Chapter 5: One Coin Two penny
Ariana’s eyes fluttered open, only to shut again almost immediately. Even though the curtains were drawn, sunlight had found a way through a small tear in the fabric, casting a sharp beam directly onto her face—right into her eyes, as if the morning itself had conspired against her. With a soft breath, she covered her face with her hand and sat up slowly.
What had woken her wasn’t the sunlight alone, but the loud noise coming from the small bathroom attached to their room. Her sister was in there—singing. Loudly.
Ariana couldn’t believe how someone with a voice like that could be so unaware of how terrible she sounded. And yet, her sister didn’t just sing—she proudly claimed to be both a soprano and, at times, an alto. She even said the Moon Goddess had blessed her with those "gifts." To make matters worse, she’d somehow been appointed second-in-command of the choir—the same choir known for their singing during festival seasons.
Everyone knew her voice was awful. Even Mr. Luke, the choir director, couldn’t possibly be that ignorant. Yet, he still let her sing.
If you asked Ariana, she’d say even a frog sounded better.
The other choir members were just as confused about Ava’s leadership. But if only they knew what she had given in return for that position...
Finally, the wooden door creaked open. It always took some effort—one had to pull it, lift it slightly to unhook the towel caught on the broken handle, and then open it fully.
As the door swung open, Ava and Ariana’s eyes met.
"Good morning, sister," Ava said quietly. "Hope you slept well and you’re strong enough for your punishment tonight." She laughed. "Just kidding. You take things too seriously."
But Ariana hadn’t even reacted. So what exactly had she taken seriously?
She didn’t bother to reply. Instead, she turned away, closed her eyes, and mouthed a soft prayer to the Moon Goddess before getting out of bed.