A Trepidatious Return

With a heart full of trepidation, Chloe stood before her own doorway, uncertain how to step inside and face Tia.

How was she to explain herself? Should she tell her that, under the insidious sway of the dark aura, her mind had momentarily clouded, prompting her to seek a diversion, only to accidentally take an innocent life?

No, no! This matter had to remain concealed for now; she needed more time to deliberate, for if she spoke the truth, there would be no room for maneuver. At best, she would most likely be cast out, returning to a solitary existence—a seemingly favorable outcome, yet her mindset had undergone a profound shift since then. If she were to depart so easily, a sense of reluctance would gnaw at her; for one, her initial naive desire to guide Tia would remain unfulfilled, and for another, would all the suffering she had endured along the way have been in vain?

She either had to continue attempting to make Tia accept her, or at the very least, make her pay a price. At worst, she could face imprisonment, and with the Watchtower’s potential laws concerning Magical Girls, it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.

“Hiss… it’s so cold…” Chloe, clad in the thin nightgown she had woken up in, found the indoor heating insufficient against the biting chill of the outdoor night. Both Magical Girls and Witches possessed formidable physiques far surpassing ordinary mortals, yet it seemed neither applied to her; how truly unfair!

Huddling inward to minimize her exposed surface area, Chloe wrapped her arms around her chest, desperately clinging to her dwindling warmth.

‘Click.’

With a soft mechanical whir, the door unlocked. The abundant light from the living room spilled out, illuminating Chloe’s vision. She shielded her eyes, unaccustomed to the brightness, as a familiar silhouette appeared in the doorway, the distinctive floral scent betraying her identity.

“Where have you been?”

The words were an immediate accusation, and before Chloe could even decipher the emotions in Tia’s tone, she eagerly sought to explain herself. Yet, before she could utter a single word, she suddenly found herself enveloped in a warm embrace.

“Eh?”

Realizing she had been drawn into the other’s arms, Chloe’s large golden eyes widened in disbelief; only after repeatedly confirming this was no dream did she accept the reality. It wasn’t the cold, stagnant purple eyes that greeted her, but a floral-scented embrace, as warm as a hearth.

“I thought you had secretly run away on your own.”

Despite the deliberate suppression, Tia’s voice still quivered subtly, ending with a lingering, almost tearful note.

“Are you… really Tia?” Chloe wondered if some cunning Witch had disguised herself as Tia to deceive her, for this worried, sorrowful demeanor was utterly unlike the Tia she knew. The Tia she remembered would have demanded, ‘”Explain precisely where you’ve been! Prepare to face your punishment!”‘

Chloe had absolutely no countermeasures prepared for this version of Tia; her mind was a complete blank. Unsure how to react, she foolishly extended a hand to Tia’s back, patting her gently as if in comfort.

“I haven’t done anything truly outrageous to you lately, have I?” Tia pressed her hands onto Chloe’s shoulders, a rare, aggrieved expression etched across her features, her purple eyes seeming to shimmer with a film of moisture.

“Uh… probably not…”

‘If “outrageous things” referred to the past instances of physical abuse, then indeed, there had been none. However, the “lewdness” had not diminished in the slightest, with her sharp nails being the most egregious offense! They absolutely had to be clipped!’

“Then why did you leave?”

“Huh? I didn’t leave. Am I not still here? Besides, if I left, what would I eat?” Tia’s words sounded rather inexplicable, as if she were terribly afraid of Chloe leaving.

‘It was as if she cherished me, yet if she truly feared my departure, would she have been so brazenly coercive? Ultimately, it was likely just fear of having no one to help absorb the impurities once I was gone.’

“It’s good you didn’t leave. I still don’t want you to go.”

“Why? I’m not really that important, am I?”

“If… you were to leave… who would help me clear the impurities?” After a moment of intense contemplation, Tia seemed to swallow a thought that had almost escaped her lips, then deliberately uttered something against her true feelings, her face flushing crimson.

‘What had she just said?’

“Just as I thought.”

“After absorbing them for so many days, the impurities in my body barely affect my mind anymore. I won’t be as harsh with you as before, so you don’t have to be so afraid of me, alright?”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I don’t believe you at all.” Chloe gazed at the girl before her, whose eyes were as pure as a tranquil lake, her own filled with disdain.

‘You, influenced by impurities, did those things to me, and I, blinded by the dark aura, committed unforgivable crimes. What a perfect match we make!’

“What am I to you now?” Chloe suddenly felt as if a wire had crossed in her brain, prompting her to ask such an absurd question. She knew full well that to Tia, she was merely a stranger who had abruptly intruded; wasn’t asking such a question simply inviting humiliation? Regret immediately followed the words, but she swiftly composed herself, offering a sweet smile.

Tia, caught off guard by the question, also struggled to respond, suddenly displaying a foolish, dazed demeanor. “I’m not entirely sure,” she stammered. “Perhaps… a younger sister? Like Yilan.”

‘What a… predictable answer! But why did it still sting so much?’ Chloe lowered her head, her eyes feeling warm.

Initially, Tia’s hatred stemmed from believing Chloe had caused Yilan’s death. Now, Tia claimed not to hate her because Yilan was gone, and Chloe was needed to fill that void of love. Yet Chloe found the former reason more palatable, even if it meant enduring the frenzied wrath of a mentally distraught Tia.

“You haven’t forgotten what you did to me, have you? How can I possibly see you as an older sister after that?”

Hearing this, Tia’s expression became flustered, much like a child caught in a transgression. “No… I certainly haven’t forgotten… Anyway, I’ll treat you as my younger sister from now on.”

‘Tia’s mind was a tangled mess. The moment she discovered Chloe’s disappearance, her first thought was that Chloe might have fled. Yet, she couldn’t accept such an outcome, so she was filled with anxiety but dared not search, fearing it would confirm her suspicions. Fortunately, the hope she harbored had not been extinguished; Chloe had returned.’

‘It was as if a missing piece in her heart had instantly been restored.’

However, Chloe’s question plunged her into severe self-doubt. Her profound concern over Chloe’s departure clearly indicated that Chloe occupied a significant place in her heart.

‘But is this the concern one felt for a “younger sister,” or some other emotion for Chloe as an individual? It’s probably “younger sister,” isn’t it?’