“Never show your face here again!”

We were expelled, exiled from the only place we’d ever called home.

Father lost his life, but Kairus, The Tyrant King, allowed us to keep ours. In exchange for sparing us, he took our home, he took everything, and he took him.

I still wonder, where did it all go wrong?

When Mother learned of Father’s death, she chose to follow him. She cursed Kairus to death.

“Both of you, please keep on living.” Those were her last words as she ushered us through the gates. Her hands trembled, but her voice did not.

And she turned back, leading a rebellion. The nobles who still stood by Father’s fought alongside her, their loyalty, their final resistance. They opposed the new tyrant king until their last breath.

A futile end.

* * *

“Sis, let’s eat!” a voice called out to me, accompanied by the delicious aroma of cooked meat.

“Woahhh, that looks so delicious.” I could feel my mouth watering at the sight of an unfamiliar dish.

My twin sister, the same age as me, is so talented. She knows how to hunt, how to cook, and she’s even awakened her color abilities already. Everything changed the moment we were kicked out of the kingdom. A side of her that I never knew existed, finally revealed itself.

We were never taught how to do any of this. The only things we learned were proper royal etiquette.

She is so coool!!!

I never knew someone could awaken this kind of wisdom. Could she have been a legendary adventurer or even a hero in her previous life?

“So dewichous!” I mumbled, scarfing down the food she cooked.

“Hahah, eat slowly, you look like a hamster.” She teased, wiping my cheeks with a cloth.

The food she made was completely unknown to me, yet everything tasted so delicious! It was way better than anything the royal chefs ever prepared. This ‘curry’ meat was amazing. I never would have known such a delicacy existed. The sha-sha-wa-ma and kebabs she made before were incredible too. Compared to the plain, bland food we had in the royal palace, her cooking was so unique!

Despite using meat from a large, scary cow-like monster, it tasted amazing! The way she butchered and skinned the beast with such skill is not something anyone would expect from a nine-year-old princess.

She’s like a legendary figure from the books of history. Perhaps even more! I’ve realized she is more matured compared to our peers, she is very elegant, very noble and very demure.

This new side of her, however, makes her so reliable, so strong, and so cool. Adding all of that together, she’s just the perfect heroine and the perfect queen. I admire her more than anyone else.

“Sis! I lopeee you!!!” Unable to contain my emotions, I blurted out my love for her.

“I love you too, my cute little sister.” She replied with a smile.

“I’m not little! >.<” I pouted. “We’re the same age.”

There she goes again, showing her mature side, which honestly doesn’t suit her petite figure. Sometimes, I can’t help but think she’s someone living her second life.

“Sis! You were a heroine in your previous life, weren’t you?” I asked, my curiosity bursting out.

Her face froze, her eyes widening in shock. Gotcha. As I expected, she definitely living her second life. One thing I’ve known about her since we were babies: she can’t lie.

“Eh! H-how?! N-no, wh-why would you ask that kind of question?” she stammered, her voice cracking.

“Heheh~ Don’t worry, sis! I’ve read a lot, so I know!” I said confidently.

“In the books, the heroine always reincarnated to face future evils and vanquish them!” I declared dramatically, quoting the plot of one of my favorite stories.

“Or maybe it’s like that famous book: The Moment When I Reincarnated as a Princess and Fell in Love with the Tyrant King. I still remember how sad that story was.” I added, recalling the tear-jerker novel every noble lady loved.

“Wha—?! Nonsense! Why would I even.” My sister wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“That title doesn’t even make sense! Wait—what kind of books are you reading again?!” she exclaimed, her mature composure slipping.

But then, as if something clicked, her expression turned conflicted. “Besides… that Kairus… not a coincidence…” she murmured.

Her voice trailed off as she said the name of the tyrant king, her face clouding with emotions I couldn’t quite decipher.

“Not a coincidence?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“It’s nothing. Anyway, what was that again about the book you read?” she replied quickly, trying to change the topic, and finding an excuse to scold me.

“Don’t try to change the topic! >.<” I pouted in protest.

Still, the moment passed, and we ended up chatting about the books I loved. Not once did she let me bring up the topic of the tyrant king again.

“Let’s go on an adventure! Let’s go on an adventure!” I sang excitedly, swinging her hands in mine.

With my sister by my side, all the bad things we’d experienced felt like a distant dream. Sure, it was heartbreaking when father and mother died, but even when they were alive, our time together was always so brief. They were consumed by their duties as king and queen, too busy with political affairs.

My whole world is my sister, my amazing twin sister.

After a month of living beyond the kingdom, life felt exhilarating. Compared to the royal palace, this was freedom. Back there, we were like birds trapped in a cage. Out here, the world was vast and alive, full of endless possibilities.

Sure, wearing frilly, beautiful dresses was nice, but nothing compared to the comfy clothes my sister made from monster materials. These palazzo pants and t-shirts? Pure genius! Once again, her boundless wisdom amazed me. It’s like she came from a different world entirely.

We’ve been journeying far, far away from the capital. Every day, we camped in a new place. Sometimes it was a forest teeming with monsters, but my sister always shooed the scary ones away. Other times, we stayed in villages we passed through as we hitched ride along with merchants.

One morning, though, something strange happened. The kind villagers who’d sheltered us had vanished without a trace. They’d treated us so well, giving us food and a warm place to sleep. Even though their cooking couldn’t compare to my sister’s, I slept soundly that night. But waking up to an empty village left an eerie feeling I couldn’t shake.

Now we’ve arrived at the furthest land shown on the kingdom’s map. Beyond this area lies another kingdom. As the former princess, I can’t help but feel conflicted about crossing into this territory, our kingdoms were often at each other’s throats.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

“Don’t worry about it.” My sister said, sensing my hesitation. “Even though this is another kingdom’s territory, no one will know we’re here. Besides, we’re no longer princesses of that kingdom.”

Her voice was calm, reassuring. “As long as I’m with you, I promise no threats will come near.” As she held my hand.

She’s so cool! I feel so safe when I’m with her.

As we continued, we entered a forest that had been ravaged by wildfire. The charred trees loomed over us like blackened skeletons, and the air felt heavy, filled with whispers of destruction. It was eerie. Who knows what happened here? Maybe this, too, was one of the many atrocities of the Tyrant King, Kairus.

Further along, we came across a surviving village, small but full of life. Unlike others we’d passed, this one hadn’t been decimated by the Tyrant King. The villagers smiled as they went about their day, their faces full of quiet resilience.

Their smiles filled me with hope.

“May the Almighty keep them safe.” I whispered in prayer.

Deeper into the forest, we stumbled upon ancient ruins, their stone walls crumbling and cloaked in moss and mold. The air here felt thick with history, as if the ruins were holding onto secrets from a long-forgotten time.

“Look, sis! An eyepatch!” I exclaimed, picking up the weathered strip of cloth lying among the rubble. “I am the King of Bandits! >wO”

“Hahah! You really do look like one.” My sister laughed.

“Arrghh! Warghhh! Fear me and give me all your money!” I declared, shaking a fist in mock menace.

“Aaa, please don’t rob me!” she said, playing along with a mock gasp.

After we finished playing pretend, rummaging through the ruins for any hidden treasure, we continued deeper into the forest.

Unlike other forests we’d crossed, this one had no monsters lurking in the shadows. It was quiet, almost too quiet. The stillness felt eerie but oddly peaceful at the same time.

Finally, after hours of walking, we reached the end of the forest and found a river. Which meant… yeayyy, we could finally take a proper bath!

It felt like forever since our last real bath, and the cool water against my skin was pure heaven. As usual, my sister created an ice wall to ensure privacy. She’s so overprotective, but I can’t help loving her for it.

She always says, “A woman’s worth is how she preserves herself.” So noble and very much like her.

“If anyone dares to peek, I’ll destroy their entire bloodline.” She murmured, her voice low and her expression terrifying.

Tonight, we’d be camping by the river, and the menu would be fish! I couldn’t help wondering what delicious creation my sister would whip up this time.

With a snap of her fingers, her eyes glowed blue as delicate snow particles swirled around her hands. Slowly, the snow gathered into the shape of a cozy house, a “bear-shaped igloo” as she called it. A cute name for an even cuter house.

I wished I could do more to help her, but she always insisted on doing everything herself. Even when I offered to gather firewood, she refused to let me wander away. She’s so protective, it’s adorable.

I’d asked her to teach me how to awaken my color and protect myself, but she always replied, “Not yet. The time will come.”

I really hope I’ll awaken the red color someday and gain a fire abilities. That way, I could give us warmth and comfort. My sister’s body is always so cold, probably a side effect of her ice abilities. She likes holding my hands because they’re warm, and I love holding hers too.

With her around, this journey feels like a breeze, literally. It’s never too hot, thanks to her.

But most importantly, if I could summon fire, I could save her the trouble of gathering firewood and struggling to light the fire. Either way, that’s my job for now, and I’m glad I can help her with at least something.

I grabbed a piece of firewood and rolled it between my palms, just like she’d shown me. Slowly, the fire started to catch. Watching the flames flicker, I smiled. I wouldn’t have known how to do this without her guidance.

“Sis, the fire is ready! Now give me more things to do! >.<” I exclaimed, eager to help.

“Great job!” my sister said with a smile as she expertly cleaned the fish she’d caught from the river. “Hmm… how about you help me by taking out all the cooking ingredients from the bag?”

“On it!” I darted into the igloo, retrieving the frozen bag she used to keep everything fresh. Inside, there were vegetables, some leftover meat, and a handful of other ingredients. I carefully took out the vegetables and fetched the seasonings from another bag she had packed.

With everything laid out, my sister started cooking. Her utensils, crafted entirely from ice, sparkled as she worked. Watching her use them was mesmerizing. The fire beneath them burned strong, yet the ice didn’t melt.

“How is that even possible?” I finally asked, curiosity bubbling over. “Isn’t ice supposed to melt with fire?”

She paused, grinning. “My ice has reached a special stage. I can materialize it as strong as steel now.”

It’s amazing! No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get over how incredible her abilities are. She’s so far ahead of her time, it’s like she’s rewriting the rules of what’s possible.

No doubt about it, my sister is a genius. As expected of her!

“Tadaa! Steamed fish!” she announced proudly, lifting the lid from the pan.

“Wahhh, it smells so good!” I leaned in, savoring the aroma of tender fish, perfectly steamed and topped with onions and colorful veggies.

“Too bad we don’t have rice.” She muttered.

“Rice? What’s that, sis?” I asked, imagining it must be the holy grail of food, given how often she’d mentioned it. My mouth watered even more just thinking about it.

“Hehe, rice is… the father of all food.” She said with a playful smile.

In my head, I imagined a glorious dish calling out to me. “My child, come and eat me.” It said.

Wait—why does it have Father’s face?!

“That’s so weird, sis.” I said, shaking my head to banish the bizarre image.

“No, it’s not! What kind of food did you imagine?” she teased, clearly amused.

Laughing, we dug into our delicious hot meal. The warmth of the food and her company made everything feel just right. Afterward, we settled in to rest for the night, recharging for whatever adventures awaited us next.

* * *

“Why did you leave me alone, my princess?” A voice called out to me.

As I looked towards the voice, I saw a headless figure holding the head of my former maid.

“Ahhhh!” Panicked, I screamed.

I need to run far from that scary figure.

Soon, I realized that I was back at the royal palace, my former home.

I could see another figure. Someone I admired and loved, it was my father, the king.

“Father, you’re alive!” I called out to him as I ran toward him.

“Oh, my princess…” he looked back at me.

However, the face I was expecting wasn’t what I saw. It was something much worse. His face was horrifying, crushed, his eyeballs hanging out of their sockets. His face was flattened, like it had been stomped by something heavy.

I screamed and ran again.

The monster tried to call me, “I’ve sacrificed my life to save you! How dare you run away from me?”

With my hands covering my ears, terrified to hear the voice mimicking my late father, I reached a familiar door in the royal palace. It was a room where I often met with mother.

I opened the door and called out, “Mother! Mother!” hoping she would comfort me.

I saw her face. My mother. She was smiling. I rushed to hug her.

“Mother, there’s a monster imitating Father!” I cried.

“There’s no such monster.” She said, comforting me.

But as I hugged her, I felt something strange behind her. I looked down, and my hands were covered in blood. When I looked at her back, it was distorted and deformed, so I push her. Her back was flattened like it had been trampled by hooves.

“How dare you push me?!” the monster imitating mother shouted.

Suddenly, from the door came more monsters, all imitating people I knew—Father, my former maid, and even the loyal nobles.

“Soon you will join us!”

“SOON YOU WILL JOIN US!”

“̶̧͍̼̳̌̇̂́͆̾̿̊̈͛͆̿̇̈̍͝Ř̸͓͚̙͚͋̅́̊̄̏͑̈́͊͠͝Å̶̛͉̖̺̗̲͈̙̖̘̜̙̗̮̯̦͈̟̥̾̒̇͂́́̍̒̀̈́̊̈́͘̚͠H̶̢̢̟̣͎̱̞͔̤̜̟̺̭̎͊̓̊͝H̴̰̤͋̉͊̽́̈́́̒̕͘͠͠͠Ḧ̸̦̖́͒̋̍̑͗͑́̈́̋͛͘̕͝H̴̻̘͇̭̟̘̏̓͌̓̈́̉Ĥ̷̨͇̮̝͕̫͚̓̀̃̾͌̎̌̃̉̀̊̚Ḩ̸̠̮̣̗͈̩̣͊̎̀̏̈́́͂̾͛̈̓͋̀̅́̚̕͝͝!̷̧̡̼̦̤̯̋́̂̀̈́̾̉́͋̐̕̚ ̵̡͍̗̘͚̠͖́̾̈́́̿̉̿̋̓̐̾̆͛̾͒͘ͅȘ̵̲̖̖̩͚̤̙͒̒͋̅̍͗̄̐͠Ǫ̵̡̛̬͍̥͎͖̅̇͗̐͘͘͜͝Ỏ̶̡̢̡̧̙̲̠͕̼̜͚̞̪̺̘͉̐̃̈͋̚͜ͅȎ̶̧͉̟̱͚̮̟̣͙̰͊̐͊̋̂̚͝͝N̶̥̗͚̺̱͋̋̊͛̿̌͊́͘̚ ̴̲̞͎̪̰̎̎̀̊̇̒̐̏̽͜ͅͅ ̵̡̛̛̛̝̯̬̙͈͚͌̽̿̈̽̀̇̏͐̓̃͘͜͠͝Y̴̨͖̟͔̤͓͉̤̞͎̳̭͒͗͂̀͒͐̏͐̈́̈͂̔̕͜͝͝O̴̤̞͕͉͗̂̔͋̓̾̃̂̉̄͐͂͘͝͝͝Ư̸̙̰̱̱̦̺̟̾̌̍̈͐̇̉̽̈́̋͌͊̎͊̂̈́̕̚͝ͅ ̶̩̬̝̪̗̘̱͇̙͕͓͚̹̮̈́́̈́̐͆̇̀̽̀̀̅͂̏͘͜͝͠͠ͅW̶͖͚͕͚̪̲̺̳͓̙̭͈̣̹̐̈͒ͅͅͅI̵̩̟̪̗͓͍̝̟̼̳̬͚͓̙̙͙̗̎̒̀̒̈͂̓̑̊̈́̿̾́́̄̓̎͂̀̃ͅL̶̡̨͚͍̬̼̙͍̬̜̪̲̄̏͆͂̍̆̈́͐̌͂͋͂̓͜͝L̶̨̬͇̯͕̫̜͐̑͊̆͠ ̷̧̧̢̡̜̥̪̠͍͎͎̖̫̦͇̭̟̘̀̈̋̽́͜͜͝͝J̴̛̰͇̖̟̻̠̥̱͙̙͎̞̪̪͐͆́̉̋̌͜͝O̸̯͚͔͈͎͓̣͇͙͚͖̹͔͔̟͎̥̪͝ͅI̵̡̛͕̻̰̠̭͈̣̘͕͙̻̗̦̰̣͛̈́͑͜N̴̡̫͕̟̠̮̫͇̼̖̭͓̦͘͜ͅ ̸̧̤̹̣̬̫̝̗̣̮̦̞̻̌̇̚ͅŪ̵̯̖̠͙̜͔̳̺͎̰͋͑̾̈́̌̀́̈́̕͜S̸̗̤̳̮̥̋͋̉̅̋̌̄̎͂̾̿̍̎͆̌̚͝!̶̻̰̋̅͛͆̏͛̓̆̈́̉̄̀̊̈́̿̈́̚̚͠͝!̴̢̢̢̞̹̭̰͕̘̟̞͉̩͕̦̬̹͓́̋́͂͝!̷̢͉̬̠͎͂͊̽͊̌̐̂̀̂͠”̸̲͇̦̱̣̱͋͌

“̶̧͍̼̳̌̇̂́͆̾̿̊̈͛͆̿̇̈̍͝Ř̸͓͚̙͚͋̅́̊̄̏͑̈́͊͠͝Å̶̛͉̖̺̗̲͈̙̖̘̜̙̗̮̯̦͈̟̥̾̒̇͂́́̍̒̀̈́̊̈́͘̚͠H̶̢̢̟̣͎̱̞͔̤̜̟̺̭̎͊̓̊͝H̴̰̤͋̉͊̽́̈́́̒̕͘͠͠͠Ḧ̸̦̖́͒̋̍̑͗͑́̈́̋͛͘̕͝H̴̻̘͇̭̟̘̏̓͌̓̈́̉Ĥ̷̨͇̮̝͕̫͚̓̀̃̾͌̎̌̃̉̀̊̚Ḩ̸̠̮̣̗͈̩̣͊̎̀̏̈́́͂̾͛̈̓͋̀̅́̚̕͝͝!̷̧̡̼̦̤̯̋́̂̀̈́̾̉́͋̐̕̚ ̵̡͍̗̘͚̠͖́̾̈́́̿̉̿̋̓̐̾̆͛̾͒͘ͅȘ̵̲̖̖̩͚̤̙͒̒͋̅̍͗̄̐͠Ǫ̵̡̛̬͍̥͎͖̅̇͗̐͘͘͜͝Ỏ̶̡̢̡̧̙̲̠͕̼̜͚̞̪̺̘͉̐̃̈͋̚͜ͅȎ̶̧͉̟̱͚̮̟̣͙̰͊̐͊̋̂̚͝͝N̶̥̗͚̺̱͋̋̊͛̿̌͊́͘̚ ̴̲̞͎̪̰̎̎̀̊̇̒̐̏̽͜ͅͅ ̵̡̛̛̛̝̯̬̙͈͚͌̽̿̈̽̀̇̏͐̓̃͘͜͠͝Y̴̨͖̟͔̤͓͉̤̞͎̳̭͒͗͂̀͒͐̏͐̈́̈͂̔̕͜͝͝O̴̤̞͕͉͗̂̔͋̓̾̃̂̉̄͐͂͘͝͝͝Ư̸̙̰̱̱̦̺̟̾̌̍̈͐̇̉̽̈́̋͌͊̎͊̂̈́̕̚͝ͅ ̶̩̬̝̪̗̘̱͇̙͕͓͚̹̮̈́́̈́̐͆̇̀̽̀̀̅͂̏͘͜͝͠͠ͅW̶͖͚͕͚̪̲̺̳͓̙̭͈̣̹̐̈͒ͅͅͅI̵̩̟̪̗͓͍̝̟̼̳̬͚͓̙̙͙̗̎̒̀̒̈͂̓̑̊̈́̿̾́́̄̓̎͂̀̃ͅL̶̡̨͚͍̬̼̙͍̬̜̪̲̄̏͆͂̍̆̈́͐̌͂͋͂̓͜͝L̶̨̬͇̯͕̫̜͐̑͊̆͠ ̷̧̧̢̡̜̥̪̠͍͎͎̖̫̦͇̭̟̘̀̈̋̽́͜͜͝͝J̴̛̰͇̖̟̻̠̥̱͙̙͎̞̪̪͐͆́̉̋̌͜͝O̸̯͚͔͈͎͓̣͇͙͚͖̹͔͔̟͎̥̪͝ͅI̵̡̛͕̻̰̠̭͈̣̘͕͙̻̗̦̰̣͛̈́͑͜N̴̡̫͕̟̠̮̫͇̼̖̭͓̦͘͜ͅ ̸̧̤̹̣̬̫̝̗̣̮̦̞̻̌̇̚ͅŪ̵̯̖̠͙̜͔̳̺͎̰͋͑̾̈́̌̀́̈́̕͜S̸̗̤̳̮̥̋͋̉̅̋̌̄̎͂̾̿̍̎͆̌̚͝!̶̻̰̋̅͛͆̏͛̓̆̈́̉̄̀̊̈́̿̈́̚̚͠͝!̴̢̢̢̞̹̭̰͕̘̟̞͉̩͕̦̬̹͓́̋́͂͝!̷̢͉̬̠͎͂͊̽͊̌̐̂̀̂͠”̸̲͇̦̱̣̱͋͌

The monsters all shouted as I collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down my face.

Among all the despair…

I could…

Hear it…

“Isa—”

A voice that always…

“Isabella!”

Comforting…

“Gabriella…”

She reached out to me, pulling me from the abyss. Her light illuminated the monsters as they shrank back.

But behind her, I saw…

A familiar figure.

“Don’t forget…”

“The end of the world…”

A reminder.

A warning.

A sign.

“Are you okay, Isabella? You’re having a bad dream again.” Gabriella said, concerned, as she placed her hand on my forehead.

“Don’t push yourself too much.” She added, hugging me tightly.

“I-I’m okay… waaa… waa.. sobs..”

I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer.

Gabriella held me tighter. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. Your sister is here.”

I could feel her tears, too, as she comforted me.