Everlasting dream (18+)

The sky above was a brilliant blue, dotted with only a few fluffy clouds that lazily
. The sun's warm rays peeked through the pine trees' branches, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. Birds sang their sweet melodies while bees buzzed in the air, searching for pollen to sustain their colonies. Winter's last remnants had long since melted away, replaced by the vibrant signs of spring.

Nivalis lay in her bed near the fire, her eyes heavy with fatigue as she watched her children fight with wooden sticks. Despite her weakened state, she forced herself to stay awake and keep an eye on them, worrying about her babies getting hurt. For the last two hours, Aster and Silvia had been practicing the basics: attacking and dodging each other's strikes, blocking and countering with their spears.
At first, their movements were slow, awkward, and clumsy, but as time passed, they grew more comfortable and confident with each other and their weapons. Now, they even started sparring, trying to mimic real fights. But the more real it seemed, the harder it was for Nivalis to watch without flinching.
Silvia's cheeks flushed bright red, her silver hair sticking to her forehead in damp strands. Her eyes stared intensely at her brother's face, which was equally flushed and exhausted.
— "Okay, my turn to attack," Aster said calmly, lowering his stance into a fighting position.
Silvia swiftly blocked his strike, her weapon colliding with his in a loud crack. Both their arms shook violently from the impact, and she winced, gritting her teeth as she held her ground, preventing his branch from touching her body.
— "Right," Aster warned again, twisting his hips and swinging his weapon horizontally.
Silvia managed to block his attack once more, but not without effort. The strength behind his strike surprised her, causing her to stumble back a step before regaining her balance. However, before she could recover, Aster quickly changed the direction of his swing. "High!" he exclaimed, raising his stick above his head.
Silvia gasped and instinctively threw herself backward,
. Aster quickly followed, "Middle," he warned, thrusting the spear at her torso. But Silvia was fast enough to parry the strike, pushing it aside with a grunt of effort.
— "Middle, middle!" Aster warned Silvia through labored breath, attacking her repeatedly and thrusting his weapon at her chest, abdomen, and thighs, forcing her to dodge, parry, and step back constantly.
The girl was too slow to adjust her defense, leaving her with no choice but to attempt a desperate dodge.




"Mhm..." Nivalis replied, her voice barely audible as she drifted off to sleep.
The kids watched her for a moment, listening to her slow, steady breathing. When they were sure she was deep asleep, they exchanged glances. Aster's worried expression met Silvia's angry one. Her pursed lips and narrowed eyes were so intense that they sent chills down his spine. It was not the usual playful, angry look he had grown used to.
— "Sorry?" Aster whispered, swallowing hard as his voice trembled. Silvia glared at him for a moment, not saying a word. Unsure of what to do, he glanced around, feeling like a




Aster's nervousness grew with every tremble of his sister's body — trembling that seemed to intensify as she tried to cast her spell repeatedly. With each passing moment, her condition worsened, and his attempts to convince her to stop only seemed to make matters worse, provoking an even more stubborn response from her, her body shaking violently like never before.
— "You need to take a break," Aster whispered urgently, frowning as he looked at her exhausted face. "You're overdoing it, Silvia."
Her face contorted with effort, brows furrowed, and lips pressed into a tight line. Channeling more and more mana made her fingers twitch uncontrollably as beads of sweat rolled down her pale skin, but her gaze remained fixed on her palm.
Aster observed his sister, worry etched into his features. "Please, Silvia, you have to stop," he pleaded, stepping closer. But, the little girl remained unresponsive, her attention entirely consumed by the ice. "Silvia, you've done enough for today. Let's go inside."
— "That's because you've never practiced this before. Although it lacks power, you're already launching your spell twice as fast as before; that's progress. I don't want you to collapse. Please, let's go," Aster reasoned, gently putting his arms on her trembling shoulders.
"I'm not going to collapse. Stop worrying so much," Silvia replied, her voice laced with fatigue. "I need to make this work. I'm doing it for Mom. I have to protect-" she began, but Aster cut her off.
Silvia squinted, frowning as she pursed her lips. "B-but... I'm not... I'm not done yet. Put me down," she stuttered, wriggling
in his embrace. "I'll be fine, I promise."
— "No, you won't," Aster replied,
her in his arms. He opened the wooden barricade, stepped inside, and closed the door behind them. "No arguments. You've done enough for today. Your training can wait.
" he whispered,
"Mhm..." Silvia mumbled, shyly averting her eyes.
Aster knelt, removing her boots and revealing her tiny, wiggling toes exposed to the chill in the air.
Silvia's gasp was barely audible as the cool air caressed her petite, exposed body, causing her to shiver. Goosebumps covered her nakedness almost immediately, her pale skin glistening in the light of the fireplace. But Silvia didn't move or make a sound, her eyes fixed on her brother's face;
covering his sister's shivering body. Her