The wound is the place where light enters the body.
But sometimes the pain the wound carries can't be seen, however that doesn't make it any less real.
Seeing his sister vomiting almost all the blood inside her body Zane felt helpless like flags in a tornado.
He could only make sure she didn't fall and her head remained steady and all the blood was drained in the sewer so that she could not see what she had done after she came back to her senses.
There should be someone in the Citadel who could cure her. I won't let you die, Milo. Even if I had to beg.
Zane would not give up on Milo.
Her condition was like this from the past year. He believed it was because of the poor conditions of Ashen slums and the fact that she spent most of the time in that hole.
He felt ashamed as a big brother to make her suffer. He used to pray to the First Flame for his sister's well being and her condition only worsened.
Just as she does even a little amount of effort, she ends up like this.
I should have forced her harder. I should have taken water myself.
Zane could only blame himself as even if he wanted, there was no else to blame.
At the start, Milo only faced little coughs and fever.
But as time went on, she was unable to work or move without vomiting blood.
Zane still remembered the time when he had heard her heartbeat after she finished vomiting—It was faster than a five year old's heart was capable of.
He shuddered thinking about it.
After a few more seconds, blood stopped pouring out of her mouth as she went limp.
Her eyes remained closed as she fell forward.
But Zane was holding her so nothing happened.
He carried her in his arms and placed her on the bed.
He cleaned her mouth, noticing her face becoming even paler.
She became unconscious after every such episode and Zane's eyes watered without control as now she wasn't awake to see him.
His shoulders trembled, feeling the helplessness of a thousand lives.
If he did nothing, he would watch her sister die in front of his eyes.
I will find the cure. I will.
Zane wiped his eyes with his forearm and covered herself with the same blanket that was supposed to be on the bed.
One side of the bed had no blanket as a mattress anymore as Zane had rolled her in the blanket on his side of the bed.
Sleeping on a hard surface, that was the least he could sacrifice for her.
But before sleeping, he had to make something for her to eat.
She would wake up after a few minutes and she would be hungry.
He could not afford the healthiest things but he made sure to make her sister sleep with a full stomach every day.
Tiptoeing over the bed, he went to its right side.
He was now in the kitchen.
He sat crosslegged, his left knee hitting the bed as the space wasn't that much. But he managed. He always did.
He held an aluminum bowl covered with an aluminum plate as its lid.
He removed the lid and took out the dough he had prepared before going for the awakening ceremony.
He would make the same thing he had made for breakfast.
The dough he had was way different than the dough other people ate.
It was heavy and grey, it wasn't made of wheat or flour, it was a paste made from Grit-Grain—A hard, tasteless cereal that grows in the trees around Cinder Row.
Most people just boil it and then eat it. But Zane couldn't do that with Milo. If it was for him, he would have done it. But Milo should get the best from whatever he had. Something with texture. Something that would feel like "real" food.
Zane took the dough and flattened it into thin, uneven discs.
He then took Vapor-leeks, a pungent, stringy plant that grew near the graveyards of animals.
He chopped them up with a rusted blade and buttered them with a bit of Rendered Grease he had found on his construction site. A rich man was discarding a jar of it. So he picked it up after the man left.
He then placed a flat sheet of scrap metal over a stolen heat-coil that needed to be charged by the sun. He waited for the metal to go hot and then slapped the dough onto the hot metal until it bubbled and charred.
The burnt smell wafted inside the house as he stuffed the filling of Vapor-leeks inside the dough and rolled it tight.
He flipped it up and down and he repeated the same process four times.
Soon, he was finished with four Soot Crust Wraps.
He stared at their texture and felt somewhat proud of his cooking skills.
The outside was black and smoky that would provide a crunch which would hide the fact that the inside is just flavorless mush.
Most importantly, they were hot. Being poor, they were always cold. So such hot wraps were a luxury.
He looked at his hands and they might not look like Xavier's thick hand but they were surely rough around the edges kneading the dough. Not to mention, the after effects of Survival Threshold worked over time to torment his every move.
But everything was worth it. He did all that just so Milo didn't have to eat the Dough Soup like most Gutterborns.
He patted his hands after finishing the cook.
He had used all the dough he had today and that's why he was able to make four pieces. Otherwise he only made two and ate only half while giving the rest to Milo.
"AhEmrm.." Groans came from the bed and Zane smiled.
He turned his head and saw Milo waking up.
As soon as she opened her eyes and her mind woke up, she sat up straight and looked around.
Her eyes found rest only after stopping at Zane and as she looked at him, her eyes bubbled up.
"I did it again, right? I passed out again, right, brother?"
She hid her face and covered the blanket with her tears.
"I am sorry. I am so sorry you have to face this because of me. You can't go anywhere because of me. I am sorry, brother."
Milo blamed everything on herself and Zane climbed on the bed.
"Hey, you did nothing. You were simply tired so you went to sleep. Nothing happened. And who said I can't go anywhere because of you? I can go to the bathroom with no worries."
"Stop it." Milo slapped Zane's hand and hid her face on his chest.
Zane hugged her back as both of them laughed.
"Alright. Who's hungry? I made your favorite wraps. And four of them at that. All for you."
Milo looked at him. "Did you eat?"
Zane smiled.
He showed a thumbs up. "Of course. I ate when you were sleeping. These four I made only for you. You think I won't eat because you were sleeping? Haha."
Zane laughed, hiding the sound of his stomach and Milo sighed in relief.
"Yes. You should not wait for me. Always eat. You work very hard."
Zane nodded and for some reason, he averted his eyes. They were sparkling and dripping with something.
"Anyway," He said, going back to the kitchen. "Let me feed you."
Milo nodded and opened her mouth.
Her innocent eyes filled with love stuck on Zane.
She watched his hands as they gently tucked the edges of the wrap so the precious filling wouldn't spill into the dirt.
She smiled and Zane finally brought one wrap towards her open mouth.
She took a bite and Zane waited for her to finish the small portion.
Watching him patiently wait, the food would taste even better.
For the world, he was filth.
But to her, he was the man who could turn grey dough into a feast.
However, as she chewed, her face found a frown and Zane gulped.
She squinted her eyes, staring at Zane with quivered brows.
"What… happened?" Zane asked and he didn't know how, but in an angry voice, Milo stated:
"You were lying about eating before, weren't you?"