I looked at my sisters sleeping. It reminded me of the past—a past I had almost abandoned the previous night. I couldn't leave them as is, not after the promise I'd just made to Sisi to return.
I gently nudged them awake.
"Stivi, you're late... come to sleep. It's too early."
"Hmm, hmm..." Cily mumbled.
"I wish I could. But we need to talk. It's something serious."
Their drowsiness was erased like a lie. I told them all what Grandfather had told me: the silent rips, the simultaneous countdown, and the necessity of immediate action. I braced for an eruption.
"...I understand. You're not a child anymore. What happened yesterday is a warning. We have more than one war to fight, brother. As much as I hate it, I know you'll be careful." Sistin looked like an adult, the leader of people she would one day be, for the very first time.
Meanwhile, Sicily just punched my shoulder, knocking me off balance. I was expecting it, but still... why?
"Cily, please... I'm pro—"
