To you: After the End

Haaa!

Leor jolted upright, his chest heaving as if a weight had been pressing down on him. His breath came in short, ragged gasps, the air feeling unnaturally thick—until suddenly, it wasn't.

'It was just a nightmare.'

'It was just a nightmare.'

He kept repeating this to himself.

The discomfort faded slightly, a familiar scent. Flowers and shampoo. A scent he had known all his life filled his nostrils.

Warm sunlight filtered through the window, casting a golden hue across his small room.

"Leor, wake up! It's already seven, and you'll be late for class."

A familiar voice snapped him back to reality. Clara. His sister. She stood by his cluttered wooden study table, organizing a mess of university notes and history books. He had stayed up late studying for next week's exams, and it showed.

It was just a nightmare…

"You finally woke up," Clara sighed, hands on her hips. "I know you love staying up, but not sleeping properly isn't good for you. You need to take better care of yourself."

Leor rubbed his eyes and glanced at her, feeling a strange, painful twist in his stomach.

At twenty-two, Clara still had the youthful appearance of someone years younger. Her pale complexion and well-proportioned figure made her look like a noblewoman—if not for the worn-out white linen gown she always wore. Her brown hair was tied in a bun, strands sticking to her forehead with sweat—likely from preparing breakfast.

"I know, I know," he mumbled, still half-asleep. "Sorry for the mess. I'll clean it up after freshening up. And don't worry, I only have one class at eleven today."

Clara narrowed her sharp green eyes at him as if searching for something. After a moment, she nodded. "Alright. But hurry up, breakfast is almost ready. I don't want the food getting cold."

After a small pause, she added in a hesitant tone, "If you want to talk about something… I am always there." Then, she left in haste.

She could easily sense his condition with a glance, choosing to give Leor some time.

Leor nodded helplessly, a faint smile creeping up on his face. 'It was just a nightmare… No need to worry her over something like this.'

Pushing himself up from the soft mattress of the queen-sized bed, he quickly straightened his desk and set aside the human nature notes he'd need for class. 

Satisfied, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

Their house was small but better than most in this area—three rooms, one bathroom, a modest kitchen, and a living room where they dined. It would be cramped for a large family, but for the three of them—Leor, Clara, and James—it was enough.

James, being the oldest, had the downstairs bedroom, while Clara and Leor occupied the rooms upstairs. The bathroom was also on this floor, which Leor preferred—except for the unbearable heat in summer.

After washing up, he slipped into a white cotton shirt and black trousers, pairing them with the black leather shoes he had saved up for months to buy. 

He picked up his silver pocket watch from the dressing table, its polished surface gleaming in the morning light. Made of high-quality platinum with a sturdy hunter case, the border was adorned with small green gemstones.

Their mother had given it to James before she passed away. He, in turn, had passed it down to Leor, saying he had no use for such a thing. It was passed down through generations, and their mother had asked them to take care of it properly.

Leor adjusted his collar, smoothing it down, and glanced at his reflection. Ember-green eyes stared back at him from beneath tousled brown-black hair. His frame had grown somewhat muscular over the years, yet he still looked like a bookworm scholar.

A strange feeling washed over him.

'I feel like I've done this before…' he muttered. But maybe he had—his schedule had indeed been the same every day for the last three years.

Brushing off the eerie sense of déjà vu, he made his way downstairs, where the rich aroma of coffee filled the air.

"Finally, you're here." James glanced up from the newspaper, his dark brown eyes peering over the rim of his cup. "You take longer getting ready than most women.", Leisurely taking occasional sips of his black coffee.

Leor smirked. "And what would you know about women? Have you even spoken to one besides Clara?"

Pffft!

He spat some coffee on the newspaper.

James opened his mouth to argue but promptly shut it, grumbling something under his breath as he returned to his paper.

"Anyway, have you read the news yet?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Not yet. Something important?" Leor asked, walking over to the five-seater wooden dining table, slipping into the comfortable cushioned chair beside James.

James nodded, his tone serious. "Queen Victoria was assassinated. By her own daughter."

"What?" Leor nearly dropped the coffee he had just grabbed. "That's insane. The whole empire must be in chaos. And with Lavenham already at war…"

Clara, setting down a plate of bread and eggs, seamlessly joined the conversation. "This has sparked riots. Maybe even a revolution will happen. The royal family must be under so much pressure to crown a new ruler before things spiral further down."

"Her husband will likely take the throne," James added, taking a large bite of bread. "He benefits the most from her death anyway."

Leor frowned. "You think King Edward was behind it?"

"Of course. He's an idiot, but even idiots know how to play the game when power's involved. He must be framing Princess Flora. Or you tell me—why would a daughter kill her doting mother?"

"Why're we talking conspiracy again? The day just started," Leor sighed, shaking his head.

"Can't really be called a conspiracy when I'm right," James shot back. "But you should care, Leor. You plan on joining the military, don't you? Who rules the empire determines everything."

Leor scoffed. "Me joining the military has nothing to do with it. I'm not joining to serve and die for the Empire or the King, and you know it. It's just for the money."

Clara finally sat down, exasperated. "Enough. If someone else heard you, all three of us could get arrested—or maybe executed."

She said that, but she seemed to be nodding at everything they both said.

James raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. But I do have some good news."

That caught both of their interest. James pulled a folded yellowish piece of paper from his long coat pocket, sliding it across the table.

Clara grabbed it first, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. Leor pulled his chair beside hers, leaning in close until their faces were nearly touching. He could feel her warm breath on his cheek as they scanned the text together.