Opening my eyes from bed… ugh, everything hurts. Running like that through the house yesterday killed me.

  Just breathing, I can feel my muscles tense and ache, let alone turning my head.

  Not to say I can’t, only that I’m going to delay moving as long as possible.

  ‘Thanks for carrying me here, Yuna, but fuck I’m hurt. Nothing bad happen while I’m like this, please, kosm? It’s not much I’m asking for.’

  Staring at the ceiling for a while, I just let my mind wander.

  ‘The Other… It's such a strange existence. I know vaguely how they work, after all, one replaced me and nearly killed me. But… it doesn’t mean I understand it. Like, why does it copy us? To what end? How does it know what to say?’

  Looking at the little stars that glimmer in the light shining through my window, I let out a quiet breath.

  ‘Or is it always with us? Always our reflection, and it only gets to replace us once we are near the arcane enough to give it entry? It would make some sense of things… and once everyone accepts it as real and as the original, the original becomes the reflection, or dies trying to stay real.’

  Closing my eyes, I feel my chest aching as the skin across it stretches taut from the burn, before relaxing as I breathe in.

  ‘If so… I think that’s even more terrifying. But… then what’s caused Yuna to meet hers? After all, it’s not common by any means. I only met mine thanks to entering a building that was already a host to it once, and I know enough to recognize it. But… Yuna shouldn’t. And Lumi never saw such a thing either.’

  “Guess it’s not the main concern… guess I should worry about my blades. I was lucky one worked, but the other was broken from the heat. I should get it repaired once I heal. For now… damn, need a bat or something.”

  Arcane weapons won’t work, so my gun will fail against that thing. I know shocking them would work, but my blades were made for humans, not the things they summon. That was Reta’s job. And sadly, I didn’t get any of her weapons or tools on the way out of that place.

  ‘A shame, I would’ve loved her rifle.’

  Sighing, I try to just close my eyes and rest more, hoping the pain relents.

  …

  …

  Hearing the door creak open, I peek with one eye, seeing Lumi poke her head in. “Um, Salka?”

  “Come in. What?"

  As she enters and shuts the door behind her, I don’t even turn my head to look at her, it hurting too much to do so.

  “Um… well you seemed hurt yesterday… how are you feeling now?”

  Letting out a quiet chuckle that turns into a hoarse groan, I reply. “Like every piece of burnt skin I have was turned into sandpaper.”

  Her quiet sigh fills the air, before she walks over and sits next to me on the bed, just the sheets moving with her added weight scraping across my skin, making me hiss.

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  “Oh, sorry!” As she stands, I let out a tense breath.

  “It’s… alright. What’s up?”

  Holding up a bottle in front of my face, I see it’s some burn ointment lotion… and that she’s got no sleeves, short sleeve I guess? I mean it’s a nice temp inside… or maybe I just think that from the burns. Who knows.

  “I brought this for your burns… it should help. Do you want me to apply it?”

  “I… I’m good…”

  She pouts, nodding a bit and going to walk out.

  ‘That’s it? …now I just feel bad.’

  Sighing first, I speak. “Alright, fine. Just… give me a moment to take off my shirt.”

  I can hear the slight… I guess satisfaction, in her voice. “Sure.”

  Slowly sitting up is like a fight, let alone taking off my shirt.

  Just lifting my arms up is hell, and even when there, I still need to take off my top. Damnit.

  Taking a few deep breaths, I move to remove it, wincing in pain as I lift my arms up.

  Lumi walks over, gently grabbing hold of the shirt. “Here, I got it, just lift your arms up and I’ll do the rest.”

  A bit caught off guard by the sudden help, and that someone else is undressing me, I just do so silently. It might hurt like hell, but at least I don’t need to bend my elbows now.

  Finally, she takes it off me, and I lay back in bed again, letting out an exhausted breath.

  “Are you alright?”

  “No… thanks…”

  Smiling a little, she nods. And now that I look at her, she’s just wearing a crop top and shorts. Despite having no bust whatsoever, it looks cute.

  “Could you roll over for me? So I can do your back first?”

  Grumbling, and not at all caring that she can see my tits, I slowly roll over onto my side.

  No, it doesn’t bother me nearly as much as my butt. Why? Because she saw them once when she first treated my burns. Mind you, I was asleep the last time, but that’s not the point.

  …ignoring the faint blush on my face, she places a hand on my back, making me hiss. It’s soft, but the cold lotion on her hand sends shivers down my spine.

  “C-cold-!”

  “Sorry sorry, I know. But it’ll help.” Her hands work along my back, tracing along old scars and barely fading burns.

  Gritting my teeth, I feel the pain calm a little after a few minutes, her hands warm against my back now, but with the perfect gentleness.

  ‘Fuck… it’s helping a bit at least…’

  “Alright, roll onto your back now please.” Her voice is soft like Yuna’s, I didn’t know she had this kind of side of her. Usually there’s some kind of… barrier, I guess? It’s just not typical.

  Rolling over and looking up at her, she starts right away on my arms with the lotion, throwing off my train of thought from the pain.

  “There there, it’s fine.”

  Hissing, I force myself to speak. “So… where’s this side of you been hiding?”

  Her ear cocks a bit as she looks at me, her hands working perfectly as she does. “What do you mean?”

  “The… softness I guess… you almost remind me of Yuna.”

  Smiling a bit, she moves onto my chest, being attentive to hit every burn on it with the cream. Even if she might effectively be kneading me like a cat would on a pillow when stretching. “Well… do you not like it?”

  “That’s not it…” Taking a deep breath from a particularly sore spot being hit, she finally stops.

  “There we go, all done~ Now, I’m gonna go work on dinner, anything you want?”

  I go to shake my head before grunting and clenching my teeth. “Fuck… I don’t know, ask Yuna…”

  Nodding, she walks out and shuts the door behind her.

  “Fuck… the cream helps but not enough to move…”

  Laying back slowly, I wonder to myself… why was she so oddly happy? Was it from me protecting Yuna? I mean, I’d feel indebted to anyone who’d protect my brother, so I sorta get that angle.

  But at the same time… it was still a bit much from her. Yuna I’d totally believe, bu- A bottle sitting on the edge of the table falls and hits my arm, making me yelp and flinch, which only makes the pain much worse.

  “F-ffffuck… fuck this… I’m going to bed… fuck you Kosm… you smartass…”

  ___

  So, what do you think about the massage? Is Lumi just being nice to her sister’s savior, or?