[The Night Before the Tournament - From Thera's Perspective]
The pale light of the twin moons striking the leather of my tent's ceiling kept me from sleeping. My eyes looked at the ceiling, but my mind was always on tomorrow. The day my brother would fight. Mother and father are excited; everyone in the clan talks about how much my brother has grown stronger. But I... I'm a little scared.
My brother Aetron has changed a lot. He's been like someone else since he got lost in the forest and returned. But not someone bad, someone better.
Because before, even when my brother was beside me, it was as if he was far away. His eyes would always stare into emptiness. When he laughed, his eyes wouldn't laugh. He wouldn't play with me. He'd always swing his sword alone or get lost in the forest. I missed him so much. He was my brother, my hero, but it was as if there was a wall between us that I couldn't see.
Now that the wall is gone, his eyes shine. He really laughs. When he hugs me, it's not just for show anymore; he hugs warmly, like before, before he became sad.
But sometimes, he still zones out. When someone calls him "Aetron," he seems to freeze. Sometimes, when I hug him, I feel something inside him hurting, as if he thinks being happy is a bad thing. This makes me very sad.
No matter how much he changes, I know he loves me. I'm sure of it. He's still my brother. When I grow up, I'll also be a strong warrior like him. I'll fight beside him. I'll protect him.
I couldn't stay in my bed any longer, and I felt that he couldn't sleep either. I grabbed my pillow, quietly left the tent, and ran toward his. The light coming from inside meant he was still awake.
I slowly opened the tent entrance. My brother sat on his bed, looking at the wooden sword in his lap.
"Brother?" I whispered.
He jumped and turned to me. He was surprised when he saw me. "Thera? What are you doing at this hour?"
Holding my pillow tightly, I went to him and sat on the edge of the bed. "You can't sleep either. Are you scared about tomorrow?"
He nodded. "A little."
"You've changed a lot," I said quietly.
The moment I said this, I saw his shoulders drop. That sad face came back. He was blaming himself again.
I immediately snuggled up to him and hugged his arm. "No, no, not like that! In a good way! You became like before. Like my brother, who plays with me, who smiles at me."
His face brightened a little, but he was still worried.
"You hug me like before again," I whispered, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm not scared of you anymore. I love you so much, brother. No matter what, you're my brother."
This last sentence of mine seemed to untie a knot inside him. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close. "I love you so much, too, little warrior," he said, his voice a bit strange.
"You'll win tomorrow," I said, turning my face to him. "Because you're the strongest. I'll be watching you from the front row!"
He smiled—a very beautiful smile. "Can I stay here tonight?" I asked in my cutest way. I'll bring you luck."
"Of course you can stay," he said, lifting the blanket.
I put my pillow next to his and got under the blanket. I hugged him tight. He hugged me, too. As I listened to his heartbeat, all my fears flew away. Who he was and how he'd changed didn't matter. He was here. He was beside me. I was safe. And he was safe, too, because I was beside him.