Fleeing into the Storm
The morning sunlight pouring through the window tickled my eyelids. In the old days, I was the one who woke up first and roused Psyche, but the flow of time had changed even our home's morning routine. The clattering sounds from the kitchen and the savory aroma coaxed my eyes open, and there was Psyche, apron-clad and beaming at me.
"Sis, you're awake? Perfect timing—the soup's just finished."
On the table sat freshly baked bread, steaming soup, and neatly prepared fruit. At some point, Psyche had started learning to cook, declaring, "I dream of becoming a good wife and wise mother." The little girl who used to cling to my skirt was now skillfully wielding a knife to prepare breakfast for me. It filled me with pride, yet a pang of sorrow tugged at my heart. Someday, she'd truly become a wonderful wife and leave my side.
Will Psyche one day leave me too, to build her own family? The soup in my mouth tasted unusually sweet yet bitter. I shook my head, pushing the thought away. Anyway, I have to return to Earth eventually. Whether she starts a family or not, it's none of my business. I couldn't stay by her side forever.
After breakfast, as I prepared to head to the bakery, Psyche called out from where she leaned against the front door. "Sis, did you forget anything?" Her purple eyes sparkled with anticipation as she gazed down at me. Her face, far too mature for her fifteen years, prompted her to tap her cheek playfully. "You have to say goodbye with a kiss."
"Psyche, you're not a kid anymore. That's embarrassing..."
"In front of you, I'll be a kid forever. Come on—if you don't, I won't let you out."
She stubbornly blocked my path, so I stood on tiptoe and pressed a light kiss to her soft cheek. "Hehe. Have a good day, sis." Leaving Psyche grinning in satisfaction, I stepped out.
When I arrived at the bakery, the Baker—who usually greeted me with his kind smile—went pale at the sight of me and rushed out. He slammed the shop door shut like locking it and gripped my shoulders, whispering urgently. "Roen! This isn't the time to be here! Hurry and take Psyche and hide! Or maybe leave the village altogether!"
His frantic voice made my heart drop to my toes. "What? What's going on all of a sudden...? Leave the village?"
"The Lord's looking for Psyche! There's no time—"
I managed to ask in a trembling voice, "What do you mean? The Lord? What did we do wrong...?"
"It's not about wrongdoing! It's that spoiled brat of his, the apple of his eye. Yesterday, he was out hunting and spotted Psyche by the well. He fell for her at first sight, threw a tantrum to his father, demanding she be brought to him as a concubine right away."
The Lord's son. The whole village knew his reputation for womanizing. "You know how he is—if he sets his sights on something, he'll stop at nothing to take it! Soldiers will be at your house soon!"
My mind went blank. I couldn't hand Psyche over to that arrogant, tyrannical brute. I couldn't let that precious child become his plaything. Without even a proper thank-you, I bolted toward home like a madwoman.
The path back felt endlessly longer than usual. As I reached the village outskirts, a chilling clank of armored soldiers echoed from afar. I instinctively ducked behind a wall.
It was the territory soldiers. With fierce expressions, they grabbed villagers, demanding answers. "We know there's a girl with purple eyes living around here! Anyone hiding her will be charged with treason!"
My chest tightened at their shouts. Fortunately, the villagers shook their heads, pretending ignorance. The small loaves of bread we'd shared and our friendly greetings must have weighed on their tongues.
Seizing the moment when the soldiers turned down another alley, I sprinted down the back paths. My lungs burned like they might burst, and a metallic taste of blood rose in my throat, but I couldn't stop. Protecting Psyche was all that mattered.
The instant I reached our yard, I seized Psyche's wrist as she hung laundry. She stared at me in shock. "Sis? What's wrong? Why are you panting like that? Are you okay?"
"Psyche, we have to leave now. Don't ask questions—no time to pack. Just follow me!"
"But sis, the laundry's not done..."
"That's not the issue! Please, Psyche!"
At my desperate cry, she froze, then gripped my hand tightly with eerily calm eyes. She read my fear before any explanation.
We slipped past villagers' eyes onto the rugged mountain trail behind the village, heading for a neighboring one near the border where the Lord's reach wouldn't extend. We'd assess from there.
The path was far rougher than expected. The sun cruelly set earlier than usual, and to make matters worse, humid air rolled in, unleashing a torrent of cold rain.
"Haa, haa... Sis, it's pouring. The path's slippery—be careful."
Psyche's breaths came ragged. Though she'd outgrown me in height, she was still the child I had to protect in my eyes. I couldn't leave her shivering in the downpour. Luckily, a small cave appeared between rocks. We dragged our soaked bodies inside.
Dry branches littered the cave floor. I gathered them and coaxed a tiny flame to life. The crackling fire painted the dark, damp space in soft orange glow.
Psyche's thin clothes clung transparently, outlining her matured curves. If she catches a cold... I rummaged through the bag I'd hastily grabbed from home. Tucked deep, a spare outer garment remained dry.
"Psyche, come here. This one's dry—change into it quick. You can't get sick. You're delicate."
As I handed it over and brushed her wet hair aside, she gently but firmly stopped my wrist. "No, sis. That's the only one. Your clothes are soaked too—what about you? Seeing you shiver hurts more."
"Nonsense, I'm fine. I'm the big sister—I can tough it out. Seeing you cold is harder on me, so hurry—"
"No."
Her firm refusal. She pushed the garment aside and fixed me with flickering purple eyes by the fire—not the small, fragile gaze of before. This one overwhelmed me, laced with unfamiliar heat.
"You want me to wear it warm while you shiver? I can't do that."
Without hesitation, she pulled me into her broad embrace. My face buried in her chest. "Just... like this, hugging tight. It's warmer and surer than any dry clothes. I can feel your warmth directly."
Her embrace was firmer and hotter than I'd imagined. Her pulsing heat seeped through our chilled, wet skin. Trapped fully in her taller frame, our heartbeats—mine or hers, I couldn't tell—echoed louder than the rain outside.
"Psyche, this is too close... It's a bit embarrassing."
"No, it's not. I want to hold you even tighter."
She tightened her arms around my waist, pressing me flush. Our body heat mingled through damp fabric. "Maybe we should take our clothes off after all?" She shifted as if ready to strip.
"N-No! This is fine with them on..."
For some reason, embarrassment made me blurt the refusal. Psyche's my little sister, but I used to be a man... I stopped her from undressing and changed the subject. "Anyway, Psyche, hungry? I packed some food. Want to eat now?"
She pouted visibly but pulled me back in. "Yeah, let's eat now."
"O-Okay. Then can you loosen your arms a bit?"
She released just enough for my arms to move while keeping the embrace. I dug out some bread from the bag. "Here, dig in."
We ate leaning into each other. After, my throat felt dry, but water or milk wasn't an option here. I resigned myself.
"Sis, it's pitch black outside now."
"Yeah. Without this fire, we wouldn't see a thing."
I felt grateful watching the flames rise from dry branches. "But sis, even if these burn steady, won't they die out by dawn?"
"Yeah, probably."
"It'll be freezing then... Hugging might not be enough. Shouldn't we take our clothes off?"