It's not the load that breaks one down, it's the way they carry it.
Zane might have carried the day well but he couldn't deny that it almost broke him down. If not for returning home, he would have given up along the way and rested right on the road.
Right now, he was inside his house.
He slipped out of his airy shoes as they had holes in it because of hungry rats and went inside.
As soon as he went inside, the house ended.
He slammed himself on the wooden bed with a simple blanket on it and laid with his arms out spread.
"You can come out." He said.
"Okay."
The girl replied and on the floor, the carpet moved to the side.
And from the ground, came out a little girl of five years old.
She was Milo. Zane's sister.
Wearing a black dress, with red roses as designs which she had stitched herself to cover the holes. She had silver hair and a mole on her chin.
Her hands were skinny and her face, pale and thin.
[[ Art for Milo. ]]
After coming out, she placed the brown carpet over the hole again.
Living in the Ashen slums, safety couldn't be guaranteed, especially for girls.
So whenever Zane leaves the house, Milo hides inside the hole to stay hidden and safe.
That's one of the reasons Zane never revealed he had a sister to anyone. Hell, he didn't even take her name out loud.
No danger should befall upon her.
She was his only family and that's why he couldn't look at her face for too long. He won't be able to hide his tears.
Like right now, a tear emerged on his left eye as he looked at her sunken face and white hairs.
She wasn't always like this.
Her hair used to be black like normal kids and her face was full of vigor as well.
But last year, she caught an illness that changed everything.
He didn't know how she caught it, and what kind of disease it even was. There were also no healers and alchemists guilds in both Cinder row and Ashen for him to visit with his sister.
And he didn't have that kind of money to go to the city and get a cure for her.
No one helped him either and there was no one whom he could talk to about this.
If only I was more capable.
He averted his eyes from Milo but Milo didn't do that.
And the moment her eyes landed on Zane, her pupils widened.
"Is that… blood?" She jumped closer and Zane rubbed his forehead.
How should I explain this?
She raised her hand and placed it on Zane's face, tracing the dried red marks.
Zane sighed and went with the truth.
"Yes. It is blood."
Milo crossed her palms.
"Are you hurt?" She asked.
"No."
"Then why were you bleeding?"
"This isn't mine."
Milo's brows shot up. "You hurt someone? Were they the rich people? Are they coming here? Do we need to hide again?"
Zane let out a tired sigh. He was talking while lying on the bed.
"No. They weren't rich. I didn't hurt anyone. And there is no need for us to hide anymore. No one will come here."
"No one will come?"
Zane nodded. "I will tell you everything later. Just give me a minute."
"Okay." Milo didn't press and now that she was out of the hole, she stretched and jumped on the bed as well.
Zane had gone for a long time and she was in the hole for that exact duration as well. And most of all, she missed her brother.
She rested her head above Zane's left arm and covered his chest with her left hand over him.
Zane's body ached all over as he had used his Merged Skill two times but not once did he groan to make Milo know about it and leave his side at the moment.
"What happened to your shirt?" She asked, forgetting about blood. "I stitched it so many times for you."
"Well," Zane paused. "I gave it to someone. Sorry."
"Hmm." Milo conveyed a rough remark and Zane was afraid of only such a thing.
But more than that…
"You only asked about the shirt? I must be stinking too."
"You are."
"And you are still hugging me?"
"The smell doesn't change my brother."
A smile came by itself on Zane's face as he too placed his hand on Milo.
Both brother and sister stayed like that for a few minutes until Zane coughed.
Milo opened her eyes and Zane tried to get up.
"I am parched."
The simplest of movements hurt Zane as all his veins were rusted along with his joints.
His face subconsciously winced in pain and Milo saw it.
She jolted faster than Zane.
"I will bring it. You lay down."
"No. It's fine. I'll take it."
"Stay down. I will do it. I can do this much without any problems."
Milo shouted and not making her angrier, Zane laid back down.
The girl went to the right side of the bed and in a steel glass, she poured water from a container made of mud.
The right side of the bed was their kitchen.
The entrance faced the bed and the left side of the bed was their bathroom, separated by a wall of another curtain.
After filling the glass, Milo looked inside it and wrinkled her nose.
She raised her finger and removed the insect from the water.
Then she pumped her fist and finally gave it to Zane.
Zane had his eyes closed and only when Milo jerked him lightly, he opened them.
Seeing him, the corner of Milo's lips turned down. "I didn't know you were sleeping. Sorry."
Zane shook his head and patted Milo's cheek. "It's fine. Besides, you haven't eaten anything. I'll make something for you."
"No. I will make it for both of us. You rest."
"Not a chance. If you work for a long time… Forget it, I am doing it."
"I am fine, brother. Really."
Zane shook his head violently.
He sat up straight and gulped the water.
Then he left the bed.
But Milo held his shoulders and forced him down.
Zane used his strength.
He couldn't.
Milo won.
"Yay!"
She laughed and Zane ended up laughing too.
Both siblings shared a laugh but it was short lived.
Milo had used her strength and the reason Zane didn't want her to work, appeared.
Her pupils went upwards, her eyes turned white and Zane's heart sank.
He instantly left the bed and hastily brought Milo to the bathroom.
Milo wasn't speaking, she was still and Zane pushed her head downwards at the drain.
Just after that…
SPLASH!
Streams of blood came out of her mouth.
Zane bit his lip.
Milo vomited condensed thick blood, and that sight for Zane was crueler than a man exploding in front of his eyes.