Christian was not able to give an answer to his sister immediately when she asked him to rest, even though she made an adorable pitiable expression with her face, hiding under it her worry.
He took a moment to reflect on the problem, knowing full well that he couldn't keep pushing himself , as he will arrive at his limit sooner or later, and after some thought, an idea finally struck him, and he said.
"How about we sleep in the same room then?"
Christian, after asking her opinion about the only idea that came to him, one where he could respond instantly in case of an emergency, proceeded to explain the reasoning behind it. And after he finished, his sister, seemingly not needing any time to think, immediately replied.
"You really didn't need to explain that much; that was a nice idea, after all."
"But instead of sleeping in the same room, we'll sleep in the same bed, and in my room, since I need to clean your room properly tomorrow, while also disposing of the things you weren't able to."
'Is that really alright? Aren't we crossing all kind of boundaries doing this?'
While Christian wondered internally for a moment upon hearing his sister's suggestion, after all, at the end of the day, they were a man and woman before they were siblings, and they were clearly no longer children, he still didn't care and saw no problem with doing as she said, in the end.
Maybe it was because he was already so tired, or maybe there were other reasons he himself didn't fully understand. Christian didn't even comment on how her bed was a single and a bit small for two people, meaning they would need to be practically glued to each other.
In truth, at the end of the day, he felt most at ease in her presence, when she was within arm's reach, her warmth enveloping him. So, he just replied with one word.
Annabelle was slightly surprised by his quick agreement, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she simply placed the laptop on the desk, closed it, and then laid down on the bed, patting the spot beside her invitingly.
Christian paused for a moment, glancing at his sister and wondering whether she genuinely didn't notice or simply didn't care, as the T-shirt she was wearing, which at least seemed to attempt to hide her white panties and hips, had ridden up enough to reveal even her navel. Still, he chose not to say anything, quietly moving to the very edge of the bed and laying down there instead.
He wasn't able to stay in that position for long, though, as his sister suddenly extended her arms toward him, pulled him closer, and hugged him tightly.
She used one hand to wrap around his head, making his chin rest in the deep valley of her bare breasts peeking out from the T-shirt, and his face press against her neck, leaving him unable to breathe anything but her scent—a scent that seemed almost too sweet, too comforting, too relaxing to him. Her other hand wrapped firmly around his back, seemingly to hold him securely in place.
They stayed for a few moments, with Christian remaining stiff despite the undeniably comfortable position, as he found himself unsure of where to go with his hands.
In the end, it was his sister who loosened her hold on him, pulling her head back. Now locking eyes with him, their breaths brushing softly against each other's faces, she spoke.
"You know? I just thought about the Essence technique you showed me. Why don't I train in it too?"
Too distracted by their earlier position, which made sleep difficult despite his exhaustion, and now mesmerized by her green eyes, Christian still found all his scattered thoughts fading away as he heard his sister's suggestion.
He couldn't discern her true thoughts on the matter, whether it was just something she said to ease the lingering awkwardness or a genuine idea. But still, he replied seriously,
"I think we should wait at least a little more before you attempt that."
Christian's thoughts were that there were still many things about the Essence technique he didn't fully understand. He also needed to determine whether the essence techniques had tiers, which seemed highly likely, and if so, what tier the Breath of the Shadow Blade technique belonged to. After all, he wanted his sister to train with the best one available.
He also wanted to ensure she wouldn't face any issues while practicing the essence technique due to unforeseen complications or hidden risks.
For him, simply becoming stronger was enough; he didn't mind if he had to switch techniques later. But for his sister, it was different. He couldn't begin to imagine the consequences she might face if she were to chose the wrong technique. He also didn't yet know how difficult or risky it would be for her to switch to another one. Because of this, he wanted to confirm the safety of everything first and ensure she had the best technique to practice with.
"We should wait, as your situation is different from mine. Still, if you want, I can help you with some normal exercises and even self-defense moves later," he added, hoping to offer a compromise.
While Annabelle felt a little disappointed by her brother's firm rejection and wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the idea of normal exercises, especially knowing that supernatural powers existed, she still saw it as a perfect opportunity to spend time together. So, she was satisfied and didn't press the matter, simply nodding in response.
She naturally wanted to protect him in her own way if she could and had been thinking about what means she might have to do so. Even then, the images of people losing control of themselves and undergoing abnormal transformations hadn't faded from her mind, serving as a constant reminder of the risks involved.