Chapter 13 : Frist Sister
"...They felt me… they came back for me."
Naz: "Who? Who came back?!"
The old woman smiled…
A calm smile… different from everything before.
"Finally…"
She closed her eyes slowly.
"I will join you…"
Her voice became lighter… as if drifting away.
"I missed you… all of you…"
Then—
Her body began to fade.
Particles of light… breaking apart from her limbs…
rising slowly toward the sky.
Naz's eyes widened.
"Hey…!"
He took a quick step forward.
"Old woman! Wait—!"
He reached his hand toward her…
But
His fingers passed through her.
As if… she was no longer there.
"Slow down…!"
His voice trembled for the first time.
"Wait… where are you going…?!"
But there was no answer.
Only—
Light…
fading away.
And silence…
heavier than death.
She disappeared…
as if she had never existed.
Naz leaned his back against the wall slowly.
His body suddenly lost its strength…
As if something inside him… had broken.
Tears streamed from his eyes.
He quickly raised his hand… wiped them.
But
They didn't stop.
"Stop…"
His voice was faint.
"Stop…"
He gripped his face tightly.
"What's wrong with you, eyes…?"
He breathed unevenly.
"I'm… not sad…"
He paused for a moment…
Then shouted:
"I am not sadddd!!"
He raised his head toward the sky.
His eyes glistened with pain.
"Why…?"
His voice broke.
"Why does everyone who gets close to me… end up in danger…?"
Memories…
piercing his mind.
Her voice—
"Lucifer has marked my location… because I am beside you…"
"I have united with you…"
Naz whispered:
"Because of me…"
Another voice… a cold laugh:
"Zehahahaha… this is the punishment for those who mess with me."
He lowered his head.
"Who is next…?"
His voice was barely audible.
"First… Vivi…"
"Then… the old woman…"
He looked at Chimini lying in front of him.
"And now…"
"Chimini… is fighting death…"
He sighed deeply… painfully.
"I don't know… if what the old woman did… will save her…"
Silence.
Then he whispered:
"Am I… cursed?"
Suddenly
A voice.
Weak… broken…
"Please… aunt… don't hit me…"
Naz froze.
He looked at her quickly.
"I… didn't do anything…"
"I didn't break the vase…"
"It's… Ivaria…"
"Not me…"
"Please… stop…"
Naz's eyes widened.
"Ch… Chimini?!"
He moved quickly toward her.
Knelt beside her.
"Chimini!"
He began to shake her gently.
"Wake up…!"
"I'm here…"
His voice trembled.
"Chimini…!"
Chimini began to open her eyes slowly…
She blinked several times…
Then raised her small hand… rubbing her eyes to remove the sleep.
"…Brother… warrior?"
Her voice was weak… but alive.
Naz froze in place.
He looked at her…
As if he couldn't believe it.
Chimini sat up slowly, still confused.
"Brother… why are you sad?"
Naz quickly looked away.
"I'm not sad…"
He wiped his eyes with his hand.
"Just… dust got in my eyes."
Chimini looked at him for a few seconds…
Then suddenly turned right and left quickly.
"Where…?"
"Where is the old woman?"
Time stopped for a moment.
Naz was silent…
Then said with forced calmness:
"She left."
Chimini: "Left?"
She looked around again.
"Where to?"
Naz: "Her home was destroyed…"
He paused for a moment… then continued:
"She decided to go to one of her relatives."
Chimini lowered her head slightly.
"Ah…"
She paused for a moment…
"I didn't… say goodbye to her."
She raised her head again, life returning to her eyes.
"But brother… what happened? And why was I sleeping? And who was that monster? And—"
She began to ask…
One question after another…
With innocence…
with eagerness…
As if she was trying to understand the world anew.
But Naz…
Did not answer.
Only…
He was looking at her.
In silence.
His eyes fixed on her…
As if making sure…
That she was still here.
That she… hadn't disappeared like the others.
Her voice reached him…
But it felt distant.
Very distant.
Chimini suddenly approached him…
Reached out her small hand…
And grabbed his cheek… shaking it gently.
"Hey! Hey!"
"Why aren't you answering my questions?!"
Naz closed his eyes for a moment…
Then said in a low tone:
"Enough… Chimini."
He gently moved her hand away…
Then stood up.
Turned around.
And began to walk away.
"Wait!"
Her small footsteps stumbled behind him.
"Wait for me! I'll come with you!"
But Naz quickened his pace.
His steps became longer… faster…
As if… he was running away.
"Slow down!"
Her voice rose.
"Where will I go?!"
"What will I do alone?!"
Naz without turning around:
"Go back to your house."
Chimini stopped.
She was silent for a second…
Then said in a low voice:
"I don't have… a house."
She gripped her clothes.
"That place… is not a home…"
She raised her head…
"It's… like hell."
Naz stopped.
Suddenly.
Without turning around.
…
An image…
passed through his mind.
A child…
sitting alone in a dark corner.
Screaming…
cold…
loneliness…
The orphanage.
He breathed slowly.
Should I leave her?
Or… protect her?
Will I lose her… like them?
Or…
This time… will I not run away?
He slowly turned around.
Looked at her.
She was standing there…
Small…
weak…
But looking only at him.
As if… she saw no one else.
He said quietly:
"Chimini…"
She took a step toward him.
"Yes?"
He hesitated for a second…
Then said:
"Can…"
He stopped.
As if he wasn't used to these words.
"Can you… become my sister?"
A moment of silence…
Then
Her eyes widened.
"Brother…?!"
A big smile appeared on her face.
"Brother warrior!"
She jumped toward him with all her strength—
And collided with him.
Naz staggered backward.
"Chimini—!"
"Slow down!"
"You just woke up!"
But she was laughing…
Holding onto him tightly.
As if…
She had finally found her place.
Naz held her tightly for a moment…
Then raised his gaze forward.
His eyes had changed.
No longer fleeing.
No longer afraid.
"…This time…"
He clenched his fist slowly.
"I won't let anyone take you from me."
Silence.
…
The wind passed slowly.
But
There was something…
Unnatural.
As if something was watching him.
In a distant place…
Inside an endless darkness…
Two eyes… slowly opened.
A faint red glow.
A cold… deep voice:
"So…"
A short pause.
A hidden smile in the darkness.
"... we will see if you can protect her without me..."