“Evie, what’s going on with you?” Démic asked with curiosity.

“Nothing, I’m fine, just exhausted,” Evering replied.

“Damn you, are you still lying after our talk last night?” Phoenix said with concern.

“Ha, can my sober brother remember what happened last night? That’s good,” Kaylos remarked.

“Evie, stop joking around; you’re not okay,” Kaylos added, as the commotion continued with the brothers questioning and investigating.

As Evering heard his brothers' noise and insistence, he struggled to calm himself. Despite his mixed emotions, a partial calm emerged amid his tension.

“No, don’t trouble yourselves on my account!” Evering said weakly but determinedly, trying to lift his head slightly to face Démic and his brothers. “I’m sorry for causing all this commotion. I just… I just wanted to be alone for a bit.”

He turned towards Yursina, who was still standing, and said gratefully, “Thank you, Yursina. I apologize for this situation… I didn’t mean to be a burden.”

Evering tried to smile despite his weakness, looking at his brothers with eyes full of regret.

Yursina picked up a large glass vase, lifted it high, and then threw it to the ground, shattering it into pieces that scattered everywhere. The sharp sound of the glass breaking shattered the silence that had filled the room, with water droplets reflecting her anger and the chaotic emotions she was going through.

“Evie… damn you, are you still daring to continue lying? Who are you fooling? Your heart is weak; why do you insist on hiding the truth from us?” Yursina said, her words full of anger.

In the surprise triggered by Yursina, silence filled the room. As the tension-filled scene unfolded, Yursina moved closer to Evering, her eyes filled with tears and concern. She raised her voice to him, pouring out all her repressed emotions.

“Evering, I knew about a month ago that you were rambling in your sleep about your illness, Isolda, and other matters. I told your brothers about it, so they’ve been pressing you with questions. We all hoped it was just delusions, so we tried to verify the situation before taking action, but you keep denying it!”

She moved closer to Evering and added, “The more we try to approach you and understand what you’re going through, the more you shut us out. We love you and want to help, but how can we assist you if you keep lying to us and hiding the truth?”

She tried to calm herself a little, but her face still reflected the turmoil and anger she felt. “We’re here to support you, but you need to be honest with us. If you’re truly suffering, we need to face the truth together.”

Evering looked at Yursina, feeling the weight of her words and her pain. He now realized that his refusal to talk about his condition and the details of his illness had a significant impact on his family. He felt the burden of truth and knew he had to open up and share the reality so they could provide the support he needed.

Amidst the harsh silence that filled the room, the doors suddenly burst open, and his sisters, Elianora and Judith, entered without saying a word. They walked quickly and confidently towards Evering, as if they saw nothing but their fallen brother.

They surrounded him and embraced him tightly, as if trying to draw out all the pain and weight he carried. Evering looked up in surprise, unsure how to respond to this unexpected double embrace. Their eyes met, revealing a mixture of concern, love, and fear—emotions that had been repressed for a long time.

Elianora broke the eerie silence with a warm and slightly teasing tone, “What’s all this noise? Is this a family gathering without an invitation?”

A small smile appeared on her face as she tried to lighten the mood, as if her presence alone brought life back to the room. Evering sighed slowly, feeling some relief at the presence of his sisters, and it was evident in his eyes that he was grateful for this support that came at just the right moment.

Yursina looked at Elianora and Judith as if finding in their presence the calm she needed, and it seemed that this simple moment of tenderness broke a part of the wall that had been standing between them.

Judith added warmly, her voice filled with affection, “No matter what, we’re here together, and that’s what matters. Now, how about a cup of tea to regain some calm?”

Light laughter began to seep into the room, and the atmosphere gradually shifted, making everyone feel they were not alone in this difficult moment.

“Judy… Eliana, you’ve grown so beautifully,” Démic said, his voice full of emotion.

Tears welled up uncontrollably in Judith’s eyes upon hearing her brother Démic’s voice. Eliana, who had been consumed by worry for Evering, had not yet noticed who was in the room.

“Démic, our dear brother!” Eliana exclaimed, as if absorbing the return of her brother after years of loss. Démic smiled gently and whispered warmly, “Judy… Eliana… You’ve grown more beautifully than I imagined.”

As soon as she heard his voice, tears streamed from Judith’s eyes. She threw herself into his embrace without hesitation, hugging him tightly as if trying to reclaim all the moments she had missed him. Démic, amidst her tears and tremors, gently stroked her hair and held her close. “You fool… Why did you take so long to return… In your absence, my heart was empty, I felt…”

She continued to cry, unable to speak further as tears flowed continuously. After all, she and Démic were twins, two halves that completed each other.

Eliana, meanwhile, approached slowly with trembling features and then rushed to hug him as well, as if meeting her brother for the first time in a long time. The tears mingled with silence, and they were enveloped in a warm feeling that words couldn’t describe, as if time had stopped to bring them together in an unforgettable moment.

After the touching embrace, the atmosphere calmed slightly, but the emotions continued to flow unabated. Judith stepped back a bit, wiping her tears while laughing through her sobs, trying to gather her words, while Eliana clung to Démic, feeling safe in his presence.

Démic looked at them with tenderness and said with a calm smile, “I’ve missed you both more than you can imagine… Returning here has made me feel that everything is possible again.”

But suddenly, the touching scene was interrupted by Evering, who was trying to stand with Yorsina’s help. Everyone’s eyes turned toward Evering, who looked weak and exhausted, as he attempted to reach the balcony, struggling to appear strong before them. The sound of his hesitant steps and labored breathing caught Démic’s attention, shifting his smile to a look of concern.

“Evi, where are you going?” Démic asked with worry.

“To the balcony, these charged emotions are affecting my heart, haha,” Evering replied with a laugh.

Démic quickly moved towards his brother, leaving Eliana and Judith for a moment, and took swift steps forward. He reached the bottom of the balcony and looked up at his brother, who was nearly collapsing, saying with a voice blending concern and determination, “Brother… don’t overexert yourself, we’re all here now, everything will be alright.”

Evering, despite his exhaustion, tried to smile, but his eyes glistened with a mixed feeling of relief and regret. Yorsina held his hand and gently squeezed it, while Démic stood firm in front of him, wishing he could bear all his pain and alleviate it.

Amidst this charged atmosphere, everyone realized that the past had returned to bring them together, but it also reminded them of all the wounds that were still healing and the time they needed to recover together.

To be continued