I blink, my brow furrowing in confusion. "Ex-fucking-cuse me?" The words slip out before I can stop them.

Virginia steps forward, her emerald eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that makes me want to squirm. "We can drink the blood of our mother to inherit her memories and knowledge," she explains, her voice carrying a hint of pride.

Ioana chimes in, her words perfectly complementing her sister's explanation. "It's like learning at an accelerated rate each time we feed," she says, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "But we need to drink our mother's blood every day for eight years straight, or we lose the memories and revert to being children."

"Now that eight years have passed," Virginia continues, "we have permanent ownership of our mother's memories. We will no longer lose them."

I stand there, slack-jawed, trying to process this information. It's like something out of a twisted fairy tale, vampiric children drinking their mother's blood to gain knowledge. The scientist in me is fascinated, but the part that still clings to some semblance of normalcy is thoroughly disturbed.

"...O...kay," I manage to stammer out, my mind whirling with the implications. Then, a thought strikes me. "Wait, are you two both capable of using your gifts?"

"Yes," they respond in perfect synchronicity, their voices blending into an eerie harmony that sends a shiver down my spine.

I turn to Dumitra, a mix of curiosity and horror dawning on me. "What did you do to them?" I ask, dreading the answer but needing to know.

Ioana's face crumples, her earlier composure cracking to reveal a deep well of pain. "Mother... she killed a puppy I loved," she begins, her voice trembling. "It was a tiny thing, all fluffy and golden. I found it abandoned in the woods and nursed it back to health. For weeks, it was my constant companion, following me everywhere, sleeping curled up against my chest at night."

She pauses, taking a shuddering breath before continuing. "One day, Mother called me to her chambers. The puppy was there, wagging its tail, so happy to see me. And then... and then she picked it up by the scruff of its neck, looked me in the eye, and... and..." Ioana's voice breaks, tears welling up in her emerald eyes.

"She snapped its neck," Virginia finishes for her sister, her own voice tight with emotion. "Right in front of Ioana. Said it was a necessary sacrifice to awaken her powers."

I feel sick to my stomach, imagining the scene. The cruelty of it, the calculated brutality... it's almost too much to bear.

Virginia's face hardens as she recounts her own trauma. "For me, it was different. Mother pushed me into a goblin horde," she says, her voice flat but her eyes blazing with remembered terror. "I was barely more than a toddler, still learning to walk. She took me to the edge of a dark forest, where the air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh and unwashed bodies."

She shivers, wrapping her arms around herself as if warding off a chill. "I heard them before I saw them - grunting, snarling beasts with razor-sharp claws and yellowed fangs. Mother kissed my forehead, whispered 'Be strong, my little one,' and then... she shoved me into their midst."

Virginia's eyes go distant, lost in the horrific memory. "I screamed and screamed as they tore at my flesh, their claws raking across my skin, their teeth sinking into my soft flesh. The pain was... indescribable. I thought I was going to die, torn apart by those monsters. And then... something inside me snapped. The world inverted, and suddenly the goblins were falling upwards, screaming as they plummeted into the sky."

I stand there, horrified, struggling to find words. Before I can speak, Dumitra cuts in, her voice cool and matter-of-fact. "It was necessary," she says, shrugging elegantly. "They will forget their trauma over the hundred years that they will live. They should be happy that I helped them unlock their powers myself."

I gape at her, unable to comprehend the callousness of her words. How can she be so dismissive of the pain she's inflicted on her own children?

Ioana's lower lip trembles as she speaks again. "I'm... I'm afraid of losing things I love," she confesses, her voice barely above a whisper. "Every time I care for something, I fear Mother will take it away. I can't... I can't bear to love anything fully anymore."

Virginia nods, her face a mask of grim determination. "And I'm afraid of dying," she says, her voice hard. "Every moment, I'm acutely aware of how fragile life is, how easily it can be snuffed out. I push myself to be stronger, faster, more powerful... because I never want to feel that helpless again."

I turn to Dumitra, my mind reeling from these revelations. "And you?" I ask, my voice hoarse. "How did you awaken your gifts?"

Dumitra's lips curve into a sardonic smile. "Boredom," she says simply. "Centuries of existence, watching the world change around me while I remained static. The ennui became so painful, so all-consuming, that it was enough to unlock my powers."

Her ruby eyes fix on me, gleaming with a predatory light that makes my blood run cold. "But now, little one," she purrs, "it's your turn to suffer."

Dumitra's words hang in the air, heavy with promise and threat. I feel a chill run down my spine, but I force myself to stand tall, meeting her gaze with as much defiance as I can muster.

"I remember," Dumitra says, her voice taking on a thoughtful tone, "that your engram has a 10% left that did not load."

Virginia and Ioana exchange glances, their emerald eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Pray tell, mother," Virginia asks, her voice a perfect mirror of her sister's, "what is an engram?"

Dumitra's lips curl into a smile that's equal parts indulgent and predatory. "An engram, my dears, is a hypothetical means by which memory traces are stored as physical changes in the brain."

I can't help but nod, impressed despite myself. "That's correct," I say, my voice steady despite the surreal nature of this conversation. "A surprisingly accurate definition, given the time period we're in."

Dumitra's smile widens, showing just a hint of fang. "My recollection of your memories is getting blurry. They will disappear completely in perhaps a few months. But at least some still remain."

A thought strikes me, and before I can stop myself, I blurt out, "Did you never bother to write down the knowledge you got from me?"

Dumitra raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, her ruby eyes glinting with amusement. "Write it down? My dear, I wouldn't have had the time to write down all the books of all the information you had in your brain."

Virginia lets out a low whistle, her emerald eyes wide with wonder. "Lile must have lived for quite a long time in her past life for you to say such a thing, mother."

I can't help but snort at that. If only they knew.

Dumitra shakes her head, her midnight locks swaying with the motion. "Lile only lived for seventy or so years as a man," she explains, her voice taking on a reverent quality that makes me distinctly uncomfortable. "But Lilith, the machine god that Lile created, put the entire knowledge of humanity in her head. By all that is divine, there was so much in her head that I felt like my own would burst when I first fed from her."

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Ioana takes a step closer, her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that makes me want to squirm. "I'm even more interested in Lile now," she says, her voice low and husky.

Virginia shoots her sister a warning look. "Be careful, sister," she cautions. "Lile is a mortal and will die of old age. You will lose her."

Ioana sighs, a sound of exquisite melancholy that seems at odds with her youthful appearance. "Of course," she murmurs. "I won't fall for a mayfly."

Christ, I'm being discussed like some sort of exotic pet. These vampire twins might look like teenagers, but their casual discussion of my mortality is downright chilling. It's a stark reminder of just how alien they are, despite their human appearance.

Dumitra clears her throat, drawing our attention back to her. "Once you chew on the plant matter," she says, her eyes boring into mine, "it's quite likely that the rest of the 10% will load up the rest of your memories and unlock the traumatic event. Most likely your death in that life, since I did not see any significant traumatic event in the rest of the 90% of your memories."

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant even as my heart races. "Maybe," I say, my voice carefully neutral. "Won't know until we try."

Ioana leans forward, her emerald eyes gleaming with excitement. "What do you think it will be like?" she asks, her voice breathless with anticipation. "To relive your own death?"

Virginia elbows her sister, shooting her a reproachful look. "Don't be so morbid," she chides, but I can see the curiosity burning in her eyes as well.

"I'm more interested in what other memories might surface," Dumitra interjects, her ruby eyes never leaving my face. "There's so much knowledge locked away in that pretty little head of yours, Lile. Who knows what wonders we might uncover?"

I feel a surge of anger at her words. My memories, my knowledge - they're not some treasure trove for her to plunder at will. But I force myself to stay calm, to keep my expression neutral. "Knowledge can be a dangerous thing," I say, my voice low and warning. "Especially knowledge from another time, another world."

Dumitra laughs, the sound like shattered glass. "Danger is what makes life interesting, little one," she purrs. "And I've lived far too long to fear a little danger."

Ioana nods eagerly, her eyes shining. "I want to know everything," she declares. "About your world, about the machine god, about-"

"Enough," Virginia cuts her off, her voice sharp. "We're getting ahead of ourselves. First, Lile needs to survive the ritual."

I feel a chill at her words. Survive. As if there's a real chance I might not. I look at Dumitra, searching her face for any sign of concern, any hint that she might call this whole thing off. But all I see is that same predatory anticipation.

"Well then," I say, forcing a bravado I don't feel into my voice, "shall we get on with it? I'd hate to keep you all waiting."

Dumitra's smile widens, and she gestures towards a small pouch at Ioana's waist. "Indeed," she purrs. "Let the fun begin."

Ioana's slender fingers deftly untie the small pouch at her waist, her emerald eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. She reaches inside and pulls out a handful of dried herbs, their appearance unremarkable save for the faint sheen that seems to dance across their surface in the morning light.

"Here we are," Ioana says, her melodic voice carrying a hint of warning. "I must inform you, these herbs possess a taste most bitter. 'Tis not a pleasant experience, I'm afraid."

I eye the plant matter warily. This better not be some medieval version of bath salts or I swear to god...

Ioana extends her hand, offering me the herbs. "Take them," she urges, her voice soft but insistent.

As I reach out to accept the herbs, I notice a subtle shift in the atmosphere. Dumitra, Ioana, and Virginia begin to take small, measured steps backward, their eyes never leaving my face. It's as if they're expecting me to spontaneously combust or transform into some eldritch horror at any moment.

"Hold on a second," I say, narrowing my eyes. "What's with the sudden social distancing? I don't have the plague, you know."

Virginia's lips twitch in a barely suppressed smile. "We simply wish to avoid death, dear Lile," she says, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"Death?" I repeat, my eyebrows shooting up. "Bit dramatic, don't you think? It's just some herbs, not a loaded gun."

Dumitra's musical laughter fills the air. "Oh, sweet child," she purrs, her ruby eyes glinting with amusement. "You'll soon become quite unpredictable. Potentially dangerous, even. We're merely exercising... caution."

I roll my eyes, unable to keep the sarcasm from my voice. "Right, because I'm such a threat in this pint-sized body. What am I going to do, nibble your ankles?"

"You'd be surprised," Ioana murmurs, her emerald eyes darkening with memory. "I've seen grown men reduced to gibbering wrecks by these herbs. 'Tis no trifling matter."

A thought strikes me, and I can't help but voice it. "You know, there's a simpler solution here. Why not just tie me to a tree or something? That way, you can keep your distance and I won't go on a toddler rampage."

Dumitra's response is so matter-of-fact, it's almost comical. "We lack rope," she says with a shrug.

I blink, momentarily stunned by the absurdity of the situation. "You're telling me that in this entire forest, there's not a single vine or strip of bark we could use? What kind of half-assed ritual preparation is this?"

Virginia giggles, the sound like tinkling bells. "Perhaps we could fashion a rope from your hair, little one. 'Tis long enough, I'd wager."

"Oh, brilliant idea," I retort, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "And while we're at it, why don't we just use my dress as a straitjacket? I'm sure that'll hold up great against drug-induced superpowers."

Ioana's eyes light up with mischief. "We could always ask the trees to hold you. I'm certain they'd be most accommodating."

I snort, shaking my head. "Right, because talking trees are exactly what this situation needs. Maybe we can get some singing flowers to serenade me while I trip balls."

Dumitra clears her throat, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "As amusing as this banter is, we really should proceed."

"Fine, fine," I grumble, bringing the herbs closer to my face. "Let's get this magical mystery tour started. But I swear, if I start seeing pink elephants or talking caterpillars, I'm blaming all of you."

As I lift the herbs to my nose, a familiar scent wafts up, tickling my nostrils. My eyes widen in recognition. Holy shit, is that... weed? The earthy, slightly skunky aroma is unmistakable, bringing back memories of college dorm rooms and clandestine smoke sessions.

For a moment, I hesitate. This isn't just some harmless joint; it's a potentially mind-altering substance that could unlock god knows what kind of latent abilities. But then again, when in Rome... or rather, when in medieval Ireland being pressured by vampire twins and their MILF mother...

With a mental shrug, I pop the herbs into my mouth and begin to chew. Here goes nothing.

The moment the herbs touch my tongue, I'm assaulted by a bitterness so intense it makes my eyes water. It's like someone distilled the essence of every foul-tasting medicine I've ever had and concentrated it into this single mouthful. The texture is gritty and fibrous, sticking to my teeth and the roof of my mouth.

Fuck me sideways, this is vile. I've tasted better things scraping the bottom of a dumpster.

I continue chewing, fighting the urge to spit the noxious mixture out. The bitterness intensifies, if that's even possible, and I feel my throat constricting as my body tries to reject the offensive substance.

Suddenly, Dumitra's voice rings out from behind a tree. When the hell did she get there?

"Spit it out now, child! Swallow your saliva!"

I comply, grateful for the excuse to get rid of the foul herbs. As I spit, I notice Ioana and Virginia peeking out from behind another tree. Christ, when did this turn into a game of hide-and-seek?

"You're doing great, Lile!" Ioana calls out, her voice oddly cheerful given the circumstances.

Virginia chimes in, "Remember, embrace the experience!"

Embrace the experience? Easy for them to say. They're not the ones with a mouth full of Satan's lawn clippings.

I swallow hard, grimacing at the lingering taste. "So, what now? Do I start seeing pink elephants or-"

My words trail off as the world around me begins to... shift. The trees seem to breathe, their branches swaying in a nonexistent breeze. The grass beneath my feet ripples like water, and the sky... oh god, the sky.

"I'm seeing... geometric shapes," I say, my voice sounding distant and hollow to my own ears. "They're... they're everywhere. Fractals, spirals, impossible angles..."

Dumitra's voice floats to me, sounding both near and far at the same time. "It's starting, little one. Brace yourself, for it will only get worse."

Worse? How could it possibly get- oh. Oh no.

The fractals are growing, expanding, consuming everything in sight. Colors that shouldn't exist bleed into one another, creating a kaleidoscopic nightmare. The ground beneath me feels less and less solid with each passing moment.

"I don't... I don't like this," I stammer, panic rising in my chest. "Make it stop!"

"Calm yourself, child," Dumitra's voice echoes from everywhere and nowhere. "Let it do its job."

I laugh, a high, hysterical sound that doesn't seem to come from me. "Let it do its job? You told me this herb is used to torture people! Letting it 'do its job' is basically becoming a masochist!"

"Embrace the pain, Lile," Virginia calls out, her voice distorted and warped. "It's the key to unlocking your true potential!"

"Fuck potential!" I scream, my body trembling uncontrollably. "I want off this roller coaster!"

The world around me continues to warp and twist, reality bending in ways that make my brain hurt. I feel like I'm being pulled in a thousand different directions at once, my very essence stretched to its breaking point.

"I'm falling!" I cry out, feeling the ground give way beneath me. "I'm falling through... through..."

And then, suddenly, I'm not in the meadow anymore. I'm... I'm...[...]