Chapter 235: A small glimpse into the past [1]

*tap* *tap*

The sound of Charlotte’s shoes echoed faintly as she walked through the quiet neighborhood.

Her long blonde hair swayed slightly in the breeze, and she was wearing her high-school uniform.

Beside her, a small boy, maybe eight or nine years old, walked with hesitant, timid steps.

Young Brandon kept glancing up at her, and his eyes were full of nervousness.

But every time their gazes accidentally met, Charlotte’s cold, sharp eyes glared down at him.

He flinched and immediately lowered his head, staring at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Tsk..." Charlotte clicked her tongue softly and turned her face away, but inside her mind, resentment burned.

’Why do I have to go buy groceries with this little shit?’

She clenched her teeth ’Damn you, Big Sister... always forcing me to babysit him. Why do you dote on him so much? He’s the whole reason you lost your powers... your authority... everything.’

Her cold gaze slid down toward him and saw his small hands fidgeting nervously at his sides.

’I hate you... you bastard. You don’t deserve the kindness you get.’

Brandon, even without looking at her, felt her icy glare.

His tiny shoulders hunched even more and he bit his lip, trying not to cry from the suffocating tension.

They turned onto a quieter street.

For a moment, the world seemed calm... until a sharp, aggressive noise split the air.

BARK! BARK! BARK!

Both of them froze.

Down the street, three large pitbulls were in a vicious fight, snarling and snapping at one another, clashing in the street.

Their teeth flashed in the evening light, and the air was filled with deep growls and high-pitched yelps.

Charlotte’s green eyes quivered looking at them.

Brandon gasped as he had never seen dogs this big up close before.

Suddenly, one of the dogs stopped mid-snarl and its bloodshot eyes turned to look at them.

"...!"

Charlotte’s whole body froze as the pitbull slowly turned its massive head fully toward them. Then, with a guttural growl, it bolted toward them.

"GRRRRrrrrr..."

Brandon’s breath hitched and he instinctively grabbed Charlotte’s skirt with his trembling little hand "B-Big Sister... let’s leave-"

But Charlotte wasn’t moving.

She was frozen.

Her entire body trembled uncontrollably and she couldn’t even breathe properly as memories of her childhood flashed before her... the trauma of a dog attacking her when she was very small.

The panic clawed at her mind and the pitbull’s growl grew louder as it lunged closer.

Brandon looked up at her, "B-Big Sister!"

WHOOSH!

The dog leapt towards her.

In that split second, Brandon made a choice.

With a tiny yell, he threw himself in front of Charlotte.

THUD!

The pitbull crashed into his small body, knocking him to the ground.

"Ugh!" The impact made his breath whoosh out of his lungs.

He wrapped his little arms around the dog’s thick neck, desperately gripping the collar to push it away.

"Grrr! ARGH!" The dog snarled furiously, thrashing him.

Brandon twisted his small body, trying to pin it down, but the dog’s weight was overwhelming.

"G-Get off!" he yelled and his small hands strained against its powerful muscles.

But the pitbull was relentless. It rolled him onto his back and opened its jaw widely.

CHOMP!

"Aaaahhhh!!!" Brandon screamed in pain as the teeth sank deep into his back.

His little shirt ripped apart as blood stained the fabric.

Tears immediately welled in his eyes, but he still clung to the dog’s collar, refusing to let it go for Charlotte’s sake.

The blood dripped onto the pavement.

Charlotte stood there with her heart pounding in her ears.

She saw the small boy writhing under the massive animal, crying in pain.

"B-Brandon..." Her voice trembled but her legs refused to move.

"Haaa... Haaa..." Her breaths came in shallow gasps. ’Move... I have to move... I have to help him...’

But her body wouldn’t obey as the fear of the dog paralyzed her.

Her eyes quivered as she watched the pitbull shake its head, trying to rip deeper into Brandon’s flesh.

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!" Brandon’s tiny voice echoed in the empty street.

Charlotte’s throat tightened painfully. ’What... what am I doing? I’m just standing here while he’s...’

Her legs trembled harder.

The dog growled louder as Brandon still tried desperately to push it away with his small arms.

"B-Big Sister!" he cried again. "Run...!"

Charlotte’s heart snapped "B-Brandon..."

Then, suddenly "Oi! What is happening there?!"

A sharp voice rang from down the street.

A middle-aged woman came rushing over, her shopping bags swinging wildly.

Her eyes widened in horror as she spotted the chaos "Snappy?! What the hell are you doing?! Come here!"

She grabbed the pit bull’s collar with both hands and yanked it backward "I said, come here!!"

The pit bull growled one last time but finally released its jaw from Brandon’s back.

Blood gushed from the wound, soaking through his shirt, staining the pavement beneath him.

Charlotte gasped and stumbled forward as Brandon collapsed limply onto the ground.

The woman froze as she saw the blood pooling.

Her hands shook violently as she fumbled for her phone "O-Oh God- an ambulance! I need an ambulance! Hurry!"

Charlotte’s trembling body finally moved.

She dropped to her knees beside him, heedless of the blood soaking her own clothes.

"B-Brandon..." Her voice cracked as she reached out, her fingers quivering as they hovered over his small, frail body.

She finally gathered him into her arms carefully, holding him close.

Brandon coughed weakly, and the motion sent a jolt of pain through his whole body.

A thin stream of blood touched his lips.

With all the strength left in his tiny frame, he raised his small, trembling hand and his bloodied palm pressed faintly against Charlotte’s cold cheek.

His big eyes are filled with tears as he looked into her eyes "Big... Sister... it hurts..."

His lower lip quivered. "...It hurts... so much..."

Charlotte’s breath hitched violently and her vision blurred with tears.

"D-Don’t worry..." she choked out in a trembling voice. "Nothing... nothing will happen to you. I... I will protect you..."

But deep inside, she knew this was her fault. Her fear. Her hesitation. She had frozen when he needed her most.

Her tears dripped down onto his blood-stained face.

"I’m sorry," she whispered shakily. "Big Sister is sorry... This is my fault... I should have... I should have-"

Brandon’s tiny body shuddered in pain, making her words falter even more.

"No... no, it’s okay... B-Big Sister..." he whispered weakly, but his eyelids were fluttering, heavy from the pain.

Charlotte’s despair twisted into something else... a burning resolve.

"No!" she cried. "No, don’t close your eyes! Stay awake, Brandon! I... I’ll protect you now... Big Sister promises..."

Her hands tightened around him, refusing to let him go.

And then, something inside her shifted violently.

Her vision blurred for an instant, and then the world sharpened.

A faint shimmer of yellow rippled in her emerald-green eyes, distorting the color like liquid.

Slowly, the green faded away completely, replaced by a blazing, otherworldly yellow.

"Yes..." she whispered in a deeper, steady voice "...don’t worry."

Her breath grew calm, almost unnaturally so "I am sorry, Brandon... Big Sister’s fault... Big Sister will protect you now."

Her fingers stroked his bloodied hair gently, but her gaze was no longer trembling; it was focused and filled with something beyond ordinary emotion.

Her lips curved in a faint, eerie smile.

"Yes... I will protect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you again."

"...Kael."