Shion's room was quiet except for the soft splash of water. Akari helped her sister into the bath, guiding her carefully so that the warm liquid could soothe her tense muscles. Shion's body felt unnaturally cold, far colder than the bathwater should have allowed, like she had been trapped in ice for hours. There were no visible wounds, no blood, yet every inch of her radiated the exhaustion and tension of some unseen battle.
Akari's hands trembled slightly as she worked. She kept her movements slow and deliberate, letting the water carry away the grime clinging to Shion's skin and the weight of her anxiety. Shion's quiet sobs rose and fell with each gentle motion, and Akari's heart ached for her. Despite their constant quarrels, their rivalry, and the sharp edges of their words, she could not deny that Shion was her sister. The bond between them lingered stubbornly, invisible but unbreakable.
Rin stood nearby, arms crossed, brow furrowed as her thoughts churned. Her own memories from last night were like smoke slipping through her fingers. She could not remember how she and Selene had ended up in the same bed, the closeness, or the laughter. A faint feeling lingered in her chest, a warmth she could not grasp, but she had no clue how it fit into the events of the evening.
"I remember the merchant wedding yesterday," Rin murmured, her eyes distant, "but I don't remember how it ended. What actually happened?" She traced the rim of the bath with her finger as though the answer might appear there.
"You ate a special candy that made you act differently yesterday," Akari said quietly. Her voice carried both caution and hesitation. She was unsure if she should question Shion about her unusual dress or confront her directly about why she was crying. The thoughts collided in her mind, but she could not voice them.
"What special candy?" Rin exclaimed, eyes wide. "How would a candy make me forget what happened last night?. That's insane..." She froze, a hand rising to her mouth as the weight of a sudden realization pressed down. "Oh… did that pervert queen take advantage of me while I was like that?"
Akari's lips pressed into a thin line. She gave Rin a sidelong glance, her eyes sharp. "More like you took advantage of her," she muttered, and then drew a deep breath to steady herself. "What terrible thing did you do, sister? Why are you crying?"
Shion shivered, teeth chattering even as the water soaked her robe. "I… I don't remember much," she whispered. "But I think the butterfly took over."
Akari blinked. "The butterfly? What do you mean?"
Rin's eyes flicked to Shion's shoulder. A faint, flickering shape hovered there, delicate and luminous, like a tiny flame caught in the darkness. "The butterfly is on her shoulder. Can't you see it?"
Akari leaned closer, squinting and searching, but found nothing. Her frown deepened.
"That is why I told you to call Rin," Shion whispered, her voice trembling. "Because she can see it."
Akari finished helping Shion out of the bath and handed her a soft robe. Shion wrapped it around herself and stepped to the mirror. Her reflection was pale, her eyes wide with lingering fear. Her hands shook as she traced her arms and face, the trembling showing the memory she could not suppress.
"I wasn't in control," Shion whispered, her voice breaking. "But I can remember… she took over. She… she killed him with a single blow. She killed… she killed him."
Akari felt a sharp pang twist in her chest. Shion's sobs cut deep, piercing something she had tried to ignore. Despite their constant bickering and the walls they put between themselves, she was her sister. Akari moved closer, placing a gentle hand on Shion's shoulder. She said nothing, letting her presence speak, letting warmth bridge the silence between them.
Rin, meanwhile, stared at the bath water. A faint memory flickered at the edges of her mind. Laughter. The sound of water splashing. The warmth of another body close to hers. She could almost see Selene beside her, droplets glinting in dim light, their laughter echoing softly. But the memory slipped away as quickly as it had come, leaving her grasping at fragments that refused to form a whole. She turned her gaze back to Shion and Akari, trying to anchor herself in the present.
"Who… who did you kill, cousin Shion?" Rin asked, her voice low and trembling. She stepped closer, her hands instinctively reaching out to calm her cousin. Akari's eyes widened, frozen in a mixture of shock and fear. She too was piecing together what had happened. Who had Shion killed? And why? Was it someone important?
Shion flinched, trembling. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Rin, holding her tightly as if clinging to the only lifeline in a storm.
"Rin… please, don't hate me for this," Shion whispered, her voice cracking. "I swear to you, I wasn't the one who chose this. I wasn't the one who killed the Akarawa. I… I wasn't in control. I didn't mean to. Please, Rin… don't hate me. You are all I care about."
Rin froze, fingers tightening slightly on Shion's robe. Akari's breath caught as well. The name, the Akarawa, hung in the air like a blade.
"A… Akarawa? Who did you kill, cousin Shion?" Rin asked, her voice slow, hesitant, trembling as if the answer was already a nightmare. Her heart pounded painfully, her stomach twisting with dread. She prayed silently that it wasn't someone close to Rei Akarawa. If it was, she did not want to imagine the consequences.
"Daichi Akarawa," Shion said softly, shivering. Her voice was steady, but the weight behind it made the room feel suffocating. "He… he died by my hand last night. I swear it was never my intention. Please… please believe me, Rin."
Both Rin and Akari froze. The words pressed down on the room like stones. Shion had not killed just any Akarawa. The person she had taken was someone far too close to Rie Akarawa, and the implications of that action were terrifyingly real.
"You… you killed Rei's papa?" Akari finally breathed out, her voice tight, nearly breaking. A storm of emotions, shock, fear, and disbelief, coursed through her. Her hands clenched at her sides as the weight of what Shion had just confessed sank deep into her chest.