Altesia's POV:
As I watched my brother valiantly hold back the monster's jaws from biting me, frustration welled up inside me. I felt completely useless in that moment, unable to defend myself against such a fearsome creature. The monster's snarling growls echoed throughout the room, filling me with a sense of dread.
Despite the odds stacked against us, my brother fought with all his might to keep the beast at bay. I could see the strain on his face and the sweat glistening on his brow as he struggled to keep the monster's razor-sharp teeth from sinking into my flesh. I knew that I owed him my life in that moment, and I vowed to repay his bravery somehow.
At long last, the monster released us from its deathly grasp, and I gasped for air, desperate to fill my lungs with oxygen after being held so tightly. Smoke filled the room, and I coughed as I tried to catch my breath. The stench of burning wood and fabric hung heavily in the air, and I could feel the heat of the flames on my skin.
I looked around at the destruction that surrounded us, and tears filled my eyes. The room that had once been my brother's sanctuary was now a charred, smoldering mess. The walls were blackened, and the furniture was in ruins. It was clear that nothing would be salvaged from this devastation.
"Tessia!" My brother's voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned my head to see him standing beside me, looking battered but alive. Relief flooded through me at the sight of him, but that relief was quickly tempered by the sight of his wounded arm. Blood dripped down his skin, and I knew that he must be in a great deal of pain.
As my brother rushed towards me, I braced myself for impact. His embrace was tight and comforting, and I hugged him back with equal force. It was a relief to be in his arms after the terror of the monster's attack.
He released me from his embrace and looked at me intently, his eyes scanning my body for any signs of injury. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
"No, I'm fine," I replied. I couldn't help but notice the blood on his hand, and I immediately grew worried. "How about you, brother? Are you alright?" I asked, gesturing towards his hand.
"I'm fine. This much is nothing," he said, trying to brush off the injury. But his attempt was futile, and I could see the agony in his eyes.
"Liar," I muttered under my breath, knowing that he was not as okay as he claimed to be.
"Come on, Tessia. We need to get out of here," my brother said, his attention turning back to the monster. "The creature will come at us if we don't move soon."
He grabbed my hand, but before he could pull me towards the door, I held onto his hand with my other hand.
"We...," I trailed off, feeling the weight of my emotions overwhelming me.
"Huh?" he asked, looking at me with confusion written all over his face.
"We will both get out of here!" I declared firmly, my voice full of determination.
For a moment, my brother looked shocked, but then his expression turned serious. "No, we can't escape the monster if we both go together. That's why I need to hold it back so you can escape."
"No! I won't go without you!" I exclaimed, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.
"Why are you being so stubborn?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration.
"You're the one who's being stubborn!" I retorted, my voice rising in anger.
"Huh?" my brother made an astonished face, as if he didn't understand what I was saying.
"You keep saying that you will hold back the monster and I escape by myself, but I want to escape together!" I explained, my voice trembling with emotion.
"No. You know full well that escaping together will lead to the monster chasing us both! That monster is faster than the two of us! That's why I need to stay to buy you some time to escape!" he reasoned, his voice firm and unyielding.
"No! I won't move from this spot if we don't escape together! Mama and Papa would be devastated if you died here without saying anything to them! Do you know how much they love you?" I protested, feeling the urgency of the situation.
"But you are more important than me! You are much more capable than I am! If you died here, Mother and Father wouldn't be able to take it. If anyone had to die here, it should be me, the more insignificant one, right? That's why I'm going to hold that creature back!" he declared, his voice filled with determination.
"You are not insignificant! You are important to Mama and Papa as well! And you are important to me, too! If you died here, I wouldn't have anyone to protect me anymore!" I cried, letting go of his hand and hugging him tightly. "So please, let's escape together."
***
Leon's POV:
I looked down at Tessia, who was hugging me and crying on my chest. The words "you are not insignificant" echoed in my mind, but how could she know? She didn't even realize that her own brother was a failure in life.
I pushed Tessia away from me and knelt down to speak to her at eye level. "Look, Tessia—" I started to say, but then something strange happened.
"Huh? Brother, your eyes are glowing!" Tessia exclaimed, but I didn't have time to react or even hear what she was saying.
Suddenly, I instinctively pushed Tessia out of the way as a portion of the ceiling collapsed and crashed to the ground.
"Kyah!"
As I pushed her away, I put myself in harm's way as the ceiling crashed down on me.
"Aghhhh!!" I screamed, feeling the searing heat of the fire beginning to burn through my skin. I desperately tried to protect myself by coating my body with mana, but it wasn't enough to keep me safe.
"Ahhhhhhh!!!" The intense heat felt like my insides were being cooked alive.
"Br-Brother?! BROTHER!!!" I heard Tessia scream in terror.
Then, as if my nightmare was coming true, one disaster after another occurred. The creature growled and turned its attention towards Tessia.
"N-No! Tessia! Run away!" I managed to yell through the pain.
"I said I won't leave you! I-I will save you!" Tessia replied, holding out her hand and gathering mana from the atmosphere to create a sphere of water. "Ha!" she exclaimed, shooting the water towards me in an attempt to extinguish the flames. However, the water simply evaporated upon contact with the intense heat.
"I told you to run! Leave me now!" I pleaded desperately, knowing that the monster was dangerous and could attack Tessia at any moment.
"I can't just leave you like that, brother! I hate it if you die!" Tessia continued to hit me with water, but it was futile.
Despite her efforts, the water did nothing to help and turned into mist instead. The monster growled in frustration and turned its attention back to Tessia.
"Grawwwwl!" it roared, snapping its jaws at Tessia. She managed to dodge in the nick of time, but the monster's teeth still managed to bite into her arm.
"Kyaaahhh! O-Ouch! I-It hurts!" Tessia cried out in pain.
"Nooooo!!! Tessia!!!" I cried, attempting to reach out to her but the burning wood pinned me down and prevented me from moving.
"Krriiik!" The monster let out another growl before turning and walking out of the door.
"W-Wait! Where are you going?! Where are you taking Tessia?! No, please! Take me instead!" I begged the monster, even though I knew that it was impossible to reason with it.
As the monster stepped outside, a dreadful thought crossed my mind. I recalled the vision that had haunted me, the one in which Tessia lay lifeless on the wet ground outside, the rain pouring over her motionless body. Could it be that my vision was about to come true? I couldn't let that happen. I had to save my little sister, no matter the cost.
But as I tried to get out of the burning ceiling, my body refused to obey me. It was completely burnt, and I didn't have enough strength to move. The flames had eaten through my skin, and the pain was almost unbearable. Nevertheless, I didn't give up. I gritted my teeth and tried to endure the agony, while at the same time attempting to muster up the last bit of strength I had left.
...Move. Come on, body! Move!
"Move!" I shouted, urging my body to react, but it was as if it had given up on me.
"Let go of me!"
Suddenly, I heard Tessia's voice, and it gave me a surge of strength. She was still alive, and I couldn't let her come to harm. I closed my eyes and focused, trying to harness the mana within me. With all my might, I channeled it into my hands and lifted the debris that was pinning me down. Finally, I managed to push myself up, despite the intense pain.
"Tessia! Hold on, I'm coming!"
Determined to put an end to this madness, I took a step outside of my room.