Touch of Flame

Ravina couldn't believe what was happening, and she almost couldn't breathe as she looked into Corinna's eyes. It was as if a dream she had held onto for years was finally coming true, and she was terrified that it might slip through her fingers at any moment. The overwhelming wave of emotions that surged through her were too intense, too raw, leaving her almost breathless and choking on her tears.

Corinna! Her name echoed in her mind, crying it out in her head over and over again since she could barely speak. She had so desperately been clinging on to the hope that her sister was alive and the thought of one day meeting her had kept her alive during the days that she wanted to end her misery. Now, here she was, standing in front of her, her flesh warm under her palm and her tears wet. The years of pain and longing had led to this moment, and she could barely comprehend that it was real.

"Corinna," Ravina managed to choke out, her voice trembling with the force of her emotions. "Is it... is it really you?"

Corinna nodded, her eyes filling with tears as well. She looked just as stunned and overwhelmed as Ravina felt, as if she too was struggling to accept that this reunion was truly happening.

As they stared at each other, Ravina was torn between the need to cry, to let out all the emotions that had been bottled up inside her for so long, and the desperate need to make sure that this was real, that her sister was truly standing in front of her, safe and alive.

She touched her, feeling her face between her hands, touching her now short-cut hair, her neck, and her shoulders. She was real. She didn't know how long it would take her to truly grasp this.

"Corinna," she whispered again, her voice barely audible through her sobs. "I've been searching for you... for so long."

Their eyes locked, and at that moment, it seemed as if their souls were reconnecting, re-establishing the bond that had been severed by years of separation. It was an almost overwhelming feeling, a sense of coming home after a long and painful journey, and that made her collapse into her arms. She embraced her sister tightly, smelled her, basked in her warmth, and finally, she believed that the nightmare was over. Her sister was with her again, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that they would never be apart again.

For Darcy, the moment was surreal. She recognized Ravina, but her memories were hazy and fragmented, like pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit together. Yet despite the gaps in her recollection, the bond she felt with her sister was undeniable, a connection that seemed to transcend the limits of her memory. It was as if her soul had been yearning for this reunion, longing for the missing piece that would make her whole again.

Ravina's tears were like a dam breaking, releasing a flood of emotions that threatened to consume them both. As she held her sister, feeling her body tremble with the force of her sobs, Darcy couldn't help but share in her pain. Her own tears began to flow, a mingling of relief, gratitude, and sorrow for the lost years they could never reclaim.

"I'm here, Ravina," Darcy whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Her sister's name felt so natural on her lips. "I am sorry," she whispered.

Her absence had caused her sister so much turmoil, and Darcy's heart ached that she had almost forgotten her.

"Oh, I miss you so much." Ravina cried, hugging her even tighter.

"I miss you too," Darcy replied without a doubt.

Everyone had left them alone in the living-room and Darcy held her sister, allowing her to cry as long as she needed. They curled up on the sofa and she put the blanket over them, stroking her back to calm her down. She had cried so much that her breath became gasps and gulps of air as she struggled to breathe normally.

Meanwhile, she noticed the deep scars on her back, which looked like three large claws had pulled out her flesh. Dragons, she thought with a broken heart. Her sister had struggled too.

She also noticed the scars covering her hands, wrists, and arms. These were different. Something told her they were self-inflicted. They were not achieved all at once. Some were older, and others were more recent. Her heart tightened, and she fought back her own tears.

Eventually, Ravina began to shiver. She had to get her sister out of these wet clothes.

"We need to get you dry clothes."

"Don't leave!" Ravina hurried to say.

"I won't," Darcy assured her. She looked over at the entrance. "Ephraim!" She called.

He was a moment later, a look of worry on his face. "I need dry clothes," she told him.

He gave her a nod and left quickly.

"Ephraim?" Ravina whispered.

"Yes, I will introduce you eventually." Darcy smiled, striking her sister's hair.

Ravina said nothing and curled up even more, her shivers stronger. After a short while, a servant came with clothes and placed them on the table before leaving and closing the door behind them.

"Let me help you," Darcy said, grabbing Ravina's shoulder and making her sit up. She was pale and cold, but she said no word to complain.

"I wet your clothes too," she said, still staring at her as if afraid she would disappear.

Darcy smiled. "You are soaked."

She grabbed her shoulders and helped her stand up. When she was about to turn her around, it seemed she remembered the scars and didn't want her to see them.

"I can dress." She protested, her teeth shattering.

"I have already seen it," Darcy said, forcing her to turn around. She undid the strange top that did little to cover her body. She had seen them and worn these things herself when she was being prepared for ...

She shook the thought away.

Once the top came off, she dried her sister's hair and upper body with the towel, then helped her quickly slide into the comfortable nightgown before she took off her skirt.

"Let's get you warm now," she said, motioning for her sister to lie down. She went to grab another blanket from the stool near the fireplace and went to cover put double blankets on her.

"Lie with me," Ravina said, trying to make some space, but there was none. She tried to get up, but Darcy gently held her down with a hand on her shoulder.

"I want to be able to see your face," she said, sitting on the floor near the sofa. The resemblance between them was striking, yet there was something about Ravina that was... sharper. Her gaze was piercing.

Darcy cupped her cheek, partly to warm her cold face but also just to touch her. Ravina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if savoring the contact.

"I was afraid I would never see you again," she said. It sounded as if she would start crying again.

Darcy moved closer, rubbing her cheek. "I am here now, and I won't leave you."

"I won't let you," Ravina said, opening her eyes and firmly staring into hers. "I am not going to lose you again."

Darcy nodded, offering her a gentle smile. Ravina closed her eyes again, telling her how she had been looking for her everywhere.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

Darcy tried her best to conceal her emotions, unwilling to tell her sister the horrible things that happened and make her even more heartbroken than she had been. She smiled, "I would have looked for you too, but I think I was in some accident and lost my memory. I was taken in by the crew and started working on a ship and trading. And I met Ephraim." Her smile widened.

"You don't... remember?" She looked surprised.

"Not entirely. I have fractions of memories that came back with time, but I don't remember everything." She admitted. "I saw you in some of my memories, but I wasn't sure. Now I am."

Ravina pulled her hand out of the blanket and put it on top of hers. "I didn't know. What accident made you so?"

Darcy shrugged. "I don't know. I don't remember."

Ravina's eyes softened with understanding, and a gentle, empathetic smile tugged at the corners of their mouth. "I am sorry."

Darcy shook her head. "It is not your fault."

"You must have been terrified out there without your memories."

"Not for too long. I met my crew and found a home."

Ravina nodded. "I have to meet them and thank them."

"You will like them," Darcy smiled.

Ravina smiled too, with a soft sigh and then it was almost as if she had been drained of strength; her eyelids fluttered down, and she fell asleep with a soft smile plastered on her face.