Early morning, Charles opened the room door when he heard a knock. He wasn’t a late sleeper, so he had woken up early.
Jenny stood outside, wearing a blouse tucked neatly into her jeans. Her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders. A nervous expression flickered across her face, but it vanished when she saw Charles.
"Is Sky awake?"
Charles stepped away from the doorway, glancing back at Skyler who was still asleep, without a care in the world, with Riruru sitting on his back, waiting for him to wake up.
"No. As you can clearly see."
Jenny nodded at him. She knew her brother was a heavy sleeper.
"Can you wake him up?"
Looking at her, Charles folded his arms. She was the same height as him. How annoying.
He noticed Jenny was also beautiful. It seemed Skyler’s whole family was blessed with good looks. His parents were striking, and he, too, was undeniably handsome.
"Why don’t you do it yourself? I believe you are here to talk with him. I will go out."
He stepped out of the room, giving her space to enter, and left to get some water.
Jenny stared at his retreating back for a few seconds before stepping into the room. She watched Skyler sleeping on the floor. At least this aspect of him hadn’t changed.
"Sky?"
Her voice was soft as she moved and sat down beside him on the floor. Riruru stared at her as she reached out to run her fingers through his tousled ash-brown hair.
Ah, how Riruru wanted to do that too. It would have felt nice, just like the sensation she felt whenever she touched his skin.
Riruru glanced at her own form and, for the first time since she had created a physical body for herself, felt a pang of frustration.
She should have created a body like the individuals Skyler cared for in this house, one that could walk on two long legs and run its slender fingers through his hair.
From the moment she started following Skyler, everyone who saw her called her a ’snake’ or a ’monster’. They labeled her as something dangerous.
She didn’t like it. Not a least bit.
Initially, she had believed she was strong enough to fight off anyone who might try to keep her from staying with Skyler. But after leaving the crystal, she saw just how many people around Skyler were much stronger than her. Take Jenny, for instance.
Thoughts like: What if he didn’t like her anymore in the future because she looked so different than him? Or what if he left her behind because of the ones who called her dangerous? began to consume her mind.
The intensity of her emotions was so powerful that her eyes began to glow. Riruru’s soul resonated with her wish as the thought that she should change her form to be like those around Skyler appeared. Yes, if she was more like the people around him, they wouldn’t think she is dangerous.
Her head lolled to the side as a wave of dizziness washed over her, and with a soft sound, she slumped onto Skyler’s back.
Jenny noticed her glowing crimson eyes fluttering closed, but she didn’t give it much thought. Her focus was entirely on Skyler.
"Brother?"
She whispered. Skyler wasn’t sleeping. He had been awake since Charles woke up, but he was too lazy to get out of the blanket.
He had noticed when Jenny stepped into his room but remained silent. Skyler had also sensed when Riruru’s head slumped onto his back, and that worried him because, from the time he had spent with her, he knew Riruru was not someone who would fall asleep once she had woken up.
’Did something happen?’
The train of his thoughts was interrupted when Jenny spoke up again.
"I know you are awake. I can sense your breathing isn’t steady like those asleep. Sky, I know I was wrong. So, I am sorry. Can you forgive your sister just this time? Okay?"
Skyler couldn’t see what expression Jenny wore or what emotions her eyes reflected, but he froze when a tear dropped onto his arm that was grabbing the pillow.
He let out a deep sigh.
"Why are you crying again?"
He finally turned to her and found her head lowered with her hair covering her face.
"Sister, you really are a big crybaby."
Jenny’s eyes widened. He called her sister. Not Jenny but sister. She wiped her eyes.
"I am not a crybaby!"
Skyler chuckled and reached out with his hand to softly pat her lap. No one noticed, not even he, but his blue eyes had a hint of white color within them.
"Let’s just leave everything behind, sister. We are siblings. Just like you, I don’t hate you. Things happen sometimes. I am not that cruel to remember it my whole life."
With these words, the lingering anger he still harbored toward her vanished entirely.
She was only 20, and he was 18. They had a long life ahead of them, so it was better to mend things and move on rather than dwelling on the past. He just hoped now that Jenny had admitted her mistakes, she wouldn’t repeat them.
"Sis, can you help me get Riruru off my back? I need to take a bath and get ready quickly since Charles and I have a lot to do over the next few days."
Jenny nodded, but hesitated to touch the snake. She was stronger than Riruru, but that didn’t mean Riruru couldn’t harm her.
With a solemn expression, she grabbed the snake and pulled Riruru off his body. Skyler stretched and sat up, glancing at Riruru.
"Ah, what’s going on? Riruru is being touched by someone other than me, but she is still sleeping."
He took her and covered her with the blanket, thinking she was probably tired. If Skyler hadn’t sensed her steady breathing, he would have definitely panicked.
A few hours later, having done breakfast, both Charles and Skyler were standing at the apartment’s exit, clad in casual attire.
Skyler was even wearing dark sunglasses, checking his new phone that Johnson had given them earlier that morning.
Jenny watched them from the dining table, a puzzled expression on her face. She had thought they were getting ready for college, but their attire suggested otherwise.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she asked her younger brother.
"Where are you two headed?"
Skyler tilted his head with a smirk and flashed the screen of his phone to her.
"Shopping spree! Dad gave us a lot of star coins. We’re not rich, but it’s a lot. We are going to get new clothes, shoes, maybe even some new notebooks and pens."
Jenny let out an ’oh’ and before she could ask why, Skyler gave her the answer.
"After all, we need all the supplies since we are going to the Academy with you this time. Today’s going to be a spending day."
With that, Skyler turned to his mother, who was standing in front of the TV in the living room, checking if they needed to buy a new one because it was damaged when Jenny fought with Riruru yesterday.
"Mom, Riruru is still sleeping. Please feed her something good and take care of her if she wakes up when I am not here."
Riya gave him an okay sigh.
Skyler turned around and left with Charles, thinking about riding his motorcycle, only to recall that it was confiscated by the college guards and he had yet to get it back.
"Crap! We need to first go to the college!"
They left in such a hurry that they didn’t notice how Jenny’s expression froze when she heard Skyler and Charles were going to the academy with her this time.
She turned to her father, who was seated before her. The couple had taken a day off.
"Dad, Sky is going to the academy?"
Johnson’s gaze was fixed on the tablet in his hand as he nodded at her. He was checking the guild matters, but he put down the tablet to look at her with a smile.
"We were all so busy, so I forgot to tell you. Vice Principal Doris gave Skyler a special pass to enter the Starlight Academy. The requirements were that he had to return alive and pass the preliminary test, both of which he had successfully accomplished. Charles was given a special pass as well in the past, but he wasn’t able to go due to some reason, so he would go with you two."
Jenny’s eyes widened in shock.
She wanted to point out that the Starlight Academy was a dangerous place, and even though Skyler’s potential had risen a bit due to something he achieved in the preliminary test, it still wouldn’t be enough to compete with the powerful students there.
Skyler wouldn’t be able to survive the fierce competition among the students!
But she held back.
’It’s okay. I will take care of him there. He is my younger brother. It’s okay if he’s weak.’