The memory shifted once more.
The courtyard of ashes and green fire dissolved slowly and in their place came the quiet creak of wooden furniture, the shuffle of boots across polished floors and the low murmur of servants moving through a chamber.
When the scene settled again, I realized immediately that this was not the same room Elyonari had been living in before. This chamber was enormous.
The ceiling stretched high above and tall windows draped with pale green curtains allowed soft afternoon light to spill across the polished floor. The walls were lined with shelves and cabinets carved from wood. A wide bed rested near the center of the room, layered with thick blankets and sheets dyed in shades of silver and emerald.
Guards moved in and out of the room, carrying crates and pieces of furniture, placing them carefully along the walls or arranging them beside the large windows. Some carried racks of training equipment while others unloaded bundles of books, scrolls and clothing.
Elyonari stood near the center of the room watching all of it with in confusion. Her arms were still wrapped in bandages and although her posture had improved slightly compared to before, the lingering weakness in her body was still obvious in the way she leaned slightly against the edge of the bed for support.
Veylonar stood beside her. He looked completely relaxed, observing the commotion with his arms loosely folded behind his back while the guards finished arranging everything.
Honestly, I know that Spheraphasian Divine Beings mature way faster than normal children when they're young but still, isn't this a bit too much?
Elyonari finally turned toward him.
"You didn't have to do this."
"Do what?"
She gestured weakly around the room.
"All of this. It's unnecessary."
Veylonar stared at her for a moment before he sighed.
"Why do you have such a low opinion of yourself? Is it because Mother called you useless?"
Elyonari didn't answer. Her eyes shifted slightly toward the floor. Veylonar sighed again, this time more heavily.
"Our mother… is obsessed with inheritance."
"What do you mean?"
He leaned casually against one of the wooden cabinets, crossing his arms.
"For some reason she's been rushing to make me the Dynasty Monarch. The training she's putting me through right now is… hellish."
"Then why are you smiling?"
He chuckled softly.
"Because fortunately she's not focused on you."
"Why is that fortunate?"
"The reason I'm working so hard is because I want her attention to stay on me."
"What?"
Veylonar looked toward the window where sunlight filtered gently through the curtains.
"Our mother is… not okay. It's like she's preparing for something. Like she's rushing against time. And she's putting everything on me. It's better that way."
Elyonari stared at him.
"Why?"
He looked at her again.
"Because if she started putting that pressure on you, you wouldn't survive it."
"You don't have to do that."
Veylonar immediately shook his head.
"Yes I do. She's going to push someone until they break so it might as well be me."
Elyonari didn't know what to say. The silence stretched between them for a moment before Veylonar suddenly pushed himself away from the cabinet and clapped his hands.
"Anyway, I've been busy these past few months. I've been looking for alternatives to your weakness."
"What weakness?"
"The one where your body can barely support you."
She looked away awkwardly.
"Oh."
"I heard you've been practicing archery."
"You heard about that?"
"Of course I did."
He reached toward his waist and pulled out a small storage pouch hanging from his belt.
"It took some effort but I managed to commission something for you. You know the Viaca family, right?"
Her eyes widened slightly.
"The Viaca family?"
"I had to convince the Grand Duke of Richinaria himself to make it."
"That must have cost a lot."
"It did."
He reached into the pouch and pulled something out.
The weapon gleamed softly under the sunlight. Its body was carved from smooth white material while faint golden lines ran along its limbs. The bowstring itself shimmered with a faint golden glow.
"It's beautiful."
Veylonar handed it to her.
"Try holding it."
Elyonari carefully reached out. Her fingers wrapped around the bow's grip. The bow slipped from her hands as her legs buckled beneath her, sending her sitting awkwardly onto the floor. Veylonar stared down at her as she struggled to lift it.
"Yeah, you're way too weak."
"That thing weighs a mountain!"
He picked up the bow easily and held it upright.
"You can't just shoot arrows all day and expect to get stronger. You need muscle."
She struggled to hold it upright this time but her arms kept trembling slightly under the weapon's weight.
"What's it called?"
"Touch."
"Touch?"
"It can summon arrows on its own. You don't need to use your Nature Energy to create them. But if you channel energy into it, the arrows will become faster and stronger."
Elyonari stared at the weapon in her hands like it was something sacred.
"You did all this for me?"
"I also arranged trainers."
He nodded toward the guards standing quietly along the walls.
"The royal archers. They'll train you."
"How did you—"
"It wasn't easy. Doing all this without Mother noticing is a pain. Fortunately she's been locking herself in her room trying to break through to another level so we're safe for now."
Elyonari looked around the room again.
"The archers will also act as your bodyguards. They're loyal to the Dynasty. They won't hurt you or mock you. And they definitely won't starve you."
The room fell quiet again. Elyonari stood there holding the bow silently. Her eyes slowly lowered.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why are you doing all this?"
For a moment he simply stared at her.
"Is it bad for a brother to take care of his sister?"
"Normal royals would abandon someone like me."
Veylonar's face twisted in disbelief.
"What kind of sick bastard abandons their own family? Have you been reading weird novels again? I told you not to read them."
Elyonari suddenly laughed.
"No! I'm not reading them anymore!"
Veylonar froze slightly. Then a slow smile spread across his face.
"That's the first time you've smiled since I got here."
"..."
"Please keep smiling. It doesn't hurt to smile when you're happy. "
She looked a little lighter.