As the radiant golden glow gradually dimmed, Miyu’s feet touched the ground gently, her body now steady.
Her previously pale and frail appearance was now a healthy, vibrant complexion. Her skin looked flawless, and her frame appeared fuller, as though she had regained some of the vitality she had lost.
Miyu slowly opened her eyes, their soft glow fading as they focused on the figure before her. When her gaze locked onto Alister, his face reddened, and his expression softened.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he whispered, his voice trembling with relief, “I-It worked… You’re okay.”
Miyu’s eyes filled with tears as well, her lips quivering into a smile. “Yeah… I’m okay,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You did it.”
They began to move toward each other, their steps hesitant at first, but their pace quickened until they closed the distance between them.
In an instant, they embraced tightly, their arms wrapping around each other as though they never wanted to let go.
Miyu buried her face in Alister’s shoulder, her voice muffled but heavy with emotion. “I-I was so scared… But… I didn’t want to show it. I didn’t want to burden you.”
Alister chuckled softly, his hand gently stroking her hair. “You don’t need to worry about that anymore,” he said warmly.
“You’re all better now.”
Miyu tightened her grip on his black jacket, her small hands clutching the fabric as she whispered, “Thank you for saving me… big brother.”
Alister smiled, his tears finally spilling over as he replied, “The pleasure is all mine… sis.” Erika stood frozen, her mouth slightly agape as she processed what she had just witnessed. Tugging at Elise’s sleeve, she stammered, “Team leader, it… it actually worked. Did you see that? She was glowing like… like some goddess.”
Elise, still watching Alister and Miyu’s heartfelt embrace, suddenly let out a loud, amused laugh.
“Haha!”
“Seems it did,” she said, “Seems we’ll be asking him what where the secret ingredience of he super potion once he’s done cuddling.”
Their moment of astonishment was interrupted by the sound of hushed voices from nearby alchemists who had witnessed the scene.
“So, let me get this straight,” one voice muttered. “Alister somehow saved his sister with some kind of super potion… and she was glowing like a freaking firefly?”
“I saw it too.”
“The way she lit up. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“What kind of potion was that?”
“Where did he even get it from.”
The murmurs grew louder, curiosity and speculation spreading among the onlookers like wildfire.
Elise’s sharp ears picked up every word. Her eyes narrowed, and her usual composed demeanor hardened into something far more intimidating.
She turned around suddenly, her piercing gaze silencing the chatter instantly.
“What do you all think you are doing here?”
“GET BACK TO WORK!”
She yelled, her voice echoing through the lab. The intensity in her tone left no room for argument.
The alchemists scrambled, stumbling over their apologies as they scurried back to their stations.
“S-sorry, team leader!” they mumbled, nearly tripping over in their haste.
“Won’t happen again!” another called out, hastily resuming their duties.
Elise watched them scatter, her stern expression never left her face until the lab returned to usual.
Satisfied, she crossed her arms and turned back toward Erika, a faint smirk spreading to the corner of her lips. “Some people just can’t help themselves, can they?”
Erika crossed her arms, her gaze drifting toward the alchemist as they walked away after their team leader had yelled at them.
“You can’t really blame them team leader,” she said thoughtfully. “Curiosity is a trait of every great alchemist. Isn’t that how we end up discovering the impossible?”
Elise turned to Erika, a small smile forming on her lips. “You have a point there. Without curiosity, none of us would be here.” Her tone softened, and for a moment, the sharp edge of her earlier reprimand seemed to fade. “But there’s a time and place for it, and gossiping mid- lab isn’t one of them.”
Erika nodded in agreement but couldn’t help the slight grin tugging at her lips.
Back with Alister and Miyu…
Miyu finally loosened her grip and pulled back, though the warmth in her eyes remained. Her gaze lingered on her brother’s face for a moment before smiling. “Oh! What’s today’s date?”
Alister blinked, caught off guard by the rather random question. He reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a black metallic cube. With a quick tap of his thumb, the object transformed into his phone, the screen then lit up and displayed the date in glowing digits.
“Seems it’s July 24th,” he replied.
Miyu’s eyes lit up. “Oh, what a coincidence!” she exclaimed.
Alister tilted his head curiously. “How so?”
Miyu’s grin turned playful as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Today’s our birthday, duh. Don’t tell me you’ve been so hopeless without me that you lost track of time!”
Alister’s eyes widened as he realised. “You’re right. Today is my birthday.”
Miyu’s mischievous grin widened as she placed a hand mockingly over her mouth.
“Happy 20th birthday, big bro. You’re swiftly growing old! Before you know it, you’ll have a full-on beard.”
Alister rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. “You do realize you’re also twenty today, don’t you? We’re twins, after all.”
Miyu’s expression shifted to exaggerated disappointment as she placed her hands on her hips. “Way to ruin the joke, big bro. You could’ve at least played along!”
Alister chuckled, reaching out to ruffle her hair gently. “You haven’t changed a bit, Miyu.”
Miyu swatted his hand away but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips. “And I hope I never do. Someone has to keep you on your toes.”
Miyu’s gaze wandered the lab before landing on Cinder. Her eyes lingered for a moment, processing the sight of the woman standing protectively by Alister’s side.
A mischievous grin crept onto Miyu’s face as she leaned slightly closer to Alister. “So… you already have a girlfriend? You work fast, bro.”