The Weight of Unspoken Words

Carrying two vials of potion, Chloe and Tia returned home, one purple elixir intended to enhance physical constitution, while the other, a murky black concoction, was designed to accelerate magic’s counteraction against the dark aura.

‘I’ve placed them in your room; just remember to drink them at the prescribed times each day.’

Ever since arriving home, Tia’s expression had been anything but pleasant, her face set in a rigid frown as if wrestling with some internal struggle.

‘What about the issue of impurities, then?’ Chloe posed a question she had been reluctant to voice, yet it was an unavoidable concern: either Tia would cease absorbing the dark aura, or a method had to be devised to expel the accumulated impurities.

‘I have my own way of dealing with that…’

Despite her assertion, this very problem was precisely what plagued Tia. Impurities weren’t generated in a fixed amount with each absorption; rather, the power stored within her body produced a certain amount of impurities daily, leaving no recourse but to abandon this ability. Yet, was she truly prepared to relinquish this hard-won power for Chloe’s sake? Tia found herself wavering.

Observing Tia’s crestfallen expression, Chloe instantly understood that she possessed no solution for the impurity problem.

‘Is there truly nothing that can absorb those impurities? Must it always be me?’

‘I don’t research these things; how would I know?’

‘Hmph, you truly disappoint me.’ Chloe, hands on her hips, voiced her discontent.

‘Why don’t you ask Doctor Blanca? The way you suddenly transformed in the car, along with your erratic emotions – any normal person would connect it to your secret art. Why do you never mention any of this in front of Doctor Blanca? Are you afraid she’ll discover our relationship? And my loss of taste; if I hadn’t brought it up myself, were you just going to keep it from her?’ Chloe unleashed a torrent of grievances she had suppressed throughout their journey. Though her tone was accusatory, it carried no true blame, but rather a profound desire for answers.

‘I will figure out solutions for all of this myself; these are my own concerns.’

‘Can’t you at least consider my feelings?’ Chloe’s eyes welled with tears, her voice trembling slightly.

‘Your feelings? If Yilan weren’t gone, what would you even be… You… just let me think…’ Tia, already vexed, grew even more agitated by Chloe’s relentless barrage of accusations. Moreover, the impurities had not been expelled for some time, and Tia could feel them stirring restlessly within her, like parasitic worms clawing at her insides.

Upon hearing these words, Chloe’s swollen eyes widened in disbelief, her golden pupils quivering as transparent tears welled in her eye sockets, her mouth slightly agape, yet unable to utter a single word. She felt as though her entire being had been plunged into an ice cavern, her breathing uncontrollably deepening as she stood foolishly rooted to the spot, her mind utterly blank.

A prolonged silence fell between them, culminating in Tia’s departure.

‘I’m going to try to find a solution; it might take a while. You… if anything comes up, just text me.’

Chloe remained motionless, not sparing a glance for the departing Tia. It was only when the door slammed shut with a resounding ‘bang’ that she snapped out of her frozen state, retreating to her room without a word.

The moment she re-entered her room, Chloe unfastened her hair. It was voluminous, a cascade of golden strands spilling like a waterfall over her fair shoulders once freed from its restraint.

‘Mmm…’

Reaching the bed, Chloe closed her eyes and tilted forward, collapsing face-down onto the soft mattress, lying perfectly still like a dead fish.

‘My heart feels so weary. If only a good sleep could turn back time to before all of this happened. Given the chance to return, I would rather have been hit by a car than endure any of what followed. Magical girl stuff? Utterly meaningless. First and foremost, I need to be human; responsibilities of power are irrelevant. I can’t even live a normal life now, so how can I possibly save humanity?’

‘Never mind, never mind. What’s done is done; anything said now would be empty words. If another possibility existed, it belonged to a different timeline, and what concern is that of my present self?’

Muffled face-down in the duvet, Chloe let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Her sister had always said that with every sigh, a person aged a little, that human aging was the cumulative effect of countless sighs. Thus, one should try their best not to lament or sigh, lest they quickly turn into an old man. Yet, Chloe truly couldn’t bear it any longer; trying to suppress her sighs felt like suffocating.

She stirred her head, her body maintaining its original posture, as she turned to look at Papertreat lying on the bed. Her unbound long hair draped around her ears, a large section obscuring her cheeks, leaving only the area around her eyes visible. Chloe’s gaze was heavy with exhaustion; her youthful skin seemed to bear faint wrinkles, her eye sockets appeared deeper, encircled by shadows that resembled a subtle smoky eye makeup. This ‘makeup’ made her young appearance seem considerably more mature, as if she had indeed aged several years with that single sigh.

She gazed intently at Papertreat’s button eyes, saying with a slightly hoarse, embarrassed voice, “Papertreat, your eyes can see things, can’t they? I’m so sorry for letting you see me like this…”

‘What’s wrong, Master?’

‘Nothing much, just heard some rather upsetting words.’

‘Were they the words Tia spoke?’

‘Yes. Do you think she was right?’

‘No.’

‘Exactly! It’s clearly her fault. She doesn’t tell Doctor Blanca the most crucial things. Even if she doesn’t consider me, doesn’t she need to solve her own problems? How can someone act as if their mental issues are completely insignificant?’ Chloe complained, lightly drumming the duvet with her small hands, her tiny feet alternately swinging and rhythmically tapping the bed.

‘And besides… Why did she suddenly compare me to Yilan? It’s true I’m not as good as Yilan, but why did she have to say it to my face? Doesn’t she care at all if I get sad? So mean…’

‘Oh, come on~ Perhaps Tia just misses her sister too much. Didn’t she still take you to see the doctor? That shows she cares for Master to some extent; don’t take it too much to heart.’

‘Why are you defending her now? Oh, right, I almost forgot. You’re Yilan’s stitched doll, so of course you’d speak for Tia… Papertreat, you’re the worst doll in the whole world! I’m going to throw you away.’

Upon hearing this, Papertreat immediately grew anxious, its button eyes blinking rapidly.

‘No, no, no! Master, I am Master’s doll.’

‘Liar! Yilan’s name is still stitched on your belly. You don’t even blush when you lie, hmph~’

‘I truly am Master’s doll, though my body was made by Yilan.’

Oddly, Papertreat offered no further explanation; however, Chloe felt that its slightly damaged button eyes had grown even more mysterious, like swirling vortices that captivated anyone who looked into them. Chloe squinted her red-rimmed eyes, intently staring at Papertreat, like a tiny detective trying to discern from its ‘facial expressions’ whether it was lying. Of course, a doll couldn’t possibly make any facial expressions, so her attempt ended in failure, yet she eventually managed a small smile; however, this smile didn’t quite suit the sorrowful ‘makeup’ on her face, making it appear rather strange.

‘I’ll trust you one more time. I won’t throw you away for now.’

A dark stain marred the pink duvet, as if dampened by liquid.