"Finally, I've reached the Lower Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm," Sam exclaimed to himself, noting that there were still five hours until sunrise.
"I might as well get some sleep," he decided. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get comfortable, even with the air conditioner turned on.
Frustrated, he looked down at his waist where his 'miniature dragon' companion resided. "You know what, you're really starting to annoy me."
Of course, his little dragon couldn't speak, but it seemed to understand Sam's irritation.
"Fine, I'll take you out for a walk then," Sam grumbled. He got up and made his way to the bathroom, taking care of 'deed'.
One hour later.
Sam opened the door with a stone-cold expression, muttering, "I hate myself."
He grunted and shuffled back to bed, determined to get some sleep. He closed his eyes, but within seconds, he shot up, glaring at his miniature dragon companion. "Why are you standing up again?"
The 'miniature dragon' stood proudly, as if it were a mighty dragon ready to soar through the skies, and Sam couldn't help but roll his eyes at the absurdity of the situation.
Three hours later.
Sam jolted awake, his heart pounding in his chest. He stared in a particular direction, sensing a strange connection with something outside the window.
His voice trembled as he spoke, "W-What is that? Why does my heart feel so heavy all of a sudden?"
He placed a shaky hand on his chest, where he could feel his heart racing and his whole body trembling with an inexplicable sadness.
Without wasting any time, he leaped out of bed and rushed downstairs.
"Good morning, honey. Up early, I see," Helena remarked, her brow furrowing as she noticed her son clutching his chest. "What's wrong?"
"Mom, I'm feeling some kind of connection all of a sudden" Sam replied, his sense of connection growing stronger, as if whatever it was, it was drawing nearer and nearer.
Helena's frown deepened as she touched Sam's forehead, trying to understand what was happening. It didn't take her long to realize the truth.
"Sam, what you're feeling right now is the connection you share with your sister," Helena explained, her gaze fixed on a specific direction.
She, too, could sense her daughter's presence, and it was growing stronger by the moment. It was the unmistakable pull of their shared bloodline, and it meant that Sophia was approaching them rapidly.
"Wait, she imprinted on me?" Sam was taken aback. He hadn't learned to sense his bloodline yet, and even if he did, it wouldn't explain this intense connection.
Imprinting was a rare and profound bond, usually reserved for mates, but it could also occur between companions and, occasionally, siblings for emotional reasons. While it wasn't unheard of for siblings to imprint on each other, it was still relatively uncommon.
'I've never even met her. When did she imprint on me?' Sam was puzzled by the sudden revelation. 'Does she really love me so much that she went as far as to imprint on me while I was still in my mother's womb?'
Now that he understood the situation, Sam's nervousness began to outweigh his concerns.
This was going to be his first meeting with his older sister, Sophia.
He couldn't help but wonder what she looked like, what her personality was like, and how they would interact.
Questions raced through his mind. Should he address her by her name, or should he call her "older sister"?
Despite not openly admitting it, Sam had been looking forward to this moment ever since he learned that he had an older sister.
After all, who wouldn't be excited about having an 'Onee-san', right?
"Wait, she was in the Hailstorm Clan, right? Is she coming here to kidnap me back to the Hailstorm Clan or something?" Sam inquired, still concerned about the unexpected arrival.
"No, Sam. She's coming to meet you. Don't worry; she won't do anything to harm you. She loves you so much that she even went as far as threatening me to get the chance to meet you," Helena reassured him.
"She threatened you?" Sam was taken aback by this revelation.
"Yes," Helena nodded. "She cares for you deeply, and she's the best daughter a mother could ask for."
Sam listened intently, his heart warming at the thought of his older sister's love for him. Helena finally opened up about why his sister hadn't been with them while he was growing up, revealing the painful truths of their past.
"Woah, Mom, you really screwed up this time, didn't you?" Sam chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head.
"Yeah, laugh at my pain," Helena replied, rolling her eyes before heading outside. It was still very early in the morning, with traces of night lingering in the sky.
As Helena looked at the sky, she felt the presence of her daughter approaching rapidly.
"You better help me make up with her," she said to Sam.
Sam nodded, feeling both excited and nervous about meeting his sister for the first time.
"Are you happy that you're going to meet your sister?" Aunt Lorraine asked, noticing his mixed emotions.
"Yes, but I'm really nervous," Sam admitted honestly.
"Don't be nervous. It's not like she's going to eat you," Aunt Lorraine teased with a mischievous grin, adding silently to herself, 'At least not before me.'
"Seriously, Lor? Can't you stop thinking about 'that' for a second?" Helena raised an eyebrow, and Lorraine blinked in surprise.
Only cultured people would know what 'that' means.
Had her older sister really figured out what she was thinking? If she had, Lorraine was thoroughly impressed with her sister's perceptiveness.
"Did you just read my mind or something?"
Helena snorted, shaking her head. "I don't need to read your mind to know what you're thinking, because your face tells it all like an open book."
"What are you two talking about?" Sam asked confused, as he was totaly ablivious to his Aunt's thoughts.
"Nothing," both Helena and Lorraine said in unison.
Lorraine pointed to the sky with an small smile. "She's here!"