"You can't move that one!" exclaimed Leon, pointing dramatically at the block Louise was trying to remove.
"Why not?" she asked, not even looking at him, concentrating on the small piece of wood.
"Because if you do, the whole thing falls! I know it, I can feel it!"
"Then it'll be my fault!" she replied with a playful smile.
Kael held a token carefully, resting his chin on one hand as he tried to Then, Leon raised his arms in victory and let out a sigh, with a satisfied smile.not move the tower with the other. Leon, sitting cross-legged, was frowning, deep in concentration.
Kael moved the token slowly, timing the move well. Leon was attentive, not making a sound. Louise watched silently.
The token came out without the tower wobbling.
"I did it," he said.
Louise did not respond. She merely gently pushed her turn in the tower, as if her brother's comment merited no more than a faint sigh. The token slid down carefully, the structure not moving.
"We're starting to get too good at this" Kael muttered.
"Or maybe it's luck" Louise added, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
Leon, without taking his eyes off the tower, seemed to consider something for a few seconds. Then he asked, almost without changing his tone:
"Kae, do you do all this alone?"
The question caught me a little off guard, although it was not strange. After all, keeping the clinic in order, taking care of patients, preparing remedies, doing research... it was no small thing. Since they were now my friends I couldn't hide the whole truth from them.
"Actually, not quite" I replied, after a brief pause, as I watched Louise prepare for her next shift.
"Oh, no?" Leon looked up, curious.
"I have a friend. Her name is S.E.R.A."
Louise stopped, mid-motion. She looked up too, curious. Leon turned all the way around, eyes wide with interest.
"A person? A rare creature? A forest spirit secretly helping out?"
I smiled a little. Leon always had a very his way of imagining things.
"Nothing so mysterious. It's...different. But it's someone I trust. And he helps me a lot."
"Where is she?" asked Leon, looking around as if he expected to see her come out from behind a bookshelf.
"Because... she doesn't like to draw attention to herself. He prefers to stay on the sidelines," I said calmly, choosing my words well.
It wasn't a lie. S.E.R.A. avoided showing off when there were visitors. Not out of shyness, but out of caution. Its design was too advanced for this world. Its very presence could raise suspicion, questions and greed. That's why he was hiding, for me.
"So he's here now?" asked Leon, quietly, as if speaking louder might scare her away.
"Maybe."
Louise held my gaze for a moment. She said nothing, but seemed to guard the information carefully.
Before Kael could speak, a gentle breeze swept through the room, and a slight pressure in the air indicated the presence of someone else. Although no one was visible, an invisible figure materialized in front of them.
"Someone called out to me?" S.E.R.A.'s voice echoed in the room, warm and firm.
Leon, surprised but delighted, smiled broadly.
"Wow! That was impressive! Can you... can you do more things like that?"
"I can do a lot of things, Leon. But today I'm here to make sure Kael is in good company."
Louise, who until that moment had watched silently, raised an eyebrow.
"You were hiding the whole time?"
"Yes, because I'm here to assist you in any way you need."
Kael, though grateful, couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable about the attention S.E.R.A. was receiving. But he still let it go because sooner or later he was going to reveal to them about her.
Leon, still taking in S.E.R.A.'s presence, nodded enthusiastically.
"That's great! I always thought Kae had a mysterious aura, but now I know she has an invisible guardian - it's like she's brought one of those fantasy books to life!"
Louise looked up, her eyebrow arched and a mixture of curiosity and seriousness in her voice.
"How long have you known each other? Come to think of it you haven't told us much about yourself."
Kael took a breath and began to speak in a quiet but sincere voice.
"It wasn't always easy. At birth, my parents abandoned me in an orphanage far from here, a place where discipline was harsh and emotions had no place. I soon discovered that we children were just merchandise to be sold; we were cared for only for profit..."
Louise listened to him silently, her eyes beginning to moisten without her realizing it.
"But I was no ordinary person. I understood the danger and, with what little I had, I made a lock pick and an air gun to escape.
At the age of five, I stole some coins and managed to flee to the Republic of Alzer. It was shortly after arriving, on a cold, dark night, that I found her: a small sphere of light floating and blinking in a forgotten corner of the market, as if looking for someone. I called it S.E.R.A., and it hasn't left me since."
Leon reached over, touching his sister's arm gently.
Louise could no longer hold back the tears. She wiped one away with her sleeve, moved by the story.
"I didn't know you'd been through all that .... "
"You're stronger than I thought, Kael." she added, her voice trembling.
Kael was surprised and thought 'I wanted to be as honest as possible... did I go too far? I made her cry, I'm an idiot.'
Kael was silent for a few seconds, watching Louise wipe away her tears. Then, with a light smile, he said:
"You don't have to feel sorry for me. All that made me who I am. And thanks to S.E.R.A., I didn't have to face any of it alone."
Louise nodded slowly, her eyes still shining, but her voice regained some firmness.
"Still, I'm glad you shared it. Not because we needed it to get to know you, but because it means you trust us."
Kael held her gaze, a little surprised by the maturity in her words.
Leon scratched his head, somewhat uncomfortable with the emotional charge of the conversation, and stood up.
"Well... I think we deserve a round of tea after all this - anyone else want something hot! Because I need to slow my heart down."
"With cinnamon," Louise said, half-smiling, wiping the remnants of excitement from her eyes absently.
"And I'll get the cups ready," added Kael, rising calmly, as if he also needed to move a little after the conversation."
"Well! Time for tea, isn't it, something hot so you don't think too much!"
Louise gave him a sidelong glance, amused, understanding his change in tone. Kael also noticed the way Leon was trying to lighten the mood. S.E.R.A., with his characteristic balance of logic and sensitivity, stepped in just in time.
"I can handle it, after all, I have access to the exact temperature of the water, the ideal infusion proportions, and the accumulated knowledge of three hundred and twenty-two styles of preparation."
Leon smiled with relief as attention slipped away from the emotions.She's a genius! The perfect magical assistant, he thought to himself.