"Sis Bronya, are you overworking yourself again?" Seele walked into the Supreme Guardian's office in Qlipoth Fort, pouting with her hand on her waist in displeasure.
Bronya jolted slightly in her seat when she heard Seele call her that. "O-oh, Seele. Sorry, I'm still not used to you calling me that."
Seele shook her head. "No, it's okay. It's Seele's fault for calling you like that, even though Seele promised not to…" She tried to hide her sad smile.
It had been almost a week, five days, to be exact, since Seele arrived in this unknown world. The first thing she saw when she woke up was a dark room that looked like a refugee camp. When she looked out the window, she saw mining tools and carts filled with ore.
She furrowed her brows in confusion. If Seele remembered correctly, she had been on her way home with the other her and her sister, Bronya, heading back to their world after confirming everything was alright in Salt Snow Holy City. She should be somewhere in Schicksal HQ… yet here she was, in a place she had never seen before.
Lost in her thoughts, Seele didn't notice someone entering the room.
"Seele?" a voice called.
Hearing her name, Seele lifted her head and saw a kind-looking woman with gray hair watching her with confusion.
Not knowing what to say, Seele tilted her head slightly. "Yes?"
When the woman heard the way Seele talked, her tone, her intonation. She frowned, worry deepening in her expression. "How do you feel? Are you sick?" she asked, walking toward Seele and checking her temperature with her hand.
"I think Seele is fine? Just a little sluggish?"
"Do you know who you are, who I am, and where we are?"
"I'm Seele. And if Seele's not wrong… you're Sister Mei's friend, Raven? And Seele doesn't know where this place is."
"...Raven?" The woman touched her chin, studying Seele from head to toe, clearly trying to understand what was going on.
The Seele standing before her was completely different from the usual grumpy, sharp-tongued Seele she knew. This Seele looked gentle, dressed in a bright white, flashy dress. Nothing like anything found in Belobog.
Meanwhile, as Seele recalled what happened, panic rose in her chest. She suddenly realized she was separated from Bronya.
"Umm… did you see a girl with a bright gray ponytail, gray eyes, and a slightly stoic face? Seele thinks we got separated…"
Hearing that description, the first person who came to the woman's mind was the Supreme Guardian. So she said, "Wait here, I'll call someone." Before leaving the room, she paused, turned back, and added, "Oh, and my name isn't Raven. It's Natasha." Then she stepped out to look for the person who fit Seele's description.
After about twenty minutes, someone who looked exactly like her Bronya entered the room. Her expression was priceless. Mouth agape in disbelief as she stared at Seele from head to toe. Before she could say anything, Seele ran toward her.
"Sis Bronya!?" Seele exclaimed, grabbing Bronya's face and inspecting her all over while circling around her like an excited puppy.
Bronya jolted at the sudden affection, her face heating up instantly. Natasha had explained the situation to her earlier, but she did not expect this, Seele calling her "Sis Bronya" with such a gentle, affectionate tone.
Flustered but trying to compose herself, Bronya placed her hands on Seele's shoulders to stop her spinning. "Seele… calm down."
"Sis Bronya, what happened to you? You're taller than Seele remembers… and you're more beautiful. Ah—Seele doesn't mean the usual you aren't beautiful! But you look more mature like this."
As if realizing something, Seele gasped softly. "Am I… in the future?"
She furrowed her brows, mumbling to herself. "But Seele doesn't remember being in a place like this. So that means…"
A dozen what-ifs spun inside her head, and she didn't notice the completely confused person standing right in front of her.
Before Seele could sink deeper into her thoughts, Bronya interrupted. Carefully ignoring the part where Seele called her beautiful. "Are you…Really, Seele?" she asked hesitantly.
Hearing Bronya address her so formally, Seele felt a little sting of sadness. But she pushed it down and replied, "Yes. But Seele doesn't think Seele is the same person you know…"
Bronya sensed that Seele understood something about her situation. "Do you realize what happened to you?" she asked.
"I think Seele knows… but Seele isn't sure if it's true."
"Can you tell me?" Bronya's voice softened. Much gentler than the tone she ever used with the other Seele. Somehow, she could tell that this Seele was more sensitive… and far more thoughtful.
After debating with herself, Seele decided to reveal at least part of the truth.
"As you know, Seele is Seele. But as Seele said earlier, the Seele in front of you is not the same Seele you know. Seele's situation is… a bit complicated. But you don't need to worry! Seele can manage. Besides, Seele's sis Bronya will definitely do something about it!"
She gave a reassuring smile, trying her best not to make the person in front of her worry.
Bronya knew the "sis Bronya" Seele mentioned wasn't her. But she still couldn't stop her cheeks from burning. Hearing her own name spoken so sweetly, with such trust and affection, made her heart skip.
It felt… unexpectedly warm.
Very different from the distance she and the Seele she knew had fallen into lately.
Watching this gentle, open Seele smiling at her, Bronya couldn't help thinking.
If Seele from her world were even a little more like this… maybe things between them wouldn't be so strained.
Maybe… they might have already been dating.
When Bronya didn't say anything, Seele grew worried. She gently took both of Bronya's hands and asked, "Are you okay? Seele knows it must be hard to accept, but for a while, si- Seele means, Bronya, needs to bear with this Seele."
Feeling Seele restrain herself made Bronya feel a little guilty.
"I-I don't mind if you call me Sis Bronya…" she murmured, averting her eyes.
The title echoed gently in her thoughts.
She found she didn't dislike it.
Seele shook her head. "Seele doesn't want to trouble you. But… if Seele slips up, Seele hopes si-Bronya doesn't mind."
After that, they discussed some rules for Seele. What she should do in this world, where she should live, and whether they should tell anyone about the situation while she tried to piece together what had happened to her. She changed into the usual clothes this world's Seele wore. Compared to her own outfit, she felt oddly exposed by how short the pants were. Maybe she just wasn't used to such boyish clothing.
Seele twirled around in her new clothes, making sure everything was neat before they headed to Qlipoth Fort, the Supreme Guardian's base, her new home for now until she could find a way back, avoiding unnecessary questions and suspicions.
And that was why she now stood in front of Bronya, the Supreme Guardian herself, scolding her because of her bad habit.
A habit just like her own sister, Bronya, who always overworked herself too.
"I bet you still haven't eaten lunch, right?" Seele said as she began tidying the messy papers on Bronya's desk. Then she placed a lunchbox in front of her. "Here. Seele made onigiri for lunch."
"Thank you, Seele. I'll eat it after that stack of paperwork is done." Bronya pointed at the towering pile with her thumb.
Seele let out a loud sigh at the familiar response.
It was exactly what her sister, Bronya, would say.
And it made her miss her even more.
They had only just reunited after everything in Salt Snow Holy City, and now they were separated again.
The third time.
And this time, she had to stop herself from clinging to someone who merely looked like her sister.
At moments like this, she wondered if she had somehow angered the gods to deserve such a fate.
Seeing the sadness flicker across Seele's face, Bronya panicked. It was rare, almost unheard of, for her to lose focus while working, yet she immediately put her fountain pen down and leaned forward.
"Seele, are you okay?" she asked, worry written all over her face.
Seele forced a small smile. "Seele's fine. Si-Bronya must remember to eat lunch, okay? Seele will continue looking for a way to fix everything."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and quickly left the office.
Bronya had barely opened her mouth to stop her when the door closed.
Something didn't sit right.
Normally, when Seele had a problem, she'd yell, complain, or directly tell Bronya what upset her.
But this Seele was quieter.
More closed off.
And Bronya suddenly found herself at a loss. Unsure what she had done wrong, or how to reach her.
So, she contacted the one person she relied on whenever things became too complicated to handle alone.
Her last hope.
Bronya:Stelle, I need your opinion about something. Do you have time to chat?
After sending the message, Bronya returned to her papers, but she kept checking her phone every five minutes, growing more impatient by the second.
Three hours passed, still no reply. That was strange. Stelle always answered quickly. A knot tightened in Bronya's chest. Her head was already full with her worries about Seele, and now Stelle was added on top of it.
She exhaled deeply, trying to pull herself together. 'Focus on what you can solve first.'
With that, she contacted Paella for help with her documents, claiming that Seele might be in danger and promising a gift card for Paella's favorite game. As expected, Paella didn't ask anything further and rushed to her office almost immediately.
Once she finished explaining what needed to be done, Bronya hurried out of Qlipoth Fort and began searching for Seele. She questioned the guards, went down to Natasha's clinic in the Underworld, and eventually followed Natasha's guess to the abandoned orphanage in Rivet Town, thinking Seele might be there.
By the time Bronya arrived, night had already fallen. There she found Seele wandering the orphanage grounds, her eyes scanning the area as if searching for something precious she had once lost. She didn't even seem bothered by the cold.
Bronya approached slowly, unsure if she was interrupting.
"Did you find something?"
"Oh, Bronya. Why did you come here? Don't you have work to do?" Seele answered without looking away, still absorbed in her surroundings.
"I asked a friend to handle it for a while so I can help you."
Bronya paused, then tried again. "So… what are you doing here exactly?"
"This place feels different." Seele's voice softened. "It's like there's something here. A space that might connect this world to Seele's original one. Maybe even a way home. But Seele… doesn't know what to do with it. Back then, Seele had everyone beside her, but right now…"
"Sorry… I know you don't want my help and want to handle things on your own. But I can't help it, I just—"
Bronya's voice trailed off. She suddenly couldn't find the reason behind her actions. Maybe she felt lonely without Seele's usual grumbling beside her. Or maybe it was guilt. Guilt from the fight she had before all of this began.
Seele turned to face her when the sentence didn't continue. Bronya was staring at the ground, shoulders tight, clearly bothered by something.
"Is something on your mind? If you want to talk… Seele will listen."
Bronya hesitated, then decided being honest was better than carrying it alone.
"Before you arrived here… I had a fight with Seele. The other Seele. And because of that, I feel uneasy around you. Every time I look at you, I get this guilty feeling and…"
Her voice shrank as she looked away, unsure if she should reveal the real reason behind the fight.
"You can tell me anything," Seele said softly. "I won't judge you."
"It's because… I told her I… love her. And then she ran out of my room without saying anything…"
Bronya's face turned bright red. Almost glowing in the dark. She sighed loudly and covered her face with both hands.
"Oh, you don't have to worry. It won't gross me out or anything," Seele said quickly, cheeks turning pink as well. "Because I also had… a relationship with sister Bronya."
There was a shy, almost smug pride in her voice when she said it.
"You know, sister Bronya isn't my real sister," Seele continued, eyes drifting upward toward the dark, endless ceiling as memories stirred. "We grew up in an orphanage with the other kids… She was always brave, always protecting Seele. Said my eyes looked like the sea. And then, she actually took me to the beach to show me the real thing."
A soft smile touched her lips as she remembered the vast water stretching out before her for the first time.
"And she kept her promise to bring me back," Seele whispered, smiling a little wider. "I remember how hard she tried to save me from the Sea of Quanta… She almost failed, but she never gave up. She always found her way to me."
Realizing she had talked too long, Seele blinked and quickly apologized.
"S–sorry. Seele didn't mean to ramble like that."
When Bronya hears Seele say she's dating her sister, she looks at Seele in disbelief, and before she can think, she already asks, "Who confessed first?"
"Sister Bronya did," Seele replies, remembering the first time Bronya shyly asked her out on a date and confessed at the end of it.
Her thoughts drifted further back. To the orphanage, long before any romance. There had been a moment Seele would never forget. Someone who grew jealous of how close they were caused trouble, pushing Bronya and making her fall.
From where Seele was hiding behind a nearby wall, she heard everything. It almost felt like that person knew she was there and wanted to blame it all on her.
Fear hit her so hard she couldn't think straight. Instead of helping, she panicked and ran helplessly, fleeing to her room, hiding in her toy box, terrified she would be next and consumed by guilt for causing it all.
But later that night, Bronya came back with a crutch, still smiling. She pulled Seele out of the toy chest, where she was crying and apologizing again and again. Bronya hugged her tightly and whispered,
"It's alright, Seele. I don't feel any pain as long as you're with me."
The memory still lingered in her mind even today. It brought a mix of guilt, fear, and sorrow. But whenever Bronya reassured her, everything always felt a little better.
Seele blinked, returning to the present, realizing she'd gone quiet. Bronya was still watching her, waiting, curiosity softening her expression.
"Sorry, did you say something?" Seele asked with a small, bittersweet smile after remembering the past.
Although she felt a little uneasy asking after seeing Seele like that, Bronya still pushed on. Figuring it was better than asking why Seele made that kind of face. "So… what did you feel when she confessed to you?" Bronya finally asked. "Did you run away, too?"
"Seele doesn't know how this world's Seele behaves… but Seele thinks she'd be happy to hear you say you love her. Just like how happy Seele was when Sister Bronya said it." Seele smiled softly. "Maybe this world's Seele is just… very shy."
A small laugh slipped out of her at the thought of her other half, Veliona, acting the same way this world's Seele probably would.
Bronya tilted her head, confused as to why Seele was suddenly laughing when nothing seemed funny. Realizing she'd left Bronya behind in her thoughts, Seele quickly added,
"It's nothing. Seele just remembered—"
Before she could finish, a small sneeze burst out of her.
"Achuu!"
Bronya immediately frowned with concern.
"Sorry for keeping you out here. It must be cold. Let's go back home and talk more inside."
Seele nodded and followed closely behind her.
When they returned to Qlipoth Fort, instead of heading back to the guest room, Bronya invited Seele to her own room to continue their talk. Or, more accurately, the relationship advice Bronya might need when this world's Seele finally came back. Their conversation went on, and on, soft and warm in the quiet room, until eventually, one of them drifted off to sleep.
When morning came, the first thing that woke them was a loud voice from the hallway, followed by the door being thrown open so hard it slammed against the wall with a heavy bang. Both of them jolted upright in shock.
At the doorway stood someone who looked exactly like the Supreme Guardian Bronya… just shorter. And beside her were two Seele, both looking ready to punch someone.
"Seele! I'm glad you're fine!" the shorter Bronya exclaimed, her voice tight with worry. This time, Seele had been teleported alone to who-knows-where, and the moment she disappeared, panic spread. At first, both of her Seele were grumpy and arguing nonstop, giving Bronya a terrible headache. Especially the one in the boyish clothes. That one was completely out of her league to deal with.
But once things finally calmed down enough for them to think straight, they managed to talk things through. That was when they realized the truth. The boyish Seele wasn't from their Earth at all and had likely swapped places with the Seele they knew. From there, the three of them worked desperately to find a way to fix everything.
And now, that search had finally led them here, to Belobog, standing in the Supreme Guardian's bedroom.
"Sister Bronya!" Seele exclaimed, her face lighting up with happiness. She rushed forward and jumped into her arms.
"You made us really worried this time, you know! How can you always get into trouble like this!" her other self scolded, voice sharp but eyes trembling with relief. Despite her tone, Seele could tell she was glad too, guilty even. Her gaze was wavering as she might cry at any moment.
"Sorry… Seele must have made you worry again..." Seele said with a sheepish smile, guilt tugging at her expression.
"Yes, you did! You'd better prepare yourself, because I won't forgive you that easily!" her other self snapped. But Seele knew she didn't mean it. She was always kinder than her words.
On the other hand, this world's Seele marched straight toward Bronya, anger practically sparking around her.
"So this is what you do after confessing to me!?" she snapped, jabbing a finger at Bronya.
"Hmph! Good for you then! Seems you'll accept anyone as long as they have the same face as me!"
"No, it's not like that," Bronya said quickly. "We just talked until midnight and…without realizing it, we fell asleep. That's all. Please believe me."
"Yeah, yeah, sure. I've heard enough." Seele crossed her arms, cheeks burning red. Not just from anger, but frustration. "Don't you dare talk to me again, or I really won't forgive you!"
She spun around and bolted out of the room. She wanted to yell more, scream, even. But if she did, she felt she might actually cry instead.
"Seele…" Bronya murmured, sounding utterly defeated, unsure what to do next.
"As someone who has the same face and name as myself, Bronya feels disappointed…" the shorter Bronya said dryly, expression deadpan. Almost like she was mocking her counterpart.
"Sis Bronya! That's rude!" Seele scolded, flicking her forehead. "Sorry about her. But Seele thinks she means well and wants you to chase after her."
"But what if she really refuses to talk to me after this?"
"Bronya thinks she definitely will… if you don't chase her."
"It's honestly weird, and kind of hilarious. Seeing two sister Bronya, talking like this," the other Seele chimed in, grinning. "Especially when one of them isn't confident at all."
"Seele! Not you too." Seele puffed her cheeks, then looked at Bronya the Supreme Guardian again.
"You should tell her everything. Explain it properly. I don't mind if you tell her about our relationship." She ended with a warm, reassuring smile.
"Now go! What are you waiting for?!" the other Seele barked, loud and impatient. She clearly didn't appreciate how long this Bronya was taking to make a move.
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" the supreme guardian sputtered, flustered. Then she hurried out of the room, still in her sleepwear, chasing after Seele down the hallway.
"Seele hopes they can make up quickly…" Seele murmured softly, worry flickering in her eyes. "It would feel awful if they ended up becoming strangers because of this."
"Yes," the shorter Bronya agreed, then let out a small chuckle. "And Bronya also hopes she won't mind the entire city seeing her run around in her sleepwear."
A tiny smile tugged at her lips as she imagined the inevitable moment when the other Bronya finally realized what she was wearing.