The smoky air hung thick around them, the stench of blood and ash choking the streets. Ai's back throbbed with pain, and her breathing came in uneven gasps, but she held her ground, her trembling hands ready to summon the psychic power she had only recently discovered. Beside her, the child lay slumped, her tiny frame a poignant reminder of what was at stake.
Suddenly, the child's tiny voice broke through the chaos. "Onee-chan… please don't leave me…"
Ai's heart clenched. Her vision blurred for a moment, not from fear but from the overwhelming wave of protectiveness that surged through her. She whispered, almost as if promising herself, "I won't."
