(Flashback before the time Niken fainted)
Niken was enjoying her favorite cake at the twin sibling's residence while looking at her brother, who was practicing his fire-bending. Richard covered his hands with fire and then moved deftly as if opponents were fighting with him.
Niken was amazed by the progress of her twin brother. Richard was indeed a genius. He was able to perfectly control his fire energy so the fire wouldn't spread and hurt his body.
She remembered the first time her brother had succeeded in making a fireball at the age of ten. She was amazed and increasingly adored her brother.
Since knowing that he was a fire Elementalist, Richard continued to practice by looking at the way other fire elementalists practiced.
Richard got stronger every day, and he began to sense the flow of energy inside an Elementalist's body.
Richard felt enthusiastic and diligently honed his element bending abilities. He could even feel the energy of the water element in his sister's body.
At first, the two of them had no idea that they were Elementalist. Niken, who was told that she was a water Elementalist, felt joy and was excited to practice. But unfortunately, she was not as talented as her brother. She could not use the element energy at all.
Even after days of training to find the elemental energy in her body, she still failed to do it. Richard also helped her by finding out anything about the right training for water Elementalists.
Richard taught her the basic techniques of vibrating the calm water by reading the book consist of an elemental water technique.
But after all of that, none of it could work out. Niken still could do nothing. This made Niken realized something. Her brother was a true genius in terms of fire bending, whereas she was useless trash.
It seemed like when they were born from their mother's womb, her brother had absorbed all the genius and intelligence parts that her parents gave them. That was why Richard was a super genius boy, while Niken was an idiot.
Niken should have felt jealous, she should have hated her brother, but instead, she adored him and enjoyed all her brother's attention towards her.
She felt spoiled and loved by the big brother. And she would not exchange her brother's love for any kind of thing. Even if it means she would be able to use her elemental energy, she still won't trade it.
She liked the kind-loving brother she had at the moment.
After all, she had special abilities that her brother didn't have. She could freeze time. She was not weak or absolutely useless. It's just that she would immediately collapse if she used her power continuously.
It even would endanger her life if she were careless. Besides, she felt she had to hide this ability, especially after hearing stories and warnings from Xiao Xiao.
Ah, how is the girl doing now? Did Xiao Xiao succeed in returning to her home country? Niken would love to go to that place one day. Who knows, perhaps she could find her biological parents.
Niken was munching on her bread while wondering the home country of all time-controllers. She was watching her brother's training at the same time.
Once Richard finished his training, and the fire went out of his arms, Niken put the bread down on the plate quickly and promptly gave a loud applause.
"Heft... haft haft heft hafafe ..." Niken rejoiced with her mouth full of loaves of bread.
Richard laughed at the unclear sentence from his sister. "You have to choose one between chewing or talking. If you do both together, no one will understand what you are talking about."
Hearing her brother's taunts, Niken chewed and finished the food inside her mouth.
"You're so mean. I just want to praise you. I want to say to the whole world..." Niken got up and shouted towards the sky "Richard is the best and greatest brother! I love him very much! "
Richard laughed at that, then joined in and shouted toward the sky in imitation of his sister's style. "Niken is my best, sweetest, funniest, and dearest sister that I ever have!"
"I am the only sister you had. You have no other sister!"
Pfft!
Richard chuckled on her remarked, followed by their laughter that rang into their ears. They both looked at the twinkling stars in the sky.
"Richard, do you think our parents are up there?"
"..."
"What do you think they look like? Their faces, their voices... have we ever felt their hugs?"
"Niken." Breathed Richard. "We've talked about this."
"I know they dumped us. Our parents don't want us. But how can you be sure? We don't even remember anything since waking up at the orphanage. Don't you feel it strange?"
"I do feel strange, but what's the point? We don't know who our parents are, and even if we meet them on the street, we will not know them. Furthermore, they might not know us as we are already grown up. Just give up."
"I just envy." crooned her. "I'm just jealous of others who had a family. There will be a long term' holiday. Everyone was so excited about planning a holiday adventure with their family. As for me..."
"I am your family." interrupted Richard.