Ethereal [discontinued]

二十二

"He... he is in a comatose state."

Y/N felt their world stop, the word coma repeating in their brain over and over again. They swallowed the lump in their throat. "How long will his coma last?"

"I'm not sure." Kokomi admitted solemnly. "I don't even know if he will ever wake up."

"No!" Ayaka stood up from her seat, shaking her head in denial. "He'll wake up, I know he will!"

"Y/N?" Sara asked when they turned around to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk, don't look for me."

***

Lumine woke up with a throbbing pain on her abdomen. Her eyes flutter open, hissing at the sun's rays peaking through the blinds towards her face.

With enough struggling, she sat up from her bed. Where was she? All she remembered was nearly dying to the hands of Azrael when—

Aether! She realized, glancing around the room to find him on another bed right next to her. Multiple bandages covered him, with a large one wrapped around his chest. Lumine relaxed when she saw his chest rise and fall, he was alive.

Throwing the covers off herself, Lumine carefully got off the bed and padded over to the open window. The view was beautiful from where she was at, the houses just tiny specks.

I shouldn't be here. She thought. But where would she go now? Her loyal herald and army was gone, she failed to avenge Khaenri'ah. Failed to avenge its people. And worse of all, she nearly killed her brother because of her it.

She swallowed back a sob bubbling in her throat, her eyes misty. What kind of sister was she? Was this her punishment?

The door creaked open, but she didn't look back, keeping her gaze outside the window. Footsteps approached, stopping just right behind her.

"Lumine." Y/N whispered, and she flinched when they placed a hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be standing yet. Come, let's get you back to bed."

She let herself get tugged back to her bed, Y/N taking a seat beside her on a chair. "Are you hungry?"

"..."

Y/N sighed. "What happened isn't your fault but mine, don't beat yourself up over it."

"How can you say that?" Lumine choked out, bursting into tears. "It is my fault! I nearly killed Aether— and not only that, I failed to avenge a fallen nation I vowed to avenge!" Her hands trembled on her lap, shoulders shaking like a leaf.

"Why am I so weak?" She sobbed.

Strong, warm arms enveloped her in a tight embrace, stroking her hair. "You're not weak, don't you ever say that."

"I am— I couldn't even fight back against your sister."

"That's because you don't have your full abilities like her. No one stood a chance."

"Then how did you managed to kill her? How did you managed to purge her like you did back then?"

"I didn't, I still have her soul with me. I can't purge her,  not when I don't have the abilities to do so."