After Eryanis’s words, I remained silent. The atmosphere around us seemed to share that same weight, plunged into an absolute silence that grew almost suffocating. Inside, I struggled to process what I had just heard—or rather, to understand at what point things had spiraled so far that Eryanis would propose a direct confrontation with me.
Each recent memory flashed through my mind in scattered fragments, yet none of them seemed to justify such an extreme decision. Eryanis seemed fully aware of who I was, and for that very reason—or at least from my perspective—a fight between us made no sense whatsoever.
Why should we even face each other? Just to decide who gets to claim the title of “older sister” between us? Is that really so important—especially at a moment like this? No matter how hard I tried to reason it out, I simply couldn’t find any logic in it.
Breaking through the heavy silence, Nekra’s low voice echoed for the first time. Her tone was restrained, as if she had weighed each word carefully before speaking.
“Eryanis...” she murmured, pausing briefly, as though she needed to align her own thoughts before continuing.
The next moment, Nekra tilted her head slightly to the side, her eyes half-narrowed in a blend of curiosity and reproach. Her voice rose again, sharper this time: “You... are you seriously... an idiot?”
The instant I heard Nekra’s words, I couldn’t hide the shock that ran through me. Outwardly, of course, I kept the same mask of indifference as always—calm, composed, unmoved, as if nothing had happened. But inside, I was practically shouting at her.
Why on earth would Nekra do something so reckless as to provoke someone who had already decided to fight me? Did she really want to see me thrown into combat? Or worse... did she want me to lose?
For a fleeting moment, I let myself believe she might intervene on my behalf—maybe ease the tension, or at the very least keep the situation from snapping like a taut rope.
But all it took was the cold, dismissive tone of her voice for me to realize the opposite was true. Her words weren’t offering help at all—they were fuel poured onto flames, encouraging the very confrontation I was desperate to avoid.
Slowly, I turned my gaze to Eryanis. Her proud stance still seemed intact, like a mask she held up to hide any sign of weakness. Yet it was impossible not to notice the faint tremor in her hands, the subtle hitch in her breath after Nekra’s remark.
For some reason, a strange premonition crept over me: if this went on, if the pressure increased even slightly, my little sister would end up in tears in front of everyone: (I don’t know why... but I can’t allow that to happen. I have to protect her dignity—no matter what it takes)
With that odd thought settling in my mind, I let my gaze rest on Eryanis for a few moments. The truth was, I had no idea what powers she truly possessed.
The brief display earlier had already been more than enough to intimidate me, reminding me of the insurmountable distance between us. What could I say? I was just an ordinary person. No matter how much strength I might gather, some things would always remain terrifying.
In the end, with an inward sigh of resignation, I let my thoughts slip toward Eryanis: (Tell me—why exactly do we need to fight? I can’t see any reason that would ever make me raise my hand against you...)
As soon as my words reached her, I noticed the surprise in her eyes—a genuine reaction, as though she had never imagined hearing that from me. But the next instant, her expression shifted; the surprise gave way to a thoughtful, almost calculating look, as if she were searching within the silence for a valid reason why a confrontation between us should happen. At least, that was the impression I got.
Even so, whether or not she found a convincing justification, I had no intention of fighting. The very idea of standing against Eryanis felt far too absurd.
And then, while she remained lost in that distant, pensive look, I noticed Althea—silent until now—move gracefully through the air until she came to rest at my side.
Her feet barely touched the ground, as though gravity itself held no sway over her. Then a playful, almost teasing smile curved across her lips as she spoke: “Eryanis, you’re still as obsessed as ever with that tedious big-sister act of yours”
She pointed directly at me as she said that. My chest tightened instantly, as though each word had cut through the air and struck me head-on. When her gaze met mine, it grew even harder, carrying an intensity that seemed to demand something of me—a reaction, any response that would validate her words. But I... I simply didn’t know what to think. My thoughts tangled inside my mind, refusing to take shape.
“I only claim what is already mine by right” she declared at last, her voice steady with pride but tinged with an almost indecipherable note, something between resentment and suppressed longing.
As I watched the scene in silence, standing at the edge of the argument, Nekra—who had been by my side along with Althea—let out a heavy sigh. In her eyes glimmered a weary light, as if she were exhausted from repeating those same words countless times.
Then her voice rang out firm, though laced with fatigue, cutting through the tension Eryanis stubbornly tried to sustain: “There is no such thing as a “right” that decides which of us should be... the elder sister. We were all... born in the same... instant...”
Her lips curved into something between irony and resignation before she continued: “But... Eryanis... even you must understand... the reason, the unavoidable truth of why... Zentharys... needs to be... our elder sister...”
As Nekra’s calm, steady voice spread through the hushed room, Eryanis stood frozen, wrapped in a silence that felt almost suffocating. Slowly, she lowered her head, as if the weight of unseen thoughts had suddenly pressed her down.
Her eyes, now hidden beneath the shadow of her hair, revealed an inner conflict I couldn’t hope to understand. It was impossible to guess what was running through her mind—in fact, I didn’t even know exactly what they were talking about.
I mean... is there really a reason I need to be the elder sister? Until recently, I believed that title was nothing more than a sweet way my little sisters referred to me—nothing beyond that.
But could there be a true purpose behind it? At this point, it no longer made sense to deny it... even I, strange as it sounds, can’t help but feel instinctively that Nekra, Althea, and Nyara... even Eryanis... are all my younger sisters.
It’s not something I choose to think; it just surfaces in my mind like an unquestionable truth, as if it’s been etched into me from the very beginning. So much so that most of the time, I hardly notice it—I simply accept it, as if it were a natural fact of reality.
And yet, watching Eryanis in her current state, I felt I should say something. But... what exactly? The words slipped away from me.
More than that, one thought unsettled me deeply: why was she so obsessed with this idea of being the “elder sister”? I couldn’t understand what true connection Eryanis had with that role.
I mean, could it be some kind of special authority, a power that could only be passed on if all of us, as sisters, accepted the existence of a new “elder sister”? The possibility circled in my mind, but in practice, I had so little information—almost none at all. And that lack of answers only made everything more unsettling.
Then... while I remained completely silent, a soft voice broke through the stillness around me: “Hmmm...” The sound was faint, almost a shy whisper, tinged with embarrassment. Even so, I had no doubt in my mind—I would have recognized that voice anywhere.
The moment I turned my gaze toward the voice, my eyes met Laura’s. She stood a little hunched, as if trying not to draw too much attention, but her timidly raised hand gave her away.
Her fingers trembled slightly, and yet she held her hand up with determination. When she spoke again, her voice was low, almost wavering, but carried a strange firmness: “Since you two want to... well, compete, I think I’ve come up with an idea. Something that would let you settle this fairly, without needing to resort to powers or anything like that... just intelligence, reasoning, and understanding”
Beside Laura, Emily, Victor, and Rupert stared at her wide-eyed, their mouths half open. It was clear those words hadn’t come from a group discussion but from an idea entirely her own—something that caught everyone off guard.
Honestly, I sometimes forget Laura is a scientist, precisely because of the unpredictable way she usually acts. It’s hard to associate that brilliant mind with the carefree, almost eccentric way she behaves when she’s just... well, when she’s simply being Laura.