Kajin was lying motionless on a large bed, surrounded by the warmth of an unfamiliar room. After several moments, his fingers twitched slightly before his eyes slowly opened.
"Ugh... Where am I...?" he muttered, his voice weak.
His eyes wandered across the room. It was large and elegantly decorated, with warm lights illuminating the thick walls and expensive furniture. At the far end stood a massive window, offering a clear view of the mountains stretching across the distant horizon. Kajin's eyes narrowed.
"This is..." he muttered.
The realization slowly settled in his mind, but before he could think any further, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Click. Click. Click.
The large wooden door slowly creaked open, and a woman stepped into the room. Kajin immediately recognized her. He slowly sat up, leaning against the bedframe for support, his fingers gripping the soft blanket tightly as he straightened his back.
"So, it was you..." he said, a slight irritation filling his voice.
The woman remained quiet, giving him a sly smile before slowly walking toward the bed. Her heels clicked against the stone floor with every step. She wore a tight black dress that moved gently with her shapely figure, while her long, straight black hair emanated pure elegance. Her crimson eyes were fixed on him, filled with amusement and pride. As she approached, she let out a slight sigh.
"You little brat," she said with a quiet giggle. "You really did it!" Her laughter echoed softly through the room.
She reached out and gently placed her hand on Kajin's head before suddenly beginning to pat him aggressively.
"I still can't believe that you are here with me!" she said. "I thought you were just joking, but no, no, no! You were serious about it! Beating up a commander and his entire division was nuts. I mean, not that you couldn't have done it, but the fact that you escaped is just mind-boggling to me. Now you can finally..."
Before she could finish expressing her excitement, Kajin suddenly grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand from messing up his hair any further.
"I think that's enough, Anastasia." His eyes were now fixed on hers.
"I don't need your praises. If anything, my situation has become worse, and now there is no going back."
Kajin let go of her, his hands resting on his knees. His voice was sharp and distant, but there was a warmth within him that Anastasia could sense.
For a moment, she simply stared at him. Then, she rolled her eyes, her red lips curving into a bright smile filled with genuine happiness.
"You haven't changed in the slightest..." she said softly. "Even in the light of freedom, after all those years of living in darkness, those uneasy feelings still refuse to leave you. I guess it will take some time for your mind to settle."
She leaned closer, gave him a pinch on the cheek, and sat down beside him on the bed.
"Tell me, where do you go from here?" she asked. "I remember the things you said you would do if you were free."
"You had this... clear plan in your mind. But looking at you now..." Anastasia paused and looked at Kajin. "I don't think you're very clear about it anymore, little brother..."
Immediately, Kajin opened his mouth to argue, but... he couldn't. The only thing that escaped was a puff of air.
Anastasia was right.
He wasn't so sure anymore.
Now that he had tasted freedom, now that he could finally rest, now that he could finally sleep somewhere warm and soft, somewhere he could eat and drink to his liking...
Not that he had many choices before.
Life had been hard on him.
It was hard being Kajin...
Anastasia reached forward, breaking the quiet moment with a squeeze of both his cheeks.
"Aww..." she teased. "Don't be afraid, little man! We'll find your tongue somewhere."
Her smile widened.
"And I am pretty damn sure it is..."
Without warning, Anastasia slid her hand into Kajin's mouth and pulled out his tongue.
"Here! I found it!" she shouted ecstatically, waving her other hand in triumph.
Kajin slapped her hand away from his tongue.
"If you ever pull that again, I'm going to kill you."
Frustration had built up inside Kajin. His face had become as red as an apple, partly because of the squeeze on his cheeks just moments earlier. His expression twisted with annoyance and anger.
"Now, please be a good sister and let me rest on my own. I've grown tired of your company," he said bluntly, having grown impatient with her overplayfulness.
"Hm, alright then, little brother. I shall let you rest properly."
She slowly got up and glanced toward the window before returning her attention to Kajin.
"But just because I'll be gone doesn't mean I won't come back later, so enjoy this time to the fullest."
"Figured that..."
Kajin collapsed onto the bed, letting out a big groan.
Anastasia raised her hand as if to say something, but stopped.
As her hand fell back down, she thought about how much they had gone through. The sacrifices they had made. The decisions they had been forced to make.
She turned around and began walking toward the door, wondering how things would unfold in the future now that her brother was finally free.
The path ahead was dark, but there was always light at the end of the tunnel. At least, she hoped there was.
For her sake.
For her little brother's sake.
For the continent's sake.
As she opened the door, she turned her head to look at Kajin, whose face was already buried in a deep slumber. He was snoring quietly.
She had never heard him snore before.
A smirk formed on her face before she slowly closed the door.