'Eh, I fell asleep. Am I awake yet?'

  Yuzuriha slowly felt herself regain consciousness and by the looks of it, her vision had gone back to being black. She could tell because….well…she couldn't see anything again.

  It appeared to be the next day, though she couldn't be sure. But she could tell by the whiff of the atmosphere and sudden drop in temperature.

  Her eyes might have been opened but she couldn't tell whether she was awake or still dreaming.

  'Wait, no, I'm definitely awake. In a dream I'd definitely have my eyesight back, or some visual clue. Maybe, I don't know. I don't really remember whether I dreamt or not'

  Then again, most people tend to not remember their dreams so it couldn't be helped. After all, dreams are fragile memories that can be easily forgotten.

  Also, could blind people even see in their dreams? Her brows twitched.

  'I should really stop that. Comparing myself to whatever half baked trivia I remember from my past life. This is a different world. It has magic and stuff! Dream science is probably irrelevant! Or different here!'

  With a deep breath, Yuzuriha confirmed herself to be awake, although she could still feel the dizziness in her eyes. Her current state of being was lying down on something soft, her twitching fingers verified it to be a bed.

  'Oh. Huh. I'm in bed. So I did fall asleep. How careless of me'

  After everything she's been through, it honestly felt like it has been ages ever since she had any sleep or just felt the comfort of a bed. Even so, that couldn't take away how careless it was to pass out randomly like that.

  Unpleasant things tend to happen to vulnerable little girls. That was a harsh lesson she had learned during her time with her mother. Even with Junichiro, her husband, Yuzuriha had always made sure that nothing was out of the ordinary before she went to sleep.

  It was a habit at that point. It may have seemed like paranoia to him, but it was just the way it was for her. Blame her upbringing!

  And now, she fell asleep without any sort of insurance, and she was still fine…

  'Maybe I was really being paranoid…'

  Yuzuriha took a moment to process it, she blinked, not that it did much. Taking another deep breath, she tried to push herself up but immediately froze right after.

  'Huh, what the hell is that?'

  There was something on top of her. It wasn't really heavy, but it was definitely enough to pin her down. It draped across her torso, pressing her down ever so slightly, not suffocating but still…annoying.

  'Well, that's not going to work. Maybe…oof'

  She tried to move her body to the side but was blocked by something else. Warm, solid and soft at once. Someone was leaning against her. Close….very closely.

  '...Okay. That's a person and…that scent'

  Yuzuriha subtly leaned her head toward the right and twitched her nose. Taking in the scent that came with it.

  'Lavender and pine, mixed with iron and something floral. Yep, this is big sis Marcille'

  That scent tickled her memory of the first time she met her, to when she leaped into her embrace like the doting older sister she is.

  "...!"

  It only took a moment but after remembering how Marcille almost killed her last night, Yuzuriha's face contorted to that of dread.

  'Eeek!'

  Her heart raced as she gingerly lifted her hand and reached up toward the thing holding her down. Her fingers brushed against bare skin. As she caressed around it, she felt an arm, yep definitely an arm, Marcille's arm!

  'What the hell…?! Is she trying to strangle me in my sleep?!'

  She strained the panic at her throat, since she was still unfamiliar with the situation, she couldn't risk letting them know she was awake ...wait, was she awake?

  'The last thing I remember is Marcille tapping on my forehead, I felt weird after then passed out…'

  Then the next thing she knew was waking up to her older sister's breath, ruffling the stray strands of hair that hung over her temple. It was like someone was blowing wind through tall grass.

  'She's…sleeping. With her arm around me?'

  Yuzuriha blinked again, but this time with meaning. No, she was just confused and a little horrified by the thought that popped up in her mind.

  'W-wait, I didn't die again, right? Please, someone tell me this isn't one of those funeral vigils where the grieving family sleeps next to the corpse, is it?'

  If she really had died again then that would explain the weird blue line she saw yesterday, perhaps that was just her soul passing over to the other side.

  'No, that wouldn't be right. Unlike before, I couldn't feel or see anything, however I can still feel my body. I'm not dead again. But I still can't see'

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Even so, she felt relieved and happy to be still alive, but that couldn't quite mask the mix of emotions bubbling beneath it.

  The person who tried to kill her was right there. Holding her like a toddler holding on to a toy. Even in sleep, she didn't let go.

  She wiggled her shoulder, adjusted her weight and carefully slid an arm out. But that was all in vain because the second she got an arm free, Marcille placed it back in place. A means of unconsciously telling her to stay still.

  Yuzuriha caught her breath, her eyes wide from the sudden jolt of movements. Realizing that Marcille wasn't going to let her go, she stayed like that for a while before sighing internally.

  'Okay. Fine. You win. I'll stay put'

  Finally coming to terms with her current status, she laid back against the mattress, allowing herself to be surrounded by warmth, by silence and yes, by blackness too.

  'Ah well. Might as well use this time to get some answers to my questions.'

  She might have been clueless as she was, but she still had some knowledge about this world. And also, she was basically the only one she could rely on.

  And so, Yuzuriha turned to Sawatari to which the Manifestation responded.

  'Sawatari, as much as I'm interested in knowing what Spirit Arts are. I can't shake this off. Tell me, why does my voice suddenly disappear when I need it? And what were those lines that I saw yesterday?'

  Yuzuriha's question was a valid one, especially considering all the times this has happened to her. It wasn't a lot, just twice, still it was weird that it happened two times in the row, on the same day no less!

  It couldn't have been just a coincidence. She wasn't being paranoid!

  If she didn't deal with it now, who knows, it could turn out to be a disaster later on or it could manifest at the worst possible times.

  The first time she couldn't speak was when she had just woken up to this new world. Back then it was understandable that her soul might have been still adjusting to its new body.

  But the second time it happened was when Marcille suspected that Yuzuriha wasn't her little sister.

  She was right of course, but for some reason it still hurt.

  Ah well, credit is given where it's due. Marcille showed herself to be surprisingly sharp and very physically capable. Yuzuriha didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but considering the fact they lived alone without a grown adult. Having a strong older sister around wasn't so bad.

  Now that she thought about it, this also begged the question….

  How was she able to understand a foreign language without ever studying or hearing about it?

  Back on earth, her old world specifically, she lived most of her life in the deep south of Kyoto, Japan, near the farthest reaches of the Higashiyama Mountains. Home to the two of Kyoto's greatest sights.

  The sacred Shinto pathways of Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine and the serene, dreamlike world of Tofuku-ji Temple and all the sub temples that surround it.

  'I'm doing it again…'

  Yuzuriha immediately cut herself off before she drifted into the endless sea of nostalgia.

  The point of what she was trying to say is that the only languages she knew were Japanese, the mother tongue she grew up with, and English, a compulsory language she was taught at school.

  She wasn't particularly good at English but she was able to communicate with foreign clients and seal deals!

  However, neither Japanese nor English were present in this world. Or at least that's what she thinks. She hasn't explored this world yet to make that assumption.

  According to the memories of Yor flowing into her mind, the name of the language they spoke in this world was called Tinsellan. A language used in most cities, academies, trade routes, and by the middle-class, lower-class and high-class civilians.

  If she had to make a comparison with her old world, it would boil down to soft latin or just French but a bit harsher.

  The Tinsellan language was common enough to be considered the main language of the Tinsel country.

  And luckily for her, she was already fluent in it.

  'Other than that, there are others not native to this country, but what could they be? During one of our sessions, Grace said something about other languages…

  Mhm, maybe I could ask her the next time I se-meet her. This world is still a mystery to me after all. I need to learn as much as I can to survive!'

  With a huff of air in her stomach, Yuzuriha used the motivation she had just acquired to attempt getting out of bed but that was easily demolished by Marcille's strong arm.

  'Awww, man…'

  'Wait a minute…'

  Yuzuriha's mind sparked with realization that her train of thought had trailed off to the point she totally missed the point of her original question. And to make matters worse, her assistant Sawatari didn't even bother stopping her or answering the question.

  'Real—'

  Before she could yell at the Manifestation, she quickly caught herself. The last time she shouted at Sawatari she didn't take it well. In fact, she borderline ignored her for a couple of minutes.

  Her voice might have sounded like something you would normally hear from a computer or AI, but she seemed to have emotions—to an extent. She didn't understand it either.

  Everything was such a mystery!

  Calming her racing heartbeat, Yuzuriha took a breath and decided to put on the persona she used to deal with her former assistant as a CEO.

  'Excuse me, Sawatari. I have an issue pertaining to my voice. It seems to just vanish when I need it at times, why is that?'

  She asked in her most professional manner. She could have also asked about the strange colorful lines she saw, but one problem at a time.

  Sawatari didn't answer her immediately, she made her wait for a couple of minutes before replying. Within those minutes, Yuzuriha was beginning to lose her patience.

  Honestly, if she had continued to ignore her, she might have lost her cool. After that, who knows what could have happened.

  ?? Denied. I am unable to disclose such information at this point ??

  Having heard that, Yuzuriha took a moment to process it. And then, her brows twitched.

  "Why you little..!"

  She unknowingly yelled out in frustration. After all that attitude Sawatari had the audacity to keep stuff from her?!

  What did she mean by that anyways? Wasn't she her assistant? As in she has to follow every request she makes. What the hell?!

  The way Yuzuriha felt frustrated in that moment she would have slandered Sawatari but because she was still in bed with Marcille, she immediately slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in horror.

  'Oh no! No no no no no no!'

  Panic struck her so hard she could barely even breathe, in fact, she held back her breathing. She stayed perfectly still and rigid like a statue. Her heart was pounding so loud in her ears that it almost drowned out the silence of the bedroom.

  'Please tell me she didn't hear that…!'

  She hoped that would be the case, however it was already too late. Yuzuriha felt the change in Marcille's breathing. It wasn't the slow, peaceful rhythm of someone who was sound asleep anymore.

  It was subtle, yes, but thanks to her hyperawareness, she was easily able to catch this change. And also, there was faint movement beneath the blanket.

  'I'm so screwed!'

  Yuzuriha squeezed her eyes shut and mentally prepared herself for any kind of reaction. If worse comes to shove, she might be forced to kill her, but in the body of a disabled kid, can she actually do it?

  Yesterday she was caught off guard, but what about now that she was aware of what might happen?

  She pondered the possibilities. Seconds passed, then a full minute.

  Gradually, Marcille's breathing returned to its natural and steady pace, as if whatever disturbance she felt was brushed aside as a dream.

  'Whew, I'm saved. This could have escalated into something worse, heh heh heh'

  She exhaled a slow, trembling breath of relief, even laughing at herself for being so silly.

  But just as she was beginning to relax.

  "Are you awake, Yor?"