The Extra of The Lunerra

Chapter 393 - 26: Two Opposing Feelings

"I killed him, Sue. Because I have no idea what else is going on in his head."

I narrowed my eyes, kept my tone calm, and... just said what I needed to say.

"Do you know what he threatened me with before he called me here? Evidence that would make you and my sister a terrorist in the eyes of the whole planet. Just... think. What else can someone who can do that do?"

Sue hugged her brother’s body tightly.

"Still... it wasn’t necessary..."

She didn’t care as her tears spilled onto his dusty, dirty T-shirt. And I let out a sigh once more.

"You can think what you want, Sue."

I shifted my sword back into cane form, then took it in both hands.

"I... just did what I had to do. I took the option I thought would protect everyone. Including you."

I slowly turned around.

"And... I don’t think you should care that much about someone who doesn’t see you as a sister, who doesn’t even care that you exist... who even killed his own mother just because of a ridiculous thought. Even though you’ve seen him as your brother for a long time."

And I started to move forward slowly.

"I know that you need some... time, that you are very confused, that you don’t know what to do. Probably all your thoughts about me have been turned upside down. But... I want you to know at least this..."

My last sentence before I left him... I chose it carefully.

"Paul may be dead. But... he didn’t even see you as family. And me... I’m always here for you, okay? Everything I did... I did for you."

I paused for a moment, then narrowed my eyes.

"Because I love you."

And I disappeared into the trees.

When I stepped out of the woods, what greeted me was not an empty road or field, but a blonde woman waiting with her arms folded.

"Are you done?"

I sighed deeply as I looked at Melany, looked up at the sky one last time, and closed my eyes.

"Yes, I guess."

Even though I didn’t expect it to be like this. Like... this fast, and uneventful. So sudden.

Yeah.

After all, Paul... maybe one of the beings I fear most in this world... He was supposed to be much more difficult to deal with.

But this is what life is like. Sudden, cruel, unfair.

Because he’s dead, just like that.

I killed him before he could even awaken his system.

*******

Paul’s body was taken by some of the people Melany had brought with her.

Sue... went home without a word to me or them. And thanks to my words to Melany, no one stopped her.

And... frankly, I have no idea what happens now.

Sue... I don’t know how much she heard, but at least she found out that Paul wasn’t who she thought he was. So... once she’s made up her mind, no matter how upset or hurt she is, I think she’ll go back to normal.

And if she doesn’t, I’ll bring her back to normal.

Maybe it’s a selfish thought, at least if I consider that I was the one who killed his brother in the first place, maybe it’s because of the Absolute Mind, but... it will happen. I will make it happen.

All she needs is time.

And... I will give her that time.

That’s what I was thinking in my room, leaning back in my chair all the way, watching the ceiling.

*******

Paul... was not the person I knew.

Not my loving brother who always thought of me.

Not the one I spend hours talking to every week, telling him everything.

The more I think about the things he says...

The look on his face when he said he didn’t care about me in the slightest...

The way he sounded and acted when he said he killed our mother...

What Aiden said about his sister...

The only reason he called me into the woods was to show me that Aiden died by his hand.

I curled up even more in my bed, closed my eyes even tighter.

Because I didn’t want to think it was real.

It was much easier to imagine it was... a dream.

Paul wasn’t like that. He shouldn’t have been. He... was my little brother. He was the one who was always there for me when there was nothing left of our family.

But...

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling every muscle I had ever contracted involuntarily relax.

It was all a lie.

"A... lie..."

Not a misunderstanding.

Not a dream.

Not... a nightmare...

I still have a lot more to do...

Company, academy, nobility, future, plans, preparations...

But I don’t feel like doing anything.

"..."

I need to occupy myself with something to distract myself from boredom. And something of immediate importance.

"..."

Hmm...

"Hey, Sith."

A turquoise glow quickly appeared in front of me, followed by Sith.

"Yes?"

"How is the barrier?"

How many days has it been since he felt the ripple? A week or so... so we don’t have much time left.

The spirits will descend on Lunerra shortly. And all of Lunerra will be shaken.

I need to find a way to make the most of it. And then there’s the matter of the Father of Sith...

"It’s the same. But there is constant pressure from the other side. The spirits seem to be trying to speed things up."

"I see..."

Then... let’s take care of this first.

~beep! ~beep! ~beep!

"Huh?"

I wasn’t really surprised when my watch rang. I’ve been getting a lot of calls lately.

The problem was... the person who called me.

I wasn’t a call from her at this time of the day...

"Yes, Clara?"

My sister.

"Are you free right now, by any chance?"

I paused as I felt the difference in her voice, my expression turning serious. I leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.

For some reason... I had an idea of what she was going to talk about.

"Yes, I’m free."

Clara was silent for a while. Then, on the other side of the call, she sighed deeply, braced herself... and asked her question.

"Is Paul... dead?"

The very question I had been waiting for.

"Yes."

"..."

Clara was silent again. But this time not as long as the first.

"Was it... you... who killed him?"

"Yes."

"..."

This time for minutes...

"Clara. You’re there, aren’t you?"

"Yes... yes, I’m here."

I squinted for a little while. Then closed my eyes completely.

"Do you... hate me? For killing him?"

Like her...

"No..."

"Well, then?"

"It’s just... I... I don’t know. I don’t feel sad after realizing what kind of person he was. But... still..."

She sighed deeply. A squeaky voice came echoing, as if leaning too slowly against something.

"I... imagined a future with him. Growing up with him, marrying him, growing old with him... more."

Disappointment?

"Whatever. Thank you for being honest. And... I’m sure you’re doing the right thing. It’s just..."

"Hmm? Just?"

Clara gave me one last sentence before hanging up the call.

"Paul’s sister... I think you should talk to her."

The last word was much more emphatic.

"Again."

And then, she just hung up.

The next seconds passed in silence. Then a few minutes...

"Again, huh..."

Somehow... I have a feeling that she didn’t learn this from the Clairvoyance or from the authorities when she was trying to reach Paul...