[𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆]
On a certain day, a boy with silver hair was called out by his mother. She told him to call his sister upstairs for dinner, and he quickly ran.
Upon entering inside his sister's room, he looked around before deciding to call out for her.
"Sis... Ah?"
As soon as he turned his attention to the bathroom, their eyes met. In front of him stood his sister completely naked, drying her hair with a towel. Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly covered her front with the towel.
"Kyaa~!"
Before he could even say anything, the other towel that was covering her body 'slipped' and fell on the ground.
"Ahh, my little brother is trying to peek at my beautiful body~ You could have just ask me politely and I'll show you."
The little girl didn't bother covering her body, but instead spread out her arms, letting the boy see everything from top to bottom. Her face wore a smug expression, chin raised proudly in the air.
The boy immediately covered both his eyes and said, "I know that you heard me close to the door and came out on purpose!"
"Tee hee~!" (Girl)
"Don't 'tee hee' me!" (Boy)
As the little girl began to laugh wholeheartedly, her little brother turned around in annoyance. "Mom had already prepared dinner. After you're done, come down—!!?" He was about to step away when his sister grabbed his shoulder and pressed her breast on his back.
"Wha—! What are you doing!!?" He was surprised when his sister reached out to grab his little 'willy dilly'.
"My my~ are you getting aroused?" She grinned as she was quickly stopped by her brother by grabbing her hands.
"Don't ask that question to your own little brother, you perverted bitch!" (Boy)
"It's wrong to call your own sister a bitch, ya' know~" (Girl)
His sister pressed her naked body behind his back to tease him more, causing his whole face turned flushed red. She slid both her arms underneath his armpit, rubbing her ample chest on his back.
Even though he had clothes on, his sister does not. He could feel something soft and slightly pointed poking his behind.
"Wear something, you pervert!"
After a few more second of struggling, he finally freed himself from her clutches and fall on his bum, facing her... Or so he thought. His sister just let him go, her face forming a grin at his reaction.
"Oh my, you're not getting turned on by this...? Is your dick even working properly?" (Girl)
"It's working properly that's why I'm not getting turned on!" (Boy)
He immediately covered both his eyes and turned his face away to prevent himself from seeing more.
Because of this, his sister's grin began to widen up even more. She crouched down, still naked, and crawled towards his direction seductively.
The boy felt helpless as his eyes began to tear up. And just then, their mother came upstairs and saw this scene.
"You two seems to be getting along..." (Mother)
"We are not getting along!" (Boy)
Their mother sighed deeply and turned her attention to the little girl.
"Anyway, Sera stop teasing your little brother already and put on some clothes." (Mother)
His sister stopped her track and pouted her lips cutely.
"But, mom~!" (Sera)
"No, buts. Just do it." (Mother)
Her mother pinched the middle of her brows in contempt. Her eyes soon landed on her son, saying, "Right, Saber... The noble's daughter that you saved back then... Aria, is calling out to you outside."
"Wah—! My brother is cheating on me with someone else! Even though I'm your first...."
His sister acted surprised, covering both her eyes as if she was crying. Saber just straight up ignored this and proceeded to stand up.
"My brother is leaving me for someone else with a bigger breast. Just because I'm your sister and my breast haven't developed enough for your liking... I can't accept this, huhu~!"
"Sera, put on some clothes, or else..."
"Yes, ma'am!"
...
..
.
"Is this your sister?"
With her long blonde hair cascading gently on her back, the child version of Aria cutely tilted her head to the side and smiled.
"Yeah. Her name is—"
Before Saber could have a chance to introduce his sister to the girl, Sera covered his mouth and spoke up in his stead.
"Call me Vivian! Only my little brother has the rights to call my real name!" She says, glaring daggers to the girl before her, with her case was similar to wolf parent protecting their children.
"How about our parents then?" (Saber)
"They are not worthy enough!" (Sera)
"...Anyway, I would like to apologize for my sister's behavior." (Saber)
"Don't ignore me!" (Sera)
The little Aria blushed slightly, fidgeting her fingers behind her back. She responded, "It's fine. Rather, I'm quite thankful for you saving me back then and that you've introduced me to your family."
"...?"
Saber could only tilt his head, confused by her embarrassed reaction.
Sera stared at the two simultaneously and sighed. She shrugged her shoulder and mumbled, "My little brother is getting stolen in front of me and yet, I can't even do anything about it... Huhu~!"
"Shut up already!"
Aria giggled to herself as she watched Saber strangle his sister with his arm in order to shut her up.
"You two seem to be getting alo—"
Crack!
***
The sound of something shattering made Seraphina woke up from her dream.
She held her head with her other hand, sat up and slumped her back on the wall. Her eyes glancing around the surroundings, noticing that a picture of her self and Saber when they were kids suddenly was on the floor.
Her eyes were still red for crying the whole night, her face were now pale as snow. The pupil in her eyes had almost lost its color, only some shade of silver remained.
Without saying anything, she stood up from her bed, placed the picture back to the table and left her room to wander around the palace.
...
..
.
Swoosh!
Slash!
The Saintess soon reached the training ground and noticed a certain someone training alone. Unlike the last time she saw her, the woman now has her blonde hair cut short into a bob. Her skin looked sickly pale, green eyes that had yet regained it's colors, looking dead on the inside.
She held her short sword with both hands and continued slashing in the air. The sickly woman noticed Seraphina standing on the door, approaching her.
"Looks like you're finally recovering... Aria" Seraphina pointed out coldly, her eyes looking around the room to find people. However, contrary to her expectations, they were the only ones around.
Aria noticed that the Saintess was still trying to avoid her and lowered her head apologetically. "Yes... I can only thank everyone for that." She said to her, her grip on the sword turning weak as she avoided her gaze.
Seraphina went quiet for a couple of second before saying, "Is that so... I'll be heading off then." She slowly turns around and walk away, but Aria took her wrist.
"Wait...!"
"....?"
"I've been wanting to ask you..."
Confused, she stopped and turns her head slightly to glance at Aria over her shoulder. She didn't say anything immediately. After reminiscing her childhood, Aria opened her mouth to speak.
"You're Saber's sister, aren't you?"
The atmosphere became quiet once again.
"How did you know...?" Though curious, Seraphina's expression didn't changed. She observed Aria's ever changing expression and sighed.
"Back then, when you were inside the bathroom, I accidentally saw you take off your wig and saw your hair... Your hair is quite similar to his. And also, I've already know way back then that Saber had a sister."
Her response caused Seraphina to go quiet and just listen.
"When I was a child, Saber saved me from falling off a cliff. While he was guiding me out of the forest, he mentioned having a sister.... Miss Seraphina, you said back then that your name is Vivian, right? I can't really recall everything properly, but I can remember everything about him."
As Aria continued to speak, Seraphina felt her heart turning numb upon hearing each of her words.
Like a fleeting dream,
Her memories of him was slowly disappearing.
Seraphina was saddened about this at first.
She felt dread, but it was inevitable.
What was happening to her?
Why is it happening to her?
Is it a divine retribution for abandoning her own brother?
She didn't know,
That's why it felt more painful with the emotions gnawing her heart from the deep within.
But this girl in front of her,
Why was she able to remember him well?
She felt jealous.
If Sylvia was the one who had said this, she wouldn't have minded.
Aria was never close to her brother.
They only met a couple of times when they were kids and hang out for about less than a month before Saber got taken away and lost his memories.
"....."
Seraphina remained quiet as she listened to the woman in front of her. She bit her lower lips and clenched her fist behind her back due to the emotions flooding her heart.
Opening her mouth, she spoke one sentence.
"Why are you saying this to me?"
Aria went quiet for a moment to think about an answer.
"Because I... love him."
This response made something inside Seraphina snaps.
"...Love him?
What kind of answer is that?
Seraphina began to laugh hollowly, her eyes becoming wet as tears fell one after another.
"You cheated on him with that bastard, and yet, you're still saying that you still loved him."
"If you really loved him back then, why did you choose to go with Maximus and leave him alone?"
"Isn't he suppose to be your fiance? Your first love? Your knight and shining armour? He saved you back then and yet, you abandoned him like everyone else... Left him on his darkest moment... just to join a pervert."
Seraphina gritted her teeth, her eyes becoming more sharp.
"You don't even deserve his love, nor an ounce of his affection!"
At this moment,
She said those words not to Aria,
But to her own.
As she said her last sentence, Seraphina looked at Aria as if she was staring at a reflection of her own self on a mirror.
She was cursing at her past self for every mistakes she made.
She hated her past self for choosing every decisions.
If only she had listened to her mother before she died...
Regrets filled Seraphina's mind and heart, causing her to finally break. Her knees eventually lost it's strength as she fell on the ground, sobbing.
Aria just stood in place and stared at her, her eyes slightly wavering. However, she slowly gathered some strength and willfully walked forward.
She knew that all her hurtful words were true and she could never deny any of it.
If only she had listened to his explaination back then...
If only she never doubted his love for her...
Would she even be in her current position?
...But Aria knew regretting it now when it was already too late won't solve anything.
Even with her trauma,
No matter how much she regrets her actions,
The consequences had already been done.
It was already too late.
And so,
She could only live.
Live through her own action's consequences and regrets.
She only had one choice but to survive and live, while atoning her sins.
"I know..."
With that in mind, Aria responded, kneeling down to meet Seraphina's eye level.
She didn't smile.
She didn't cry.
She felt that she didn't deserve feeling any of it.
She could only speak out her heart...
"But I still love him regardless."
Even if she didn't deserve it.