“I.. Uh… Don’t know?” Blue hesitates in answering.

“Do you think I believe that?” Lilianne smiles at Blue, the meaning of it unknown.

“I actually don’t know.” Blue looks away. ‘Would she leave it now?’

Lilianne grins. “In that case, share all your memories with me and I’ll help you find out. You have nothing to hide, right?”

“... What?” Blue does a double take to make sure she hears it right.

Thomas shakes his head at Blue’s response. Lilianne just continues grinning. “Share your memories, come here and give them to me. Easy right? I can help you if you need it.”

‘Ugh, I can’t get her to stop. Seeing that she asks me to share, it should be something that she can’t do if I don’t want to. But, not allowing her would set her up against me, wouldn’t it? Maybe I should ask for something and say I’ll do it after she does that?’ Blue carefully thinks.

Lilianne impatiently taps her leg. “What are you waiting for?”

Thomas smirks. “She’s crafting a masterplan, can’t you see that?”

“Oh come on.” Lilianne rolls her eyes with a sigh.

Blue considers her words and starts talking. “Then, tell me who we were, who we are and why we’re here. If you do that, I’ll share my memories.”

It goes completely silent. Thomas and Lilianne both stare at her in disbelief.

It takes a while before the silence gets broken by Thomas. He starts laughing. “I like this new girl, going against your orders just like that.”

Lilianne annoyedly coughs. “No one goes against my orders.” She sighs and stares at Blue. “Why would you think I’d give you what you want?”

“Because I won’t give you what you want without.” Blue confidently says.

“I’ll take it if needed.” Lilianne easily says. Her face unreadable.

“If you could, wouldn’t you have done so from the start? I remember you saying that unless one of us is a lot stronger than the other, we’d need permission from the other.” Blue smiles.

Thomas starts laughing again. “Ha, she got you there.” He gives a thumb up to Blue.

Lilianne bites her lip. “Who the hell are you?” She stares at Blue like she’s a total stranger.

“I’m Blue, nice to meet you, sister.” With a big smile Blue clenches her fists. She’s standing confidently against her sister.

Lilianne’s face becomes unreadable as she stares in silence.

Thomas chuckles. “Should’ve expected that. She’s not you anymore.”

“You better watch Nick then, apparently they grow up way too fast.” Lilianne sighs.

“I have more control over him than you got on Blue. That much is obvious, isn’t it? Besides, he’s naive, easy to change him exactly how I want him.” Thomas smirks.

Lilianne rolls her eyes. “Here I thought fear would’ve been an easy one..”

“Ha, as if you make use of that. You just aren’t skilled enough and you don’t want to admit it!” Thomas declares with a smirk.

“Shut it, I’ll make you bow to me if needed.” Lilianne coldy stares at Thomas, then moves on to Blue. “Fine. We have a deal then. But you better do it or who knows what will happen.” Lilianne threatens Blue.

“I promise.” Blue quickly answers.

Lilianne lets out a deep sigh. “As I said, we used to be one person. This person… I’m not really sure, but I think they were some important person. The memories are hazy though, the first split left behind damage.

This person tried to do a magic ritual. For power maybe..” Lilianne has a thoughtful look on her face, it looks like she’s working hard to recall. “Or maybe to revive someone… Hmm, I don’t know.” She lets out a frustrated sigh. “The ritual, it went wrong. The soul broke into two parts and those parts were thrown out.

That created us two.” Lilianne nods at Thomas. “We got little pieces of the existence of that person, but we’re not them. The memories would help us grow and learn things faster from previous experiences.

We decided to try and finish what that person started. The ritual is fully imprinted in our minds, as the last thing the person saw. We did our research on it, fixed what was wrong and improved on it. And it worked. Or so we thought.” Lilianne bitterly smiles.

“The magic ritual merged with our souls. Our souls couldn’t take it and it cracked, from that you and Nick were created. You two didn’t get the memories from us though, just experiences. Because we might have done something before, your soul remembers how to do it.

The crack damaged our souls yet again, but this time in a personality split. It also threw us into this place, forcing us to restart. Now however, our souls are the ritual. The magic is inside us and not outside. Since Thomas and I researched the ritual we know some of the things it does. The merging did add some new effects, which we’ve been researching ever since.

The gathering of followers is basically getting them in on the ritual, thus giving them the powers of the ritual and what it normally would do. Soul contracts mean they permanently are involved in the ritual. But it also bounds them to you, since you’re the ritual.

So we’re walking magic in a world without magic or mana. We’re here because our souls got dragged into this place. That’s all.” Lilianne ends her speech. She looks nostalgic. She sighs another time before looking Blue in her eyes. “Now your end of the deal.”

“Thanks for telling me.” Blue tries to digest the info she just received. “So what do I do?” She asks Lilianne.

Lilianne lightly taps her chin.“Hmm, for now the easiest way is to let our foreheads touch. You think about what you want to show me and I’ll receive it.”

“So that means I control what you see, doesn’t it?” Blue tilts her head slightly to the side and frowns.

“With normal people maybe, but I’ll take control from there. Don’t think just because you got a little independance you’re free.” Lilianne grins as she bumps her forehead against Blue’s.

‘Okay think about what I want to show her.. The start maybe?’ Blue ponders. As she thinks about it the scenery changes. Suddenly she’s taken back to the start of the story. She experiences running away, seeing her sister die and meeting April again. It all happens really fast, and in less than a minute Lilianne steps away.

Lilianne has this brooding face and taps on her chin. She stays silent the whole time while she’s thinking. Thomas stares curiously at Lilianne, but doesn’t break the silence this time.

‘I wonder what she’s going to do now.’ Blue thinks. She doesn’t have to wait long, Lilianne turns her face to stare at Blue.

“So, either this world is fake or the other one is fake. But that world has things you never met before and shouldn’t know. Also you made contracts with them, meaning those people have souls. This world could’ve been made just from your memories and the part of our souls.

That would explain how we know stuff you don’t. It’s still us, but not the real one…” Lilianne hits the wall. “Why would I die?!”

Thomas frowns. “What are you talking about?”

Lilianne leans against the wall and looks at Thomas. “This place is fake. It’s the only explanation.”

Blue sheepishly smiles. “You’ve been very helpful, you know?” She awkwardly scratches her head.

“Helpful to you doesn’t help me.” Lilianne sighs.

“Then, how can I help you?” Blue questions.

“You can’t, I’m dead. There is a way to revive people, but by the time you’re strong enough to do that it’s too late. It probably already is too late since it’s longer than 24 hours ago.” Lilianne answers while thinking.

“Can you teach me how to revive people? That sounds like something useful.” Blue curiously looks at Lilianne.

Thomas gets annoyed by Blue’s questioning. “Are you trying to work us to death for your own benefit now?”

Lilianne shrugs. “You can’t use it yet, it would kill you. But if you ever get strong enough, it’s basically a cliche kiss. You breathe your life into them and give them part of your soul to fill the empty spaces. It also changes whoever you revived to be part you at that point. Gives you an easy way to order them around.”

“Even if I had enough power, I wouldn’t revive you ever. Just the thought of it-” Thomas makes gagging noises.

“I don’t even want you to revive me, become part you? No thanks.” Lilianne snarls. “But anyways, if you’d do that now you wouldn’t have enough life to fill them up. Thus them staying dead and you dying with it. So don’t do it.” She warns.

“Thanks for helping me.” Blue smiles.

---

The world around them changes. Blue opens her eyes and sees the familiar cage.

‘Well that returned me, I guess?’ Blue wonders.

“Oh, you’re awake!” A voice calls out, Blue looks around and sees it belongs to April.

“Awake? What do you mean?” Blue asks, tilting her head slightly. ‘I always came back right at the moment I left, right?’ She questions.

Julie joins them and pats Blue on her back. “You’ve been out for like 10 hours. Just out, like we couldn’t get you to wake up.”

“She’s becoming a sloth…” April teases.

“No! I am not! I don’t know what happened though, I didn’t fall asleep…” Blue defends herself.

Julie and April both laugh. Julie quickly teases Blue. “That’s what they all say, especially little kids. Those would say I don’t need to sleep yet, then fall asleep anyway.”

“Haha, that’s cute.” April remarks.

“Oh, come on… Just let me be.” Blue starts laughing herself.

“Well then, did you have a nice rest?” April smiles while asking.

“Hmm, I guess. What did I miss?” Blue avoids the question.

Julie sits down next to Blue. “Ehm… We had our checks done. Natasha has been crying in a corner. Also they brought food, there’s nothing left sadly. We tried to, but they came to get whatever was left over. Just go sleep some more, so you don’t have to wait.” She has an apologetic face.

Blue’s stomach growls as a response.

“It shouldn’t be long, unless they actually want to starve us. That doesn’t get the price up though.” April estimates.

“Until that time, just focus on us. We’re amazing and you should know that.” Julie teases.

April rolls her eyes. “Could’ve just said you’re gonna keep her busy.”

“No, we’re gonna keep her busy. I said we before, you know?” Julie grasps her hands together and stretches it. “So let’s go, what can we do?”

“Wasn’t this your plan? You say what we’re going to do!” April sits down on the other side of Blue. She sticks out her tongue to Julie from behind Blue’s back.

“Nah, April, become my right hand.” Julie declares.

“Not gonna happen.” April hides behind Blue.

Blue laughs about their silliness.

Julie proudly smiles. “See, it works!”

“Whatever you say.” April looks the other way.

“Anyways, I wanted to do a suggestion.” Julie starts talking seriously.

“Hmm? What is it?” Blue curiously asks. ‘Julie doesn’t get serious easily?’

“How about you try to get a soul contract, with everyone here? Mentally plotting won’t get spotted as easily you know.” Julie suggests.

“Ooh, so that’s why you wanted to act silly. It’d get the guard bored and not interested, right?” April shares her conclusion.

“Indeed, and staying silent here isn’t going to help ease suspicions. If we don’t talk at all we’ll stand out. Anyways what do you think about that, Blue?” Julie explains.