Suddenly, Caster's voice called out to us, and we pulled apart as if jolted from a forbidden sleep.
I quickly straightened my clothes and caught my breath, trying to regain my composure as if nothing had happened, while Stacker put his hands back in his pockets, breathing slowly through his mouth, trying to hide his unease behind a mask of indifference.
I could still feel the warmth of my lips, that slight redness from a pulse that still wasn't calming down.
Caster entered the room carrying a soft drink, his usual smile lighting up his face with a reassuring, childlike simplicity. He seemed oblivious to everything, having just walked in without even glancing at us.
"Sorry I'm late," he said lightly, playfully directed at his brother. "But Stacker always seems to be one step ahead."
Stacker replied in a cool, tinged-with boredom tone, "Don't start with the drama again..."
Caster moved closer and offered me the drink, saying gently, though with a hint of reproach, "Are you alright? I hope you're not mad at me... Kicking me out of your room made me worry."
Stacker rolled his eyes with a wry smile and said, "Changed you? Goodness... spoiled brat!"
I didn't have time to respond before Caster interjected firmly, his smile confident, "Yes, spoiled... but for the right person."
Goodness... what were they both saying in front of me? Spoiled? For whom? And what were they implying?
Caster seemed to be one of those people who see closeness as a form of possession, and affection as their right. He had a childlike demeanor, a warm spirit, and made being spoiled seem like it was his nature.
I said, trying to break the silent duel, "Guys... stop fighting. I'm fine, Caster, don't worry."
I was sitting at the piano when Caster turned his chair toward me and knelt quietly before me, looking up at me with his clear blue eyes, as bright as a winter's night sky.
He said in a low voice, dripping with regret, "I'm sorry... going to the bar was my idea. It's my fault."
I studied his face for a moment and wondered to myself: Was my fainting spell enough to turn them both into two guilty children, apologizing and blaming themselves?
Did my anger mean that much to them?
I'd never experienced this kind of apology before, the kind that comes from a man who doesn't justify himself but offers himself in pure remorse. It's a different kind of apology... the apology of someone who loves.
Without thinking, I reached for his hair and stroked it gently, as if I were soothing a frightened puppy. "Are you kidding me?" I said, smiling. "No need to apologize. I can be angry with anyone... except you."
At that moment, I felt Stacker's gaze pierce me like a silent dagger. He took his hands out of his pockets, crossed his arms, and furrowed his brow in a silent anger he tried to conceal behind a facade of composure... but his eyes betrayed him.
Ignoring Stacker's gaze, I continued to stroke Caster's silky hair, smiling gently at him until he took both my hands in his, clasped them in his palms, and then slowly raised them to his lips, kissing them in a warm, passionate kiss.
My smile faded in that instant, as a strange feeling of both peace and longing washed over me. His touch was as soft as a warm breeze on a cold night, carrying a tenderness I had never known before.
I hadn't felt this when Stacker was passionately biting my lips... there, there was emotion; here, there was love and serenity.
I slowly reached out and touched his cheek, his chin still resting on my knees from kneeling before me. He smiled shyly and said in a warm voice,
"But don't worry... your brother has prepared a little surprise for you. I wanted to give it to you now, but there's a curious intruder between us, and surprises are best shared in private."
I couldn't help but laugh, a soft laugh I tried in vain to suppress. I knew exactly what Stacker's face would look like: displeasure mixed with jealousy, a narrowed gaze that held a hint of suppressed anger.
Caster never misses an opportunity to tease him, and he knows exactly how to fan the flames. They're brothers, and there's always a bit of squabbling between brothers that isn't easily extinguished... except one of them doesn't see me as a sister the other does.
"A surprise?" I said, smiling, trying to sound curious. "Really? What is it? Tell me!"
"Surprises aren't spoken of, my dear," he replied playfully, closing his eyes slightly. "You wait for them."
Stucker chimed in sarcastically, his expression betraying his annoyance. "No doubt he'll bring you a chocolate cake... and then eat it himself first, like he always did with me."
His words brought a long silence to the room, broken only by ragged breaths masking the tension.
Then Caster turned to Stacker and said in a quiet but sharp tone, "Aren't you going?"
Stacker raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise. "Go? And where exactly?"
"Didn't you see I said we'd like to be alone?" Caster replied coolly, staring into his eyes.
Stacker chuckled. "And didn't you see I was here before you? If anyone's leaving... it should be you."
Caster rose slowly and steadily, then extended his hand toward me. "Then let it be."
I hesitated for a moment, then took his hand. He gently pulled me along and strode quickly out.
"Where are you taking her?!" Stacker called after us, his voice sharp and subdued.
"Didn't you say I'd leave? Well, I'm leaving first," Caster replied without turning around, a hint of defiance in his voice. "Now we'll see if you have any reason to stay."
I walked behind him, barely suppressing my laughter. I don't know why, but in such serious situations, I always find myself laughing involuntarily. It was the first time I'd lived between two men and witnessed this kind of childish, elaborate squabble.
In the room...
Caster sat in the office chair, lost in thought, a cloud of deep contemplation hanging over his face.
"What's on your mind?" I asked, trying to break the silence.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes holding an unusually serious expression. "You know he likes you, don't you?"
The question shook me to my core. Whether he meant Stacker or someone else, it left me bewildered.
"What do you mean?... Who are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb... I mean Stacker."
"Enough of this nonsense... I don't think you realize the weight of your words," I said in a despairing tone, retreating toward the bed.
"Diana... I'm being completely serious."
"Caster, there's no point in being serious about a brother being attracted to his stepsister... Get a grip." I snapped back, unusually sharp.
I didn't understand the reason behind his words. Yes, I'd glimpsed a hint of attraction in Stacker's eyes, and perhaps his arguments with his brother were further evidence, but I hadn't expected Caster to notice it so quickly... not because he was stupid, but because he was someone who didn't usually concern himself with other people's affairs, yet he was so indifferent to something like this.
"We both know perfectly well that none of us consider you a sister..."
I was taken aback by his sudden frankness. "What do you mean by that?"
I'd never seen Caster this serious before. The cheerful boy who usually wore a smile was now a different person. His frown hinted at something profound, something completely out of character for me.
"I mean what I say. Stacker never saw you as a sister from the start... and he never will. As for me..." He paused, his eyes searching my face.
Then he continued.
"I saw you as a companion from day one, perhaps even more so... friendship can turn into love or enmity in the blink of an eye. That's why we never opened the door of brotherhood to you... because each of us is waiting to see where fate will lead us... enmity or love."
"Every day I spend in this palace, I hear words from you that confuse me... words that throw me into a whirl of questions. Caster... what are you trying to say?"
From his words, I understood that Stacker might have deeper feelings for me, even if I was only his sister in name. This began to unfold after the kiss we had just exchanged.
Caster paused for a moment, then deliberately moved closer to me. He took out a small vial, like a syringe, from his pocket, containing a green powder.
He raised the bottle to his lips and drank its contents in one gulp. Then his body began to change before my eyes—it swelled unnaturally, as if some unseen force were expanding beneath his skin.
The scene was almost surreal. I took two steps back, speechless with terror. I tried to scream for help, but my voice was trapped in my throat.
In a flash, the swelling abruptly ceased. But the person standing before me was not the Caster I knew. His features were his, but they weren't his.
Those innocent eyes I was so familiar with were no longer sharp and piercing. Those soft cheeks were no longer sculpted. His body was no longer slender; it was muscular and powerful. He was no longer short; he was now much taller than me. He was no longer a fifteen-year-old boy, but a young man in his twenties.
"Caster...?" I whispered, my voice trembling, my eyes wide with disbelief.
He took another step closer, a swift, almost mercurial approach, his eyes holding a mysterious gleam that pierced my very being. My legs trembled as I backed away, until my back was pressed against the edge of the desk.
"I believe I am now in my true form, and at last I can explain things clearly to you... my dear sister."
I couldn't believe that this imposing young man standing before me was indeed Caster. His transformation was like a miracle, defying all the laws of nature. I wished this were a dream, but a part of me didn't want to wake up. This new form, despite its frightening presence, possessed a captivating beauty.
He stopped just a step away, his voice, a whole octave lowered, shaking my soul: "I'm tired of playing the fool, the childish boy... Yes, that's part of who I am, but it's not the face I want to see you with."
I realized suddenly that both brothers had become attached to me with astonishing speed. I haven't even been here a week, and already they're falling in love, setting a date for my death, and I'm witnessing supernatural transformations.
"Caster..." I whisper, my voice hoarse.
"What?... Didn't you like the gift I showed you? I hope you'll forgive me for what happened yesterday."
"A gift?... That magical transformation you just witnessed?"
He shook his head, his gaze slanting down to mine with a crooked smile. "The real gift is what I'm going to do with this new transformation."
With a sudden movement, he encircled my waist with his strong arm, an arm I no longer recognized. I couldn't believe it was really Caster; he was even more mature than Stacker. I tried to push against his shoulders with my trembling fingertips.
"Caster... stop... please."
"The more you resist and push me away, the more I long to be close to you," he whispered, tightening his grip around my waist. He raised his other hand to my face, his thumb gently tracing my trembling lips. I closed my eyes, clutching his arms tightly, a strange warmth spreading through me.
Stucker had done the same thing a moment ago... and now his brother was doing it too, and here I was, a helpless puppet, resigned to my fate.
"I never thought I'd get close to you, you know?... I respected you and held my feelings... but you betrayed my trust by kissing Stacker first," he whispered, his gaze burning into my lips.
My eyes flinched open.
Then he added, "Don't be afraid. I wasn't angry that he kissed you; I knew it would happen... I was angry because he was the first to kiss you."
"Caster..." I whispered, trying to soothe the underlying anger in his voice.
"But don't worry... if he was first in kissing, I'll be first in something else..."
He pounced on my cheek in a flash, gripping it mercilessly, then roughly lifted my face to cover my neck with a fiery kiss that made my whole being tremble. My nails dug into his arm from the force of the tremor.
"Cas-..."
But before he could release his lips from my neck, the door suddenly opened. He pulled away immediately, and we both turned to see who was inside.
...
It was the old woman.