The late afternoon sun painted long shadows across the dirt path as Vel and Landre made their way back home. Their empty fishing baskets swayed with each step, the unused bait still filling one of them. Neither seemed to mind the lack of catch.
Vel stole glances at his sister, his heart still racing from earlier events. The memory of her form at the cliff's edge sent chills down his spine. One moment, one slip, and she would have been gone forever. The thought alone made his chest tighten.
But here she walked beside him, alive and present. Her steps carried a lightness that had been missing since the Ossuary incident. Each breath she took felt like a precious gift, a reminder of what he'd almost lost.
Landre paused to pick a wildflower from the roadside, inhaling its sweet scent before tucking it behind her ear. The gesture, so typical of her, choked him up.
The setting sun illuminated her profile, revealing a genuine smile, unlike the hollow one from earlier. Her eyes sparkled with life again, the shadows fading. Seeing her with a flower in her hair reminded him how close he'd come to losing her.
She noticed his gaze, tilting her head. "What?" she asked, her tone full of warmth.
Vel blinked, scrambling for a response under Landre's quizzical gaze.
"Nothing," he muttered quickly, gripping the basket tighter. "I was just thinking... you're really bad at fishing."
Landre's expression shifted from confusion to indignation, her brows arching high.
"Excuse me?" she said, straightening up and placing her hands on her hips. The wildflower behind her ear gave the gesture an almost comedic flair. "Coming from someone who hasn't even fished before? That's rich, Vel."
Vel shrugged nonchalantly, though the corners of his lips twitched upward. "Well, at least I probably won't sit by the river and pray for fish to jump into my lap."
Landre's mouth opened slightly, then snapped shut as realization flickered across her face. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, though a faint blush crept over her cheeks.
She pointed a finger at him. "Oh-ho, so that's how it is? Making fun of me now?" Her voice wavered between mock outrage and genuine embarrassment.
Vel smirked but kept his distance as she took a step forward. "Just saying," he teased with a casual shrug.
Landre huffed and crossed her arms but faltered when her gaze drifted to the dirt path ahead—her mind clearly wandering back to earlier by the river.
"You're so done," she muttered, meeting his gaze with mischievous challenge.
She lunged toward him suddenly. "Come here!"
Vel yelped and darted back down the path without hesitation, Landre hot on his heels as laughter spilled from both of them amidst the crunching leaves and scattered sunlight.
Vel's feet pounded the dirt path. The basket swung wildly at his side, nearly spilling its nonexistent contents. He glanced back to see Landre gaining on him, her face alight with a determined, playful grin.
"You're not getting away that easily!" she called, her voice breathless but filled with an energy Vel hadn't heard in days.
Vel darted between the bordering trees, but his exhausted legs protested. He stumbled to a stop, doubling over with his hands on his knees. Landre halted nearby, bent and panting with hands on her hips.
"You cheeky...little...brother," she managed between gulps of air, shaking her head but unable to hide the amusement dancing in her eyes.
Vel raised his hand in mock surrender. "Truce!" he panted. "I've run enough today." He pressed his side where a stitch was forming.
YOU ARE READING
GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation
FantasyWhen renowned game developer Giri meets his untimely end, he awakens as twelve-year-old Vel in the magical realm of Aeonalus-his own creation. Five hundred years have passed since he crafted the world, and Vel finds himself in the village of Oakhave...
