Anomaly

Charlotte seemed completely at ease around me and our other sisters. Even though she still held a few personal grievances against Althea, she seemed to get along with just about everyone else, interacting with them in a surprisingly natural way. Oddly enough, the most interesting relationship was the one she had with Nekra. For some reason, Charlotte seemed especially aware of Nekra's presence.

It wasn't anything excessive or uncomfortable, but it was noticeable. Whenever they were in the same place, Charlotte would inevitably pay a little extra attention to Nekra, occasionally following her movements with her eyes or simply keeping subtle track of where she was.

Something similar happened with Tenebrya as well, though to a much lesser extent. I imagined that was simply because Tenebrya was almost always by my side. Eryanis and Charlotte, on the other hand, made for an unusual pair. At first glance, the two couldn't have been more different.

The way they acted, the way they thought, even their personalities seemed to be complete opposites. And yet, for some reason, they got along remarkably well. There wasn't the slightest hint of friction between them. If anything, their differences seemed to complement one another.

Even though Charlotte was, technically speaking, just a young girl while Eryanis occupied a position comparable to that of a high-ranking noblewoman, the two of them got along surprisingly well. Eryanis clearly found Charlotte amusing, enjoying her spontaneity and complete lack of formality.

Charlotte, meanwhile, seemed to see Eryanis as someone... unique. The refined way she spoke, her flawless posture, and even her almost excessively graceful gestures sparked genuine curiosity in Charlotte, who would occasionally steal discreet glances in her direction.

At that moment, we were giving Charlotte a small tour of our cottages, something she seemed genuinely interested in seeing. She looked around attentively, her gaze shifting between the buildings, the gardens, and the stone paths connecting one cottage to the next.

After spending a few quiet moments taking everything in, she finally asked with unmistakable curiosity: "So... you all live here together?"

There wasn't any reason to hide it, so I simply nodded. Even though each of us had our own cottage, they were all fairly close together, forming a small private community.

Showing her each cottage ended up taking several minutes, mostly because Charlotte insisted on stopping to admire the details and comment on just about everything that caught her eye.

In the end, though, it was worth it. The satisfied expression on her face and the curious sparkle in her eyes made it obvious that she genuinely liked what she'd seen.

I'd say the only ones who weren't entirely pleased with what we were showing them were Charlotte's parents, though they were a particularly delicate case. In the end, it was hard to blame them for feeling that way.

They had a perfectly valid point. No matter how cozy, spacious, or beautifully decorated this place was, a metal box was still just a metal box, no matter how many details were added to make it feel more welcoming.

It was true that the entire structure was unbelievably durable. It could withstand a thermonuclear explosion without suffering any significant damage, which, at first glance, made it seem like one of the safest places imaginable.

But the moment you remembered why it had actually been built, that feeling changed entirely. This fortress didn't exist solely to keep things out. Above all else, it had been designed to ensure that whatever was inside could never escape. It was a subtle distinction, but not one that was easy to ignore once you stopped to think about it. Fortunately, that logic didn't apply to me or my sisters.

The last place we stopped at was, technically, the final cottage. Unlike the others, which reflected each of my sisters' personalities through small decorations, paintings, or personal belongings scattered throughout the rooms, this one had none of that.

There were no pictures hanging on the walls, no customized furniture, nor any little details hinting that someone actually lived there. It was simply an empty, silent, abandoned cottage, reserved for the last of my little sisters. Charlotte, however, didn't seem to realize the true reason behind its emptiness.

As soon as she stepped inside, her eyes slowly swept across the interior. She studied every corner for several seconds before lightly furrowing her brow: "There's nothing here..." she commented as she wandered a few steps farther into the room. Then she turned back toward me: "Does nobody live in this cottage? It looks completely abandoned" I simply nodded without adding anything else.

Beside me, Tenebrya remained completely silent. Her two small pale-white eyes wandered ceaselessly around the room, taking in every detail they could find. Every now and then, she'd tilt her head slightly to one side, a familiar habit of hers whenever she came across something new.

Finally, I turned my attention back to Charlotte, who stood in front of one of the large windows, quietly gazing out at the landscape beyond. The soft light streaming through the glass illuminated part of her face while her eyes seemed lost in the vast scenery outside. I walked over without any hurry, stopping beside her before breaking the silence.

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"There are eight of us in total. We all already have our own cottages, but we decided to leave the last one reserved for our youngest sister... until the day we finally found her" My gaze drifted toward the same view Charlotte had been admiring: "We thought it would make more sense to let her give this place her own personal touch" I looked back at her: "So tell me, Charlotte... what would you want this cottage to be like?"

Charlotte looked away from the window and turned toward me. The moment our eyes met, I saw understanding dawn across her face. She immediately realized what I was suggesting. For a brief moment, her eyes lit up with genuine excitement.

The idea clearly appealed to her, and I could almost see countless possibilities taking shape in her mind as curiosity and anticipation flickered across her expression. But that excitement lasted only a few seconds.

Something seemed to cross her mind, causing her smile to falter ever so slightly. Her shoulders stiffened, and the excitement in her eyes gave way to uncertainty. She looked away for a moment, almost instinctively cautious, as though she were afraid of claiming a place that, deep down, she still didn't truly believe belonged to her.

"I... I'm not sure" Her voice came out soft and hesitant. For a brief moment, she lowered her gaze to her hands, slowly opening and closing them as though trying to organize her thoughts: "You don't even know if I'm really who you think I am"

She took a slow breath before looking back at me, the uncertainty still plainly written across her face: "So far, I haven't shown any powers. I don't even look anything like the rest of you" She raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, the doubt evident both in her expression and in her voice: "So... how can you be so certain I'm the person you've been looking for when even I don't know if I am?"

I had to admit that her doubts made perfect sense. In fact, if our positions had been reversed, I probably would've asked the exact same question. The problem was figuring out how to explain it. Neither my sisters nor I had ever defined ourselves by appearances alone.

Of course, our eyes held a special meaning and were never just an aesthetic feature, but to us, they were far from the most important thing.

There was something far more fundamental, something deeply woven into our very existence, that allowed us to recognize one another regardless of our form, appearance, or any other superficial difference.

I parted my lips, ready to answer, but Althea was quicker. Before a single word could leave my mouth, she drifted forward with her usual carefree air: "Hehehe... humans. Always trying to find a pattern in everything"

She floated gently through the air until she came to a stop beside Charlotte, crossing her arms as she tilted her head slightly: "Visual cues might seem like a good way to identify someone... for humans, anyway. But to us, they simply don't matter. We can take on any form we wish, so our outward appearance is ultimately completely irrelevant"

A mischievous smile curled at the corner of Althea's lips, a playful glimmer dancing in her eyes: "Actually... when our dear sister first met me, I was a human. Just like you"

Charlotte blinked several times, quietly processing what she'd just heard as a brief silence settled over the room: "As much as I'd like to disagree with Althea... she's right this time"

Eryanis spoke next. Her calm, dignified voice contrasted sharply with Althea's playful tone: "We're different. The way we recognize one another has existed since the moment we were created. We were made for each other, so distance, appearance, or any other superficial detail simply doesn't matter"

She paused briefly before finishing, a faint smile appearing on her face: "No matter where we are or what form we take... we'll always be able to recognize another member of our family"

Even after we'd explained everything, Charlotte still looked unconvinced. It was an understandable reaction. To her, all of this must have sounded completely unbelievable.

Even so, when Nekra and Nyara silently nodded in agreement, confirming what Althea and Eryanis had said, Charlotte's hesitation seemed to falter. She looked at each of us in turn, carefully searching for even the slightest hint that we were lying or putting on an act. She found none.

I took a quiet breath before stepping forward: "You don't have to worry about that"

The moment she heard my voice, Charlotte turned to me. A faint trace of curiosity lingered in her expression, mixed with the uncertainty she still couldn't quite shake: "Even Tenebrya, the youngest among all of us, was excited when you arrived. She's far more sensitive than the rest of us when it comes to this sort of thing. If even she reacted that way... then there's no reason to doubt it"

I held her gaze for a moment before finishing in a calm voice: "You're definitely the sister we've been looking for" Charlotte remained silent.

She blinked a few times, carefully taking in every word. Her eyes drifted across our faces once more, lingering on each of us for a few quiet moments, as though she were trying to reconcile everything she'd heard with the reality she'd always known.

The seconds stretched on until, at last, she took a deep breath and parted her lips: "This might sound strange, but..." she said softly, almost hesitantly: "I feel... really comfortable around all of you. Like... like we've known each other for a very long time"

She let the words trail off, lightly furrowing her brow as she searched for the right way to express the conflict stirring inside her: "It's a strangely familiar feeling... and at the same time, completely impossible to explain"

The calm in her expression faded slightly, replaced by a visible weight in her eyes: "But..." Charlotte lowered her gaze for a moment: "My parents..." She clasped her hands together for a brief moment before looking back at us: "I can't just abandon them. They're the ones who raised me. They've been with me my entire life... I... I couldn't just turn my back on them like nothing ever happened"

I shrugged at Charlotte's words before replying casually: "It's not like we'd keep you here against your will anyway. We never said you couldn't split your time between the two places. Besides... to everyone else, you look just like an ordinary human. Why not use that to your advantage?"

Charlotte blinked several times, clearly caught off guard. The look on her face was one of complete bewilderment, as though everything she'd just said had been nothing more than a passing lapse in judgment. A faint blush crept up her neck and spread across her cheeks as she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

"The way you just brushed aside my feelings without even hesitating... is pretty embarrassing, honestly" She looked away for a moment, but before long, a shy, genuine smile found its way onto her lips, softening her entire expression: "Even so... thank you. I guess this new family of mine, chaotic as it is, isn't so bad after all"