Five and a half feet high, fair, chubby and she moved in to this district about two months ago, so she's not popular here. No wonder the shopkeeper didn't know her address!

'Maitreyi , what's the matter? Why are you so quiet?' Dhruv shook me by the shoulders.

Instead of answering him, I took out the ring which was safely put in the side pocket of my rucksack. Sylvia's eyes widened with shock.

'Do you recognize this?'

She stood rooted to the spot.

'No-no I don't. I don't know-

I walked up to her, forcefully grabbed her hand, and slipped the ring on her ring finger.

A perfect fit.

The whole room was quiet with shock.

'So it was you. Isn't it? You attacked and kidnapped the twins?'

She stood shivering, her head bent low.

'What twins?' She tried playing dumb.

'Drop the act, Sylvia. You know them very well. Akash and Antara. You were employed there by their mother'

She still stood quiet.

'ANSWER ME! You attacked the twins didn't you?'

She finally said one thing that changed everything.

'Yes, it was me'

I lost my temper.

'Why did you do it? WHY?' I couldn't help shouting.

Suddenly her whole demeanor of shame disappeared and she flung up her proud head.

'Why? You're asking me why? Very well then, young lady. I'll tell you why.

Yes, you got it right. Persephone was my great grandmother. And did you know what your Antara's dutiful great-great grandfather Tylon did? He killed her mother! Banished her father. She was sent to a bunch of forest folk who took care of her so that she would inherit nothing from her father's spells. She grew up with no parents, no family! All because of that wretched Tylon and his pride. So when I went up to the attic and saw the AMNESIA spell, I knew at once who these children really were. And I couldn't resist myself to attack them. I had to avenge my great grandmother. Persephone raised me like her own child when my mother died of cancer. She died when I was a teenager'

'They were killed for treachery, Sylvia! Ruby planned to kill Tylon. Octavius betrayed the people who trusted him like a brother! They were killed for their evil designs, not for the sake of pride'

'No wait, hear me out. She left me a letter describing this whole story and left all her possessions in my name. I was crying like anything when I read it. She of all people, who never made me miss my mother had to go through this. Do you know what the letter said?

We were quiet.

"Sylvia, one of the reasons why I never let you miss your mother, is because I missed mine. I had everything in the world, knowledge, wealth, respect, just name it! Everything, except for love. I never knew the love of a parent"

She paused to take a breath.

'I couldn't help it. To see her suffer like this killed me on the inside. And for twenty-five years I seethed with anger. How could I lose out on a chance like this?'

'How did you come across the spell?'

'When I went up to the attic to clean. Much to my luck, the safe was unlocked because of some fool who left it that way after fishing through it'

'So now you're a thief too. You weren't allowed to go up there, you know that right? You didn't go up there to clean, you sneaked in to snoop around for the sake of satisfying your inquisitiveness. And as luck would have it, you came across the safe. And Akash caught you in the act and you needed to get rid of him'

'I had to! Look at the circumstances'

As if that was some reason.

'I agree it's very sorry for Persephone' I told her. 'But tell me Sylvia, what did Antara or Akash do to you? Did they cause any harm to you? Tell me. They didn't choose their ancestry, did they? And you attacked them for such a flimsy excuse! What are you, a child?'

'Flimsy for you maybe. But now, I finally got my revenge on Tylon. Persephone can now rest in peace'

I was burning up with anger. But I managed to bottle it up.

'Fine, you did get your stupid revenge. Now will you let them go?'

'Not on my life. Not until I feel sorry enough for them' she replied, her wicked eyes flaming with ruthlessness.

'Sylvia, I'm giving you a last chance. Will you let them go?' Esperanza finally found her voice.

'No! Never will I do such a dirty deed'

I felt like slapping her.

'Listen up, you coward. You tell me where they are, and I'm not telling the police. If you don't, get ready to face the consequences' I threatened her with my fist.

'What consequences? Trying to force me ah, little girl?'

Saying so, she took out a small object from her pocket.

'Is that.....' I lost my voice.

She snorted.

'Tell me your consequences, miss'

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

She was holding a papyrus.

'Why-why you thief! That belongs to the twins!'

'No it doesn't. The AMNESIA papyrus is safe with me'

I was horrified.

'So this is...'

'Yes, honey bunches. The antidote to RUBY'

She held it up high above her head.

'Goodbye, twins! Here, catch!'

She flung the papyrus in the air. My heart skipped a beat. For a moment I was numb, losing all my senses. I knew I'd lost the battle, and I had to bid my best friends goodbye.