Goodbye and Hello
When Miorine opened her eyes, she found herself gasping for air. Something felt off. Looking down at her body, it was still injured, but the pain was far less excruciating. Her hands were only slightly red and free of blood. She looked back at the store, which stood up yet still was on fire. Miorine's thoughts raced. What happened? The store collapsed, yet there it was. She also remembered very well that her body was in shambles after recovering the lantern. She didn't see it nearby. A familiar voice rang out and quelled her panic.
"Suletta?" Miorine turned her attention to the genie. Though, something was different about her. Miorine couldn't initially point it out. She looked nearly the same, with one missing detail. She didn't glow.
Suletta was shocked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "M-miss? Can you hear me?! A-and how do you know my name?"
She was gonna snap at her for the strange behavior but lacked the energy to do so. Miorine understood a drastic change occurred but hadn’t fully comprehended what exactly happened. Looking back at what she remembered before she went out, she saw Suletta raise her fingers to snap. Was her wish granted?
Miorine's thoughts were interrupted as she coughed into her arm like she did previously. But, this time, there was no blood. She realized what had happened. Miorine chuckled, voice still a bit raspy but unimpeded by pain. Tears returned to her soot-covered face. Though a bit confused, Miorine was relieved. By some miracle, the wish must've sent her somewhere else. Whether it was a whole new world or some sort of dream, she didn't know. She gave a sigh of relief. What mattered the most was that Suletta was there and both of them were still alive.
Her eyes wide, Suletta looked at her as if she was insane. "M-miss?!" She wondered if the strange white-haired girl had hit her head on the way out. Suletta looked back at the shop she had just saved this girl from. Though Miorine had no memory of how she got into this position if she wasn't coming from the collapsed shop, Suletta did seem to.
Miorine turned her head towards her and spoke, smiling softly. "Are you ok, Suletta?"
Suletta was dumbfounded by the girl's strange actions. Laughing after escaping a life threatening situation? "Again, how do you know my name? Also, you're the one who ran into a building on fire, I should be asking you that!" Concerned, she put her hand over the stranger's forehead to feel her temperature.
Blood rushed to Miorine's face. Her hand. It touched her. A warm feeling bubbled from the injured girl's chest. At that moment, Miorine didn't care if she was dreaming or in some other world.
The shop behind the two began to shift, the cracking of wood getting the attention of Suletta. She got up and took off her jacket. "Can you sit up?" She asked.
Miorine nodded and slowly sat up, feeling a shiver as the winter wind blew against her thin form.
Suletta spoke calmly. "It's too dangerous to be here right now. Stay still, I'll take you to my place." She placed the jacket around the white-haired girl and slide her arm under her legs.
She blushed again. "What are you- Hey!" Miorine wriggled in Suletta's grasp but stopped once she noticed the look of intent on her face. Suletta lifted up the girl bridal style and began to make her way through the storm, holding her close.
Miorine leaned into the girl's chest and closed her eyes as she was carried off. She smiled and whispered to herself. "Warm."