Chapter 6 â The Last Embrace
The journey back took just under two days.
Seraphina didnât eat. She didnât sleep. She didnât even feel the ache in her feet or the chill in the morning wind. Her mind was a storm of fear and hope, and her hands clutched the pouch of gold as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality.
When she finally saw the familiar dirt paths and crooked rooftops of her village, she didnât stop. Her legs moved faster, heart pounding louder than her footsteps.
She burst into the cottage, the door creaking on its hinges.
âBig sis!â she shouted, her voice raw.
The sight inside made her freeze.
Father Arlo was seated beside her sisterâs bed, gently pressing a damp cloth against her fevered brow. The tiny room smelled of herbs, sweat, and something far more bitterâsomething Seraphina couldnât name but instinctively feared. Her sister was awake, barely. Her eyelids fluttered open, and when her gaze met Seraphinaâs, her lips curved into a faint, tired and gentle smile.
âSeraâ¦â she whispered, her voice no louder than a breath.
Seraphina dropped her bag and ran to the bedside, collapsing to her knees as she wrapped her arms around her sister's frail frame. Her sisterâs body felt like paper and boneâtoo light, too fragile, too cold.
âIâm here,â Seraphina sobbed. âIâm here now, I came back⦠I came backâ¦â
A trembling arm slowly wrapped around her shoulders, the touch barely there, but it was enough. Enough to break whatever dam still held her tears.
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She cried, her face buried against the crook of her sisterâs neck. âYouâre burning up⦠Youâre too cold⦠Iâm so sorry. Iâm so sorry I wasnât fasterâ¦â
âDonât cry, little Sera,â her sister murmured, voice brittle like dried leaves. âItâs⦠good to see you again. You look well.â
âNo! Iâm not well without youâdonât say things like thatâplease,â Seraphina begged, shaking her head.
Father Arlo said nothing. He simply lowered his eyes, giving them the moment they deserved. The final moment.
Her sisterâs smile stayed gentle, even as the black marks across her skin darkened. Her veins were now visible, crawling like ink across her arms and neck. Her breath came in shallow gasps, but she still looked at Seraphina with the same warm affection she always had. It made everything hurt more.
âIâm sorry,â Seraphina whispered. âI couldnât save you⦠I tried⦠I really triedâ¦â
Her sister chuckled weakly. âNo, you did more than I ever could. I should be the one saying sorry⦠I left you with too much⦠You were just a child.â
Seraphina shook her head, wiping her face furiously with her sleeve. âDonât say that. You were everything to me. You are everything to me.â
She tried to speak cheerfully then, telling her about the city. About how big it was. How noisy. How the buildings touched the sky and the streets were always full of people. She exaggerated a few parts. She left out the cruel rejections. The hunger. The way men looked at her sometimes like she was nothing more than meat.
She didnât want her sister to know any of that.
Instead, she talked about the noble lady she metâa beautiful woman with Blonde platinum hair who gave her a job. âWhen I go back,â she said brightly, âIâll work in a mansion! High wages, warm meals. Iâll be able to send money, buy real medicine. Things will change, I promise.â
Her sister listened in silence, her hand still weakly resting over Seraphinaâs.
But after a while⦠something changed.
Seraphina paused. Her sisterâs face was still turned toward her, the faint smile still on her lipsâbut her eyes no longer moved. No longer blinked. They stared forward, unfocused, as if staring through her.
âBig sisâ¦?â Seraphina whispered, leaning forward.
The silence answered her.
Her heart sank.
âNo⦠no, pleaseââ she gently touched her sisterâs face, shook her shoulder. âNo! Iâm still here⦠donât go, not yetâ¦â
But it was too late.
Her sister had passedâwith a peaceful smile still on her face, as if to say, âItâs okay now. I saw you. Iâm content.â
Seraphina's breath hitched. Her hands trembled as she reached forward and slowly closed her sisterâs eyes, her fingers brushing against skin that had already begun to grow cold.
Tears fell again. But this time, they were quieter. Heavier.
A hand touched her shoulder.
Father Arlo was standing beside her now, his face solemn but gentle. He knelt down and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a soft, protective hug.
âShe held on for this,â he whispered. âFor you. She shouldâve been gone days ago⦠but she waited. Just to see your face one last time.â
Seraphina buried her face into the priestâs robes and criedâloud, raw sobs that echoed through the tiny cottage.
Because now⦠she was truly alone.
But her sister had smiled. Her sister had waited.
And that meant everything.