As I continue staring the true mirrors,
An inverted triangle, wide clavicle yet feminine figure stares back—subtle, but undeniable. There's still a bit of a boyish undertone. My eyes are almond-shaped and slightly sharp at the edges, leaning toward a compact look. My skin looks smooth. Like, really smooth. Almost glowing under the light.
My eyelashes are still thick and curly—guess some masculine traits carried over. And my eyebrows? Still thick, but… they sit a bit higher now, giving my expression a softer edge.
Hold on—Jawline check~
I adjusted my posture, mewed a little, and turned my head slightly to the side, then to the third-quarter angle, checking my reflection in the True Mirror.
"Damn…" I muttered under my breath. I still had that sharp, defined jawline. But it looked... a bit different now. Still structured, still there—but with a softer angle. A little more feminine.
Behind me, my mother sighed. Arms crossed, fingers tapping impatiently against her elbow. I caught a glimpse of her glancing at her watch, pupils narrowing into slits like a cat about to pounce.
"HEY, HURRY UP!" she snapped, her voice sharp enough to make me jolt slightly. My back straightened instantly, and my pupils tightened into thin slivers.
"Okay okay!" I called back, clearing my throat.
She was waiting outside. I'd asked her not to come in while I was changing. I mean yeah, she's my mom—but still. I'd rather not have someone standing there watching me change, even if she literally gave birth to me. It's awkward, alright?
"Mom!"
Hearing the voice, the Dark Queen opened her eyes outside the door. She could tell from the tone that her son— or daugher was ready. She stepped in calmly, composed as always.
I turned to face her. "How do I look?"
She paused for a moment, taking me in. Her eyes widened slightly, pupils dilating and rounding as she smiled.
"Honestly? You look cool. Like… a cute cool girl."
I smiled back, a little bashfully. My cheeks felt warm. I wasn't used to compliments—especially ones that felt genuine.
"Cute, huh? Ehh… I'd prefer 'cool', Mom." I smirked, brushing off my flustered reaction.
She chuckled. "That dress is enough to keep you comfortable. No need for anything extra on your chest."
I blinked. "Wait, huh?"
She tilted her head slightly, knowing what I was confused about.
"I figured you might think it'd be weird to wear something… extra underneath. But that fabric's layered enough to protect without making it feel tight or stuffy. It also allows better airflow."
Oh. I got it now. She's talking about that. Right—chest support. For a second, I thought she meant armor or something. But yeah, wearing something like that under a dress would just be awkward for me. I'd rather not. This was fine. Actually, it was comfortable.
My mom glanced back down at her watch again.
"Looks like we'll be departing in fifteen minutes. Anything else you need?"
I turned to the mirror again, admiring how the dress looked. It was plain, but beautiful. A loose, modest white fabric with just enough design to be elegant. It wasn't flashy. It wasn't over the top. And that's exactly why I liked it.
"I guess… nothing else? Maybe some extra clothes later. But nah, I don't need makeup."
Mom nodded and started heading out. "Alright, I'll tell the staff to sort out your clothes. Where should we pack them? With your workout equipment bag?"
"Ah! No, no—put it in a separate one," I called out quickly. No way I was mixing that.
Fifteen minutes later, my family was already gathered outside—my three brothers, my father, and my mother—all waiting next to the massive flying creature that would take us across the ocean. A dragon-like beast with the build of a horse, its wings flexing against the wind.
I walked up to them, trying to match the pace with my shoes clicking lightly against the stone. Crock-style women's shoes—not bad. Definitely better than heels. No way I was dealing with sore feet.
"Auuu… auu…" I muttered when trying those damn heels.
And honestly? I don't like typical shoes either. They squeeze the toes together too much. That's probably why I never developed bunions, luckily. Loose and comfy always wins.
My steps echoed softly through the mansion's hall, each footfall sharp and clear. The staff lined up on either side, walking alongside me as we made our way to where the Dragorn—our dragon-horse-like flying creature—waited patiently. Everyone was already gathered, standing by the creature. My father checked his watch, while my two older brothers sat comfortably in the passenger seats. My oldest brother, the more serious one, was talking with one of the Acolytes, his face set in a calm, almost unreadable expression. My mother, of course, was looking around for me.
Everyone else was dressed in those sleek, royal black suits—sharp, elegant, as expected.
Except for me.
Why? Because I wasn't required to go to the meeting. I never had been, really. My family hardly ever spoke of me, and I wasn't one to push my way into their discussions. I guess you could say I was barely a presence in their world.
Honestly? I had little to no friends. No real connections, really. No love interests, either. The only "romance" I ever found was through manga and novels. But those were just fantasies, nothing more. I heard someone call it "paranormal attachment," but wait is it "paranormal" or "parasocial"?—. Either way, it didn't really matter.
As I walked closer, my steps grew louder, and one by one, my family members noticed me. My mother was the first to turn her head. Then the rest followed suit. Their reactions?
Well, basic. Predictable.
"Hey, PrInCeSs~ hop in!" My second brother teased, a grin spreading across his face as my third brother laughed right after him.
My right eye twitched slightly, and my pupils narrowed into thin slits.
I won't lie—it's frustrating when they mock me like that. But hey, it's just sibling stuff, right? Nothing new there. Can't expect more than that from them.
I shrugged it off. After all, I'm stronger than both of them. Or at least, I will be.
I turned my gaze to my oldest brother, the one I respected the most. He didn't tease me. He was calm, composed, the kind of person you could always rely on. Plus, he had the whole "gigachad" vibe going, as some might call it. He was married to the princess of the Human Kingdom, after all—a beautiful, dignified woman.
But it wasn't all perfect. They were separated, and the reason? Well, no one ever really talked about it. My oldest brother once said it was because of "our Race's history." We're technically humans, but we can't marry or have children with other races. Except for him. He had been given an exception for political reasons, a rare one. It was still painful for him, though. I could see it in his eyes whenever he spoke of her.
I sighed as we settled into our seats, the weight of everything pressing on me. It was hard not to feel the sting of it all. Because of the actions of a few, a certain group from the past, the innocent of today had to bear the consequences. It's frustrating. This meeting? Well, it was supposed to sort things out—although it's been almost two hundred years. Our population barely hits a hundred now. Most of our powers mysteriously vanished, and the land where we live has become harsher over time.
At least, though, we don't have to worry about food and water, so there's that.
Our islands are far from the rest of the world, sitting in the middle of the Centra Ocean, cut off from everything else. The weather there is unpredictable—dim sunlight most of the time, and the environment is like nothing else, filled with strange animals, plants, and dense rainforests. The only real advancements in magic or technology are near our mansion.
I pressed my fingers against my forehead, trying to ease the tension building in my mind.
"Hey, hey. Relax... don't think too much." I muttered to myself. It's time to have some fun.
I gave my cheeks a few quick taps with both hands and forced a smile, pushing my overthinking aside.
"Hey, sis," my third older brother called from across the aisle.
I raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Huh?! Sis?"
He chuckled a little, leaning back into his seat. "Lol. Dude, how are you gonna execute your masterpiece prank?"
My second brother joined in, smirking as he leaned forward. "Yeah, I wanna know too."
I blinked at both of them, tapping my finger on my lips, my thoughts drifting for a moment.
Wait. I suddenly realized—I hadn't actually planned this out properly. I'd gotten way too excited planning out everything else: our workouts, diets, camping trips, and all that. But this prank? I hadn't really done the groundwork.
I looked back at them, shrugging and holding up my palms in a gesture of cluelessness.
"Honestly, I don't know, dude. I'll probably just wing it, maybe take some ideas from manga or novels I've read," I said with a smirk, a bead of sweat forming on my forehead.
Both of them stared at me for a moment, then exchanged a look.
"Hah?"
They laughed for a second before turning their gaze back to me.
In unison, they slapped their faces with their right palms, both exhaling in disbelief.
"Damn, man. Is this a joke?" my second brother asked, his voice dripping with disappointment.
"Well, it is a joke, because it's a prank?? Duh??" I shot back, a little annoyed. I mean, what did they expect?
My third brother placed his left arm around my shoulder, his expression suddenly serious.
"Man, you need to understand… Jokes are like art. You've got to do them with passion, with love," he said dramatically.
Then, he placed his right hand over his heart, and before I knew it, he was crying.
"WHA- WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!" I shot up, completely thrown off. "YOU'RE CRYING OVER THIS? IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!"
"LIKE MAN SYBAU—"
"Ayy, hey, no idea, you made brother cry! Mom, look at lil sis!" my second brother teased defensively, crossing his arms.
"YOU THREE, ENOUGH!" My oldest brother intervened with just his words, his voice sharp as I tried to smack the back of my second brother's head while my third brother continued to sob dramatically over "art." My mom could only sigh in the background.
"We're about to attend a literal ROYAL MEETING. Why the hell are you guys arguing about some diabolical prank stuff? Are you serious with me right neow, bro?" My oldest brother was clearly fed up.
Hold up. Did he just say "right neow" instead of "right now"? ...Damn, even the most mature one here, other than dad, is a little cooked.
We all eased up a bit, the tension starting to settle as we returned to our seats, closing our eyes in a brief moment of peace.
"So, lil sis…"
The vein of frustration throbbed on my forehead the second I heard my third brother's voice again.
Lil… SIS?! THE FU—
"All of us here are engaged. When are you gonna stop being a loner?" he said with an exaggerated grin.
In the blink of an eye, I was up and charging at him. Despite being slimmer, I was still as strong and fast as before.
"LISTEN HERE, YOU LITTLE SHI—" I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper as I went for the attack.
My third brother, realizing he was in serious trouble, tried his best to tap my arm to get me to release him. His face turned blue, his pupils dilating into slits.
My second brother could only raise both hands in mock awe, watching the one-sided "battle" unfold—where the "lil sis" was completely overpowering her older brother.
Just as I was about to turn my third brother into a human pancake, my oldest brother snapped. A vein appeared on his forehead as he quickly stood up, casting a shadow over both of us. Though physically I was probably on par with him, he had way better control of his mind and, well, his Dark Soulnergy capabilities. So yeah, we were cooked.
With a quick motion, he opened the door and used his Soulnergy to balance out the air pressure difference.
"BROTHER, FORGIVE ME AND THIS DUMB AHH, PLEASE!" I begged, my tone a mix of frustration and fear.
"YO, DUDE, RELAX, WE'RE JOKING, RIGHT? HEY, 'LIL SIS,' RIGHT?" my third brother yapped nervously, trying to play it cool.
"I'M YOUR BROTHER, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'LIL SIS'?!" I snapped back, barely holding my ground.
My oldest brother, ever the calm one, grabbed both of us by the collars, lifting us up so that we were dangling outside the door, the vast sky, ocean, and clouds beneath us. It was a very clear threat—let go, and we'd fall straight into the rogue Centra Ocean below.
"YO, DUDE, HAHA, I KNEW YOU WOULDN'T LET US GO. WE'RE FAMILY—" my third brother continued, somehow still trying to crack jokes in the midst of a literal life-or-death moment.
In a shocking move, my oldest brother released six of his fingers, leaving just his pinkie and thumb holding us up. The fear hit me like a freight train.
Both of us screamed, completely terrified. I turned to my third brother, frustration boiling over.
"SYBAU, MAN, SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH OR WE'RE DEAD FOR REAL."
"MY LORD, O MOST HANDSOME AND ELEGANT LORD, PLEASE FORGIVE US!" my third brother immediately started pleading, his voice frantic.
As the flight continued, my second brother and mom were completely unaffected, just chilling and minding their own business inside, while my father focused on controlling the Dragorn in another room.
"FORGIVE US, PLEASE, PLEASE!" I shouted in desperation.
"O LORD, PLEASE, PLEASE!" my third brother echoed, still begging for mercy.
We kept begging for what felt like an eternity, hanging there, suspended in the sky above the rogue ocean. That's if, the my two other brothers can manage their DAMN MOUTH—