Distorting And Restarting Life From Zero In Another World.

Break Time - 7

BREAK TIME - Tea Reflection

The soft clink of porcelain against wood echoed gently through the open air as Ram set her teacup down on the table. The balcony outside the Mathers Mansion's east wing stretched lazily beneath the afternoon sun, basking in golden warmth and quiet birdsong. A soft breeze teased the sheer white curtains of the open doorway, bringing with it the scent of wildflowers from the nearby gardens.

She didn't move. Her pink eyes stared ahead, unfocused, not truly watching the fluttering curtains or the wandering clouds above. One hand delicately turned a folded letter over and over on her lap-the now-wrinkled parchment still carrying the Karsten seal.

Ram had read it five times now. Maybe six. Every word lingered in her mind like a thorn caught in soft wool, refusing to dislodge. It was something of some importance-a letter to inform Roswaal of all the events, since they also involved him, bearing in mind the involvement of Subaru, Emilia, Rem and... Y/N.

The letter explained how two Sin Archbishops had suddenly appeared when they were taking the remains of the White Whale back to the capital. However, the letter also made explicit Y/N's involvement in protecting the candidate and another certain individual. Rem.

Y/N had battled against two Sin Archbishops at once, and still came out alive to tell the tale. Saving Ram's sister in the process.

Give Y/N our regards once again when he gets back to your manor. He was of great help during the recent matters.

Ram scoffed under her breath, nose wrinkling.

[Chibi Ram]: "'Of great help,' she says. That fool probably tripped over his own feet while trying to be heroic."

She tried to sound bitter, annoyed even-but the bite wasn't there. The words fell into the space around her like falling petals: soft, weightless, fading before they touched the ground.

The letter also said that Y/N had been seriously injured after the battle. Apparently, some power he possesses caused a great loss of part of his Od. This information certainly didn't make Ram's heart beat faster in worry. It didn't.

A second teacup sat across from her. It steamed gently in the perfect breeze, untouched, fragrant. Ram stared at it for a moment before slowly blinking.

[Chibi Ram]: "...Hmph."

She hadn't even realized she'd poured it. Her hand moved before her mind caught up. Like muscle memory. Like expectation. Like habit.

[Chibi Ram]: "It's not for you,"

She said aloud, frowning at the empty seat.

[Chibi Ram]: "I just-it looked better balanced with two. That's all."

Liar. The voice in her head was sharper than she liked. She reached out to lift the headpin on the table. One of Rem's. A spare she'd forgotten to put away. It glinted in the sunlight-a tiny, delicate thing. Too easily lost. Too easily broken.

Her fingers held it tightly. Almost too tightly.

[Chibi Ram]: "Rem worries about him too much,"

She muttered, setting the pin back down with care.

[Chibi Ram]: "Even now, even when her own heart... Tch."

She rubbed her chest without realizing it. There it was again. That faint ache. That strange tugging beneath the surface of her skin, the thread connecting her to Rem. Synesthesia. That cruel, subtle magic that let her feel echoes of her sister's emotions. She could sense it faintly now. Not fear, not sadness.