Chapter 42 - Memories II: Intensifying
As the scenery of the ballroom fades, Avery finds himself standing inside a room filled with different expensive types of equipment for training.
He was very familiar with this room as he spent tons of his time being trained here. It was not really fond memory since the training was very extreme for someone as young as him back then.
As Avery got accustomed to his new surrounding, he looked around and saw a 7-year-old Yue and an 8-year-old version of him.
If his guess was right then the memory presented to him should be the first day of Yue's training. It should be one month after his little sister's birthday party.
And as required from them as heirs of their family. They are to start training one month after their 7th birthday. A very extreme training was passed down in their family which allowed them to stay on top in the assassination and information business in the underworld.
"I-I can't d-do it anymore…" the young Yue said as she struggled with the exercise that was required of her from the instructor.
At first, she thought that by starting to train she would get to spend more time with her big brother, but she quickly realized that the training was tougher than it sounds. It was strict and tough for someone of her age.
"No. As your father said, you have to finish today's exercise and quickly adapt. Your routine was already reduced to match you."
"Yue…" The spectating Avery muttered with a faint pain in his voice.
As Yue was reprimanded, the young Avery worriedly looked at his sister. He knows how tough it is when starting since he experienced it himself last year. Plus his routine was much more intense.
And so they continued as the older Avery also looked worriedly at his little sister. Seeing her suffer again like this did not leave a good taste in his mouth. Plus, the fact that he can feel and hear her thoughts only added more fuel to the fire.
The scenery shifted again and he suddenly found himself in Yue's room. He can see Yue crouching in the corner as she silently cried. She did not want others to hear her like this, so she tried to cry as silently as possible.
The training was much more intense than she could imagine. The pain was too much for a young girl like her who was protected all the time. She preferred to read books and learn new concepts since it was much easier compared to the extreme pain that she has to go through.
For her, the training was like torture, that pushed her body beyond the limits. She felt her bones were breaking while her muscle tissues begin to tear. Though surprisingly, the medical checkup stated otherwise. It was truly a mystery how such a thing was possible with such extreme training.
She was not sure if such training were effective, but their instructor said that the method had a long history in their family and has worked throughout those years. She can't complain as what he said was true since she had read those books.
Seeing her like this made the spectating Avery feel his heart wrench. He doesn't want to see her suffer. He knows the pain, as the training, their parents put them through was not normal.
Sometimes he wondered if they truly cared for them, but he knows that they just want the best for them as they had seen much worse things due to the nature of their business that deals with information.
Then a knock was heard but Yue was too occupied that she did not notice that someone was at her door. It continued for a while until the person behind the door decided to just enter.
Hearing the door open, Yue looked up, with tears on her face, and saw Avery with a surprised look that was quickly replaced with an expression that feels anger, pain, sadness, guilt, and all sorts of emotions. He quickly walked towards her side and said nothing but silently embraced her.
"B-big brother…" Yue silently muttered.
"I'm here…" The young Avery said with guilt and pain in his voice.
Feeling his warm embrace as she heard those words, Yue quickly hugged him back and no longer held back in crying silently. So she cried her tears out while in her big brother's embrace as she stained his clothes with tears.
After 15 minutes of venting her pain out, Yue finally calmed down.
Seeing that she has calmed down, Avery released her from his hug and held her face to see if she was already alright.
"Are you fine now?" He asked.
"Mm." Yue hummed positively to signify that she was fine.
She then looked at Avery's eyes that were looking at her worriedly as silently brought her hand over the one that was holding her face as she said whisperingly "Thank you, big brother." But since the room was quiet, Avery heard her easily.
Avery smiled hearing her reply.
Yue was dazed seeing that smile but quickly regained her bearings. At that moment the feelings, she held for her big brother that formed during the ball developed more without them realizing anything.
The spectating Avery watched this memory and recalled this heartwarming moment in his mind. Through the connection he shared with the young Yue, he felt the feeling that she felt during the ball grow.
"Hmm… I wonder what made her go against the taboo of loving your brother as man…" The spectating Avery said with a smile. Not thinking too much on the topic, he decided to enjoy the memories again.
"I'm glad to hear it. I'll talk to Mom and Dad to see if we could do something about it."
"But.."
"Nope. You are already suffering, and we both know that this is not your forte."
"And… I d-don't want to see in so much pain o-okay?" Avery said with a pained expression on his face.
Seeing his big brother's expression, she finally relented and decided to let her big brother handle it.
"So.. big brother, would like to read with me?" To change the subject, she requested Avery about one of the things she loved to do with him.
"Oh? What book are reading this time?"
Yue stood up and rushed to the bookshelf to take one of her favorite books, 'The Elven Princess'.
"This!" Yue exclaimed as she showed the cover to Avery
"Hmm? That again? Didn't we read that couple of times already?"
"Ehh.. but this is my favorite!"
"Sigh* Alright, come here then," Avery said as he walked towards the bed and gestured for her to follow.
"Yes!"
"I swear, even if you are a genius, you sometimes still act like a child."
"I am a child! I am still seven years old remember? Plus you are only one year older than me!"
"Oh, your right! I sometimes forget that fact."
"Well, it's not our fault that we think more maturely than others in our age."
Yue then went to bed where Avery gave him the book and leaned on his shoulder as he slowly opened the book.
"I am curious… why do you like this book so much?"
"Hmm… the mage reminds a lot about you, big brother."
"Let me guess, the princess in the story reminds you of yourself?"
"Hehe.. of course!"
"Wait." As of realizing something he quickly stopped to ask something. "Didn't they get married in the end?" Avery asked confusedly as the mage and the elven princess got married at the end.
"Yup! Anyway, let's stop asking and read already!" Yue urged him to start reading already. And so Avery relented to her request and started to read the book.
"That book…" The spectating Avery muttered. He definitely recalled that book. It was one of Yue's favorite. It was not really the best story out there, but it had a happy ending that they both liked. It was about a Mage saving an Elven princess that was caught up in a complicated political mess. They then fell in love with one another, faced tons of challenges, and later on got happily married.
The older Avery felt that this piece of information would help him understand Yue more.
He then continues watching the two.
After a while, Avery thought of something. "Hmmm… Is the system or soul bound trying to clear all my doubts and answer my questions?"
Ever since the last timeline, he always wondered how Yue started to see him as the opposite gender and not only as a big brother.
The two memories showed how she started to have feelings for him. But he wondered what is the driving force that made her break that barrier between brothers and sister.
As he was thinking the scenery started to shift again.
And what he saw shocked him and made him understand better why his little sister did not care about the immoral and taboo nature of her feelings.
"Wh-Wha…." Avery stared at the scene in front of him with his mouth slightly open.