Her mind immediately jumped to Petra.
"…Petra? Are they worried about her?" Lilly bit her lip.
Did they do this while she was inside the academy on purpose? How long had they been watching us? It must have been a long time since Petra wasn't able to catch up, and they could still be taken away right under her nose! That would mean they had prepared everything beforehand and knew a lot about Petras many means…
Which also meant—
Her heart slightly sank.
"…She's going to be furious, but they don't care at all…" Why is that?
Luna looked up at her sister, and their eyes met.
Luna gave a small nod, realizing that Lilly had finally caught up to the situation at hand. Whatever they wanted the twins to do must far exceed their fear of Petra, the alleged 'Fifth Hero!'
Don't panic!
She slowly exhaled.
Still, even if Petra was strong—
The Azurefell Family was not weak either! But if Petra lost control like she did before…
Lilly's expression darkened.
There was no way that the Azurefell Family could know about 'that'. Since that was the case, things could be bad if Petra didn't hold back. As for who was in trouble, she wasn't quite sure.
"…Please don't do anything reckless…" Lilly muttered.
Just as the thought crossed her mind—
Tock, tock, tock…
Footsteps echoed through the dark corridor…
Both twins immediately looked towards the door.
There, slowly, a shadow appeared beyond the iron bars.
Then the lock turned, and the door creaked open.
Lilly froze after seeing the face.
"…Father," She mumbled.
The man standing outside the cell calmly stepped forward.
He was a tall middle-aged man with black hair streaked with many dark blue lines that seamlessly blended together near the back of his head. He had black eyes and a slightly unnerving face, not because his face was abnormal, no, instead it always gave the observer an uncomfortable feeling, like a fake smile that could flip at any moment.
Lilly suddenly remembered what had happened and how they were captured!
While they were eating outside the academy, it was their father who had appeared and asked them to return! He had such a gentle face that both of them were confused for a moment. After that, they fell for his trap and created this whole situation because of a brief moment of stupidity!
Neither of them could comprehend such a kind smile coming from their father at that time. It was understandable to those who knew, because he was not that kind of parent—
But now, he was so different!
His face carried the same cold expression she remembered from many years ago.
There was no warmth, no hesitation, and he only reflected a quiet, cold disdain for everything in the world. He looked down at the twins like one might do while observing an insect.
"…You two look well." His voice was low, deep, and carried an almost mocking shadow.
Lilly's fists trembled.
"…Why are we really here?" She muttered with a slight glare.
The man ignored the question.
"You will remain here from now on, this 'is' your home, after all..." His voice was calm, even detached, and he spoke in a way that almost seemed conclusive. "It's best that you get used to it." He spoke again. Whether intentional or not, his eyes seemed to sweep past Luna. "This is where you belong. You will never leave again, and you won't have the opportunity to run, so give up on those petty thoughts..."
Lilly's trembling eyes widened slightly.
"What, do you—"
"You belong to the Guardian, or have you already forgotten after only a few years outside?" He returned his gaze to Lilly, his face showing a clear difference in treatment.
His gaze hardened into a glare! "Our bloodline has many obligations. If necessary, we sacrifice everything, that is just how it is!"
His eyes slowly shifted, becoming something else, something indescribable.
"You seem to have forgotten that!" His tone was flat, but at the same time, he almost seemed to be roaring with a suppressed sense of resentment
His voice turned even colder.
"That child has poisoned your minds, hasn't she? Why dream about freedom? Why run away? You of all people should understand us, right?"
"That child, Petra, has made you forget your origins so quickly?"
"Ridiculous! You put yourself before the life and death of your clansmen! Traitorous daughters!"
Lilly felt her stomach twist in disgust.
"…That's not—"
"Silence!" The word fell like a blade!
The man turned away without another word.
"Our family will correct this 'mistake', you have no say in the matter!"
Tock, tock, tock—Bang!
The door slammed shut as he abruptly left!
The lantern outside flickered as the corridor lights were extinguished.
Soon, darkness swallowed the prison…
Lilly slowly sank down, collapsing beside Luna.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
They didn't know what to say.
Then, after an unknown amount of time, Lilly quietly wrapped her arms around her sister. They curled up together in the corner of the cold stone cell.
The night seemed to deepen in the darkness…
* * *
The Azurefell Families' ancestral hall was filled to capacity.
This was a massive stone hall built deep within the depths of the family's territory.
Towering stone pillars divided the massive chamber into several large, open sections, their surfaces carved with ancient runes and marked with small azure-themed floral arrangements that softened the otherwise noble architecture. Between the pillars hung long banners bearing the signs of the Azurefell Families' bloodline and its four branch families, and below, rows of long wooden tables stretched across the dark wooden floor, arranged in orderly patterns to accommodate the many members of the clan during a grand gathering.
Towards the far end of the hall stood a raised platform surrounded by many elegant statues and small interior gardens, which were likewise filled with azure-themed flora. This elevated area served as the seat of authority during family meetings, which housed the largest of the tables.
From here, the family head, patriarch, and branch leaders could address the assembled clan while overlooking the entire chamber below!
-
Tonight, the entire Azurefell Family had gathered.
Despite Lilly and Luna's fathers' seemingly absolute attitude towards Petra and the Twins, the truth was much more divided in reality…
At the very front of the chamber sat the current family head, the 'Patriarch', Lilly and Luna's father, his expression stern and unreadable. Beside him sat the 'Ancestor', his old body was small and frail, making his many layers of clothing look very overwhelming. Behind them sat the four branch family heads, along with their selected heirs and numerous elders. Scholars, mages, special administrators, and several high-ranking figures in the clan filled the surrounding seats.
In the far corner of the hall stood three silent figures.
They wore dark robes, unlike the white and blue of the average Azurefell Family descendant.
Their faces were hidden, and they said nothing, yet everyone present knew exactly who they were and who they represented—
The Guardian!
-
The atmosphere in the hall was tense.
Countless voices echoed through the chamber as endless arguments erupted from all directions.
"Damn it! What exactly are we supposed to do with those two now? You were too hasty!"
"They were already lost once! Bringing them back has only made things worse now!"
"Fool! What will those people think if they knew that we did this!?"
"You think this situation wasn't already bad enough? If the Guardian learns about this and we still send them away, no, even if they're taken away by force, the entire bloodline will suffer!"
"Damn it, you've backed us into a corner!"
BANG! One of the elders slammed his hand against the table.
"We are already on borrowed time! Since they're already here, let's just make do!"
"Fool! How would Neea think about you if she were still here!"
Murmurs spread through the hall.
Everyone present understood the truth, the current Azurefell Family was 'cursed and declining!' They had become complacent, and because of that, things were like they were today!
Back then, a single mistake resulted in the Guardian handing out such a devastating punishment!
He had done it so easily, a mere lift of the hand!
A few years ago, when the twins first disappeared, the Guardian had violently reacted to this news. Following that, a 'punishment' had been placed upon the entire bloodline!
This had far exceeded anyone's imagination at the time!
Many people in the family didn't even have a good understanding of the Guardian, but its sudden and unstoppable emergence was earthshaking. Up till then, they had not fully understood the depths of their dependence on the Guardian, but after losing the twins, the punishment, or the 'Bloodline Curse', had caused every member of the family to lose twenty percent of their lifespan in an instant! This naturally included the younger generation, some of whom hadn't even heard about the Guardian before!
And what was worse—
'Something' within their bodies had begun to slowly 'drain away!' No one understood exactly what the Guardian had done to them before retreating into its current seclusion, but they all knew one thing…
If the situation wasn't corrected soon—
The Azurefell Family would eventually collapse!
Dong!
A middle-aged elder, one seemingly close to the Patriarch, coldly spoke.
"The twins were always meant to serve the Guardian anyway. Why does it matter so much?"
"Serve the Guardian? Ha! Surely you don't mean what you say!"
"Losing them once has already triggered a punishment! Why did this trouble have to return!"
"Since when were you so quick to bow your head! Damn, groveller!"
"We can't forget about the calamities and the 'Hero Faction' either! Things are different now!"
"He's right! This has already blown up! It is no longer just a family affair! There's too much Karma!"
"What do you know! That brat has no real backing! We don't even know if she's a real Hero!
"A real Hero? Pfft! We don't even know what a 'real hero' is! How can you say that!"
He silently glanced towards the black-robed figures in the corner.
"We can't risk provoking the Guardian again!"
The conversation continued like this for some time…
-
Near the edge of the chamber, 'Nellio' Azurefell leaned quietly against a stone pillar, frowning. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes occasionally drifted towards the center of the hall where the debate continued to rage on, seemingly without end.
He had barely spoken since the meeting began, but every word from these elders made him feel uncomfortable inside.
Since when were the twins treated like mere objects in their eyes?
When had his family become so disgusting?
As the young master and next patriarch of the Azurefell Family, why didn't he realize this until now?
"…Troublesome," He muttered under his breath.
He didn't like this conversation. It wasn't because it disgusted him, instead, he felt as if the family was flying towards an inescapable dead end!
Seeing this, he could do nothing!
-
Across the hall, another young man stood silently beside the group of branch family representatives.
This was 'Neol' Azurefell, the former young master of the Azurefell Family.
He had held Nellio's young master position prior to voluntarily stepping down! The reason for this? Well, it was exactly what Nellio was thinking right now! He couldn't imagine leading this family towards anything other than destruction! The Azurefell Family was too deeply rooted in their old beliefs.
In the end, he chose to give up the title of young master.
His jaw clenched as the discussion continued.
Although he no longer possessed any special titles, he still had a lot of sway in the clan. This could be seen by his seat being among the elders.
As his internal struggle continued—
One of the oldest elders spoke.
His voice was loud and uninterruptible as it tore across the room. "There is only one solution now..."
The hall quieted down to listen.
The elder's voice was calm as he continued with an indifferent face.
"We strip the twins of their constitution, then allow them to 'escape'."
Several people froze after hearing this.
How brazen!
The hidden meaning of his words was obvious…
Their constitution was tied directly to the Guardian, and 'removing' it would almost certainly kill them! But it would also solve most of their problems! If they just happened to die afterwards, then as long as it couldn't be traced back to them, even if it was obvious who was at fault, as long as there was no proof and a few 'special methods' were used, what could be done? Who would attack the Azurefell Family without solid evidence?
Nobody!
Murmurs spread through the chamber as the atmosphere became heavy.