’...Beautiful.’
Ethea was propped up against the headboard with a few pillows supporting her back. Her damp, raven-black hair spilled over her shoulders in loose waves, framing her pale, porcelain face. Wrapped in a high-collared white nightgown that covered her completely to her wrists and neck, she looked remarkably delicate sitting there.
"Hmm?"
Her eyes shifted toward the doorway, locking directly onto his the moment he entered.
’...Gulp.’
Soren swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.
"...Ahem."
A cough from the side snapped him out of his daze. He spun around, his face heating up as he met Aunt Clara’s amused smile.
"I’ve taken care of everything," she said, her tone light. "She’s bathed, dressed, and ready to sleep. So I am gonna take my leave now and let you two rest."
Soren gave a grateful nod. "Thank you, Auntie. Let me walk you out."
He offered Ethea a nod before turning to lead her outside. While walking, Soren used the opportunity to lay out his thoughts, explaining his decision to take over Ethea’s daily care himself from now on.
Clara listened attentively, her expression softening into a warm smile. "That is good to hear. I will gladly help guide you through it."
"Thank you, Auntie," Soren said, relieved. "Then let’s meet tomorrow morning."
She agreed, and the two soon parted ways at the gate.
He made a quick detour to the bathroom to wash up, letting the water take away the lingering tension of the evening. Once finished, he dried off, dressed lightly, and returned to the bedroom.
"Sorry for making you wait."
He walked over to the bed and leaned down, carefully shifting the pillows to help Ethea lie down flat against the mattress. After tucking her in gently, he reached over to switch off the main lights, plunging the room into darkness.
He slid beneath the covers on his side of the bed, and the sudden proximity instantly made his pulse quicken. Trying to pull his mind away from the chaos in his heartbeat, he quickly initiated a conversation. ’Let’s pick up where we left off earlier, shall we?’
Since Ethea was in a situation similar to Soren’s, she quickly agreed.
Soren smiled into the dark, focusing his thoughts back on track. ’...Actually, I no longer think Raine is an ordinary cat now.’
He went on to explain the rest of the story, before finally asking, ’...What do you think?’
’Hmm... According to the things you pointed out, she is definitely not an ordinary cat. She must be at least an S-Rank. There’s also a chance her rank is lower, but her bloodline is pure and higher, probably Calamity or even Mythical grade. That would explain why she was able to defeat the Kalmira’s Nightmare you mentioned. As for her whereabouts... It’s impossible to know. Unless she had left a clue for you.’
’I thought so too.’ Soren replied and recalled something. ’Ethea... what about your magic beast?’
’She... She sacrificed herself... to save... me.’
Ethea’s voice faltered with each word, the steady flow of her thoughts growing faint.
’And I... I can’t even...’
A surge of grief settled over the connection, laced with guilt.
’I can’t even remember how she died. I... I don’t... remember...’
Soren felt a sharp pang of regret. ’I-I shouldn’t have brought that up. I’m sorry...’
He turned onto his side, his eyes immediately catching the glint of tears escaping the corners of her eyes.
He moved quickly, reaching across the gap to slide his fingers into hers. Holding her hand, he brought his other hand up to gently wipe away the tear tracing down her cheek.
"It’s okay," he whispered, his voice steady. "Please, don’t cry."
She didn’t reply, her chest rising and falling as tears kept slipping past her lashes. Soren stayed close, keeping his grip firm on her hand while gently wiping away the dampness from her cheeks.
Gradually, her posture eased as the tension left her body. Her shaky breathing settled into a steady rhythm, and her sobs faded away. Soon, her weary eyelids fluttered shut as she drifted off to sleep.
’...Guess we’ll continue tomorrow.’
Soren smiled gently before closing his own eyes and sinking deep into his consciousness.
───────
"..."
The breeze off the lake rippled across the water, carrying the scent of pine and damp soil. Ethea stood near the edge of the bank, her feet planted on the soft grass as she rinsed a shirt in a wooden tub. Sunlight hit her face as she wrung out the cloth, her movements smooth and effortless.
Not far away, near the shade of an old oak, a majestic white pegasus grazed peacefully, its pristine wings folded gently against its flanks. Atop its back, a small black cat napped under the sun, its tail lazily twitching in the grass.
Ethea glanced over at the pair and shook her head, letting out a faint sigh. "Why are our pets so lazy? They only know how to eat and sleep..."
<anno data-annotation-id="dcf201f4-eaaf-19c5-3426-19fda52607e4" data-title="Perhaps catching the ’false accusation’ in her tone, both creatures snapped to attention, their faces the picture of comical indignation.">Perhaps catching the ’false accusation’ in her tone, both creatures snapped to attention, their faces the picture of comical indignation.1</anno>
The pegasus froze mid-chew. The cat’s head lifted slowly. Two pairs of eyes locked onto her in silent protest.
<anno data-annotation-id="5fa856d3-5e83-1854-54fc-971a8513eb8f" data-title="Ethea simply held her ground, arms crossing loosely over her chest as she met their gazes with an unyielding look of her own.">Ethea simply held her ground, arms crossing loosely over her chest as she met their gazes with an unyielding look of her own.1</anno>
A beat passed. Then another.
Unable to withstand the pressure, and knowing full well just how terrifying she could be, the two hastily looked away, suddenly finding the grass and the lake infinitely more interesting.
A faint smirk touched Ethea’s lips as she shook her head again, turning her focus back to the laundry. As she lifted another shirt to rinse, her thoughts drifted toward the path leading to the house. ’...When is he coming back?’
Almost as if answering her thought, a cheerful shout echoed from the distance.
"Daddy!"
"Daddy is back!"
Ethea quickly turned around, setting the cloth aside.
A short distance away, Soren was walking up the dirt path toward their cozy house. A laugh echoed from his chest as two young boys clung tightly to his legs, dragging their feet through the grass to ride along, while a little girl sat perched atop his shoulders, hands tangled in his hair.
<anno data-annotation-id="53a94f45-2c8b-3cd2-0040-7c61363e5578" data-title=""..."">"..."1</anno>
A soft smile spread across Ethea’s face. She stepped away from the tub, wiping her hands on her apron, and walked forward to greet him.
"Welcome back, dear."
<annotations style="display: none;">"Σ(°ロ°)!"(≖_≖ )૮₍ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ₎ა</annotations>