Chapter 4. The Siblings

I heal. I possessed the ability to heal individuals of their ailments and wounds, including cuts and burns of varied degrees. I could even heal people who had died from their injuries. In addition to that, I was able to heal myself. I revitalize. My physical make-up will never acquire an inclination to rid itself of any of its constituent parts. I probably won't die.

Avi has the ability to see the relationships between individuals. They could even break them or bind them on purpose at her own will to bring those who were destined to meet each other together, but doing so would need a lot of energy from her and may even cost her her life if it was way too much. She was much too young to be engaging in such behavior.

The present that my brother Avi and I were given was something that had been a topic of investigation for my father for quite some time. My father brought up the subject of fate weavers and falling stars quite frequently while we were in Samaria.

That's us.

But our parents were ordinary people. Something that came as a surprise, given that we have talented children of our own.

"How come we did not meet Sir Strenon Santi?" I asked my father about the time that the vehicle he was driving left Baristo. I was curious about the person who was in charge of assigning our group to the Tribus since I was interested in getting to know them. It's possible that he'll enlighten me on the objective of our visit or provide answers to all of the queries that I have about it.

My dad was shaking. He had been casting occasional glances in the direction of his wife, who could be fidgeting in the rearview mirror as well. "He did not attend the ceremony in which guests were welcomed. Perhaps there will be another opportunity for us to thank him."

"Why did we have to leave so soon, papa? I still want to eat a lot from the food served to us." Avi uttered innocently. Almost done with the apple pie she'd sneaked in, she heard a noise.

"You broke the code, Avi. That's why we must leave Baristo to keep you safe," papa replied while trying to focus on the road itself.

Avi's face became serious. Now she looked like a twelve-year-old girl a parent scolded for being too talkative. "P-papa, my voice wasn't that loud earlier."

"Dear, I know it's an accident, or you might have said it unconsciously. That part, I understand. But your father means never to mention our family's secret anywhere."

Avi looked at mom confusingly. "Even at home, mama?"

Mom nodded. Then she tapped Avi's right shoulder. "Our secret must be buried to keep us safe, dear. Can you promise me not to make the same mistake as you did earlier?"

My younger sister simply nodded before leaving the room. During a moment of silence, she returned her attention to her pie and promptly forgot about the rest of us.

My dad gave me a stern look. The expression in his eyes conveyed both fear and hopelessness at the same time. I had the impression that he was completely helpless when he was in the presence of the Holy Trinity. He had a firmer hold on the wheel as his grip tightened. I knew he wanted to do anything he could to protect this family because of what he had previously shared with us. He had told us this.

Coming here was in part motivated by his desire to apply for a Tribian visa so that we could enjoy a life that was superior to our previous one and was more reliable. When he had doubts and found out that Trinity had another explanation why they issued us a Tribian visa even though we didn't complete the application procedure, he wasn't able to do something about it because he was powerless. He was unable to flee since he was aware that our encounter with Trinity would make the situation much more precarious.

In this circumstance, we were comparable to the sheep who were running around with their eyes covered while being chased by a group of wolves. Sheep in a state of terror, running downhill without being aware of what was taking place.

***

On a Saturday morning, the front yard of the residence was visited by a pristine white luxury sedan. Once I was able to go inside, I was able to observe the opening of the car door outside my window. The shadowy figure of Sir Mikael made his presence known. He was dressed in a khaki trench coat, black slacks, and high-quality leather boots. The coat was gray.

A couple of seconds after he got out of the car, I observed him reach inside the trunk.

"It's, Sir crush!" Avi shouted from behind me. I didn't notice it entering my room.

When I looked back at my sister, his cheeks were noticeably red, and there was a sticky lollipop in his mouth.

"The age gap between you and Sir Mikael is too far, Avi."

"It's just a crush, hey!"

I blew a breath out of my nose. In the event that I and my younger sister get into an argument, there is no way that I will ever come out on top. After recognizing that the illusion was an illusion, I focused once more on the view outside the window. I was expecting Avi to force me aside, but instead, she managed to jam her face into the space where I was standing in order to have a better look at his butler crush. I was surprised and annoyed by her behavior.

The gentleman was transporting many substantial paper bags. It seems like it went shopping. But who exactly do they serve?

"He's handsome, sister!" Avi said.

"Yes."

Sir Mikael pressed the doorbell button in a most refined manner. When only a few moments had passed, I was able to make out the sounds of my father's footsteps following closely behind my mother as they made their way toward the door.

As soon as I saw that Avi was about to start walking toward the main door of the building, I quickly grabbed his left arm. When she stared at me, her eyes widened, and she struggled in a way that made me think other people do when they're afraid they could lose their crush.

"Stella, what is it?"

"No. Didn't papa tell us never to go out when we have visitors?"

"That's Mikael, for sweets' sake!"

"Wow, the call is on a first name basis? It's different too!"

She smiled knowingly at the situation. Following that, he mumbled something and then hurled himself onto the plush bed.

It was completely clear to me that she had no intention of trying to leave the room under any circumstances. As I continued to sigh and rest against the headboard of the bed, I let out another long breath. But before I could let out all of the breath in my lungs at once, Avi swiftly jumped up and, like a nimble cat, ran into the gap, putting some distance between them and Mikael.

"Avi!" I made an effort to catch up to her, but she was traveling much too swiftly for me to do so. It never occurred to me that I had trampled on the bag of lollipops, which was probably on its way to being gobbled by Avi at the time of the incident. When I went down, it was because I was unable to keep my balance.

My body inched closer to my rushed, flirtatious sister and the primary entrance.

"Stella!" Before I realized that the world was whirling around me, I heard my mother scream.

I put my palm on the ground as a point of support as soon as I understood that my complete body was about to drop on the ground. My eyes immediately caught a glance of the amazed Sir Mikael, who was talking to my parents, and behind my mother was the damn Avi. My eyes widened in shock as I realized what my eyes had just seen. My parents were having a conversation with him regarding a topic. My palm made a strong impact when it landed on the floor, but the landing wasn't quite exact enough to keep my body from being crushed. The excruciating pain that was produced by the shattered bone in my arm was only somewhat worse than the sudden loss of support that occurred when the hand I was standing on collapsed.

As a direct result of that, I started having pain in my right shoulder. I was able to pick out the sound of the bones being split apart just prior to my right temple making impact with the earth for good. This was so completely and utterly me. Clumsy, but this time it happened in front of a handsome butler who just so happened to be Trinity's spy, if I am not mistaken.

"Opps, Stella! Another stupid broken bone!" my sister exclaimed, clinging to the sleeve of mom's dress. And I was right; she had finished the lollipop that caused my embarrassment today.

Grunting, I took stock and realized the circus was done. The discomfort in my wounded upper limb came on quickly. I've lost sensation in my right arm. I had some trouble taking deep breaths.

"S-sir Mikael, let's go to the kitchen first," mum said in a prompt invitation to the dashing butler, who had not spoken a word up to this point and was staring at me through his thick glasses. "Let's go to the kitchen first," mom added.

"I'll see to it that Stella is okay. Because she is so clumsy, my kid is prone to getting into mishaps." My father often brought up my clumsiness. While crawling on the floor to relax my limbs, I realized that everything I had been doing was part of the facade my father wanted the butler to see, which was what we were expecting.

There was no problem for Mama to extend an invitation to the man to join her in the compact kitchen that is located on the left side of the house. The man continued to stare at me for a few more moments before the kitchen door shut and engulfed him.

My father arrived at my side in a hurry. Avi, I have no idea in which area of the house he hid; perhaps he went for his butler crush.

"Let's get you to your room, moon pie," he said, then helped me stand up.

I made my way into the room. I still couldn't feel my shattered arm. I have absolutely no cause for concern. The problem would shortly be solved by my gift. My primary concern is that Sir Mikael might be privy to a family secret that we have kept hidden.

I sat on the foot of the bed for a moment. Before beginning to speak, Papa quickly shuts the door and lets out a sigh of relief before he does so. "Your textbooks and materials were brought by him. Are you unable to make things better?" he inquired.

The question that my father asked left me perplexed. He wants me to stop my own self-healing, but the sooner I feel the comforting warmth start to creep over my leg, the more I understand what he was trying to convey. Repairs are being made to the shattered bones and the minor wounds.

"Sorry, pops. They're like involuntary reflexes. I can’t control them."

My father clicked his tongue. He was still standing behind the door.

"You're going to school with a bandage, though."

"S-school? B-bandage?"

"Yes," he said with an effort to sound calm. "The Santi's have enrolled both of you in Tribian University. That's why sir Mikael is here. He brought all the documents, including the stuff you need for school."

"I heard you mentioned both, dad?"

"Avi will be in her second-year junior school, and you will be in your senior year. And yes, you and your sister will still see each other daily.

After my father had finished speaking, I found myself trying to swallow a large knot that was in my throat. I knew that my sister's education had been skipped over, but Avi was only twelve years old. She was educated at home for a number of years and has never attended a traditional school or other institution of higher education. While she is in the middle school level, how is it possible for her to behave appropriately? What preventative measures can I take to ensure that he does not spread?

Are we even ready for this?

Just before my arm completely heals, we hear three knocks on the door.

"Mister Suarez? Stella?" It was Sir Mikael.

Dad's eyes widened.

The guy mustn't see me fully healed, or we're all doomed!