The sun had yet to set as dim light illuminated the path toward Sofia's small cottage. As she stepped upon the soft ground of the forest, a strange sense of foreboding arose in her heart. She didn't know what it was, but she trusted her instincts. She carefully descended the path, wondering where this strange feeling came from.

It was only after she stopped before the door of her home that the feeling became clear. While she didn’t bother to lock the door, she had a habit of placing various miscellaneous objects in strange and unusual positions. She looked around and, as she expected, some of them were misplaced. She circled around the perimeter of her cottage, glancing within the sole window while making sure not to expose herself.

Sure enough, a small candlelight was visible inside, slowly flickering within the shallow gloom. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her hand rested on the knife under her dress. She circled back to the door, carefully avoiding making any sound so as not to startle her uninvited guest. She then pressed her ear on the thin wooden door, listening carefully, but all she could hear was the sound of the wind hissing as it flowed through the old cottage.

She frowned, unsure of how to approach this matter. She couldn't avoid this either, as the sun was setting soon. She took a deep breath and entered. The door swung on its hinges from the impact of her entrance before crashing into the wall with a thud. Sofia rushed inside, ensuring her knife was ready while scanning the room.

Seated at the table, a man slightly older than her watched her crash through the door with his eyes wide open. The clothes he wore looked no different than those worn by the town's citizens, yet, upon closer inspection, they seemed softer and shinier, reflecting the quality of the materials they were made of. A look of surprise flashed on the man’s face before a gentle smile graced his lips, accentuating his handsome features. Sofia had no doubts that smile could sweep any other woman off her feet. She let go of her knife and calmed down, looking the man straight in the eye.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

The man raised an eyebrow, not expecting this dry question from her.

"I haven't seen you in a while. Didn't you miss me?" he asked.

Sofia scoffed while putting her bag on the floor and removing her knife before placing it on the table. She sat before the man with her arms crossed, gazing into his eyes as if to bore a hole through his face. She stood there in silence, refusing to answer. Both remained motionless under the slow flickering of a single candlelight while their hair shone with the same green hue.

“I'm sorry," the man said after a moment of self-reflection. "I should have told you I was leaving, but you must understand; it happened too quickly for me to warn you. The family...”

“I know,” she cut him off. “I’m not mad. I don’t have the right to be mad. It’s not about that.”

The man closed his mouth while all the words of apology he had wracked his brain to come up with were left stranded in his throat. He waited for her to continue.

“Brother. This is my home, my sanctuary. Nobody can come in uninvited, not even you.”

Her words were stern, and her tone glacial, leaving no room for argumentation. The man was stunned by how different his little sister had become in the little more than a year since he last saw her. While she grew up and became a striking young woman, what truly startled him was the stark difference in her new personality.

He remembered her always clinging to him like a lost puppy while fear and doubts plagued her mind. She could hardly take a step without asking for his opinion, always hiding behind him every chance she had. He used to see his shadow in every action she took, which made him feel conflicted. He always wondered if such a thing was good for her.

Considering her upbringing and situation, he didn't blame her, but now she seemed to have grown into her own person, which brought a smile to his face. Although they may have grown apart slightly, this was a good thing. She couldn't always rely on him for everything as he had too many obligations.

“Is that so,” he said. “You are right. I didn’t mean to startle you. I should have waited outside.”

“As long as you now know.”

While she felt sad about the distance between them, Sofia thought it was necessary. She had ample time in the last year to reflect on her life up to this point. She knew she could only rely on herself to find happiness in this world. Distancing herself from him was her starting point for being independent.

******

An older Sofia watched the scene play out with a helpless grimace. She remembered this well as if it had happened yesterday. She couldn't help but cringe at how shallow her thoughts used to be at the time. Nobody could live alone, much less a young girl of twelve years of age. Such thoughts were only born out of ignorance.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Up to this point, she had lived in a narrow world where she could only rely on her limited experience and the sparse people she had met. Such a restricted vision only limited the options available to her, thus hampering her future potential. As she watched the scenes, she couldn’t help but shake her head, unable to change the past.

******

“So? What brings you here at this hour? Is it related to the investigation you were sent on?” a young Sofia asked, perplexed.

“Somewhat," the man said while deliberating which words to use. "While I can't tell you much, the situation doesn't look good. You need to be ready for when the time comes."

“You think the upcoming war will impact this place?”

“You knew?” The man couldn’t hide his surprise.

“It’s all people talk about back in town.” Sofia shrugged, unconcerned. How could the war between two nations have anything to do with her: a little girl with no real power of her own. “Besides, would the Empire even be interested in this poisonous place?”

The man was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but shrug helplessly. While her words were harsh, there was some truth to them. While their clan could be considered nobility, they were lower nobles at best. The clan's Patriarch, their father, may fancy himself a man possessing both power and authority, but the truth was that he was nothing more than the leader of a subsidiary clan under the Western Duke, the true ruler of this region.

Their territory spanned an area larger than most medium-sized clans but was sparsely populated. Most of it was untouched wilderness where poisonous species reigned as its overlords. Even the clan itself, with all the extended families, numbered less than two hundred, making it one of the most minor clans within the Kingdom. Their only saving grace, which made the Western Duke value them, was their expertise, namely their research into poisons and toxins.

The only reason their small clan was granted ownership of this piece of land by the White Tiger Clan was that they were too lazy to develop it themselves, as dealing with all the poisonous areas contained within would cost more than they could gain from it. Without the Immortal Snake Clan's expertise, this place would be deemed a dead land. Needless to say, the Empire had no incentive to attack such a land. There was nothing to gain.

“Even if what you say is true, it doesn't hurt to stay vigilant," the young man said after reflecting. "The enmity between the two nations is much too deep; I wouldn't be surprised if they were to attack us just to slaughter the Kingdom's citizens."

Sofia frowned when she heard those words. A country disregarding national interest just to fulfill some twisted sense of revenge... How foolish. She very much doubted the veracity of those words. Would their ruler be stupid enough to do such a thing?

"I know we've been at war with them, on and off, for a long time, but I've never heard there was a grudge," she finally said.

Her brother shrugged, “Who can say? It’s been such a long time that not many records still exist from back then. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if we simply go through the motion by force of habit.”

“How long?” she asked softly under her breath as if a murmur while reflecting upon the implications.

“Hmm?” the young man said while raising an eyebrow, unable to catch her meaning.

She raised her gaze and looked him in the eye. Sofia's eyes were clear and bright, exuding determination. Her small back was straight and sturdy even while seated upon a small, unsteady wooden chair. Her long emerald hair was tied in a ponytail, giving her an energetic, if not heroic, appearance despite her ordinary clothes.

The man watched the shift in his sister's attitude with surprise at first and finally smiled. Although a shy Sofia was adorable, he much preferred the woman in front of him who exuded confidence. His only worry was that such a thing might not last. She was still young, and the world was harsh. Even though she had already experienced much of the world’s ugliness, there was still much more in store for her. One should never underestimate the depths of the world’s depravity.

"You've been sent to investigate this, right? So, how long do we still have?" she asked, extracting him from his reverie.

“Two years, maybe just a little more if the Kingdom can react in time," the man sighed after a moment of reflection. "The Empire has been planning this for years in secrecy. Even if the Kingdom starts preparing right at this moment, it would be cutting it close."

While the Kingdom was a force to be reckoned with, its logistics were a nightmare. Preparing all the supplies needed for an extended campaign would take much more than the time they had, especially since the Kingdom wasn't a monolith but an amalgam of various clans.

Although the Queen may rule in name, she only had full authority within the central region, while the Four Dukes were autonomous in their governance. Only when the country's very existence was at stake could she unilaterally take control of the surrounding four regions to repel the invaders.

Obviously, most of the Dukes would be less than enthralled if such a situation arose. As such, war preparations were a slow, gruelling process that fostered reluctance, even sometimes resentment, from the involved parties.

Over the eons the Kingdom stood unshakable in its dominance, many monarchs had tried to remedy this situation but faced opposition on all sides. It all started when the Four Dukes' ancestors accompanied the Founding Queen on her journey, thus paving the path to the Kingdom's founding. As their power was rooted in tradition, most were reluctant to part with it. Trying to force the issue could even result in sedition.

“Anyway," the young man said as he rose before embracing his younger sister in his strong arms. "I know there's much you haven't told me. I can see it in your face. Don't worry, I won't pry. Just know that I'm glad you stayed safe in the time I haven't seen you."

Tears threatened to well in the corner of Sofia's eyes as she heard those words while the man's warmth seeped into her heart. She basked in his embrace for a while longer in silence; trying to transpose her emotions into words would only be superfluous. After a moment, they grew apart.

The man's hand softly caressed Sofia's cheek before gently kissing her exposed forehead. Although the man was her own brother, such actions couldn't help but embarrass her. A red hue rose from her neck, tinting her lovely face in a shade of pink.

After a word of farewell, the man exited the cottage, leaving Sofia stunned into her own delusions. She quickly shook her head, regaining her usual cold composure.

What am I thinking? she thought. He’s my brother.

Time passed, and the sun sunk below the horizon as another day ended. Sofia shuffled around her cottage, preparing for the night, when she heard a knock on her door. She frowned, wondering who it might be. She instinctually reached for the knife on the table but chose against it.

Who else but her brother would know she lived here? In her seven years living in this forest, no one except for him ever came close to this place. She figured he had forgotten to tell her something and doubled back.

She reached for the door and opened it slightly, but was stunned to find that the man on the other side was nothing like her brother.

“Found you,” the man said with a grin.