Chapter 45: Decisions

"But…"

Everyone was now focused on the elder as he spoke those words. The secret that Dalary had been hiding from us was no more, as we started listening to his information.

"…spirits were not just paint of white." He continued, now giving more tension to her condition. After hearing this, I couldn't help but be shocked and worried about Dalary. "Once something triggered their anger, they would target their bonded tendrin."

I lowered my head, as I was still trying to absorb the information. If she or anyone made the water spirits angry, then they would turn against her and could do something horrible to her.

"W-Will she be okay?" I asked, gripping both of my hands as I raised my head. After thinking about what my friend had gone through all this time, I couldn't help but to blame myself because of it. If she didn't come with me, then this would never happen.

"I'm not usually like this, but I'm also worried about myself," Dalary said with a poker face as she raised her hand. It seemed like she's not taking it too seriously, but I knew that she was honest.

"Don't worry!" The elder said with a slight smirk in his face, the first time I had ever seen him show joy. Even though it was a sly one, I couldn't believe that I could be able to see him smile. "Pholly will help you!"

"W-What?!!" After hearing what he said, almost everyone surrounding Dalary yelled with the highest voice as they could, dropping their jaws to the ground, including me. Because of our scream, the residents that were staying in the area started staring at us.

"M-Me?" Pholly asked with widened eyes, pointing herself using her index finger. Her eyes flinched at the idea that she would be together with her sister. "You're saying…?"

"She's your sister, right? Protect her." The old man said with crossed arms, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, saying that the answer was too obvious. But what he didn't know was the quarrel between them.

"B-But…" She was about to say something that would oppose his decision, until he shot a death glance at her, threatening her to obey the order of their leader.

He might not have the luxurious clothes among all of them, but he was the one they were looking up to, and always have the wise words.

Without any choice, Pholly sighed in defeat and dropped her shoulders.

"Yes…" She answered, couldn't be able to fight against him.

With that, the whole conversation was finished and Dalary can now finally move out of her bed and take a walk with us towards Zentra. But before she could go further, she approached her sister, who was already leaving the evacuation area.

"Pholly." She called for her name, in which the other turned around to see her. She kept lowering her head, embarrassed about what she was about to say to her. I had never heard Dalary apologize sincerely ever since I was a kid.

"I'm sorry…" She said as she averted her eyes, one can see the honesty in them, "for everything that I did to you."

"I never looked after your feelings, how you feel about what I'm doing." She added, now holding her arm with her hand, caressing it as the whole atmosphere made her looked uncomfortable. "I should be a better sister."

Long silence greeted them as no one attempted to speak. Dalary already finished with her apology, and the other was still not ready to say anything. Compared to what I've experienced the other day at the rooftop, this had lesser tension.

Even though no one insisted on staying just like before, I decided to be stuck on them for a while. I know that I shouldn't interfere but since they didn't mind me beside them, I couldn't help but to stay.

"I still couldn't be able to forgive you." Suddenly, Pholly spoke with her more mature voice than her sister, but he didn't turn around to see her face. As I heard those words, I couldn't help but be broken.

I started remembering my brother, what he was doing right now, and if he's fine. If I ever met him again, I wonder if he will still forgive me after what I've done to him. I left him all alone, even though I promised to not.

"But I will help you with what you wanted to achieve." She added, which made my friend raised her head, now with the hope that she still had a chance. "All I want was for you to not make things difficult for me."

After what she said, she started walking away from us at a slow pace, leaving us inside the evacuation area with the others. Then, I secretly looked at Dalary, who kept staring at her sister in a distance with a sorrowful face.

Because of my bringing her into this journey, she started to be in the worst situations possible. She was almost gone and I couldn't help but blame myself. If I didn't decide to stay at Zentra, or even brought her with me, then this wouldn't ever happen to the tendrins and her.

We also started leaving the area and decided to walk around the town of Zentra. The sun is setting, removing the clear blue sky above us. It was already the end of the day and tomorrow, we'll be leaving this town.

This is my chance to tell it to the Dalary. I don't want her to get hurt, so I better tell her what I'd been decided to do. She might get angry and won't ever talk to me again, but it's better than putting her into danger.

"Dalary," I called for her name, in which she turned around to see me. Once again, we stayed at the rooftop to watch the starry night but it seemed like we had never been talking for a while. I tried to pull out the courage to say it to her, and now, I couldn't back up. As I was waiting for her response, I stared at the stars.

I remembered another story about them that I read. They said that each of them was a whole new different world, with a whole new different kind of people. And to them, we were also one of the stars in their night sky. Nobody knew if it was true or not, but I had always believed it, and I was dreaming to go there when I was a kid.

"What?" She asked, then took a sip of her glass with water. I went back from my train of thought and was ready to give an answer.

"Don't get mad at me if I say this, okay?" I asked before saying anything. She was always getting mad at almost everything that I say, and she had no limits about it. So right now, I'm scared to even say it to her.

"Geez, just get it on with it." She said as she waved her hand at me up and down. I couldn't help but have a slight irritation. She was always acting cool like she was ready to hear what I was about to say, but the truth is she's not.

But I didn't mind and took a deep breath to calm my mind. After that, I turned my head to make eye contact with her as she was still drinking her water.

"I want you to stay here."

Those words almost made her spit her drink. But thankfully, she stopped it from bursting out from her mouth like a fountain, and all the extra water was dripping towards her chin. She wiped her face before looking at me.

"W-What?" She exclaimed with a raised eyebrow. I saw the muscles on her eye flinched, didn't seem to like what I just said. I expected her to act like this since she hated despair. She's a creature of hope after all. She doesn't like someone to give up in the middle of doing something.

"You were always getting into trouble because of me, and I want to end that. I don't want you to get hurt anymore." I explained although I knew that she wouldn't accept it. She had been a stubborn one since we met.

Unexpectedly, she didn't say anything and we all stuck in this situation. We met with our eyes but we have different expressions. Her brows furrowed while I was pleading for my life.

" Well, why would you expect me to not get mad at that?!" She yelled. Both of her hands were resting at her waist, as she looked down on me with our height difference. I wished she wouldn't do that to me.

"If you're the type that doesn't want to get into trouble, then sorry, but I'm not like that!" She added, her voice was louder than before. "I promised to Farin that I wouldn't leave you alone!"

When I heard my brother's name, I couldn't help but my eyes to water started to form tears. But I stopped it from flowing, as I covered my eyes with my arms. I never thought that he would go that far just to protect me.

"I just… I don't wanna risk your life. You also hate that, right?" I fought back, but my voice wasn't loud as hers. I hated quarrels but somehow, I managed to not be defeated in this argument.

"That doesn't matter! People change every time!" She responded, now crossing her arms on her chest. "And besides, it's better to deal with this using more brain cells than one."

"You're my friend." Her voice finally lowered the volume, didn't want for me to hear her yells more than the actual words. "And what kind of person is gonna leave her friend when the world turns against her?"

You're not alone.

As I heard what she said, I remembered what Cainne said to me after I was stuck in the cave. When the world turned against me, there are still people who would side with me.

"So don't say things like that!" Her last yell was stronger than the others, even though it wasn't that loud.

"O-Okay… sorry…" It was the only thing that came out of my mouth. I was too scared that Dalary would be gone. If I wanted to survive this world's menace then I should believe in my friends.