8 Ich liebe dich

The Queen replied nothing and just stared at the broken moon for a while. Sensing the teen had nothing to say to him, Alban turned his head and continued appreciating the moon in the sky.

"Why did you have an emotional breakdown earlier?" Without taking her eyes off from the moon, the purple-haired teen asked.

"You sensed that? Hehe," Alban sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "It's nothing," he replied.

"Your bipolar disorder acted up again," That was not even a question. She knew him too well to sense something was wrong with him.

"You know me too well, sis," He wasn't even pretending now. Not that he needed to. The girl beside him knows about him more than everyone else in the Remnant. Out of everyone he knew, she understood him the most.

"You do know that I'm taking over your body once you lose yourself to the emotions, right?" she deadpanned. Still floating in the air, she put her hand above Alban's head.

"And you do know that is also the reason why I am trying hard to not give in, right?" Alban replied.

"Humph," the Queen snorted. "And failing at it, I supposed," she slowly ruffled the whitehead's hair. Oh, how much these hairs make her remember the woman who treated her like her actual daughter.

Well, before that woman died together with her, before she stuck together with this cute/useless brother. He was so hopeless that he couldn't do anything without her help when he was a child.

"Well…," Alban shrugged his shoulders. It's not like he can argue with the older girl here. She might have looked in her teens, but she had always been like that since he was five years old.

"Did you find her?"

"I did," Alban nodded.

"How was she?"

"She looks exactly like Mother."

"Is that so?"

"She is a cookie monster," Alban giggled.

"She must be a handful," The teen also smiled.

"That, she is. And she is a weapon otaku like Mother," Alban smiled, remembering his time with Summer.

"Al?"

"Yes, sis?"

"I miss her…," The Queen muttered. "I miss Mama."

"Me too, sis. Me too," Alban heaved out a sigh. He knew where this conversation was heading.

"Then give me your body. I'm going to take revenge on that evil queen wannabe. I will show her how to be a proper villain," the Queen hissed.

"I'm afraid I can't sis. You are going to do a mass genocide… using my body," Alban deadpanned at her. They started having this conversation the day after Summer Rose's death.

His guardian angel sister /slash/ Sirin wanted to use his body to start searching for their Mother's killer. He would gladly agree… only if Sirin promises she'll never destroy the Remnant in the process.

"Coward," she glared.

"I am sorry," Alban apologized. And he truly meant that. His sister simply wanted to take revenge, but he was the one holding her at bay. After all, it won't end with just a single victim when she gets out.

"Then remember your promise. The moment you lose yourself to your emotions, I'll be taking over your body," she simply stared down at him.

"En," Alban nodded. "I promise."

And a comfortable silence continued between them. For them, looking at the moon in each other's company is their favorite way to pass the time. It was Sirin's idea to make Alban calm down whenever he was suffering from stress.

"Your breakdown from earlier today reminded me," Sirin broke the silence. And she does not look amused.

"Yes?" The whitehead's voice shook. He does not like where the topic is going.

"When are you going to meet a psychiatrist? You can't keep going like this, stupid. You have anxiety disorders, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD. You are basically a walking ball of mental illness," she reminded.

"Do I really need to?" Alban asked. He had been avoiding the issue for years now.

"Yes. As much as I'd love to take over your body, your health comes first, idiot Alban," Sirin huffed.

"I… will think about it," Alban replied.

"Don't think. You have to go see the psychiatrist. Else, I'll forcefully take over your body and go there myself before giving you back the control. Do not test my patience, Al," Sirin more or less growled.

"I understand, sis," Alban could do nothing but sigh.

Then, another silence fell between the two siblings. Sirin floats in the air and puts her hands over Alban's shoulders.

"You… forgot how to get angry," Sirin started.

"I didn't forget, sis. My anger is directed solely at that woman who killed Mother," Alban replied.

"And you can no longer get angry in the process," Sirin hissed. "You are using that fake smile of yours to hide that from others," her arms slowly wrap around Alban's shoulders.

"I have no problem with it," Alban closes his eyes and smiles a little.

"That's a serious problem, Al! Forcefully sealing the emotion is not good for you!"

"I have to disagree with you, sis. Anger might make me want to agree with your methods," Alban sighs.

Sirin went silent. She knows what will happen when Alban agrees with her. That was also the reason why he was resisting her temptation for the last thirteen years. "When we become one, the Final Herrscher will be born," she muttered.

"En," Alban nodded.

*Ba-Dump*

A light shone from Alban's arm, the side which he had always covered with his shirt.

"The Stigma of the Herrscher of the End," Alban hissed. "Seriously, the god was such a jerk," he sighed.

"No crude word, Al," Sirin suddenly pinches his cheek.

"But this joke is not funny, sis," Alban sighed. "There will only be one Herrscher of the End and that person is Kiana Kaslana," he glares lightly at the Stigmata on his hand.

"She will forever remain the Final Herrscher because her power outstrips every herrscher and every world, making her name the Herrscher of the End for she will always be the last Herrscher and the Herrscher who ends the world," Alban quoted. "That was what I learned from my previous life, sis."

"I know," Sirin nodded. "I saw it in your memories," she added. But her gaze sharpened, "But that won't stop me from getting my revenge, Al," she lightly whispered into Alban's ears.

"Don't worry, sis. I also want to kill that woman too," Alban touches Sirin's cheek. "But I just don't agree with your method," he continued.

Sirin touches Alban's hand on her cheek. "Humph!" she snorted. "You can't even use my power yet you are talking big," a grin appears on her face.

"That's because you didn't let me," Alban pouted.

"You are clearly not ready to use my Void abilities, Al," Sirin did a hand chop on his head.

"Ow!" Alban screamed lightly.

"You have been using the Thunder's power for over ten years yet you still can't take out your Herrscher form," Sirin stares straight into Alban's eyes. "Clearly, you don't lack motivation to get stronger," she added. "But you are afraid to use the full power of the Herrscher. Something is making you refuse to accept its full power," floating around Alban, Sirin hummed.

"I…," Alban opened his mouth but closed it because he didn't know what to say.

"Why do you care about those insects, Al? Those worms, they don't deserve your pity," she floats and floats and floats around Alban.

"Every life is beautiful, sis. Struggling their best to live their fullest… that is why I hate killing," Alban took a glance toward his sister.

"You and your borrowed ideal," Sirin glared at the whitehead lightly.

"Well, isn't that your ideal too, sis?" Alban smirks.

"I am not her!" Sirin gritted her teeth.

"If you say so, sis," looking at his sister's grumpy face, Alban laughed inward.

Silence returned between the siblings, but they didn't mind the slightest. After all, they have each other.

"Al, I want to eat grilled wings," breaking the silence, Sirin demanded a tribute.

"At this hour?" Alban raised his eyebrow.

"Yes," folding her arms, Sirin nodded.

"As you wish, my Queen," Alban bowed slightly and smiled. He was used to Sirin's unreasonable demands.

"Oh, Al?"

"Yes, sis?"

"Ich liebe dich," Sirin hugged Alban from behind and whispered into his ears.

"Ich liebe dich auch," Alban replied with a beaming smile.

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Author's Note;

A rather short chapter because the chapter is rather difficult to write. The interaction between Sirin and her little brother Alban… Sirin is hellbent on wanting to take revenge, but Alban is stopping her.

Sirin is OOC here because she has been with Alban since he was a child, and many years have passed since then. She'll only pop up occasionally because she'll be sleeping most of the time.

What do you think about the new cover photo?

And no, Sirin is not a love interest.