Chapter 9: Twin's Reunion, Part 2
Two individuals walked on the marble tiles in the garden, passing by groups of delicate flowers. One was a child around five or six years old, dressed in fancy and colorful clothes, with short golden hair and deep blue eyes like the ocean, her eyes constantly darted around the surroundings.
The other person wore a black dress with purple accents and a full skirt. She also had a purple ruffled headpiece and long black hair flowing down her back in curly strands. With a confident demeanor, she exuded elegance as she walked. She is of short stature, appearing to be a teenager.
In the peaceful garden, Nora, the child, broke the silence by asking Camila, her caretaker, a question.
"Isn't this area supposed to be off limits?" Nora asks when Camila, her personal maid, suddenly insisted on going to the tower. She knew nothing about the tower but was told to never set food inside by the adults of the family.
"It is, but wouldn't you like to know what lies within the tower?" The black-haired servant said as she tried to entice the child.
Nora has always been obedient and well-behaved, even with servants, and especially so with members of the family. She was warned never to go inside the tower. But her curiosity eventually got the better of her, and she followed Camila.
They quickly arrived at the garden's edge where the towering structure stood. The tower loomed tall, its aged stone walls carrying the weight of centuries. The door was slightly open, suggesting someone had gone in before.
Upon stepping inside, she surveyed her surroundings. Despite having been outside just moments ago with the sun still shining, the interior was shrouded in darkness, resembling the dead of night. Looking above, she was astonished to find a ceiling adorned with stars, and Camila, unfamiliar with the place, was equally captivated by the breathtaking nighttime panorama.
In one corner of the tower, they discovered a spiral staircase cleverly concealed with the surrounding. Within, narrow staircases twisted upwards, leading to dimly lit rooms adorned with centuries-old tapestries and shelves brimming with ancient texts. Both looked at each other wondering what to do.
"Shall we go my lady?"
"Uh-huh"
As they climbed the tower, they were captivated by its intricate design. The staircase was crafted from Luminary Stones, which emitted a soft purple glow upon contact. With each step they took, the stairs illuminated their path upwards.
"Incredible."
"Indeed, my lady."
"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had something similar in the mansion?"
"Well, the mansion is already quite well-lit as it is."
Not long after, they reached the top of the tower. Before them stretched a breathtaking botanical garden, adorned with a myriad of exotic plants. Camila's expression shifted, a glimmer of recognition flickering in her eyes as she surveyed the flora.
Many of the specimens exuded an air of danger, their vibrant hues belying their lethal nature. Most were known to be poisonous, thriving only under the cover of night, their very touch capable of inducing paralysis in unsuspecting victims for days on end.
They then set their eyes on a familiar servant kneeling beside a child with grayish hair, who lay on the ground.
'Was he poison?' the young maid thought.
A natural assumption, considering the area was filled with poisonous plants.
Nora on the other hand felt completely, different despite her lack of familiarity with the unconscious individual, an inexplicable connection tugged at her heartstrings, signaling that he was in distress.
Driven by an instinct beyond her comprehension, her limbs propelled her forward with an urgency she couldn't ignore. Each step she took towards the prone figure seemed to tighten the grip around her heart, enveloping her in an overwhelming sense of suffocation.
As she drew nearer, a wave of apprehension washed over her, mingling with the adrenaline coursing through her veins. The sight of the servant, kneeling beside the unconscious form, only served to heighten her sense of urgency. Without hesitation, she knelt beside them, her gaze fixated on the figure before her.
A swift and determined figure lunged towards Noel, catching Lamy off guard as she glanced in the direction of the movement. It was Nora, Lamy's young mistress, renowned as a prodigy for achieving the title of the youngest mage in history. Despite her typically playful and carefree demeanor, Nora's face was now etched with the utmost seriousness.
Camila quickly followed Nora's lead, arriving beside her in an instant, which startled Lamy. With an intense gaze, Camila concentrated on the unconscious Noel as she tried to understand the situation.
Upon seeing the black spots emitting a dark aura from his body, Camila's expression turned grim, her slender arms reaching for her skirt. Suddenly, the dark and sinister aura intensified, unleashing a violent surge that caused a strong wind to sweep over all three of them.
Reacting swiftly, Camila caught Nora with one hand, landing gracefully on her feet. Meanwhile, Lamy wasn't as fortunate and ended up landing unceremoniously on her bum.
At this point Noel's limbs were already consumed by darkness, prompting Camila's expression to turn serious. Adjusting her stance with a subtle shift of her weight, she prepared herself, her hand delicately resting on the edge of her skirt. In an instant, her composed demeanor shifted to one of alert readiness.
With practiced finesse, she smoothly retrieved a pair of scissors from the concealed holster beneath her skirt.
Camila assumed a poised stance, her back rigid and her senses heightened, ready for the impending confrontation.
"Camila, wait! There might still be a chance!" Lamy's voice rang out, her hand still resting on her back.
"Can't you see he's already possessed? There's nothing we can do," Camila countered firmly.
"But you can't simply take the life of the young master."
"Listen, if that entity fully awakens, we'll all be in grave danger."
'Young master? Is he also part of the family? But what could be his reason for being here?'
As they conversed, Nora's gaze remained fixed on Noel's unconscious form, her expression filled with concern.
She couldn't shake the gnawing uncertainty regarding his identity. Her heart throbbed with an ache so intense it was nearly unbearable. She couldn't help but wonder if Noel was somehow connected to the turmoil she felt, yet the reason behind it remained elusive. Unexpectedly, she noticed a slight movement in his arm.
BOOM
Another powerful gust of wind swept through the surroundings, catching the trio off guard despite their readiness. Though they braced themselves, they were still pushed back slightly by the force of the wind.
Crack, crack, crack...
The unmistakable sound of bones creaking filled the air as Noel's body stirred. Slowly, he rose to his feet, a dark miasma emanating from his form. As he opened his eyes, the once-eerie oceanic hue was replaced by a deep abyssal darkness, devoid of life.
"Shit," Camila muttered under her breath, a rare curse slipping past her lips in a tone barely audible even to herself. Her gaze swept over the others in the room, her keen eyes catching the glimmer of fear reflected in their wide eyes.
If she wished to stand a chance of surviving, she'd have to unleash her full power, knowing full well that it would inevitably expose her true identity.