Iva's sobs intensified, her grip on Xiao's body tightening. He winced, feeling the pressure on his ribs. "Iva, please, let go," he said, his voice strained. She ignored him, her tears soaking his shirt.
"I can't believe you did that," she cried, her voice muffled by his chest. "You could have died, Xiao! You could have left me all alone!"
Xiao gently pulled away from her embrace, but kept his hands on her shoulders. As if already his second nature, Xiao activated his Gamer Eyes to check for Iva's mana level and also their surrounding.
Once he had confirm that nothing threatening was within the area that they were in, he immediately shift his focus to Iva's condition.
Through his Gamer Eyes, he can see that Iva's mana slowly dropping to a stable level, which he lets out a big sigh of relief.
("Good. It goes back to normal. Looks like killing myself truly works magic.")
Relief by the outcome and also the thought that he had to literally killed himself in order to stop a bomb, Xiao can't help but burst out a laugh.
Iva pulled away from him, her expression changing from relief to anger. "Why are you smiling?" she demanded. "You just killed yourself!"
Xiao gently brushes her hair. "I had to do it. There was no other way."
Iva's tears continued to fall, and she shouted at Xiao. "How could you be so selfish? Did you even think about how I would feel when I found out that you killed yourself?"
Xiao uses his hand to wipe off the tears from Iva's face. His face smiles in relieve.
"How can you stay smiling?" Iva tears continue to roll down like endless stream.
"Nothing in particular." Xiao looked at Iva in relieve as he pet her head. "I'm smiling because I'm happy that you're safe, Iva. And because I never thought I'd see you get mad before."
Iva got even mad upon hearing what Xiao said, but slowly quiet down as Xiao gently pet her head.
"Why?" Iva suddenly asked. "Why do you risked your life to save me? Why do you let me stay with you? I'm a cursed child. I'm a walking bomb. I'm calamity itself. So why even bother with someone like me?"
Tears begin pouring down from Iva's eyes as guilt and remorse fills her mind.
Xiao hesitated before answering.
Ever since he gone through a series of betrayal, Xiao swears to never open his heart or tell anyone of his past. He firmly believe that the only one who can trust was himself.
Yet, this young girl, born with a cursed, born to be scorn by the others, born to wander the world alone, and born to die alone in the most painful way. With her grandmother gone, she has nothing to lose. She was actually ready to died so she could escape this cruel world that given her such a cruel fate.
So why did Xiao save Ivaru.
"I lost my family," he said finally. "My brother, I could only watch, watch as he died in front of me. And even he was dying, he plead me to save myself, and I listen to him. I didn't even think of helping him, I'm just a coward that care for my own pathetic life!"
Iva looked at Xiao with surprise. This was the first time Xiao talk about his past, and also the first time she see him lost his composure.
"And I'm not about to let that happen again. I couldn't bear to lose you, Iva. Ever since you come into my life, when you are staying with me. You make me feel more alive, the cave feels like a home, a place where I can always had someone to welcome me home. I even felt that... you are like a younger sister to me." Xiao embarrassingly brushes his hair as he finished his saying.
Iva's eyes widened at his words. "A sister?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
Xiao nodded, his expression softening. "Yes, a sister. And I'm grateful to have you in my life, Iva."
Iva was silent for a moment, after few moments for herself, her eyes fixed on his. Then she spoke, her voice barely audible. "What if I become your sister?" she asked, her tone uncertain.
Xiao was taken aback by her question, but he quickly composed himself. "Iva, you already are like a sister to me. You don't have to become anything else," he said, his voice gentle.
Iva looked at him, her eyes searching his face. "But what if I want to?" she asked, her voice gaining strength. "What if I want to be your sister, for real?"
Xiao's heart skipped a beat at her words, and he felt a warmth spread through his chest. Still, he can't really understand why Iva wanted to be his sister.
"I still don't see the point on you becoming my sister. Can't we just...be friend? Haha?"
Xiao find the idea of her becoming his real sister weird. So he tried to lightly brush off the idea. Yet Iva insisted.
"But having a sister means someone can watch your back, so you won't throw away your life if you have a family to go home too," Iva said, her golden eyes staring intently at Xiao.
Xiao was stunned by her point, but he chuckled and commented, "You know, for someone who is quiet and looks innocent, I never imagine that you're also a sly girl, Iva." He couldn't deny the logic behind her words.
Having someone to protect and care for would give him a reason to keep on living, and to not abuse his undying ability since he couldn't imagine what will happen to him if he overuse it.
With Iva pleading eyes pressuring him, at last, Xiao give in.
"Alright, alright, from now on, you're my sister, and I'm your big brother, and we will be a family. Happy now?"
Embarrassingly, Xiao said yes to the idea of Iva becoming his sister.
"Still, a family that has a human brother and an elf sister, that's just....weird. Hahaha!"
Feeling weird about their change status, Xiao voices out his thought, yet Iva didn't hear what Xiao had said as she beams out the most heartfelt smile Xiao had ever seen from her.
("Well, it is what it is. Guess we're a family from now onwards, and I will do everything I can to keep her save.")
Xiao swear within his heart, as he swear to never let anyone he holds dear taken away from him again.
Suddenly, a determined look on Iva's face. "And Brother, there's one more thing I want to ask of you," she said.
Xiao raised an eyebrow, curious. "What is it? And what with the change on how you address me?"
"I want you to teach me how to fight," she said, ignoring the comment Xiao made. Her eyes shining with determination.
Xiao was surprised by her request. "Why do you want to learn how to fight?" he asked.
Iva looked at him seriously. "Because we're family now, Brother. And if we're going to fight together, I don't want to be a burden. I want to be able to protect myself and protect you too," she said.
Xiao hesitated for a moment, thinking about her request.
At first, Xiao thought that it was impossible to teach her how to fight, not with her mana overload condition. Yet, a crazy idea suddenly flashes in his mind.
It was a crazy, adventures and high risk idea. If they fail, Iva will lose her life and he will forever live in guilt and regrets. But if they succeed....
Xiao grinned sinisterly as he think of the outcome when they succeed. Since Iva was already so used to seeing Xiao's grinning expression when he got an idea, she just look at him in disgust.
"...this will work, no, it must work.." Xiao murmured to himself.
"Alright, Iva. I'll teach you how to fight," he said finally.
Upon hearing the confirmation, Iva beamed at him, her eyes shining with excitement. "Thank you, Brother! I won't let you down!" she said.
Seeing how Iva was excited about the whole thing and also how strongly thing has develop, Xiao can't help but shake his head and laugh, thinking on how strange life can be, and how tomorrow is always full of surprise and wonders.
On this day, a weird pair of sibling was born. A Human big brother and a golden hair Dark Elf young sister. One was force to run away from his own world because he got sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit, and only to find himself got charged by another crime he didn't commit in this world. The other one was a walking calamity, a cursed child, a being born to die.
What kind of future will they face? What kind of role will they play in the upcoming war with the Demon God army? Even the God of Fate can't predict, for they...are truly a special existent.