Chapter 9: The Magic Trick

“Come on, Licht! You have to keep up!”

The voice hit him harder than any punch ever could.

Warm.

Bright.

Alive.

Licht froze.

“No…”

The ruined city vanished.

The smell of blood disappeared.

The corpses.

The pit.

The hatred.

All of it dissolved.

Replaced by sunlight.

A younger world.

A better world.

A girl ran ahead of him.

Crimson hair danced behind her like fire.

Crimson eyes sparkled with endless confidence.

The kind of confidence only children and fools possessed.

She spun around and walked backward, grinning.

“You’re slow!”

Licht’s throat tightened.

“Why am I seeing this…?”

The memory didn’t answer.

His body moved on its own.

Because this wasn’t him.

Not anymore.

This was a boy.

A boy who still smiled.

A boy who still believed tomorrow would come.

Memory Licht puffed out his chest and hurried after her.

“S-Sorry! You’re just too fast!”

The girl placed her hands on her hips.

Her smile widened.

“Of course I am.”

She lifted her chin proudly.

“Out of every girl in the world, I’m the strongest.”

Memory Licht’s eyes immediately lit up.

The admiration was so pure it almost hurt to watch.

“You’re so cool, Big Sis.”

The girl rubbed beneath her nose smugly.

The way she always did.

Like she’d just won an argument nobody else knew existed.

Licht felt his chest tighten.

As he remembered.

He remembered every stupid little habit.

Every expression.

Every laugh.

Every word.

The things he’d spent years trying to bury.

Because he refused to forget her.

“Now come on.”

She turned away.

The sunlight caught her crimson hair.

For a moment it looked like living fire.

Licht reached toward her.

The movement felt desperate.

Helpless.

“Don’t go.”

His voice trembled.

The memory ignored him.

Because memories weren’t meant to save anyone.

They only reminded you what you’d lost.

The younger pair continued walking through the ruined streets.

Buildings stood broken around them.

Nature had begun reclaiming the city.

Grass pushed through cracked pavement.

Vines crawled across shattered walls.

The world had ended long ago.

Yet somehow it still felt alive.

“Where are we going, Big Sis?”

She pointed ahead dramatically.

Like an explorer discovering treasure.

“I found a convenience store while scouting.”

Memory Licht’s eyes widened.

“A real one?!”

“I don’t think it’s been looted yet.”

The excitement on his face was immediate.

Pure.

Unfiltered.

The kind adults spend their entire lives trying to feel again.

He practically bounced beside her.

Licht lowered his head.

He remembered.

Not the feeling the feeling is long gone but he remembers her actions and the way she smiled whenever he was happy.

Back then, finding a few snacks felt like discovering gold.

Back then…

Life had been simple.

“Big Sis.”

“What is it, Little L?”

With a knowing smirk.

“Stop calling me Little L.”

The girl's smirk turned into a grin.

The worst possible sign.

“Why?”

“Because I’m seven now!”

His voice carried all the seriousness a seven-year-old could muster.

The girl immediately burst out laughing.

“Yeah? So what?”

Memory Licht’s face turned bright red.

She reached over and ruffled his hair.

Aggressively.

Mercilessly.

The way only someone older would.

“Stop that!”

“No.”

“Big Sis!”

“I thought you were a big boy.”

“I AM!”

The girl laughed harder.

The sound echoed through the empty streets.

Bright.

Carefree.

Alive.

As Memory Licht chased after her.

In circles like a wild goose.

While trying desperately to fix his hair.

The girl continued laughing.

The sunlight seemed warmer around her.

Brighter.

Like the world itself wanted her to keep smiling.

Licht watched silently.

His hands trembled.

Not from anger.

Not from pain.

Because he’d never forgotten how loud her laugh was.

And somehow…

That hurt more than remembering her face.

The memory continued forward.

Unaware.

Uncaring.

Marching toward a future only one of them would survive to relive.

The memory forwarded to in front of the convenience store when Big Sis suddenly raised a finger to her lips.

The playful grin vanished.

Not completely.

Just enough.

A reminder that the world they lived in wasn’t kind enough to allow carelessness.

“Remember, Licht.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“You need to be quiet.”

The younger boy immediately straightened.

His excitement faded.

“But why?”

“We don’t know if there are any Nyxfel nearby.”

Memory Licht nodded quickly.

The seriousness of her tone was enough.

The two carefully entered the convenience store.

The glass doors hung crookedly from rusted hinges.

Dust coated every shelf.

The air smelled old.

Forgotten.

Big Sis immediately headed toward the canned goods.

Practical as always.

Food.

Medicine.

Water.

Things that mattered.

Licht, meanwhile…

Had priorities.

Far more important priorities.

His small feet carried him deeper into the store.

Searching.

Hunting.

Scavenging.

Then suddenly—

“I FOUND A BOX OF LOLIS!”

The triumphant shout echoed through the building.

Memory Licht stood atop a fallen shelf.

Both hands raised above his head.

Holding a dusty box like it was a legendary treasure.

The biggest smile imaginable stretched across his face.

Big Sis froze.

“…Licht.”

The realization hit her instantly.

Too late.

BANG.

Something slammed against the rear door.

The entire store shook.

Memory Licht’s smile vanished.

BANG.

Again.

Harder.

The metal bent inward.

BANG.

The door exploded open.

Three Revenants burst into the store.

Their twisted bodies squeezed through the opening.

Screeching.

Hungry.

Fast.

Memory Licht turned.

The box slipped from his hands.

The candy scattered across the floor.

His face went white.

Fear arrived so quickly it stole his breath.

“Big Sis…”

The words barely escaped.

She was already moving.

The cans hit the floor.

CLANG.

CLANG.

CLANG.

The sound echoed throughout the store.

Big Sis reached him in an instant.

Strong arms wrapped around his small body.

Then she ran.

The Revenants lunged.

The third—

SCRATCH.

A claw tore across her bicep.

The wound wasn’t deep.

Small.

Almost insignificant.

Yet somehow…

It felt louder than everything else.

Big Sis didn’t react.

Didn’t slow down.

Didn’t even look.

She simply tightened her grip around Licht and ran.

The city blurred around them.

Ruined streets.

Broken buildings.

Collapsed highways.

Every turn was chosen instantly.

Every alley.

Every corner.

Every shortcut.

Years of surviving guided her feet.

The Revenants followed.

Screeching.

Relentless.

But eventually—

The sounds faded.

Then disappeared entirely.

Silence returned.

Big Sis finally stopped inside an abandoned building.

Her breathing was heavy.

Licht’s was worse.

The moment she set him down—

He broke.

“I’m sorry!”

Tears poured down his face.

Heavy.

Endless.

“I-I’m sorry!”

His words stumbled over each other.

Broken by sobs.

“I won’t do it again!”

His small fists clenched.

“I promise!”

Big Sis stared at him.

The corruption had already begun.

Dark veins slowly crawled outward from the scratch on her arm.

Small.

Subtle.

Easy to miss.

Unless you knew exactly what you were looking at.

And she did.

She knew.

Memory Licht didn’t.

He couldn’t stop crying.

The guilt crushed him.

The fear crushed him.

His entire body shook.

“I’m sorry…”

The words became quieter.

Smaller.

Like a child trying to apologize enough times to reverse reality.

Big Sis smiled.

The same smile she always wore.

Warm.

Comforting.

Safe.

The kind of smile that made the world seem less frightening.

“It’s okay.”

She reached into her pocket.

After a moment she pulled something free.

A single lollipop.

Memory Licht froze.

Big Sis held it out toward him.

Like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

Her smile never wavered.

“I promise.”

The lollipop trembled slightly in her hand.

Almost imperceptibly.

Memory Licht didn’t notice.

He grabbed it immediately.

Still crying.

Still shaking.

Still believing her.

Because she was Big Sis.

Big Sis was always right.

Big Sis always protected him.

Big Sis always came back.

The sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.

Orange became red.

Red became purple.

Purple became black.

The ruined building creaked softly as the wind moved through broken windows.

Outside, the world was quiet.

No Nyxfel.

No Revenants.

No screams.

Just silence.

The kind of silence survivors learned to appreciate.

Memory Licht sat on the floor.

The lollipop remained clutched tightly in his small hands.

His tears hadn’t stopped.

Every now and then his shoulders would shake.

Another sob would escape.

Then another.

As Licht watched from within the memory.

“It was all my fault…”

His voice was barely a whisper.

Cold.

Hollow.

The words carried no argument.

No denial.

Only a truth he had repeated to himself for years.

Across from him, Big Sis leaned against the wall.

Her breathing had become slower.

Heavier.

The corruption had spread further.

Dark veins crawled beneath her skin.

Up her arm.

Across her shoulder.

Patient.

Steady.

Unstoppable.

Yet somehow she was still smiling.

“Licht.”

Memory Licht looked up immediately.

His eyes were red from crying.

“Hm?”

Big Sis smiled.

The same smile.

Always the same smile.

The one that made everything feel okay.

“You’re a big boy now, right?”

Memory Licht sniffled.

Then nodded.

The praise alone seemed enough to straighten his posture a little.

Big Sis laughed softly.

“I need you to do something for me.”

Another nod.

Without hesitation.

Without question.

Because she was Big Sis.

If Big Sis asked, he would do it.

“Can you grab my knife from my bag?”

She lifted her hands apart.

Showing him roughly how long it was.

Memory Licht immediately crawled toward the bag.

Meanwhile, Big Sis glanced down at her arm.

The corruption had reached her shoulder now.

She quietly tore her sleeve as she wrapped it around her upper arm.

Pulled.

Tighter.

Then tighter again.

Her jaw tightened slightly.

The only sign she gave.

The only sign that she was afraid.

Memory Licht finally returned.

Holding the knife carefully in both hands.

Like it was some priceless treasure.

“Here you go, Big Sis.”

She accepted it.

“Thank you.”

She then gave him a head pat.

The boy then tilted his head.

“What are you gonna do with it?”

For a moment—

Just a moment—

The smile faltered.

Only for a second.

Then it returned.

Bright.

Warm.

Familiar.

“I’m gonna do a magic trick.”

Memory Licht’s eyes widened.

“A magic trick?”

“Mhm.”

She nodded confidently.

The same confidence she used whenever she pretended to know what she was doing.

Even when she didn’t.

Especially when she didn’t.

“Now turn around.”

The boy blinked.

“Why?”

“Because every good magician has secrets.”

Memory Licht immediately accepted this explanation.

“Okay.”

His small body turned around.

Trusting completely.

Without hesitation.

Without fear.

Big Sis waited.

Made sure he wasn’t looking.

Then she looked down at her arm.

The corruption continued spreading.

Slowly.

Patiently.

Certain.

Her fingers tightened around the knife.

The building suddenly felt very quiet.

Very small.

She drew a slow breath.

Then another.

Her free hand moved toward the cloth.

Preparing.

Getting ready.

Trying not to think.

Trying not to hesitate.

Because hesitation would make it worse.

She knew that.

The knife trembled slightly.

Just slightly.

She was seventeen.

Seventeen nonetheless.

Still a child herself.

No matter how much the world demanded otherwise.

A shaky breath escaped her lips.

Then she bit down on a cloth.

Hard.

Her eyes squeezed shut.

And she brought the knife down.

WHACK.

The sound was wet.

Messy.

Nothing like the clean swings people imagined.

Her body jerked violently.

A muffled cry escaped into the cloth.

The knife rose again.

WHACK.

Tears immediately formed in her eyes.

She kept going.

WHACK.

WHACK.

WHACK.

Each strike sounded worse than the last.

The cloth muffled most of the noise.

Not all of it.

Some sounds escaped anyway.

Small.

Broken.

Pain-filled.

The kind of sounds no one should ever hear.

“Big Sis… are you ok?”

Memory Licht begins to slowly turn his head

“NO!”

“You can’t look yet.”

Her voice is more frantic towards the end as she still tries to protect him even now

“Ok.”

His voice filled with the same innocence that seems arbitrary at this point.

Eventually—

The arm came free.

Big Sis froze.

For several seconds she simply sat there.

Breathing.

Shaking.

Trying not to pass out.

Blood dripped onto the floor.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Then survival took over.

Quickly.

Methodically.

She tightened the cloth.

Hard.

Hard enough to make her vision blur.

Hard enough to make her stomach churn.

But she didn’t stop.

Couldn’t stop.

Not yet.

She tore off a piece of cloth.

Poured alcohol onto it.

Lit it.

The flame danced briefly in the darkness.

Then she smothered it.

Smoke curled upward.

The smell filled the room.

Burnt cloth.

Alcohol.

Blood.

“are you almost done.”

“Not yet you better not turn around.”

“Ok.”

She wrapped the wound.

Tied everything in place.

Checked it once.

Then again.

Only after she was sure she wasn’t about to bleed out did she finally pick up the severed arm.

For a moment she stared at it.

Then quietly tossed it through the broken window.

The arm disappeared into the darkness outside.

Gone.

Like it had never existed.

Big Sis sat there breathing heavily.

Exhaustion covered every inch of her face.

But she still forced a smile.

“You can turn around now.”

“Okay!”

Memory Licht turned.

Immediately—

His face froze.

The smile vanished.

The tears stopped.

The world stopped.

“B-Big Sis…”

His voice cracked.

“Where’s your arm?”

The smile remained.

Though now it looked fragile.

Held together by pure stubbornness.

“That’s the magic trick.”

She lifted her remaining arm.

“I made it disappear.”

The joke fell apart the moment it left her mouth.

Both of them knew it.

Memory Licht stumbled backward.

His lip trembled.

His breathing became uneven.

“I’m sorry.”

The words escaped immediately.

“I’m sorry.”

Again.

And again.

And again.

The same apology.

The same guilt.

The same pain.

Big Sis stared at him.

Then sighed softly.

“I should’ve known that wouldn’t work.”

Slowly, she stood.

Every movement looked exhausting.

Yet she still crossed the room.

Still wrapped her remaining arm around him.

Still pulled him close.

“It’s okay.”

Memory Licht buried his face against her.

Still crying.

Still apologizing.

“It’s okay.”

Her hand gently rested on the back of his head.

“That arm was useless anyway.”

“I’m sorry…”

The words were barely audible now.

Licht lowered his head.

The memory blurred.

His vision trembled.

And for the first time since entering the memory—

The apology wasn’t coming from the boy.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice was quieter.

Older.

Broken.

“I’m sorry.”

Because even now…

Years later…

That was all he knew how to say.

Big sis says wow you really read all that thank you i couldn't do that myself.