Color in Bliss

The winds coalesce, swirling about beneath a shining blue sky. As the sun hovered above the great city of New Olympos, a trio of young girls ran through the bustling streets. Every shoulder they bumped into was an apology being made, until they finally made it to a hotel room.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open, followed by an ear-piercing scream.

"Mom! I'm home!"

"Oh!" A woman poked her head out to the small corridor. "Welcome home, Nelia. Ah! And it seems we have guests."

One of the girls, slightly shorter than Nelia, stepped in and bowed. "Hello, Misses De Leux."

"Good to see you, Judan. Have you been well?"

"Yes. I'm—"

She was knocked out of the way by the other girl, who was far younger than the others. "Hi, Misses De Leux!"

The young girl ran up to tackle Nelia's mother, to which she laughed and pulled her up for a twirl.

"Haha! Good to see you as well, Alexandria! Aw, you're a bit bigger since the last time I've seen you, but you're just as cute."

"I've been getting stronger too!"

"I'm sure you have."

Judan picked herself back up while glaring at Alexandria.

"Alex..." she muttered. "I was talking to Misses De Leux first."

Instead of clapping back like she always does, Alexandria responded with a taunting gesture; she pulled one of her eyes down while sticking her tongue out.

"Now, now, Alexandria," Misses De Leux said. "Be kind. You're all friends, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Alex," Judan smirked.

"Tch... Fine."

Nelia snuck over to the dining table, where a teenage boy was sitting with his ears muffled by headphones. While his eyes were glued to his phone, he was completely clueless about the world around him.

As a devious smile overtook her face, Nelia's eyes visibly flickered, a lightbulb set aglow in her head. She rushed over and violently grabbed onto the boy's shoulder while yelling, "Ah!"

"Agh!" the boy screamed.

The headphones flew off his head, smacking on the ground. Finally, the boy turned away from his phone and looked up with an extremely annoyed look.

"What's your problem?!"

"Ain't gonna acknowledge your older sister after a long day of work, Regulus?" Nelia grinned.

"Leave me alone, and don't call me that when we're at home."

"Ehe~ My bad, Solas."

"You're annoying."

"Aw, come on! Don't be like that."

Nelia wrapped her arms around Solas's neck and held him in a chokehold.

"Dude! Let... go!"

Instead, her arms tightened. "Not until you tell me that you love me so, so, so~ much, and that I'm the best big sister in the world, and maybe give me a nice little smooch on the cheek."

"What?! That's gross!"

"Then you'll just have to keep on suffering!"

No matter how much he struggled or how many times he shouted at her to stop, he couldn't escape her grasp. All the while, their mother laughed as she continued stirring a pot of broth.

"Now, now, kids, let's not get too violent," she said. "Dinner's almost ready. Make sure to wash your hands with soap before sitting down at the table."

Everyone agreed in unison. After taking turns washing their hands, which involved a lot more pushing and shoving than it required, the trio of girls sat down at the table. The mother of the day brought out bowls and filled them up with her signature dish: pot roast stew seasoned to perfection.

"Hello, Solas," Judan said with a soft smile.

As tough of a front as he had with Nelia, he immediately became flustered when Judan and Alexandria looked at him.

"H-hi..." he mumbled nervously.

"Eh? No need to be so stiff now," Alexandria said. "How was work? Anything new?"

"It... I-it was..."

At that moment, Nelia burst out laughing, and for some reason, she smacked her little brother in the back as hard as she could.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he cried out.

"Oh, nothing. Your reaction is just too funny. It's hard having two pretty ladies talk to you, isn't it?"

"W-wha... That's not it..."

"Hm? Then what is it?"

Solas's mouth wouldn't open after that, and the gaze from his sister only served as a lock to keep it that way. For him, the day felt longer than usual, but for Nelia, time couldn't have moved any faster.

Those days were filled with joy and laughter—a fleeting moment of bliss. But in the great city of New Olympos, peace was always a distant stranger. The once brilliant, blue sky, seen so innocently through the eyes of a child, slowly darkened. Storms crept in, shrouding the light. And just like that, a world once vibrant with color dulled into a shadowed, blackened canvas.

A crack of thunder split the sky, followed by a flash of lightning and the roar of heavy rain. The ground beneath Nelia's feet was soaked, nearly flooded, with a grotesque mixture of clear blue and dark red.

She stood upon a battlefield strewn with lifeless bodies, each one felled by the blade she now gripped in her bloodied hand. Its tip, slick with crimson, was pointed at Alexandria, whose tear-filled gaze brimmed with sorrowful defeat.

Behind them, Judan stood in silent observation, her face unreadable as she watched the scene unfold.

"Nel... Judy..." Alexandria's voice cracked, struggling to stay conscious. "Was this... your final decision?"

But Nelia remained silent.

"Why aren't you answering?" Alexandria chuckled, though her fists were trembling at her side. "You've left me in the dark, killed my squad... and now, all I get in return is complete silence?"

Taking a breath, Nelia straightened her posture, meeting Alexandria's pleading eyes with cold resolve. Alexandria instinctively flinched under the weight of her stare.

"That's right," Nelia muttered, her voice chilling. "This is my decision. No matter what, the High Order will fall. If you don't want to end up like them, then stay exactly where you are. Do not follow us. This is my only warning to you... Alex."

Without another word, Nelia turned her back on Alexandria, Judan following in her wake. They left Alexandria kneeling in the rain, her sobs lost in the storm. It was the last time the three would ever cross paths, but the memories of their once unbreakable bond would haunt them all.