it was amusing hearing the rumors.   

But Tilde was mine. I didn’t like that Pigfolk talking about her like that. A stern look froze him when he realized I had heard him.  

My pointy ears weren’t for show.   

---

“This is the place, huh?” I asked. The entrance was like the Mines of Gamor, but this place was lit up. Light reflected and bounced from crystal orbs that differed from the ore we hunted. The lobby wasn’t that packed, so we began our hunt, eventually coming to a split in the road. My map had changed into a 3-D model, but I still lacked a scanning feature to fill it out.   

The quickest way would be to split up, but Tilde wasn’t connected to Tris’s skill set. She also didn’t have a lion, so I couldn’t track her. We decided to continue as a team and went down the left path.   

Crystal lizards, crystal bats, and crystal kobolds-- short, stubby monsters with alligator-like heads-- shimmered vibrantly. They were around Lv. 8. Erin and Tilde were Lv. 13, so they were more than a match.   

I held my rifle in a low-ready position and watched Erin. She ran forward with Longtooth, who roared, sending a blast of fire towards the charging enemies. The flames suddenly turned into a wall, and then a spark of the azure fire went to Erin and coated her in a barrier. Suddenly, the wall dropped, and I saw my little sister raise her daggers.   

“[Backstab]!” Her weapons flashed red, and then she thrust them into her enemies’ backs. They didn’t die, but the vines birthed from the knives entrapped them. Tilde flapped her wings and took off flying.   

“Master, watch me!” Tilde drew her revolver and sent three bullets through the kobolds’ crystalline heads, ending their lives in a flash. Their corpses quivered and broke apart, shattering like glass while leaving their core behind.   

“Good work, you two,” I said. Tilde gave me two thumbs up and a flashy smile after pocketing the cores in her pouch.  

“Your accuracy’s still impressive. And great job, Erin. It didn’t occur to me to use Longtooth’s flames as a barrier.”  

“Hehe!” Erin sheathed her weapons and caught Longtooth when the lion jumped into her arms.   

“See? Told you she’s gotten better. They say some people are cut out for fighting, so I wonder if Erin’s that type of girl.”  

“Like a battle junkie?” asked Chax. Ginnie looked at him and shook her head. Her earmuffs almost fell off, causing her to tighten them with the strap.    

“Not like that, but someone who… Well, it’s hard to explain. But some people are naturally gifted. Erin told me she recently awoken to her adult horns, so that battle confidence is probably coming from her oni blood. But I bet it might also be that ‘image training.'”  

“Longtooth and I dream about fighting. We talk about our weaknesses. We discussed the proper ways to move and how to act in sync. For the first few days, I was still afraid… But I’m not scared anymore. I…like being an adventurer, Mila. I still like being a merchant. If we had a shop, I still wanna work there, but this is fun.” Erin said she didn’t need ear protection. [Deduction] didn’t pick up any signs of hearing damage. Still, I asked her to wear them after Ginnie showed off a spare. 

Tilde said she was fine, but she put on hers after I gave her a look. 

“I’m glad you’re having a good time. I bet it won’t be long before you save me.”  

“Really? Me…saving you?” Erin looked dumbfounded as she put them on, but her purple eyes sparkled brightly. “But you have Surtr. And you’re already so strong.”  

“Don’t sell yourself short, Erin. Have some confidence. Have some pride.”  

“Right! I’ll do my best!”  

“You too, Tilde. We still need to have a little contest.”  

“Oh, you’re on, Master!”  

“But let me make it more even. Here, this is a Taurus 856,” I said, explaining that it used .38 Special. I also gave her some ammo and three speedloaders. Two were for this weapon, and the third was for her Colt SAA.   

“A new gun? Sweet!”   

“But note the design,” I said. “It’s better for close-up. And it’s more difficult to properly use. But I know you can do it.”  

The firearm appeared on her opposite hip, and she drew both and took a pose before twirling them back into their leather holsters.    

“Two guns? I can play that game too.” I vanished my rifle and retrieved my 1911 and 92FS. Ginnie found the ‘weird pipe’ unusual, and I showed her how the silencer worked. She was amazed that something so loud now produced no noise.    

“Uhh… How many of those things do you have?” Chax’s jaw dropped when the rifle and shotgun appeared on my back. It opened further when I borrowed Tilde’s revolvers and wore the Beretta M9 around my ankle.   

“It’s up to seven.” I gave Tilde her guns back. “But give it a year. I’ll have way more.”  

“I’m…kind of anxious to see that, actually.” Ginnie made a small joke about me being more firesalt than elf.    

We ventured deeper into the mines, and it felt weird to not rely on torches or illumination magic.  Darkness was light.  Nothing could hide in the shadows. Even if they did... 

My map constantly revealed everything.  

“That’s one,” I said, sending a bullet through a crystal lizard’s eye. I used [Chimeric Armatization] with [Aerial Slice] to attack the monster with a dozen sharp blades of wind, exploding it from the inside.    

“What? How did you even see—”  

Bang!  

“That’s two.” Another lizard perished. My activity log told me the cores and materials were stashed in my storage.    

“Come on!”  

“You gotta keep up.” I twirled my handguns and killed three more in three trigger pulls. The plan was to get enough 1911 exp to acquire the silencer and laser sight attachments.    

“Mila, your eyes are… How did you even see that?”  

“[Arcane Sight: Veil of Mystical Vision]. Everything is monochrome except mana, which sticks out like white paint against a black wall. That’s going to help us find the ore.”  

“I see… You know, seeing this… It’s almost gotten me fired up!” Ginnie pulled a pair of nunchucks from a pouch on her hips. They were enchanted, and Tilde told me she used the enchanting table I’d gotten from Susize’s mansion to upgrade Pawsome Fable’s gear while I was gone.  

I was perfectly fine with that because enchanting wouldn’t do much good for me. I was growing too powerful too quickly to effectively use it, and monster cores were more of a drag than anything else, so Pawsome Fables could have them. “Chax?”  

The Catfolk drew his sword. It was plain and unordinary, but it somehow fit him. Ginnie’s weapons were rather unique. She showed me a brief performance of her skills, and her movements were clean. To me, they were slow, but she clearly practiced a lot. I didn’t see that many wasted motions.  

We progressed further until we came to a large room with other adventurers. We passed by an invisible threshold, and the empty ceiling suddenly became full of crystals that held monsters. Someone called out that this was a monster-spawning trap room. The more people entered, the more monsters would emerge from the walls and roof.   

It was the perfect time to switch to Kronto.    

However, I let Chax and Ginnie handle most of the foes coming our way. The Catfolk was quick as a feline, yet he lacked the strength to puncture the crystalline bodies of our enemies. He’d be better if we fought monsters of flesh and blood.  

Ginnie dodged and sidestepped the incoming kobolds and thwacked their bodies, her green hair elegantly fluttering in the fight. She was agile on her feet and dodged a lizard’s tackle from behind.    

She replied with a skill called [Slam Dunk]. She brought the nunchucks around her upper body and sent them down on the lizard’s head, killing it instantly.   

It looked like they were having fun, so I ran in with my spear and helped kill the enemies.    

The sizzling crackle of lightning danced off Kronto when all was said and done, and I switched to my rifle and changed it for the Winchester Model 1887. A friendly adventurer said the caverns narrowed, so I wanted to use something with a little more firepower.   

If I can get my hands on a double barrel? Hell, even the M1903 Springfield? I probably won’t use any other weapon. But when am I going to get something automatic?   

We continued delving deeper, blasting monsters, smashing heads, and gathering cores for another two hours.   

Eventually…we found some ore. The hard-to-find annoyances were hanging out behind a monster called a crystal spider. It dangled from the ceiling on a shimmering web.   

Tilde fired four shots into its abdomen, and Longtooth prepared a flame blast. However, the spider had multiple spinnerets. It attached a web to the wall, pulled itself out of danger, then leapt towards us with its right legs ready. Chax rushed in, raising his sword. He smacked it with the flat edge to send it away, and Erin, after being surrounded by a flame barrier, used [Erase Presence], another skill she learned from her intense training.   

She took her role as a scout for the group seriously and learned some interesting abilities. If your determination burned bright enough, image training enabled you to acquire skills should the effort be enough.    

Longtooth spat little annoying fireballs to get the spider’s attention. It charged the house cat-sized lion.   

“Not on my watch!” Tilde took flight and shot six rounds into the monster’s back before switching to her snub-nosed revolver. It turned around, but Ginnie jumped into the air and slammed her nunchucks, cracking the hardened shell. Chax was there to parry the leg thrusts, and Erin finally appeared. Her daggers jabbed into its back, and the vines constricted tightly around the squirming spider.   

The spinnerets continuously spun web as a defensive mechanism, but I merely walked up to it, held my shotgun against its face, and blew its head clean off. I cocked the gun and caught the ejected shell out of the air.    

“That was some teamwork. I’m seriously impressed I said, cracking a smile. Anything important the spider had was in my storage. Since I trusted Chax and Ginnie, I told them of [Auto Loot], and they said nothing would ever surprise them.   

I doubt that…  

“By the way, that puts me ahead of you, Tilde. I win the challenge.”  

“Eh? That’s not fair. I totally had the spider! I… I just… Aww… I hate losing…”   

I suppose your lips are going to be mine tonight.”  

“Hhmph!” Tilde pretended to be angry and turned away, but she glanced back with one eye open and smiled. “I suppose... I’ll just have to work that much harder in the future, Master.”   

“Maybe you do. Let’s get the ore and return to the inn. It’ll be mid-day by the time we arrive.”  

After getting the required items, we left. But that spider was too interesting to leave behind...  

A little bit of slime ought to do it.   

Four minutes later, I got the notification.   

[Crystal Web]? Okay, it seems like my webs are crystallized. They’re still immune to fire and ice, so what can I do with this? Hmm... 

---

After getting our reward from the receptionist, I had satisfied Erin’s request.   

But the day didn’t have to end.    

After leaving the guild, I brought up the shopping trip I promised Tilde.   

“And I’ll buy anything you want, Erin. New clothes? Shoes? Weapons? Just pick em’ out. And obviously, that offer extends to you two,” I said, pointing to Chax and his girlfriend.  

“Us? But—”  

“Ah, Master’s generosity sure has no limit. Hey, Ginnie…” Tilde grabbed the girl by the hand and walked away. She retrieved a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. Whatever it was… It made Ginnie blush. She marched back over, grabbed my hands, and asked me if I was serious.   

“Ginnie, what are—”  

“Let it go, friend,” Tilde said. She patted Chax’s back and gave him a wink. He was undoubtedly confused. And he wasn’t the only one. Erin looked a little concerned. She wasn’t as happy as I thought she’d be.   

The reason was simple. Erin felt she hadn’t paid me back for saving her from slavery or introducing her to her father. She admitted that to me in a small whisper when we walked to the shopping district, and I told her to immediately stop thinking like that.  

Our relationship... It wasn’t...normal? I killed her mother. I couldn’t deny that. She was an awful woman, but her sick mind would’ve taken her life sooner or later.  

Slowly, Erin reached out to grab my hand. At the last second, she had conflicting thoughts, but I was faster. “An older sister is supposed to look out for the younger sister, Erin. And… I haven’t been around,” I confessed. “It's not an excuse. I've been busy, but I’m sorry. Today’s your day, okay? I’ll do whatever you want.” She knew about the upcoming Heptarchis.   

Whenever it was called, I would leave. It might even take a month to properly settle things with the Wisefolk, but I hoped it was quicker than that. 

“Mila… So… It’s okay if my heart…”  

“Yep,” Tilde interjected. She hovered around Erin and flew backwards at the same pace we walked. “Take it from me. What you’re feeling is totally normal, okay? And I’m sure you know why more than anyone. But if you have any doubts, ask your lion.” 

I told her Tilde was right. “Don’t be afraid to talk to Surtr through Longtooth, okay? He’s a sage.”  

“Surtr is?” Ginnie asked. She held hands with Chax, who was a little bit embarrassed.   

“He’s smart. I almost did something stupid… But he helped me out. And that goes for you two. If you’re lost or in trouble, and Surtr or the other lions are around? You can talk to them.”  

“Your offer’s very sweet, Mila,” Ginnie said, smiling.    

I turned to Erin. She still seemed concerned and finally said a single name when I prodded for more info.   

“Sekh…”  

“What about her?”  

It was hard for her to talk about, but after she told Longtooth, who told Surtr, who told me, I learned Erin was partly afraid of Sekh. She hadn’t spent much time with her, after all. And the stories of the Dark Lord of Tyranny no doubt scared her more than she wanted to admit.   

“But… I wanna see Sekh again, Mila. Do you think we can be friends? Will she be upset with me?”  

“Friends? Definitely. Upset? Never. I’m positive.”  

“Then… It’ll be okay to spend time with her?”  

“I’m sure she’d like that very much.”  

“And… Can…we go on a picnic? I also wanna thank her for Longtooth. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have gotten the courage to change. I owe a lot to her.”  

“Tell you what. When Sekh's back with us, why don’t we have a super awesome day, okay?”  

“Really?!”   

My smile brought something beautiful to her face. Erin held my hand a little tighter. Tilde flew behind me and whispered I did good. She was proud of my growth, too, and she let me know that with a kiss on the cheek.   

There’s a lot of being proud going around. The world could use more of that.   

For the next five hours, we walked around the various shops. The plan was to buy some clothes.   

And we did that.   

But we didn’t buy them. The shopkeepers said no true brother or sister of Plymoise would force the High Elf of Liberation to pay her bill. That didn’t mean I went overboard. I was conservative in my purchases.   

Tilde picked out two sexy dresses and a pair of spicy underwear from a shop specializing in lingerie—it was inside a gated community near the western edge. She grabbed Ginnie’s hand and pushed her into a changing room, so I figured I knew what my fairy had said to convince her.   

Chax audibly gulped. He looked at me. I looked at him…  

Oh, how fun it was to tease him.   

Erin hid her eyes behind her hands while blushing hard. It was too much for her, so she went outside and chatted with her lion. I shopped for Tris and Sekh.  

“And… This is going to work?” Ginnie whispered when we left.    

“Definitely,” Tilde replied. She looked over her shoulder and grinned. “The boy won’t be able to keep his hands off you. I don’t think you're getting any sleep tonight, hahaha…” Ginnie’s face became beet red, but it was more of an expectation of a rather…intense night she was about to have.   

From there, we went to another shop specializing in general clothes. Everyone was more confident here. Tilde picked out a conservative blue sundress, and Erin wanted a few outfits because she didn’t have many. She was a fan of hairbands and ribbons, and I promised to help tie up her hair.   

---

Later that night, after dinner, I spent a few minutes with Erin after she changed into some pajamas I had bought her. We sat on her bed, and I dolled up her hair and added ribbons and bows.    

It felt nice to do sisterly things together. But I didn’t know how to do this until Tris gave me the instructions. And afterwards, we talked about Sekh a little more. Erin shared a small dream. For those with them, tail-holding was seen as something special. Erin wanted to wrap hers around Karen’s—something she admitted in a lowly whisper—but she said she never had a chance.    

“You must think I’m being weird, right?” Erin looked up and petted Longtooth. “Suddenly talking about Sekh like this? I’m…regretting something… I should’ve spent more time with her—with everyone.”   

“We all have regrets. I have plenty myself. But Sekh's coming back. Sooner than you think. So, think of anything fun you want to do with us, okay?” I rubbed her head and watched her tail wag.    

That gave me an idea…   

“Eh? What’s… Mila…” She stared at my tail.   

Yep. I had transfigured one. It looked just like Sekh’s.    

“These things are…hard to move,” I focused and tried, but it was unruly. Erin offered to teach me, but that was easier said than done. Of course, controlling a tail came easier to those who had them. But she wrapped hers around mine and looked extremely happy. She was smiling ear to ear and gave me a big hug.    

“But Erin?”  

“Huh?  

“Are you… really okay with me? I…” The topic was difficult to approach. I killed her mother… I destroyed that shop.   

“I’m not scared of you, Mila.” Suddenly, Longtooth made a noise, and Erin winced. “No. I can’t lie. It’s not right. I was…scared.  When my mom…did that…and when she sold me… I had nothing. I had heard stories of what happens to girls who are put up for sale. I thought my life was over. I thought everything…was about to end. And I wanted to die.”  

“…” I kept silent. Talking about this required strength. And I didn’t want Erin to waver in her resolve by interrupting her.   

“My mother was an awful woman… I know that now. She was sick and needed help, but no one but Dad extended a hand. And…we know how it turned out. Even if you never showed up... She would’ve still found a reason to sell me. I’m glad you stole from the shop. I’m glad our wares helped you. And… My mom’s at peace. She’s not suffering anymore. I’ll never forgive her for what she made me do, but…” Erin’s voice was weak. I barely heard her over the whimpers. She grew unsteady and fragile and cried.   

“I’m a rape baby. I wasn’t conceived out of love. I…haven’t fully come to terms with it. I sometimes feel ashamed. When I’m alone? That’s when it hurts the most.” Longtooth jumped on the bed and curled between us. Erin quietly laughed as she stroked her lion’s soft fur. That comforting presence calmed her more than she knew it.    

“My mom destroyed a family. And she made me help. And… This still feels like a dream. And I’m scared, Mila. I don’t wanna wake up. But things…aren’t how they should be. Why does Ichiha love me? Why don’t they hate me? I ruined their family. Irisa’s grandma and grandpa hate Dad because I did what my mom told me to do.” She looked at me and grabbed those horns she was so proud of like she wanted to rip them off. But I stopped that. I restrained her hands, transfigured two more arms, and hugged her close.    

Erin fought. She panicked. She cried and beat my chest before submitting to her overzealous emotions. The poor girl must’ve been keeping this in…  

“You didn’t destroy anything,” I told her. “Karen was your mother, but she wasn’t your mom. Ichiha loves you. Kokan loves you. And Irisa loves you. You’re family. You’re important to them. And nothing will change that.”  

“I wish I was Dad’s real daughter! I hate Karen! I hate her so much! I’m glad she’s dead! She ruined everything and hurt so many people!” Repressed anger erupted from the tortured girl’s heart…until it exhausted her.   

Erin was troubled, but she wasn’t alone. But I had to correct something because she was wrong.   

“You are his real daughter. Look at me.” Erin lifted her head but turned away in shame as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. I saw the weight of her pain, the burden of her guilt, and the shattered fragments of a bygone innocence.  “You carry his love in every beat of your heart,” I whispered, my voice unsteady. I wanted to cry. I empathized with Erin more than she ever knew. “And that love surrounds you—more than you realized.”  

I gently cupped her face, urging her to meet my gaze. "You are not defined by her mistakes. You are defined by your strength, your resilience, and your capacity to love despite the darkness that has touched your life."  

Tears welled up in Erin's eyes as she finally met my eyes, the weight of her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "I wish... I wish I could believe that," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.  

"You can," I insisted, my voice trembling with conviction. "You are worthy of love, Erin. You are worthy of forgiveness. And most importantly, you are worthy of happiness. And I’ll protect your happiness. I won’t let anyone take it away. This is your home. This is your family. Your place is with us.”  

Truthfully?  

Erin wasn’t the only one who felt like an outsider. At least she shared Dad’s blood.  

Me?  

I was from another world.   

I was a chimera.   

This body? It wasn’t mine. 

Erin probably realized how I could’ve inferred her words because she suddenly apologized and didn’t want me to hate her. But I wasn’t mad. This was a rough period of her life. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was tougher than she realized.  

“Mila…” she whined my name, and we hugged for a few minutes until I heard a yawn. Four clones appeared, and they got the bed ready while I tucked her in. Longtooth hopped on her stomach and laid down with her head under Erin’s chin. I held her hand and brushed her hair.   

“It’s hard for you too. I know it is. I…want to protect your happiness…because we’re sisters, right?”  

“That’s right.” I squeezed her hand and kissed her forehead. “We have each other. And nothing will change that. Sleep well, okay? You’ll feel better in the morning."  

“Uh-huh. I will. I love you, Mila.”  

“I love you too, sis.”  

I gently closed the door and popped in on Irisa, who had fallen asleep at her desk. Scattered journals laid before her as Kengu bit a green blanket. She walked on flaming platforms and carefully tucked it around her bracelet holder.   

“Goodnight.” Kengu let loose an adorable roar and nodded, waving a paw in my direction. She jumped on the desk and nestled near Irisa’s hands after gently putting the quill in its ink holder.  

Niva and Primrose were sound asleep, and I returned to my room.