Chapter 4: A SISTER’S CALL II

Chapter 4: A SISTER’S CALL II A silhouetted figure stood before the window, casting a shadow on her. " What’s with that look on your face? Do I look like a ghost?" Aramith asked, noticing her confused expression. " No, but I wish you were." " So you wish I were dead?" " Maybe. I wasn’t even looking at you in the first place. It’s just...the sun is very bright this morning. Having you in my sight reduces my ability to see. Why would I look at you? There’s nothing good on you to even look at. I’d rather look at the floor. Aah my eyes are starting to hurt because I looked at you" She closed her eyes, massaging them with her fingers like she was really in pain. Aramith was at a loss for words. Couldn’t she even control that tongue of hers? And that terrible act. He looked out the window for a while then turned to see Lia staring at the morning sky. "Well, let’s get going then" "Lia?" "Lia." It was then she snapped out of her trance. "huh?" She cocked her head to the side and stared at him confusedly like he’d grown horns. He could only sigh to calm himself down. "Well, let’s g-" "Ahh, you’re hurting my eyes. I almost forgot." she covered her eyes with her palm and peeked at him through her fingers. A corner of his mouth twitched as he looked at a certain drama queen whose acting skills were enough to make all actors bow down and swear to never act again. "Oh come on already" He grabbed her arm, pulling her along as he walked out. Halfway across the room, he let go of her, noticing that she was now walking properly and not being dragged by him. He half expected her to react and was satisfied that she didn’t. But then... "Aramith, wait" Lia tugged at his sleeve and he stopped abruptly. She didn’t expect him to stop and ended up running into him. "oomf!" " What now?" He asked her, making his frustration obvious. She shifted back quickly, and touched her nose, looking at him strangely. "Where...are we going?" She asked him. He didn’t even bother this time, and just walked away. He turned left once he was out of his room, pretending to not hear the voice of Lia calling his name from behind. He slowly, and purposefully walked down the luxurious path that stretched before him so she could catch up. To his left, the wall stretched upward, rising several feet above the arched ceiling, its grandeur punctuated by thick pillars set at regular intervals. The walls were adorned with expensive, intricate designs—massive paintings framed in gold and diamonds, their surfaces shimmering with an almost magical glow. Each piece of art depicted scenes of profound meaning: an enormous dragon that seemed poised to devour the world, epic battles, wars, dazzling crystals, hidden islands, elves, merfolk, fey creatures, mysterious beings wielding unimaginable power, and more. Below each painting, a signature was carefully etched—each one unique. But what was most striking was the sense that the paintings conveyed something deeper, something beyond the mere images they portrayed. The pillars were intricately carved with gold jutting outwards. Small orbs within diagonally shaped crystals were found within the pillars as well. A splendid view flaunting the wealth of the second most powerful kingdom. The pillars grew upwards, connecting to the arched ceiling. A thick beam run through the center of the ceiling through its length. Several glittering glass chandeliers overlooked the ceiling. Orbs of varying sizes were within the chandeliers instead of candles. The marble touched by the sun reflected different colors randomly, giving the place a magical, and surreal look. Lia finally caught up to him but didn’t nag as expected. She only walked silently beside him...except for the smile playing across her lips. They walked in silence, a silence which made Lia uncomfortable. She attempted to start a conversation, but Aramith would only answer with an "mmm" or a nod, and this made her want to scream out in pain."So...did you have a strange dream last night? " "mm" he nodded "What was it about?" "mm" "You won’t talk about it?" "mm" It was clear his mind was somewhere else Lia’s face was getting darker and darker, but a little somebody who kept ’mming’ about had no idea or just ignored it and just walked on like he was just taking a stroll. "You’re here!" Lia suddenly exclaimed as they walked, and rushed towards a balcony. Aramith paused in his tracks, wondering if he should be happy, or sad that she finally lost it. He just shrugged and walked on toward her. When he got closer, he finally understood her earlier reaction. Lia was standing before a girl in a blue dress who was slightly taller than herself but looked the same age other than that. She had long, dark hair that hung loosely over her shoulders. Her pretty face was adorned by large, deep blue eyes, a small pointed nose, and a small mouth that curved up into a smile when she saw Lia approach her. That smile plastered on her face made her look even more beautiful, but her eyes were cold as glaciers. Mozrael’s gaze held a quiet intensity as if she were constantly observing and dissecting everything. Her eyes were as deep as glaciers "Whiskers!" Lia exclaimed, rushing to pet the small, black cat that lay lazily in the girl’s arms. It purred softly, and stretched a little, glancing at Lia with its Black eyes. "Haa...mm, Good morning Mozrael," Aramith yawned and greeted Mozrael as he appeared behind Lia. Mozrael raised her head and nodded towards him "mm, good morning." she responded in a quiet and reserved tone. Lia turned around in a swoosh. She smirked at him, then turned around to Mozrael. She then pulled Mozrael to one side and started whispering into her ear. After a while, Mozrael glanced at Aramith with a weird look in her eyes and shook her head. Lia said some more and went on fussing all over the cat, totally ignoring its meows of pain and pitiful face that strongly pleaded for freedom. I’m being abused, and no one’s helping me. "Hey, Aramith," Lia said with her eyes still glued on the cat. Aramith raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. She’s still abusing me "I still don’t know why you bought a cat and kicked him out of your room. You don’t even like to see it at all" "How many times do I have to get this in your head that I didn’t buy him, I found him and it’s not my fault he naturally likes Mozrael. You’ll even be the first person to nag if I were to take him away from her. Who even does that?" "Whiskers! His name is Whiskers!" The cat turned to look at Mozrael "Meow?" "and who even gave you permission to name him?" Aramith shook his head. "You abandoned Whiskers, and now you want to choose what he likes. Just look at his face. He looks sad, and it’s all your fault. Even Mozrael doesn’t mind when I call him whiskers, right?" She looked at Mozrael, expecting support. "A girl. It’s...a girl" She said timidly with her head lowered "A girl?" Aramith echoed, confusion written all over his face. "A girl?" Lia repeated, her eyes widening with sudden realization.