I was covered in sweat, and snow had piled up to my waist while I was still in the fetal position.
"HUFF HUFF HUFF… Let's go back," I mutter after calming down just a bit.
…
"Oh my god! I'm glad you're safe!" Auntie shouts as she hugs me tightly.
"Mhm… I think I'm gonna lay down a bit,"
"Please, I'll also make you some coffee… Or maybe do you want hot chocolate?"
"Coffee is fine," I mutter before laying down on the beanbag, warming my hands with the fireplace.
"A-are you okay?" Nuala asks as she crouches down next to me.
"Yeah,"
"Maybe… *sigh*... Auntie, can I go back to a warm place,"
"Try this for a couple more days, and if you can't stand it, I'll take you back,"
"No, I have to leave now,"
"No, you will stay for a couple more days,"
"*sigh*... Fine… A couple more days.
…
And thus, a couple more days passed.
I didn't get punished during the sparring sessions when I stopped fighting Auntie.
I didn't even have to hold the push-up position; I just fought Auntie for a couple more minutes.
It got so bad that I even began to have recurring nightmares that I would wake up in a cold sweat from.
"I can't… I can't," I mutter over and over until Auntie walks over to me, seeing my dark and gray eyebags.
"Just a few more days, okay?"
Seriously… How cruel can one woman be…
"No,"
"Just try-"
"No!"
So many emotions had been pent up over the last week, but I was at my limit, and Auntie's push caused me to snap.
Tears flowed from my eyes, and everybody looked at me in silence.
Staying just made my heart wrench even more.
"*sigh*... Okay. Pack your stuff. We're leaving tonight,"
"Thank you," I reply before shifting my eyes towards the cruel woman in front of me.
Why do you look disappointed?
Have you been through what I've been through?
I don't care if you compare me to Lucy. She's creepy and a sociopath; she'll never understand what I've been through.
At least her mother's death wasn't her fault…
Does she even know the feeling of being crushed by guilt every day?
"Hey, stop making that face," Lucy says as she covers my face with her left hand.
…
"P-please don't leave," Nuala and Electra beg as they cling to my stomach, tears running down their face.
"I'm sorry… I can't stay here anymore,"
"T-then we'll come with you," Electra says, slight determination appearing on her face.
"No, you have to stay here and get strong. I'll maybe start a clothing line as I've always wanted to… reel back from being a dungeon runner…"
"Are you sure you want this?" Auntie says, dressed in a long black trench coat.
"Of course," I reply as the other girls drag my two cousins away.
"Okay… Girls, if anything goes wrong, Lucy will call me. So just inform Lucy if you need something from me," Auntie says before the snow begins to spiral around us.
Strangely, it was warm before Auntie wrapped her arm around my right shoulder.
We appeared on a hill next to the massive intercontinental teleporter.
The city was bustling with people as usual, and it was nowhere near as cold as that lonely wooden cabin.
"Why do you live there?" I ask Auntie as we make our way down the hill towards a concrete road that melted any snow that came in contact with it.
"It's peaceful…."
"I see…"
"You know, you can talk to me about it if you want,"
"About what?"
"Don't try and act dumb… I know you got some sorta trauma up in that little mind of yours,"