A Burnt Promise 2

I had lost track of time; it had probably been another ten minutes of us just sitting in silence.

"I think we might be in some trouble." Igris said, rising to his feet and reaching out to me.

Taking his hand, I felt a sharp sting shoot through my arm, but it was manageable—I'd push through it.

Calming my breath, I let him help me to the floor. "Yeah, let's hurry," I replied, but then I realized I had sprained my ankle.

With mana, pain is usually dulled to some extent, but with my core nearly depleted, I could barely walk.

"Igris, my foot," I managed to whisper, barely getting the words out.

Igris's eyes lowered slightly before meeting mine. "Alright, just lean on me, and I'll figure out how we can get back quickly," he replied, his voice tinged with worry.

I swallowed hard as I noticed the sun had begun to rise, and Igris had probably realized it too. "It's fine; take your time… it'll be okay," I tried to reassure him, though I wasn't sure myself.

Ugh.

I was definitely going to cause a lot of trouble for both of us, and that only made my heart ache.

Igris had come to help me, and that was a risk in itself. I hated the fact that he may get into trouble because of me. Maybe I should have agreed to let his sister come along, but deep down, I wanted this time together—just us.

As I leaned against him, I felt my heart thumping. The warmth from his body comforted me, even with all my uncertainty.

Despite all the trouble that could await us, I hoped for this moment to last longer.

The steady rhythm of Igris's heartbeat only intensified the awareness of my own heart pounding in my chest; I was scared he might hear it.

The beautiful light of dawn illuminated his features, revealing a tenderness in his expression that only made my heart flutter.

"I'm really happy you came," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned his head slightly, and the worry that had etched his face was replaced by a small smile.

He didn't need to say anything; his expression alone showed the sincerity behind his actions, filling me with a strange, tingling feeling.

As we walked back home, I felt his hand brush against mine ever so slightly, sending a shiver of warmth through me. I hesitated for a moment, but in the end, I let my fingers linger near his.

As we continued forward, the sun rose even higher, painting its beauty on display only for us to see. Hues of orange and pink filled the sky, and in the moment—each passing moment felt even more precious. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Igris asked, staring off into the horizon.

"Yes, very," I replied quickly, slightly flustered.

In that moment, I saw a spark of something deep in his eyes, and then I felt a sense of hope—a hope that we would share even more moments like this together.

—

As we walked through the mushy mud surrounding the backyard, I had already told Igris to just go through the front. Without a doubt, my mom and dad would be up since they were notorious for waking up early.

So there was now no reason for us to even attempt to sneak back in.

With each passing step, a palpable sensation fought at my chest—I wanted to stop, but I knew I didn't have that luxury. Stopping now would only make things worse.

As we took the last steps through the second bush pathway, I saw someone sitting on the stairs, staring at the morning sky.

Her long, silverish-white hair swayed in the breeze, and once she heard our footsteps, her blue eyes perceived every moment with such dignity that she didn't overreact; neither did her expression waver. Her expression remained a simple joy.

What was her name again…? Ste—"Stella." Igris said, his voice quiet yet resonating. 

Stella's movements were simple, fluid, and precise, almost doll-like.

She leaned her head against Igris's, her eyes closed like she was gauging his well-being before plucking him, then her gaze shifted to be before a twinge of pain went through my forehead—she had plucked me. 

"Igris, Alice," she said softly, "Your parents would like to see you." With that, she drifted back through the entrance, leaving us in an awkward silence.

"Thank you, I can walk from here—" I began, almost forgetting my injured ankle. "I'll help you up the stairs," Igris offered as he eased us up the steps.

Once inside, Igris carefully pulled away, offering a small smile and wave as he walked off.

Now off I go to my parents room…

The walk usually felt longer, but now it felt as if the door were right next to me. I knocked lightly. "Come in," Dad's voice answered. I opened the door and found myself face-to-face with the very people I had dreaded seeing moments ago. "Come sit down," my mom motioned for me to sit at the edge of the bed. I felt anxious in the silence, expecting to be chewed into immediately. "Alice, where were you this morning? Or rather, last night?" Dad's question sliced through the stillness.

I was reluctant to lie, knowing it would only make things worse. "Outside…" I replied, my gaze fixed on the floor. "And? What were you thinking?" he pressed. "I thou—"

"Eyes up," he cut off, "And continue."

My eyes met Dad's stern gaze, and I hesitated to speak. "I thought that if I went out with Igris, we'd have a chance to beat a beast. I saw it late last night and knew where it would go!" I got it out in one quick breath, my voice cracking.

"Alice, don't get upset. We're—I'm—not going to punish you or anything. After all, if I did, it would be biased towards your mom," he said, shaking his head.

"Ryan!" Mom interjected, her face oddly flustered. "It's true! It's true! Do you not remember how you were before we settled down? The way you scurried off everywhere, even some of those beasts looked lazy in comparison." Dad laughed.

"Remember that one time we almost got lost in the forest? I swear just simply looking for you back then would have made my core experience OD, we clearly looked like some crazy chickens or something!" His story almost made my lips twitch into a smile.

"Feels just like yesterday when Kai and I were looking through—" The outward burst of laughter that I had suppressed broke free causing dad to clear his throat.

"Anyways! Alice, what you did should be approached with caution. You're at an age where you'll want to explore this vast world, and your mother and I have seen much, but even we haven't seen everything it has to offer." His eyes remained locked onto mine.

"Alice, just remember that safety is the top priority. Since that's the case, we'll have to double down on your training starting soon. With that being said, it's time for your punishment. Jasmine, let's do this."

Dad stood, stretching his back, his finger glowing a soft blue. Mom extended her hand, which shimmered with a dim white light. "This is going to hurt you more than it hurts us," Dad winked.

I already knew what was coming. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't good either, since it would be cold—ice cold.

"We'll heal you afterwards," Mom said, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Huh-oh.