Time: Early morning
Age: Elira – 6 years old, Kael – 3
years old
Kael shivered under the thin blanket. His small
body felt hot, yet his lips were pale. Elira pressed a cool hand to his
forehead.
"He's burning up," she whispered, worry twisting
her chest.
She helped him drink warm broth and tucked him
under layers of blankets. Every hour, she checked his pulse, his breathing, and
murmured soft reassurances.
As the fever climbed, Kael's sleep became
restless. His tiny lips moved, and he murmured fragments of words. Elira leaned
close.
"Kael… talk to me," she said softly.
But he didn't answer. Instead, his small face
twisted in worry, his hands twitching as if trying to hold something invisible.
Then, in the heat of his fever, the dream
began.
Kael found himself standing in a dark, burning
city. Shadows of people he had hurt in his past life surrounded him. His tiny
voice echoed in the empty streets.
"No… I cannot do this!" he shouted. "I'm not
like that! I'm… I'm good! I have a sister… she'll be sad if I hurt anyone!"
The memories pressed down on him. Face of
people he had wronged, voices accusing him, the chaos he had caused—all came
rushing back. He tried to turn away, but it followed him everywhere.
Elira's hand hovered over him, sensing the tension in his body. She
whispered softly, "Kael… it's a dream. You're safe. I'm here."
In the dream, Kael dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I…
I can't be that person! I won't be! I have Elira. She… she believes in me. I'm
a good person now!"
A small shiver ran through him as the fever burned on, but slowly the
shadows began to recede. Kael's dream-self looked at his hands, realizing they
were empty. No harm, no destruction. Only hope.Elira stroked his hair gently.
"That's right, Kael. You are not that person anymore. You are good. You are
kind. You are my little brother."
Hours passed. The fever slowly ebbed, and Kael's breathing became steady.
His small hands gripped Elira's as he mumbled in a softer voice, "I… I will be
good… always. I won't hurt anyone… not like before."
Elira smiled, relief flooding her chest. "I know, Kael. I know."
And in the quiet western wing, with candles flickering and the empire
oblivious outside, the two siblings shared a silent promise: past mistakes do
not define them, andtogether, they would face the future with courage and love.