Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

After one last inspection, making sure the dress had no further imperfections, the young woman walked over to the shelf on the wall, from which she took a pair of slightly mended long shorts and a loose, light-colored blouse, and put them on.

Now that she was wearing comfortable clothes, the young woman took the dress and went to the back of the house, where there was what looked like a small courtyard with a small stone washbasin in one corner. There, she proceeded to wash the dress with utmost care, making sure to clean it thoroughly while also avoiding any damage to the garment.

Once the dress was clean again, the young woman wrung it out carefully and gently, ensuring she removed as much moisture as possible without twisting it too much, since that could damage the fabric or the dress's buttons. She then hung it on a clothesline stretched across the yard, using a couple of clothespins, making sure to position it somewhere rain could not reach it in case it rained during the night.

Having finished with her dress, the young woman walked back inside the house and arrived at a kitchen which, though modest, was spotlessly clean and organized, with various utensils that were well-maintained and arranged in meticulous order. The shelves, full of jars of spices and basic food staples, revealed a life of home cooking carried out with care and attention.

Inside the kitchen, there was an old-looking table with three chairs, where someone was seated who could only be described as a carbon copy of the young guide, looking almost exactly like her—although there were two important differences between them.

In the case of the young guide, she had smooth, silky hair, whereas the young woman in the kitchen had wavy locks that fell softly down her back. The most striking difference, however, was that unlike the young guide, who had a vibrant, healthy complexion, the young woman in the kitchen looked incredibly pale, sporting a skin color that was almost greenish. Meanwhile, her lips—unlike the young guide's, which were a lovely cherry shade—were almost deathly white with small violet discolorations in some parts.

"Clara, what are you doing up?" Upon noticing the sickly looking young woman, the young guide exclaimed with some concern as she approached her.

"Don't worry, Sofía. I'm fine. I got up a while ago and, since you hadn't arrived, I decided to make dinner." The young woman seated in the chair said with a slight smile on her face, as she pointed to an old-fashioned wood stove in one corner of the kitchen, on top of which a pot was boiling.

"Don't overexert yourself. You know you've been more delicate than usual these past few days. Let's go to bed; I'll finish making dinner." Sofía tried to lift Clara from the chair, but Clara placed a hand on her shoulder while speaking in a serious tone.

"You don't have to treat me like I'm useless, Sofía. At least let me help with this, or I won't be able to rest easy in that bed."

Upon hearing her sister's words, Sofía could only give her a troubled look, but after a moment, she sighed and left her in the chair again with a sad expression. However, just then she seemed to remember something, which filled her with profound excitement, and she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face, which slightly surprised Clara.

"Clara! I already have the solution to our problems. Today, life smiled on me and finally decided to help us. I'll be right back!"

Clara blinked in surprise at Sofía's sudden excitement—who ran out of the room even before she'd finished speaking—but shortly after, she shrugged with an ironic smile on her face and stood up from the chair with difficulty, making her way over to the old stove to check the soup that was about to be ready.

Not long after, Sofía came running back into the house, carrying two simple-looking linen bags in her arms, her face brimming with excitement. She then presented the bags to Clara and exclaimed excitedly.

"Look at what I got today!"

Though somewhat taken aback by her sister's excitement, Clara examined the bags Sofía was holding with a keen gaze. After all, despite their simple appearance, she was sure that the fabric was something very expensive and fine—something her sister, who was merely a tour guide in the city, shouldn't have.

Worried, Clara quickly took one of the bags from her sister's hands and opened it to see what it contained, discovering several dozen crystals displaying slight iridescent spirals about the size of her palm, which pulsed with latent power, almost entrancing anyone who looked at them.

Mana Crystals of intermediate purity—that was the first phrase that came to Clara's mind as she looked at the crystals in the bag. The realization caused her already sickly appearance to worsen, turning several shades paler, while at the same time she felt the little strength in her body vanish. She stumbled to one side in fright, dropping the bag to the ground and scattering the crystals all over the floor.

"Where did you get that, Sofía?!"

Despite her frail condition, Clara shouted at the top of her lungs, panicking as she stared at Sofía in alarm, fearing what might have happened for her sister to have something so valuable in her possession.

"Hehehe, don't worry, Clara. I earned them at work today. A very handsome and generous young man gave them to me for my services." Sofía answered with a small, cheerful smile and a touch of pride on her face as she gathered the mana crystals from the floor, all the while recalling that starry-haired young man who looked like a prince charming.

But her words only worsened the pallor on Clara's face, making her look almost ghostly. The sickly young woman grabbed Sofía's shoulders as best she could and shook her while shouting in anger and fear.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SOFÍA? WHAT DID YOU DO?!!!"

Tears began to well up in Clara's eyes as her mind filled with all sorts of increasingly gruesome scenarios. This overwhelmed her with profound sadness and guilt for having forced her sister into such a predicament because of her own illness and uselessness. It led her to bite her lip hard, causing a thin trickle of blood to run down her chin.

Seeing her sister's outburst, Sofía panicked and quickly stopped picking up the crystals. She then carefully hugged her and began to explain hurriedly, trying to calm her, terrified that her condition would worsen because of the outburst.

"Don't worry, Clara. I swear on the memory of Mom and Dad that I didn't do anything strange to get them. I just guided him and his wives around the city, and since they seem to be really wealthy, the young man was very generous and gave me these crystals for my work."

"Are you telling the truth, Sofía? He just gave them to you for showing him around the city? You didn't do anything else?" Overcome with panic yet filled with hope, Clara asked fearfully as she stared intently at Sofía, trying to detect any lie. Sofía answered with complete confidence.

"Of course, he gave them to me for guiding him around the city with his wives, and even…" Sofía seemed to recall something and quickly added, while helping her sister sit back down on the chair.

"Hold on a second. He also gave me the most delicious sandwiches I've ever tasted in my life. I brought one for you. Hang on, I'll get it!"

Eager to produce enough evidence to put Clara at ease, Sofía ran to her room and came back with a red handkerchief. She unwrapped it, letting her sister see three beautiful sandwiches that looked as though they came from another world, and handed them to her.

"That young man gave you these as well?" Clara asked as she examined the sandwiches in her hand, which, despite looking a bit squashed, still appeared incredibly appetizing.

"Yes, try one. They're the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life." Sofía remarked, trying to hold back the drool that threatened to escape her mouth as she looked at the sandwiches.

"Okay, I'll try one."

Feeling somewhat nervous, Clara spoke in a serious tone and took one of the sandwiches, then took a small bite. She was instantly transported to another world, enchanted by the flavor that perfectly combined sweet, salty, acidic, and umami, taking her to a near-celestial culinary bliss.

"This is truly out of this world. It's really the tastiest thing I've tried in my entire life…" Clara remarked with a sigh, filled with countless emotions, as she looked at the sandwich in her hands. Then she turned to her sister and asked with a serious expression.

"So, are you telling me the truth, Sofía? Those crystals were just the payment for showing him around the city?"

"I'm telling you, yes. The young man is extremely wealthy. Just look at this incredible treat he has as a snack. Plus, his wives also looked like goddesses from another world, full of elegance and beauty, and even his servant was equally beautiful and refined. I'd never seen anything like them in Aranta."

"Then you were very lucky…" Clara commented softly, continuing to eat her sandwich slowly, in small bites, trying to savor each mouthful.

"Hahaha, I know. At first, I went over without expecting much, but I'm really glad I did. They were super kind and generous." Sofía said with a joyful smile on her face, but at that moment Clara replied in an almost solemn tone, snapping her out of her cheerfulness.

"That's not what I mean. In order to treat something as valuable as those mana crystals so casually, and to be able to eat something like this just as a simple snack. That young man you're talking about is probably an heir of a 'famous house', and you know what that means.…"

Upon mentioning the term "famous house", Clara's expression visibly darkened, while Sofía's face paled in fear. After all, there was nothing more dangerous than the heir of a famous house, especially for people like them.

The title "heirs of famous houses" was a common term used in the Auroria system to basically refer to the younger children of important families in the Auroria Kingdom or, in very rare cases, the children of important individuals from the Meridian Faction. From their perspective, these heirs possessed almost unlimited power and resources and were therefore treated extremely well wherever they went.

But what made these "heirs of famous houses" truly terrifying was that they generally lacked any sort of limits or scruples. They lived lives of excess without fear of the consequences because, thanks to their families' power, they would never have to experience them. That made them incredibly erratic and dangerous.

Instances where "heirs of famous houses" caused destruction in cities or even entire planets just for fun were incredibly numerous and well-known, to the point that even schools taught how to behave around such people to avoid "offending" them. Lesson number one was to run as far away as possible if the opportunity arose.

For that reason, the thing that people of limited means feared most—especially those who had a certain level of beauty like Clara and Sofía—was running into an heir of a famous house. So much so, that massive exoduses of people fleeing would occur at the slightest mention of an heir's presence in the vicinity.

The terror that people of limited resources felt toward these "heirs of famous houses" was not unfounded and was very real. After all, these individuals had enough power to literally do whatever they wanted to them in the middle of a public square, and no one would come to help. In fact, many would end up blaming them for "offending" such a person. It was an event that had happened more times than anyone cared to remember throughout the Auroria system, not to mention their planet, Aranta.

"No, I don't think he was an heir. I made sure to observe his group from a distance. The young man was only accompanied by his wives and a single maid, and there were no guards anywhere in sight. None of them gave off that heavy aura that powerful people have. Moreover, he was very kind and considerate—a world away from those 'heirs.'"

Gripped by panic, Sofía tried to explain herself in an attempt to reduce the fear she felt in her heart. Even though in the end everything turned out all right, if that young man had really been an "heir of a famous house", she would have been dancing on the edge of a knife the entire time without realizing it. And even now, she might not be safe, since you never know what those egomaniacal lunatics might do.

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

Seeing her sister's state of panic, Clara sighed and extended one of her hands to gently caress her cheek. Then, with a warm smile, she commented, trying to calm her down, since, even if he truly had been an 'heir', there was nothing more to be done. It was better to stay positive than to be consumed by fear.

"Maybe you're right, and he was only the son of some rich merchant on vacation."

"Yes, you're right, that's most likely." Sofía commented while nodding like a chicken, trying to push aside the terrible foreboding that was attempting to fill her heart.

"And what do you plan to do with the money?"

Trying to change the subject, Clara asked with a smile as she withdrew her hand, then propped her face on her elbow atop the table, looking at her sister. This caused Sofía's eyes to light up like lanterns, and she immediately responded with excitement.

"I've got it all planned out. First, we'll buy a magic potion to cure your illness, and with whatever's left, we'll send Martín to the Arcane Order so he can look for opportunities. Once he's settled there, he can send for us, hehehe."

A moved but simultaneously sad expression appeared on Clara's face upon hearing her sister's words, and she quickly remarked, trying to contain the swirling mix of emotions in her heart.

"You know that's not a good idea. I've been like this for two years, and none of the doctors we've seen have been able to figure out what I have. I don't think we'll be able to get a magic potion to cure me, but your idea of going to the Arcane Order is really good. Instead of wasting money on doctors and potions, you should go with Martín to the Arcane Order—Martín is too young to go on his own."

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SAYING, CLARA?!"

Hearing her sister's words, Sofía couldn't help but shout indignantly, slamming her hand on the table and staring at her, while Clara responded in a calm tone, guilt and self-loathing evident on her face.

"You know that's the best option. The Arcane Order is a land full of opportunities; if you go with Martín, you'll have a good life and won't have to suffer hunger and hardship as you do now because of me."

Tears started rolling down Clara's pale cheeks as she spoke, expressing the immense sadness and pain she felt for having ended up in this state, where simply walking was a struggle, let alone working. Now, it was also her fault that her younger brother couldn't continue studying and had to work himself to the bone in a mine just to earn a little money. It was all her fault—everything happened because she got sick and ruined her siblings' lives, the only thing she had in this world.

"I won't allow you to say something like that, Clara!!!" Sofía shouted, now completely outraged, watching her sister give in to pain and self-loathing.

" You know that's the best! Now I'm just a burden, a dead weight. I cost money, and every day, you and Martín have to kill yourselves working to support me. I don't want this anymore. I want you two to live well now that you have the chance. Leave me here; I don't want to go on like this. I don't want to be a burden anymore…!" Clara shouted in an almost guttural voice laden with pain, which only heightened Sofía's anger. Sofía yelled back at her stubborn sister, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

"Get it through your head, Clara!! You're my sister. We were born together, and we'll always be together. I won't abandon you, no matter what!"

Swiftly, Sofía wrapped her arms tightly around her sister, who was also crying inconsolably, and spoke to her in a choked voice, doing her utmost to sound calm and composed, while her heart twisted in pain at feeling how thin and frail Clara's body had become.

"You're right that it might be hard to find a potion here, but not in the Arcane Order. They say it's the faction with the best alchemists in the galaxy. I'm sure we can find a cure for your illness there. So if we go, we go together. It's just a matter of saving up a bit more. We're so close; it's too soon to give up."

Sofía's words were like daggers piercing Clara's weary heart. Despite the immense happiness she felt at the genuine love they showed her, she also felt infinite guilt weighing her down. From any perspective, the difficult situation faced by their little family was solely her fault. However, continuing to contradict her sister—who wanted to do everything in her power to help—would only be like pouring salt on the wound. Besides, deep down, she still held a tiny hope of being cured and being able to help her siblings again.

"Thank you…"

With a voice that was almost a whisper, Clara commented through her tears, feeling immensely happy to have been blessed with a family like hers. Despite having experienced so much loss and pain, her sister was still willing to take care of someone as useless as her.

"You don't have to thank me. We're twins; we can never be apart from each other. Besides, your illness is only temporary. I'm sure we'll find a cure very soon in the Arcane Order. You know what they say— that place is a land where anything is possible." Sofía spoke in a gentle tone, delicately stroking her sister's back, almost as though she were afraid of hurting her in her frail condition.

"… Yes, you're right. In the Arcane Order, we can start a new life, and we'll find a cure…" After a few moments, Clara replied, a bit calmer in her sister's arms, but just then, her small nose twitched slightly as she caught a scent, prompting her to comment with a faint smile.

"And please turn off the fire. The soup is ready."

Hearing her sister, Sofía lifted her head and sniffed the air, immediately recognizing the unmistakable aroma of Clara's chicken soup. This led her to speak with a smile, genuinely pleased to see her sister feeling a bit better.

"You're right, I'll do it now."

After letting go of her sister's embrace, Sofía headed to the stove and removed the pot using a couple of kitchen rags, which were nothing more than scraps of clothing too worn to be repaired. She then closed the stove's air vents, letting the wood fire burn out slowly.

After that, Sofía poured some water from a large clay pot in the kitchen into a couple of metal cups and brought one to her sister, who received it with a smile. Though her expression still showed a bit of sadness and melancholy, lost in thought.

Clara's life had not been easy. Because she was born with a weak body, things were always a bit more complicated for her than for others. She got sick often, and it was common for her to spend long periods in bed, meaning she frequently missed school and had very few friends. This led her to a solitary, homebound life where her family was all she had.

When their parents were still in this world, Clara attended Aranta's main school along with Sofía and her younger brother. There, in addition to reading, writing, and mathematics, they learned basic knowledge about the galaxy, mana, mana users, and more. Though for the time being, they were at most a couple of Initiate-level individuals of second rank in the best of cases, given that they had had to leave school far too soon.

That the siblings could attend such a distinguished school in the Auroria Kingdom was thanks to their parents' good jobs— their father was a doctor and their mother was an artist. But everything changed around five years ago when their father suddenly fell ill and died shortly thereafter, prompting their mother, a deeply emotional woman, to fall into a severe depression. She soon passed away as well, leaving them alone in this world.

Although losing their parents was devastating—two crushing blows within just a few months, turning their little world upside down, leaving them broken and unsure how to keep living—that was only the beginning of a series of "misfortunes" that would eventually leave them in the miserable state they were in. It also taught them the true nature of the world in the worst possible way.

A few days after their mother's death, their parents' few relatives reappeared at her funeral, showering them with consolation and embraces, vowing to help and support them as though they were their own children. They even fought among themselves to see who would take custody of the siblings. Innocently, the three believed this might be something good amid such tragedy. But soon, reality showed its ugly face, teaching them the harsh truth of the real world.

The one who ended up "winning" custody of them during that squabble of relatives was their mother's younger sister, who showed herself to be empathetic and was the one they knew best, as she visited their mother often and stood by her side from the onset of her depression until her bitter end. She was also kind to the siblings, always bringing them gifts, helping them, understanding them, and supporting them, earning a very special place in their hearts. But appearances can be deceiving.

Shortly after they received the inheritance their parents had left them, the loving, caring aunt who had always helped and pampered them vanished like smoke, transforming into a cruel and ruthless woman who was bothered by everything they did. She even pulled them out of school, claiming their performance was abysmal and they were wasting her money.

From the moment they left school, she fired the woman who had served as her housekeeper for years and began treating the siblings as mere servants, in charge of all the household chores. She insulted and hit them if something was not done to her satisfaction, though perhaps a more accurate term for that treatment would be "slaves", one of the greatest taboos in the galaxy.

She wasn't just absolutely heartless in how she treated them; she was extremely stingy, allowing them only to eat whatever was left after her family had eaten. They were also banned from using the main dining room and could only eat at a small table in the kitchen. They had to share a single old bed for all three of them, and the clothes they wore were her family's old hand-me-downs or whatever the neighbors donated to the poor, since most of their own decent brand-name clothing "disappeared" and was never found again.

Over time, Clara came to partially understand the reason behind their "aunt's" hatred. She was a despicable, greedy woman who had envied Clara's mother her entire life and only acted nice because her mother used to help her financially. So once she got hold of the money, that twisted woman started "getting revenge" on them because, according to her, Clara's mother had "stolen the life that should have been hers". This went on for almost a year, but everything changed when one of that woman's sons hit their dear younger brother, and things spiraled out of control.

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

One day, just like any other, Martín—her younger brother—grew tired and tried to defend himself from his cousin. This cousin, who used to treat him kindly and play with him all the time, now wanted to show off in front of his friends by hitting him with a stick just for fun. The problem was that, in Martín's attempt to defend himself, he ended up pushing the ruthless boy, who fell to the ground and ended up with his head bleeding.

That incident nearly drove their aunt insane. She beat all three of them so severely that they still bore several scars from it. But she wasn't satisfied with just that—she threw them out on the street with nothing but the old clothes they were wearing, which were torn and bloodied from the beating they had received.

Even though the siblings apologized and begged the merciless woman not to kick them out, she refused to listen. She went so far as to call the neighborhood's private security where they lived—a moderately exclusive, relatively high-level area in Aranta, to which she had moved shortly after taking in the siblings, leaving behind the lower-middle-class neighborhood where she had previously lived.

When the guards arrived, the hysterical woman demanded at the top of her lungs that they kick the siblings out of the neighborhood. The guards did so literally, without a moment's hesitation, looking at them with arrogance and contempt on their ugly faces the entire time.

That was where the siblings' problems really began. Although they had spent a year practically living like slaves, they still had food and a roof over their heads. But after being expelled from their aunt's house, even those small comforts became luxuries they could only dream of having again.

After leaving their aunt's house, Clara and her two siblings went to the home their parents had left them, hoping to live there. One of the reasons they had decided to stay with their aunt in the first place was because she had sworn on their mother's memory that she would keep the house in perfect condition. So, they could return at any time. After all, it was their most precious possession, full of memories from the happy life they once had with their parents.

But the siblings' innocent hopes were once again crushed by the overwhelming weight of reality. Their exhausting journey back to their old home—where they arrived after forcing their bruised bodies to keep walking—only served to reveal that the house had been sold not long after it was handed over to them.

That day, with a broken heart and her frail body covered in wounds, Clara, while clinging to her siblings with tears streaming down her face, could only watch through the windows at the family now living in the house they had loved so dearly. She saw them dining happily, smiles on their faces, but their presence seemed to bother the family, as they were eventually chased away from there not long after.

After a series of devastating blows from reality, Clara and her siblings had no choice but to sleep on the streets and eat leftovers given to them by restaurants or families. At the same time, they desperately tried to find their other relatives, the same ones who had seemed so empathetic and caring when their parents passed away, swearing they would help them with anything they needed. But they were unable to find almost any of them, as if they had vanished into thin air.

Now, however, Clara wished she had never found any of them and could have kept alive a small ray of hope—both in her heart and in her siblings' hearts—about their so-called "family". But as if life enjoyed shattering their illusions, after some time, they ended up finding one of those "empathetic and caring relatives". He merely mocked them sadistically for making the wrong choice and handing their money over to a two-faced bitch, all the while throwing a piece of bread on the ground as a "gesture of goodwill toward family".

Seeing the true face of what was supposed to be their family—human trash worse than any beast, capable of lying, deceiving, and betraying anyone to get what they wanted—Clara, for the first time in her short life, felt true despair. It only grew deeper as she saw the pain and hunger on the faces of her siblings, the only family she had left.

In no time at all, they had gone from living under the loving care of their parents, sleeping in a good home, eating proper meals every day, and worrying only about school exams and their classmates' gossip, to living on the streets where dangers lurked around every corner. They ate scraps and garbage, were looked down upon with contempt, and were constantly chased away from everywhere for being beggars.

But life is always capricious, and as if it had suddenly grown tired of toying with them, one day, while Clara went out with Sofía to find something for their younger brother Martín to eat, they ran into their "good friends" from school, who only made fun of them for their situation. That humiliation shattered their already wounded, hopeless hearts even more. Paradoxically, though, it was also the event that triggered the change in their lives.

One of the fathers of those "good friends", who knew their parents and happened to be there, felt a bit sorry for the pitiful "trio of beggars", as he called them. Condescendingly, and with a look of disgust on his face, he gave them a few mana crystals and allowed them to stay in a property he considered lost in the slums—the same house where they are currently living.

From that point on, things began to improve for Clara and her siblings. Even though her body had always been weak, ever since she was little, she had shown a remarkable talent for cooking. So, using the few mana crystals the owner of the house had given them, Sofía and Clara decided to invest in some cooking utensils and ingredients to create different kinds of desserts, which Sofía began to sell out on the streets.

Clara's cooking talent was genuinely impressive, and the desserts she made sold very well. Not long afterward, their lives began to improve: they were able to buy clothes again, even if only second-hand. They started eating three times a day, every day, and gradually bought some items for the house and made a few repairs. They even managed to pay for their younger brother Martín to attend school again. Although it wasn't the exclusive main school of Aranta, it was still a good one, which filled them with pride and joy.

Yet, it seemed life wasn't satisfied with the little bit of happiness their small family had found. Two years ago, Clara's condition suddenly took a dramatic turn for the worse, leaving her confined to bed and incapable of doing anything. Though her siblings tried to find treatment for her and spent all the savings they had, none of the doctors were able to help. Their lives sank back to a low point.

With Clara unable to make her desserts, the family's finances took a nosedive. Martín had to quit school once again, and Sofía had to figure out how to earn money. She slightly altered the dress she used to wear when selling Clara's pastries—the only brand-new dress she had ever bought, since they had learned over time that desserts sold better if she was nicely dressed.

Applying the same logic that appearances are crucial in business, Sofía modified the dress so it looked a bit more elegant. She then began her new venture: offering her services as a tour guide on the streets. After all, for a young woman with no education, the range of legal and honorable jobs was quite limited.

During her time selling desserts, Sofía had met many people, including several who worked as tour guides. After all, planet Aranta is a beautiful place filled with an exquisite artistic sense, attracting a large number of tourists every year. Many of those guides had been good customers of hers, so they explained to Sofía how their work functioned: how much to charge, how to present the sights, how to identify potential clients, and much more.

While being a tour guide wasn't particularly bad, it wasn't as profitable as selling Clara's desserts. Coupled with the continual monthly expenses on doctors and medication required to keep Clara stable, the family of three once again found themselves in a critical state in which they could barely manage to eat once or twice a day.

Seeing how dire things were, Martín decided to start working in a mine on the outskirts of the city. One of his old school friends, who also had to drop out, worked there, and this job allowed them to survive up until now. But it pained the twins every time they saw their little brother coming home exhausted and dirty from work, barely able to get a bite to eat before collapsing into a deep sleep.

"Don't you think Martín is taking a long time today?"

While chatting idly with her sister at the table, waiting for their younger brother to arrive so they could serve dinner, Clara suddenly glanced at an old clock on the wall and asked in a worried tone. Sofía could only nod with a somewhat pale, fearful expression, also staring at the clock.

"You're right. He should be here by now…"

"Let's not worry. I'm sure today's just been tough. I heard him mention this morning that they were opening a new tunnel in the mine, so that's probably why he's running a bit late. Let's serve dinner. He won't be much longer."

Despite her concern, Clara tried to remain calm and spoke gently, hoping to soothe her sister's worries—while also trying to convince herself and steady her own racing heart.

"Yes, you're right. That must be it. Martín shouldn't take much longer."

In a nervous voice, Sofía spoke as she nodded, also trying to reassure herself. She then set about serving the delicious soup Clara had made into three steel bowls, arranging them on the table alongside the remaining two sandwiches.

But no matter how much the twins tried to stay calm, time continued to pass, amplifying their anxiety. It was as if they could almost hear each tick of the clock like a hammer blow. Still, Martín showed no sign of arriving, and the soup on the table—untouched—had gone cold.

"I can't wait any longer. Something must've happened. I'm going to the mine to look for Martín."

Feeling suffocated by uncertainty and worry, Sofía spoke forcefully as she hurried out of her chair. Clara wanted to stop her—given how dangerous the streets were at night in their neighborhood, especially for a young woman—but she couldn't. A sinister feeling gripped her heart, causing it to pound wildly. All she could do was watch her sister's retreating figure, biting her lips in pain and frustration.

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.