Chapter 3

Just then, my father called out from the other room.

"What are you doing over there? Wendy needs her moonherb broth tonight to strengthen her wolf."

My mother answered him and shut the door again.

"We'll deal with you once your sister's better!"

She turned and walked away without a second thought.

Inside, my body was slumped against the door.

Heat-darkened patches had already spread across my body.

I floated in the void, watching her retreating figure in despair.

Mom, you were just one turn away.

You would have seen my body.

That night, Wendy realized I was still in the heat chamber.

She sent me a text.

"Valeria, I hid the key under the doormat. Try to get the door open and eat something. There's fresh steak in the kitchen. I saved it from dinner for you. You've been starving so long, just warm it up a little before you eat. I also hid a little fan under the couch for you. Don't forget to grab it!"

Wendy remembered that I loved meat and hated the heat.

Every time I'd been locked in the heat chamber over the years, she would find ways to sneak food to me.

She'd even convinced our parents to put a bed inside the chamber, with a stuffed dog on it.

Inside the dog's round belly, she'd hide cooling patches for me.

I drifted into the heat chamber and looked at the stuffed dog.

Its belly was still plump. Wendy had tucked cooling patches inside for me again.

But it was too late, my dear Wendy.

I would never need them again.

The next morning, our parents took Wendy out.

It wasn't until nearly noon that she realized I hadn't replied to her message.

She found our mother, so frantic she could barely string her words together.

"No... I told Valeria where the key was, and about the food... she still hasn't texted back. Did her phone explode? Mom, check the chamber's camera feed. Please, just let me see my sister, okay?"

"The witch said that building your wolf's strength requires stability! Wendy, she's doing this on purpose. She wants you to worry!"

Our mother scolded her, but still pulled out her phone.

She opened the surveillance app. The live feed of the heat chamber loaded on screen.

I was facing away from the camera, looking drained.

"Valeria, the key's under the doormat. Just reach out a little and you can grab it. Come out already, okay?"

I didn't respond. My mother lost her patience.

"Do we have to beg you to come out? Eat something and stop making your sister worry."

But I remained facing away from the camera, motionless.

Wendy panicked. She leaned toward the phone screen and cried out.

"Are you feeling sick? Valeria, turn around! Let me and Mom see you!"

Our mother's expression shifted too. She zoomed in on the camera feed.

In the dim light, I was slumped by the door.

My body looked limp and drained. Then our mother scoffed.

"Faking it again?"

When I was little, I used to do this to get my mother's attention.

She thought I was faking weakness again.

"Valeria, we already told you where the key is. Get out now and stop ruining our trip!"

With that, my mother angrily closed the surveillance app and told Wendy to stop overthinking.

I smiled bitterly.