The twins found themselves transfixed by the glow emanating from Lantern's hollow eyes. The luminous orbs seemed to pull them in, their minds momentarily blank, unable to process his words.

Hiroshi's jaw clenched, his breath catching in his throat as he fought against the oppressive atmosphere. "B-business... partners?" he stammered,

"Indeed," Lantern purred, "Associates. Colleagues. Collaborators. Choose whichever term suits your fancy." He twirled his staff idly, the light catching its surface. "I've harbored a wish for countless years, one your father promised to help fulfill. In exchange for that... accommodation I provided."

Lantern's gaze drifted to his staff, admiring it with an almost loving caress. "But alas, their current... predicament... leaves them unable to uphold their end of the bargain, and that's where you two come in."

His eyes snapped back to the twins, glowing with intensity.

"Help me, and I'll provide the means to free your parents from their stone prisons."

The twins' skepticism evaporated instantly, replaced by a surge of hope that had them bolting upright.

"You can save Mother and Father?!" Amaye exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement.

Lantern's shoulders slumped slightly. "Well, not exactly... not in my current state, at least."

"Current... state?" Hiroshi echoed with confusion etching all over his face.

Without warning, Lantern launched himself off the table in a graceful arc, landing behind the witch girl with impossible agility. He spun to face the twins, adjusting his suit as he did.

"As I mentioned, this forest – the Elderwoods – is my domain. I reign supreme within its borders, but those very borders are the extent of my reach." His voice took on a bitter edge. "This woodland is both my kingdom... and my prison."

"Prison?" Hiroshi's brow furrowed. "How?"

But Lantern did not answer, he merely waved a dismissive gloved hand. "Ancient history, my boy. Unpleasant memories best left in the past." His tone brightened. "What matters is that those shackles will no longer bind me once free. The problem is, I can't break free alone. My magic, while formidable, falls short of the power needed – the same level of power that turned your parents to stone."

The twins' eyes widened simultaneously, igniting sparks of renewed interest.

"Eh?! You know what petrified our parents?!" Amaye breathed.

Lantern's gaze locked onto the witch girl's eyes, "Not what, my dear... but who."

With a dramatic flourish, he turned towards the dining room's exit, tapping his staff on the floor multiple times "Follow me," he beckoned, "and I'll show you exactly who is responsible."

-~-

"Woah? This place is--"

The words died on the twin's lips as they stepped into the cavernous space. Imposing. Resplendent. Palatial. No single word could capture the grandeur that unfolded before them.

The journey had been a stark contrast – a dizzying descent down spiral stairs that seemed to go on forever, followed by a trek through a corridor where cobwebs clung to their clothes like grasping fingers. They'd passed a door so dilapidated it practically wheezed, attention crying from its rusty hinges. Strange markings adorned the walls, their meanings lost to time.

The twins had braced for a musty cellar, perhaps a winter storehouse like the one buried deep beneath their own home.

But nothing could have prepared them for what lay beyond.

"Alley-oop!"

With a resounding crack, Lantern's foot connected with the grand door, and it swung open to reveal--

"Welcome to my altar of knowledge stretching impossibly upwards! Trade-mark."

Bookshelves towered three stories high, covered by a ceiling that appeared as the starry night sky itself.

Dark oak shelves were ladened with leather-bound tomes and scrolls.

Golden accents trace delicate patterns along carved wood and wrought-iron railings. The air itself seemed heavily stuffed with secrets.

The twin's breath caught in their throats as they craned their necks, eyes darting from shelf to shelf.

"This place looks so surreal," Amaye breathed with eyes laced with wonder "I can't even tell where it ends or where it begins... You own all of this?"

"Ah, but of course," Lantern replied. "This grand expanse is part of my home. Though I must confess, it was here long before I arrived. I simply built my humble abode atop its wonders. Alas, as the saying goes, finders are keepers, while losers are the weepers. Now, if you just give me one minute while I--"

A resounding double tap of Lantern's staff against the floor, and all chaos erupted.

Books burst from their shelves, taking flight in a dizzying aerial ballet. Tomes collided mid-air with thunderous claps, while other scrolls grimoires, and single pages of ancient text engaged in a frenzied chase, weaving and dodging like fighter planes in a dogfight.

Some volumes moved with eerie precision, their pages fluttering in perfect unison, while others hovered motionless, as if watching the spectacle unfold.

The twins' jaws dropped as books zipped mere inches above their heads, some of which were so close they were forced to duck and evade to avoid unwanted bruises to their faces.

The sheer impossibility of the sight nearly toppled them backwards.

"Now, which one is it again?" Lantern mused, stepping forward with casual grace. Books parted around him like water around a stone, barely ruffling his cloak. He snatched a hefty volume from the air as easily as plucking a daisy, thumbed through a single page, and then tossed it aside with a dismissive flick of his wrist.

A scroll, its edges crisp, sailed towards him. Lantern caught it between his teeth a mere millisecond he turned to face it, unrolled it with a flourish, and gave it a cursory glance front and back before discarding it like yesterday's news.

"Ugh," he grumbled, narrowly avoiding a collision with a particularly enthusiastic grimoire, "I really must start tagging these and keeping better track of-- Ah! There you are!"

Lantern's arm shot upward, stretching impossibly high. It coiled around chandeliers, wove through the barrage of airborne literature, and finally snagged a single, fluttering piece of torn paper.

The moment his fingers closed around it, every book in the air froze mid-flight.

As if by some unspoken command, they then all zipped back to their original places on the shelves, leaving the library as still and orderly as it had been moments before.

Here's a revised and more engaging version of the text, incorporating more "show, don't tell" elements:

"Behold, my dears," Lantern announced with a theatrical flourish, "your perpetrator."

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the single sheet sailing towards them. Hiroshi's hand darted out, snatching it from the air with surprising dexterity.

Huddled close, the twins scanned the parchment with intense curiosity, only to look at each other several times in confusion

The paper itself was a relic, its edges frayed and colour faded to a mottled sepia. At its centre, barely legible, were small blocks of text so weathered only one or two words could be made out after the other. Above it, a larger inscription – likely a title – stood out in bolder, yet equally incomprehensible script.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Amaye's brow furrowed as she tilted her head "Can you decipher any of this, brother?" she asked

Hiroshi's eyes narrowed. He allowed his fingers to trace the strange characters as if touch might reveal their secrets.

"Not a word. You?"

"Complete gibberish," Amaye sighed.

"What's thiiisss?" Lantern's voice lilted with exaggerated surprise, his hollow eyes somehow managing to convey amusement. "You can't understand the text? But i thought witches were meant to be book master book works and language experts"

Hiroshi shook his head. "We've never encountered writing like this before. Heck, I don't think it's even a real language?"

"Oh, but it is!" The skinny Pumpkin head palpably exclaimed. "The civilizations that penned these words so long ago, hailed it as the unified language, a key unlocking the barriers between countless tongues. They called it... English."

"English?" Amaye echoed in repeat "Doesn't that word sound familiar to you too, Brother?"

Hiroshi's brow furrowed in concentration, his hand absently stroking his chin "Yeah, it does actually "Father mentioned it once, I think. I was probably distracted at the time – I never fully grasped what he was talking about. English... Eeennngggllliiissshhh."

Their mother's habit of drawing out familiar yet elusive words was honestly a flawed one, but he decided to try the same approach anyway in the small possibility it helped

"Eeeeengliiiiish,"

One minute ticked by, then two...

"Nope, still nothing."

Lantern's pumpkin head swayed from side to side. "Oh, you two," he chided "Tut tut. Such a shame."

He tapped his staff thoughtfully against the floor.

"Perhaps this will stir those young minds of yours. Tell me, my curious companions, how well-versed are you in the grand tapestry of history?"

"Um, that depends on what kind of history?" Amaye replied.

"Oh come now, in this day and age, when one speaks of history, it's always about you-know-what."

The twins exchanged puzzled glances.

"You know... what?" Hiroshi ventured.

If Lantern could blink, he would have. "Oh, by the stars," he sighed "Very well, let's try another approach. You two are aware of the Age of Hated Rule, correct?"

"The Age of... the Hated Rule..."

Hiroshi repeated the words slowly, and then, abruptly, his eyes widened. Something had begun to stir in his memory

"Wait a minute... Amaye, do you remember that old bedtime story Mother and Father used to tell us?"

Amaye's brow furrowed. "Which one?"

"The one about how the past was terrible for everyone who lived in it, because of a really long war. You know, the story they used to keep us from sneaking out of our rooms at night?"

Recognition dawned on Amaye's face. She glanced down at the ancient paper in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly. For a brief moment, it appeared she could understand every word on that paper, and with every line read being the reason she looked more and more pale by the second.

"W-wait..." she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "A-are you saying... what I think you're saying? That the ones who turned Mother and Father to stone were--"

She swallowed hard, her next words coming out in a rush.

"No! No! It can't be, both figuratively and literally! Mother and Father could never be bested by them! It's not p-possible! It's ... it's impossible!"

Amaye's words dissolved into incoherent stammers, her usual grace abandoning her as she struggled to stay upright.

Colour drained from her face, leaving her skin ashen beneath her indigo hair. A visible tremor ran through her body, starting at her fingertips and working its way up to her shoulders.

"N-no!" she gasped "It's just not--"

Her hand flew to her temple, fingers pressing against her skull as if trying to hold back an explosion of thought. Wide with panic, her eyes now darted around the room, unable to focus.

"S-sis?!" "Hey, sis? Calm down!" Hiroshi's voice cracked with alarm. He reached for her, trying to get her to fixate on him with his voice.

But Amaye was beyond hearing.

"Ah! AAAHHH!"

A strangled cry tore from her throat. It was raw. It was primal. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor. Both hands now clutched at her head, her fingers tangling in her hair as if trying to claw out the very thoughts tormenting her.

Hiroshi dropped down beside her, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat. He gripped her shoulders, shaking her gently at first, then more urgently as her cries intensified.

"Amaye!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the library's towering shelves. "Amaye! Snap out of it! Please!"

... but .. by then his words no longer reached her ears.

-~-

(Warning! Glitch writing up ahead. A Glitch Text translator will be required for anyone who has trouble reading)

-~-

"̸̻̒T̴͇͘h̶̭̀ị̴̎ś̷͎ ̶̬͐i̷̳̿s̶̞̎ ̷̦̃i̴͎̓n̵̹͊s̸̭̊ã̸̺n̸̮̅e̸̗͂!̴͔̒ ̶̮͊s̸̮̎h̷̟̓e̶̥͊'̵̤̽s̷̨͐ ̶̠͘ä̷͖́ ̷͉̊f̸͚̋u̶̗̚ċ̸̱k̶̥̄ḯ̴̦n̵͙̽g̷̪͋ ̵̘͝m̸̦̑o̵̪͐n̷̜͋s̶̍ͅt̵̳̕é̵̩r̴̟͝!̶̑ͅ!̸̥͐"̷͔̏

Reality blurred, and melting. Everything seemed, weird, there were ... silhouettes ... figures ... I don't like them. They make me feel uncomfortable ... I want them dead.

"Die"

Shooting up with exploding force, the thorny vines appeared in the multitude to my side. Many wrapped around me, forming a makeshift shield, the rest, frantically struct at the figures in front of me.

They easily feel in severed heeps.

"̴̫͌W̶̹̎h̴̄ͅa̵͔͐t̶͚̐ ̵̜͌ã̶̳r̶͙̄ẹ̵̒ ̴͈͌ỳ̷͇o̵̡͒u̸̙͠ ̶̮̿i̷̛̼ḏ̵̅i̶̤̔o̵̙̅t̷̆͜ś̴̥ ̴̯̕d̸̮̈o̵̱͑i̵͖͘n̶͙̏g̴̹͝!̴̩̊ ̸̛͎F̷̘̔a̵̪̒l̶̟̔l̸̳̇ ̸̙͊b̷̬̌à̶̱c̷͉̚k̷̯͝!̷͇͂ ̷̫̈F̶̖͐ǎ̵̪l̸͍̔l̶̞͐-̸͎́-̵̻̀u̷̯̚w̴̞͝å̶̫h̵̞̐h̴̭͠h̸͇̉!̵̲̕!̸̙̅"̴̞͠

They were dying ... this was good.

"Die. Die and be dead. Stay dead. I want you dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead."

Some are running away. Doesn't matter, my bones will catch them ... it was like tag, I'm good at tag, I awalsy cath my b̶̛͙r̸̯͋ó̸̠t̴̒͜h̵͉͌e̵̬̔r̷̢̈́ ̷͐ when we play.

N̷̙̄o̴͙͌ ̵̥̃ẃ̷̨ǎ̷ͅi̵̫͆ẗ̸͎́,̴̼̒ ̸̲̎s̷̮̾ť̷̪o̷̲̎p̵̣̈!̷͙̓!̶͙̾!̵̨̄ ̵̯̾Ẇ̷̰e̴̻͋ ̵̻̒d̷̊ͅȉ̷̜d̴̼̎ṇ̴̓'̶͙͊t̷͉̃ ̴̰̒m̶͙̊e̶̺̿á̷͔n̸̖̕ ̷͓́f̷̄ͅơ̸̩r̴̬̔ ̶̥́a̵̠̐n̵̦̓y̵͈̕ ̷̻͆o̶̧̿f̶͇̀ ̵̬͋ẗ̵̞́ḩ̵̈i̵͍͐s̷̹̀?̷̹́!̵̹̉ ̸̤̎P̵̞̄l̸̛͖ę̷̑ȁ̷̻ș̷̅e̶̩̿ ̴̘̅s̵̫̊t̷̮̽o̵͓̚p̶̛̳!̶̰̓!̶̢́!̵̰̀"

That voice. Familiar... Funny ... I don't like how it sounds ... desperate.

"̸̐ͅL̷͕͆o̵̙͝r̶̪͋i̷̱̔e̷͚͆l̷̗̆,̵͑͜ ̶̮̋w̶̞̐h̷̺͛ạ̷̚t̸̩̚ ̴͎́ả̷̭ř̷͙ĕ̵̲ ̸͉͝ÿ̸̬́ơ̷ͅu̵̼̅ ̵̣̀d̵̬͗o̶̩͑i̵̢̾n̷̢̏g̸͖͐?̶̩̂!̵̖̚ ̶͙̚Ẃ̷̙ẹ̴̌ ̴̠̈ḧ̶̤́á̶̤v̷̡͊e̶͍͋ ̷̝̀t̸̞̚ó̸̯ ̷̟̾g̷̳̾ȯ̵͉?̶̯͠!̵̥̈́"̵͕͊

I see slende figure be lead away. Why? Where are you going? You called to me but now you are running? Not nice. You said we were F̷̱̚r̸̮̒ï̸̗e̶̓͜n̵͓͑d̴̘͆s̴̙̍.

Ḟ̸ͅr̴̪͑.̷̪̓.̵̩̓.̵͖͒f̶̼̈ṟ̸̉i̶̬̓e̷͍̎n̶̲̑d̴̥̑s̶͉͗...

Wait. Come back. Why are you leaving. You said we were F̷̱̚r̸̮̒ï̸̗e̶̓͜n̵͓͑d̴̘͆s̴̙̍. F̷̱̚r̸̮̒ï̸̗e̶̓͜n̵͓͑d̴̘͆s̴̙̍. don't run from F̷̱̚r̸̮̒ï̸̗e̶̓͜n̵͓͑d̴̘͆s̴̙̍. Come back. Come back!

-~-

"COME BACK!"

The library had been transformed into a writhing jungle of thorny vines, rupturing everything in their path.

Books and shelves disappeared beneath the verdant onslaught, as if centuries of neglect had allowed nature to reclaim this forgotten realm.

"Amaye!"

Hiroshi was knocked off his feet by the initial surge that erupted from beneath his feet. Now he had finally regained his footing. His jaw was clenched, his sister's anguished expression tore at his heart. He had to reach her, had to save her...

But...

-BAM-

"Gah!"

He had barely managed a single step before finding himself airborne. His cheek was pained with a deep cut that he didn't feel until he was flying through the air.

Time seemed to slow as he braced for impact, waiting for the inevitable collision with the unforgiving floor that would come any second now.

Any second now...

Any... second--

"Oh no, none of that!" Lantern's voice cut through the chaos.

"Hah... Dearest me, things have gotten soooo out of hand..."

"H-Huh?"

Hiroshi found himself gently deposited on solid ground. His first action was to touch his setherd cheek ... or at least, what expected to be a severed cheek, but it felt right as rain as when he awoken not that long ago on the bed.

"If this continues, my home will be overrun with vegetation. This I cannot allow..."

More vines' had aimed themselves at the two, their sharp points craving meat to peirce through.

"Ugh, I guess I'll just quickly... no... I need you both for my plan to work... I need you all before that time comes."

The suited figure fixed his collar, and stepped forward, his movement provoking an immediate response from the vines. They lashed out, intent on rending him limb from limb, reducing him to nothing more than pulp.

In theory...

-sizzle- -sizzle- -sizzle-

But charred vines posed no threat, crumbling to ash before they could even touch their target.

"Rrrraaaggghh"

Was Amaye was aware of what just transpired before her. Who knows? What was certain, however, was the surge of new vines rushing to replace their fallen brethren, they reached out with murderous intent and mere seconds they--

-sizzle- -sizzle- -sizzle-

Became nothing but blackened scorch marks on the library floor.

"Amaye Karugame ... your truly an interesting child ... I do look forward for us to get to know each other better as we move forward. Now, though, please stop recking my house."

-Snap-

"?!"

Could it be explained what happened next? No, probably not.

For, just a moment ago, an indigo-haired girl was in aguish for reasons unexplainable, and her vines were devouring everything in their path when she called upon them.

Now, she was on her knees, where she was originally, head arched backwards, and library looked dno different than it had done so earlier.

"Amaye?!"

Hiroshi didn't care, to be honest. After all the chaos that just occurred and gone, he didn't ask questions he just ran up and embraced his dazed sister so tight as if she would disappear before him.

"Well then. Seems everything turned out alright. Come witch boy, take your sister and follow me so we can get our deal straighten out and--"

"Wait."

"Hm?"

Lantern had walked passed the twinws as he had said what he said, but now he had stopped. He stopped because Hiroshi had stopped him, and Hiroshi had stopped him because his sister just went fiasco and now the punkin was acting like nothing had happened, and this something Hiorhsi could not just ignore.

"What just happened to her ... why did she lash out like she did ... and just who exactly ... are you."