The sun desded, painting the sky in hues e and pink. When it came time for Yuki to leave, she stood there hesitantly. Her violet eyes kept shimmering with a hidden longing.

  “You’ll e back, won’t you?” she asked, her voice soft and trembling as she clutched my hand tightly.

  I offered her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be here tomorrow. Same time. I promise.”

  She stared at me, searg my face as if to ensure I meant it. Finally, with great reluce, she loosened her grip, her segmented fingers rexing her y hands. “Okay,” she whispered, her voice clearly relut.

  As she turo leave, I couldn’t help but notice how slowly she moved, casting gnces over her shoulder as if hoping I’d call her back. I waved and offered a slight smile, as she offered a shy wave iurn before leaving.

  The moment she was gone, I felt a weight tto my side. “You’re mine,” Nora decred possessively, her arms ed tightly around me. Her wings fluttered, brushing against my arm as she gred in the dire Yuki had gone.

  I sighed, patting her head lightly. “Nora, she’s just a friend.”

  “She’s weird,” Nora muttered, her grip tightening. “And I don’t like how she looks at you.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” I said with a chuckle, but Nora didn’t seem amused.

  We made our way bae, the looming skies of the evening casting long shadows on the ground. As soon as we stepped inside, Nora wasted no time.

  “Mom!” she called out, her voice ringing through the house.

  Cassandra appeared from the kit, wiping her hands on her apron. Her antewitched slightly as she looked betweewo of us. “What is it, Nora?”

  “Markus was talking to some strange girl today,” Nora announced smugly, crossing her arms as she shot me a triumphant look.

  I groaned inwardly. “It wasn’t like that-”

  “She was creepy,” Nora added, cutting me off. “And she wouldn’t stop ging to him.”

  Cassandra’s expression darkened, and she turned her sharp gaze to me. “Is this true, Markus?”

  I hesitated, knowing there was no use denying it. “I met someone, yes,” I admitted. “Her name is Yuki. She seemed lonely, so I invited her to py with us.”

  Cassandra sighed, rubbiemples. “Markus, we’ve talked about this,” she said, her tone carrying with vexation. “You ’t just go around making friends with strangers. It’s dangerous for you.”

  “She was nice!” I protested.

  “She was weird,” Nora chimed ione mog.

  “Enough,” Cassandra said firmly, cutting off any further argument. She looked at me, her expression softening slightly as she took in my downcast gaze. “Markus…”

  I didn’t say anything, but the way I shuffled my feet and avoided her eyes must have said enough. Her shoulders sagged, and she let out a long sigh.

  “This is the oime I’ll overlook it,” she said finally, her voice gentler now. “But only this once. You have to be more careful iure. Do you uand?”

  I hough the lump in my throat made it hard to speak.

  Cassandra crouched down to my level, taking my hands in hers. “Markus,” she said softly, her eyes full of worry. “If somethio happen to you… our family wouldn’t be able to ha. Do you uand what I’m saying?”

  Her hands were warm, and the way she looked at me made my chest tighten. I nodded again, this time more firmly. “I uand.”

  She smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. “Good. Now go wash up, it’s almost time for dinner.”

  As I turo leave, Nora stuck her to at me, clearly enjoying my scolding. But I ignored her, my mind lingering on my mother’s words.

  It wasn’t the first time she’d warned me about being careful, and it likely wouldn’t be the st. But as I headed inside, I couldn’t help but think about Yuki’s shy smile and the way her eyes lit up whearted to have fun.

  “Eat up,” she said, taking her seat and giving me a look that reminded me of her earlier reprimand.

  Dinner was quieter than usual. Cassandra seemed lost in thought, her antewitg slightly as she ate.

  Nora, oher hand, was her usual self, cheerfully reting the day’s events, except for anything involving Yuki, of course. She kept stealing g me, as though daring t up her again.

  My father, Dorian, sat at the head of the table, his broad frame hunched slightly as he tore into a piece of a roasted piece of . He was often the quiet one during meals, only chiming in when necessary.

  “You look distracted, Markus,” Dorian finally said without moving his gaze from the . His deep voice cutting through the silence. “Something on your mind?”

  Markus hesitated, his fork paused mid-air. “I’m fine,” he muttered, f a small smile. “Just tired.”

  Dorian raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. Instead, he shifted his attention to Cassandra. “Did he run into trouble today?”

  Cassandra looked up from her pte, her expression softening slightly. “No trouble,” she replied, her voice calm but tinged with an underlying tension. “Just the usual... exploration.”

  Her answer was vague, but Dorian didn’t push. Instead, he leaned ba his chair, his ears twitg slightly as though sensing something unsaid.

  He g me once more, theuro his meal, though his watchful presence could be still felt.

  After dinner, we helped up, though Nora made a show to do as little as possible, much to Cassandra’s annoyance. Soon, the house grew quiet as the evening wound down.

  I climbed into bed, the cool sheets a wele reprieve from the day’s tension. The gentle chirping of crickets outside lulled me into a sense of calm. For a brief moment, I thought maybe I’d get to have a peaceful night.

  But, of course, that wasn’t going to happen.

  Not long after I closed my eyes, I felt the familiar flutter of antennae brushing against my face. My witched as the ticklish sensation forced me awake.

  “Nora,” I muttered, crag an eye open.

  She giggled softly, already wriggling uhe b beside me. “You were taking too long to fall asleep,” she said, her voice full of mischief.

  Her antennae fluttered again, and I had to suppress a sneeze. “Do you have to do that every time?” I grumbled, but there was no real annoyan my voice.

  “This is my favorite time of the day,” she said, hugging my arm tightly as she led closer. “I get to be with you without aerrupting.”

  Her wings brushed against my side, and I sighed. This had been her routine for as long as I could remember. She’d sneak into my bed, g it was because she couldn’t sleep alone, but I knew better. This was just her way of being gy.

  “Nora,” I began, my voice soft. “About earlier… I wasn’t trying to upset you.”

  She stiffened slightly, her grip on my arm tightening. “I don’t like her,” she said quietly. “She was staring at you like… like a predator. As if she was watg a delicious bunny!”

  I turo look at her, her big brown eyes shimmering in the faint moonlight that filtered through the window. “Yuki’s n to take me away,” I said gently. “She’s just lonely, like you were when you first met me. Don’t you think everyone deserves a ce to have a friend?”

  Nora didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she buried her face against my chest, her antennae brushing my as they fluttered in what I could only assume was frustration.

  “You don’t uand,” she murmured. “You’re mine, Markus. You’ve always been mine.”

  I sighed, ing an arm around her despite the disfort of her wings pressed against me. “I’ll always be y brother, Nora,” I said softly. “That’s never going to ge.”

  Nora’s grip on me didn’t loosen, even as her breathing slowed. Her wings twitched slightly, brushing against my side as she shifted to get more fortable.

  I could feel her heartbeat through her small frame, steady but intense, as though she was still holding onto the emotions from earlier.

  “I hate it,” she murmured, her voice muffled against my chest.

  “Hate what?” I asked softly, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

  “Everything,” she replied, her voice trembling. “I hate the thought of someone else taking you. I hate feeling like you might leave me behind someday.”

  Her words hit me harder than I expected. She was still just a child, but the weight of her feelings carried something much deeper than childish jealousy.

  “Nora…” I began, struggling to find the right words. “Why would you think I’d leave you? I’m always going to be here for you.”

  “You don’t know that!” she cried, lifting her head to look at me, her big brown eyes shimmering with tears. “What if you find someone else, someone more important? What if- what if Yuki or someone like her makes you fet about me?”

  Her words were filled with desperation, and I felt a pang of guilt for not realizing just how deeply all of this affected her. I cupped her cheek gently, wiping away the tear that escaped down her face.

  “No one could ever repce you, Nora,” I said firmly. “You’re my little sister. You’ve been by my side sihe beginning, and that’s never going to ge.”

  “But…” she whispered, her voice crag. “What if I’m not enough? What if you don’t want me around anymore?”

  Her antennae fluttered as she buried her face bato my chest, her tears dampening my shirt. I held her tighter, feeling a strange mix of protectiveness and helplessness.

  “You’re already more than enough, Nora,” I said softly, my voice steady despite the lump f in my throat. “You don’t have to try so hard or worry so much. You’ll always be important to me, no matter what happens.”

  She sniffled, her small fingers clutg at my shirt like a lifeline. “You really mean it?”

  “Of course I do,” I replied, pressing my lightly against the top of her head. “You’re my family. Nothing and no one could ever ge that.”

  Her antennae fluttered again, this time less erratically, as if my words had soothed some of her fears. But even as she rexed in my arms, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her attat to me ran deeper than I fully uood.

  “Markus,” she whispered after a long moment of silence, her voice small aant.

  “Yeah?”

  “Promise me something,” she said, pulling back just enough to look me in the eyes. Her gaze was ear, almost pleading.

  “Anything,” I said without hesitation.

  “Promise you’ll always e first,” she said, her fiightening their grip on my shirt. “Not just now, but forever. For your entire life.”

  I hesitated for just a sed before her a reassuring smile. “I promise to always be there for you,” I said instead, hoping it would be enough to ease her fears.

  She studied my face for a moment, as if trying to gauge the siy of my words, before nodding slowly. “Okay,” she whispered, sniffling, as she rested her head against my chest again.

  We y there in silence for a while. The room filled only with the soft sounds of her breathing and the occasional flutter of her wings.

  For a moment, the tension in her body eased. Minutes passed as she remained glued to my side. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d ever grow out of this attat.

  The thought lingered in my mind as her breathing slowed, she’d fallen asleep. Her antewitched occasionally, tig my , but I didn’t have the heart to move her.

  With a sigh, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me even if my worries refused to fade entirely.