Sisterly Bonds

Felicia still couldn’t fathom why her mother had done this.

One person enduring that pain was enough—why drag Selina into this silent struggle?

The Sacred Bath hastened the awakening of one’s bloodline power.

To the unaware, it might seem a divine gift. But Felicia, who had experienced it, knew everything came at a cost—even an innate bloodline.

From childhood, she’d undergone the Sacred Bath twice.

Each time left an indelible mark on her soul. Foreign emotions and knowledge flooded her mind, an unknown, terrifying power scouring her soul and body. Worst of all, it was unstoppable.

Once begun, the awakened endured three days of a supreme, horrifying force reshaping their familiar body and memories.

The process left the soul numb, the consciousness returning to a body that felt absurdly foreign.

It was not a divine blessing but a torturous ordeal capable of driving one mad.

For elves, with their pure, mirror-like hearts, death might be more bearable.

History recorded many elven royals who succumbed to madness under this torment.

Yet Felicia endured, persisting even after two baths. Hailed as a genius by her people, few knew the true cost she paid.

She never complained, not just due to her noble character but because she understood her duty.

As the eldest daughter of the Elven Empress, a symbol of elven pride, she was destined to bear the race’s future.

Her people greeted her with heartfelt reverence; outsiders respectfully called her princess.

These honors came from her status and bloodline.

She was proud of what she’d been given but deeply aware of the responsibilities they entailed.

As the Empress’s first heir, enduring unbearable pain was her duty. She sealed away excess emotions to stabilize herself, believing this would define her life—until that day.

On that fateful day, beneath the ancient sacred tree, with only Felicia and her mother watching, a white cocoon nurturing new life slowly opened.

Amid swirling white mist, her mother gently lifted a fragile, damp figure from the cocoon.

Newly born and weak, the infant met Felicia’s gaze.

Her fingers instinctively touched her chest, her heart racing, as if responding to a profound connection.

Her mother, cradling the newborn, lovingly brushed her tiny nose, whispering the name they’d chosen together, blessing the newest elf.

“Selina, welcome to this world…”

Felicia stood stunned, feeling an unfamiliar stir in her heart. Her mother turned, offering the infant.

“Felicia, try holding her…”

Snapping out of her daze, Felicia took the vibrant life into her arms.

She’d never imagined her mother would have another child. But as she held her sister, sharing the same bloodline, their skin touching, she felt it truly.

She was the second to hold Selina, after their mother. In that moment, she understood her heart’s desire.

For the first time in years, her sealed emotions stirred. Her heart, no longer cold stone, leapt with joy at her sister’s arrival.

“Selina, my sister, welcome to this world…”

Her cold face warmed with her first genuine smile in years. Awkwardly curving her stiff lips, she beamed at the infant—her sister, Selina, the one she vowed to protect for life.

From that day, Felicia was no longer alone. Beyond a princess bearing her race’s burdens, she was now a sister to her beloved sibling.

Over time, her duty-hardened heart softened.

Watching the shorter girl trail behind her, her doll-like face brimming with childlike innocence, Felicia’s heart warmed. Selina loved following her, calling her “Big Sister.”

“Big Sister, I love you! Can you play with me a bit longer?”

The little girl tugged her skirt, swaying playfully.

Felicia felt her future illuminated by her sister’s arrival. Kneeling, she gazed at Selina with her gentlest tone and eyes, her emerald gaze flowing like warm spring water.

Her slender hand rested on Selina’s fluffy head, stroking her silver hair.

“Selina, my dear sister, I love you too…”

This love wasn’t hormonal attraction but an unbreakable bond etched in their hearts from their first meeting.

As the elder sister, Felicia would let no one harm Selina. She strove tirelessly to grow stronger, all to protect the girl who called her “Big Sister.”

But now, she never imagined her own mother would push her beloved sister into such torment.

Realizing Selina was enduring pain no one her age should bear in the sacred grounds, Felicia’s heart ached as if stabbed.

It was as if her most cherished treasure, guarded her entire life, was being ruthlessly trampled.

Pain and powerlessness overwhelmed her. Even as strong as she was, tears filled her eyes.

“Why, Mother? Why did you do this? Isn’t Selina your most cherished daughter? I was enough to bear this burden and pain—you promised me! Why did you break your word?”

Knowing she couldn’t pry open the heavy stone door, Felicia turned, her voice fierce with the most intense accusation she’d ever leveled at her revered mother.

Karina stood opposite, silent and impassive before her daughter’s questioning.

A breeze lifted the Empress’s skirt, as if stirring dust that blurred their view of each other…