From the moment Zach caught sight of his sister''s long silver needle, he had this sneaking suspicion that he''d end up on the sharp end of it sooner orter.


    And sure enough, just a few dayster, that feeling was edging closer to reality!


    Mirabe threw him a casual nce and said, “So, what''s it gonna be? A little acupuncture from me, or do I let Mom and Dad know you''re in a bit of a pickle?"


    Zach was left speechless, his face a mix of question marks.


    Mirabe, unfazed by his stunned look, yawned and wrapped up the convo on her own terms. "Alright then, tomorrow it is. I''m off anyway. Night, Zach."


    Zach was left gaping, thinking, "How am I supposed to sleep now?"


    Nightmares, here wee!


    The next morning, Zach shuffled downstairs sporting some serious panda eyes, moving silently as he scoped out the empty living room before letting out a big sigh of relief.


    He felt like he was sneaking around in his own house.


    Just as he poured himself a ss of warm water, the door to the small room on the first floor creaked open, and out came Mirabe.


    His hand shook, almost spilling the water.


    Mirabe, noticing his rigid stance, called out, "Zach?" with a hint of curiosity.


    She''d been up since dawn tinkering with her herbal concoctions, and the faintest whiff of herbs still clung to her.


    Zach cleared his throat, trying to y it cool as he sipped his water. "Were you making medicine again?"


    "Yep." Mirabe nodded, grabbing a carton of milk from the kitchen. "Breakfast is in the warming drawer," she added before heading back to her room.


    With a day off, she nned to finish the batch for the Pharmacists'' Guild.


    Just as she reached her door, Mirabe turned back. "Oh, Zach, I''ll be done in about an hour. Then we''ll do the acupuncture."


    Zach, who thought he might have dodged the bullet, was left speechless.


    He was about to voice his protests when Mirabe had already disappeared into her room, the door closing softly behind her.


    Feeling utterly defeated, Zach trudged into the kitchen.


    An hourter, Zach found himself reluctantly propped up in bed, watching as Mirabe sterilized the long silver needle. Dread filled him, making his skin crawl. "Sis, do we really need all this ceremony?"


    Without looking up, Mirabe continued her work. "Do you have any idea how much I charge for this kind of treatment?"


    Zach, seizing the opportunity, asked, "How much?" hoping to pay his way out of it.


    Mirabe gave him a sidelong nce. "Lie down."


    Zach sighed. Money wasn''t going to save him this time.


    Resigned, he peeled off his shirt andy down like a dead fish, his eyes fixed on


    the ceiling. "Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice small.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow. "It''s manageable."


    "Just be gentle, okay?" he mumbled. "You know I''m a wimp."


    Mirabe sighed, shaking her head slightly.


    She hadn''t even started, yet she was already second-guessing herself. But he was her brother, after all.


    With a gentle touch, she picked up the silver needle and numbed his senses before beginning the session.


    After the initial prick, Zach found it surprisingly painless, though he felt each needle''s entry with surprising rity. Curiosity getting the better of him, he asked, "Did you put anesthetic on the tips?"


    Mirabe paused, casting him a sideways look before finishing her work. Finally, she said, "Sometimes, a little pain helps keep us grounded."