[Sorry for the delay... My PC crashed and I couldn't get another one in time, so if I don't post again it's because of that. I'm just waiting to get some money together so I can buy a new one, so if you're enjoying the story and can help, I'd really appreciate it.]

Lincoln looked at the sisters, still perplexed by everything that was happening. He wasn't used to their reaction. After all, whenever he said he was going to do something that didn't interest them, they always lost interest quickly. His shock didn't last long, however, as his sisters grabbed his arm and insisted again.

"Can we, little brother?"

Lola asked innocently, staring at her brother with a piteous look on her face. But that look soon changed when she saw that her sister wasn't doing the same thing as her. Seeing this, she approached her sister and, with a gentle nudge, looked at her seriously.

Lana, understanding her twin sister's message, also insisted to see if her brother wouldn't change his mind.

"Please, little brother."

Lana said, imitating her sister's attitude and trying to get her brother to change his mind. But it was all in vain.

Lincoln was about to refuse the sisters' request; however, the way he was going, he ran the risk of almost shouting at them. However, he decided to take a slightly less rude approach this time.

"I'm sorry, girls, but the hideout is for boys only."

Lincoln explained while trying to sound calm.

After hearing this, Lola and Lana ended up looking down. Lincoln, realizing this, let out a short, tired sigh and then tried to calm them down with a little lie.

"If you want, next time I promise I'll take you. What do you think?"

Lincoln asked, drawing the sisters' attention with that little lie. After all, that next time wouldn't exist in twenty-five days' time, because if that tragedy was true, they'd be too busy trying to survive.

Lola and Lana looked at each other, looking disappointed, but at the same time with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They knew their brother was trying to calm them down, but they still wanted to believe the promise.

"Really, little brother? Are you really going to take us?"

Lola asked, with a pleading tone mixed with anxiety.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Lincoln felt a tightness in his chest when he saw the look on his sisters' faces. He really wanted to protect them, not only them, but also his other sisters. However, he eventually realized that if he were to go soft on anything they asked for, it could end up affecting his future decisions, and when it came to making a difficult decision, he would end up hesitating, and that was unforgivable, especially if he didn't want the whole thing to happen again. And in order for it not to happen again, both he and they needed to mature. After all, only then would they be able to survive and face what was to come.

"Yes, I will. It's a promise."

Lincoln said, extending his little finger to the sisters as a symbol of the promise they were about to make. However, the young man still had a smile on his face, which the sisters could have sworn was affectionate, but was actually fake.

After saying this, Lincoln linked his pinky with those of his sisters, as a pact of the promise they had made. After that, he took a brief look at his watch and realized that he had wasted almost two hours playing.

(Shit, I've wasted a lot of time here.)

Lincoln thought, as he stared at the clock.

"I'm sorry, girls, but I have to go now."

Said Lincoln, in a bit of a hurry.

"All right, brother. But if I were you, I wouldn't forget the promise you made to us. Because we won't forget it. Right, Lana?"

Lola commented threateningly, looking at her brother seriously and then at her sister, who was slouching with her finger up her nose.

After seeing what her sister was doing, Lola almost freaked out at the rudeness.

"Stop it, Lana. That's so old-fashioned and not to mention unhygienic."

Lola said, almost shouting, because of her sister's old-fashioned behavior.

"I'm sorry, it's just that the conversation was so boring that I couldn't resist."

Lana replied, with a small, dull smile on her face, indicating that she had understood her sister's message.

"Lola, have I ever lied to you?"

Lincoln asked, with a serious countenance, staring at the sisters. In reply, she nodded, indicating no.

"Then trust me. If I say I'll keep my promise, it's because I will."

Lincoln added, trying to convey trust even though his mind was preoccupied with something else.

Before walking away, he bent down to meet his younger sisters and kissed each of them on the forehead.

After saying goodbye to my sisters, I picked up my backpack from the side of the door and put it on my back. Then I hurried down the stairs and out of the house.

"Okay, let me get this straight... I have these things to sell, but I don't know where I'm going to do it."

Said Lincoln, taking a long pause, not wanting to believe that he had made that amateurish mistake.

As Lincoln walked down the street, somewhat aimlessly, wondering where he was going to sell those things, the world, somewhat as an answer, ended up giving him a rather... dubious option.

After Lincoln turned the other way, with a flash of magic, there was Flip's store. The fucking thing was even glowing.

"You've got to be kidding me... Fucking fate."

That was the last thing Lincoln managed to say before freaking out.

"Thanks, fate... thanks for putting that fucking store in my way. It's not even a fucking backwater, imagine... man, this has got to be a prank. Where are the cameras?"

Said Lincoln, totally disgusted, while out of nowhere he started laughing. Anyone who saw the scene would have thought he'd gone mad, and they would have been right.

"I didn't want to complain or anything. But... Fuck! Fate, is this serious?"

Lincoln said, showing all his anger at the only option he had.

"I wasn't asking for much. Any store that came along, I'd take it. But this one is too much."

Said Lincoln, not wanting to accept that joke of fate at all.