I squirm in my chair. This isn't going according to my plan.

I thought we were free to go home but apparently the Elders don't think so. I grip Karim's hand tightly looking straight ahead as blankly as I can at the six robed men in high thrones and a woman on a large airy projection. Am terrified of the imposing presences.

The walk here had been an out of body experience. This pocket world is extraordinary. I wonder how they even live in harmony. I have never seen so many magical and mystical beings in one place but then again I have never seen one up until a day ago.

Fairies with their delicate wings flying every where, faeries with their dark personality and enchanting songs singing away in the trees with green eyes, naiads, dryads, horses whiter than well any white I have ever seen, nymphs, hunters, tree beings, so many green men, centaurs, even a manticore, well actually there are many more that Artemis named by sight but oh well I couldn't keep up.

Everyone co-existed peacefully, I even saw a couple of pixies  causing mischief with the sugar plum fairies. How could beings that small exist? I wonder if they taste sweet if I lick them....

The forest was lush and green though filled with different creatures of different colors making it quite a spectacle. This is stuff out of fairy tales leaving out this world being destroyed part or realm ughh whatever really. I still want to go home.

My eyes were almost popping out. They were too many wonders I literally wanted to scream but I was also very much scared of them. I looked over at Karim. He was turning around in full circles taking it all in. He didn't even blink. Amazing how he is still keeping his sanity.

"Pretty amazing right?" Artemis nudged me. I couldn't even bother to scowl at her contact. I was in bliss.

"Yeah, where did they all come from?" They were just so many.

"From the surface of our dying realm, it's a sanctuary and a home for them here. We didn't even know they were here until they just showed and followed us here. They were more scared of annihilation than us."
Artemis elaborates while I turn to look at a brown dryad watering her tree and another with moss green hair braiding pink flowers into blue hair of another dryad with a flowy white dress. They were so beautiful. They turned and waved at us, we waved back.

"Hello Lennie, and Orcha I love the new hair do." Jake compliments while winking at Orcha.

She giggles and Lennie slaps her playfully on the shoulder. I shudder when I catch on to what Jake meant to Orcha.

"Are we almost there?" Karim asks Jake who is busy puppy eyeing the giggling dryads.

"Yeah we're very close, the Elder Mansion is just through this forest." Artemis does the answering. We have been walking for almost a day now. A question swirls in my mind.

"Why did you bring us here? I thought the elders or what ever wanted only you, pink hair and grumpy boy over there?" My sarcasm is back. Thoren glares at me and the girl fidgets with her hands looking anywhere but at me and Karim holding hands. My ego soars, I hold it tighter.

"Yes but they also told us to bring you since you pose a certain danger to all of us, well not me but the others."
I remember how Emmeline cringed away from me and swallow.

"Originally they would have wiped your memories and sent you back but you are powerful and Karim isn't exactly normal either. Maybe the elders will determine what you are and what your power and mine is." Our powers seem to grow when we are next to each other. I muse.

She pushes a strand of her hair from her face looking unconcerned with what she had said. Karim and I had frozen in our tracks. It just confirms the "we" part I heard earlier. Taking us in? Like prisoner stuff? I don't want to be held captive.

"Am not going to be anyone's lab rat, am going home anyway I can because it was clearly a mistake coming here with you. My parents must be worried. Karim's parents must be worried too, and when were you going to tell us this?"
I scream at her. I could feel something rising with my anger.

I am going to beat the life out of her till she takes us home. It's her fault we are stuck here in the first place. I let go of Karim's hand and balled it into a fist. 

"Do your thing of ......that thing with your hand and send us both right back now" I demand. I seem to draw my power from anger so I let my emotions loose focusing on rising anger majorly. My fist lit up. Artemis narrowed her eyes at me.

"A freak standoff" Thoren smirks at us. He is next after am done with Artemis.

"Hi, hold it. A fight won't get us home " Karim said as he stood in front of me shielding me. Not even bothered that I have a glowing fist.

"I can't." Is all she mouths.

"You can" I repeat forcefully.

"I just can't" She matches my vigor.

"She can get us home. She just needs to explain we are harmless and we will be left to go home. It will be fine okay?"
She moves around Karim unfolding my fist and my anger gradually cools somehow. Thoren scoffs. The girl looked relieved. Jake is ashen.

"I will see what I can do."
Artemis says with finality and she stomped forward pushing a branch revealing a black majestic castle made of entirely black marble with life like statues of warriors captured in battle stance, I am speechless.

"Miss Hathaway did you hear what I just said?"
I am snapped out my reverie by Karim who pinches me. Oww. I swat his arm. The question?
What! I was confused.

"We asked how long have you had your powers dear?"
The kindly lady on the screen seems to see how confused I am and she helps me.

"Since a few days ago, I think" I lie. I have had them for months.

"And you Artemis?" A man with blue hair in black leather and crystal bow addresses her. She fidgets.

That means she is also uncomfortable with this whole interrogation process. Talk to them to show we are harmless they said. How's it working out now. I scoff in her general direction.

"A few days ago commander. Then I disappeared."
She adds as an after thought. She is lying. I feel a wave of anxiety hit me. I am momentarily dazed.

"We have answered everything you have asked us, can we go home now?" I  look straight at the lady in white on the screen.

"Am afraid we are going to have to keep you for a while dear" She answers sadly.

"You only speak when you are spoken to, am I understood?" A man with white hair with the biggest throne booms at me.

"And who put you in charge of me grandfather" I inwardly cringe as I glare at him.

I am suffocating. How?

I tumble off the marble seat coughing violently. Trying to catch a breath. What's happening?. My throat constricts further like someone is closing their hands around my throat chocking me.

Artemis and Karim are by my side instantly. My eyes sting and water from the pressure on my throat. My vision starts to blur.

"Please stop it your killing her." Artemis wails but I can't be sure as my vision swims with tears.. She sounds desperate. I feel a wave of pure panic hit me and something else, restrained anger? Why am I feeling this?

"Petrous stop it. We can't question her if she's dead." It sounds like the blue haired man Artemis called commander. Who is Petrous?

"She's just a child let her be."
A melodic voice rings out. Am sure it is the lady in white. Black spots dance in my vision. I slack on the marble floor as everything starts to fade out.

The iron grip on my neck is loosened and I quickly gulp in air. I cough reflexively and sit up cradling my burning neck.

"I said, you shall not speak unless you are spoken to understood?" The one called Petrous booms at me again. I am tired. I can't do this.

"Yes...Yes sir" I manage to choke out between coughs. My throat is on fire. He seems pleased enough by this. Artemis and Karim support me back to my cold marble chair. Am dizzy.

"She shall stand, I shall have discipline here."
Petrous shouts at Karim and Artemis. I can barely stand without their support at all. I see Thoren masking a smirk in the corner of my eye cradling his now bandaged hand. Whose side is he on anyway? apparently not mine.

"We'll stand with her sir" Artemis says gently but I sense an undertone of fury. She is angry but at who? me? No it doesn't feel that way.

"Have it your way " The blue haired guy waves it off before Petrous. He scowls at him. Clearly he wasn't done with me.

"The reason you can't leave dear, actually three reasons are one, you are a potential threat to us and we don't know the extent of your powers, two, your powers are very unstable so we need to monitor you and three, I think you suit the prophecy."
The lady in white grimly finishes. I have questions.

I shift my weight to another leg and Karim tightens his grip on my waist making me lean in to him so that he takes my weight, well most of it. This was proving to be very hard. What's this about a prophecy?

I look over at Artemis. She has a sheen of perspiration on her forehead but she looks clueless just like everyone present.

The lady in white makes a sweeping motion and engravings appear mid white in air, the language looks familiar to me. I can understand the words. I read them silently taking them in.

A bond so pure is forged
A twinning is born
A balance of light and dark
Warriors born of the universe
To them, the prince shall fall
One should perish
The ultimate sacrifice.

Everyone is looking at me, even the lady in white. I realize I have read out loud.

Now I have no more allies. Our case can't be defended anymore.

While some portray horror, some wonder. She looks at me with awe.
"Child where did you learn the language of the secret siren?"
Secret what?

"I don't..... I really.... It just came to me, I felt I know the language."
I tripped over my words. I just made things worse. But I have another question despite the fact am not in the position to ask but I do anyway.

"How do I fit into that prophecy? It doesn't make any sense." I ask her directly, I don't care what Petrous does to me. I can't be held here against my will because of a stupid prophecy.

"You are perhaps born of light."
She muses more to herself than answering me with a faraway expression.

"But am no warrior and it clearly states a twinning in there and a bond that is forged."
I fire back to contradict her. I was no warrior. I can barely go through my day life.

I can stand on my own now so I take my weight off Karim and Artemis but she doesn't seem to notice. It's like she is in deep thought with gears whirling around in her mind.

"But my dear that's where you are wrong, there is a bond and a twinning and you are a warrior, you just don't know it yet."
She slowly looks at Artemis who has paled even more. I don't think it's my weight that was bothering her.

"We aren't look a likes, we are sisters." Artemis looks directly at the lady in the screen. She smiles.

"Both of you, you are The Twinning, the twin warriors born of the universe." She beams happily as if she just solved the Sphinx's riddle and in on a fantastic surprise.

"We are twins." 
I whisper suddenly breathless. This is not happening. It can't be happening.
I look over at Artemis, she almost looks lifeless, a pale white figure. She can't be.

I don't want her. But it explains a lot of things.

I feel nauseous like the whole world is spinning out of control. I was born an only child. I know that. They never said anything about a twin. Did my parents lie to me all my life?

My head is on fire.

"No no no no it can't be, it should not be. I don't want her."
I put my hands over my head to block the dizziness out but I see my hair in a braid slung over my shoulder. The red streak had spread. My hair is turning red.

I turn hopelessly to Karim. This isn't true. I will wake up tomorrow and I will be back in my bed at home.

I don't even stop the tears. I don't have it in me anymore.

I feel waves of emotion hit me. Confusion. Fear. Guilt. Desperation. Sadness. Anger. They are spiraling around me but they aren't mine.

I am so confused that I feel the powers surfacing, reacting to my turmoil. I couldn't control them. I couldn't stop myself. Maybe this is what the lady meant when she said I was too unstable.

Was I a danger to everyone then? Could I kill during a tantrum and emotional spiral? Obviously.

Even the twin sister who I don't want?

"Althea. Artemis"
Karim calls slowly. I turn to him and I see him backing away.
I look over at her. Black mists are swirling around her but she doesn't seem to notice. She is in a trance just standing there.

"Keep it under wraps"
I try to shout and and walk to her. I can feel her power pulsating around us. Everyone is quiet watching events unfold even the lady in white.

Petrous is glowering while the other five elders were immobilized watching..me too?

A white swirling mist is around me. We look like whirlpools. I can't control it.

I try to move but I can't. It's not me. It must not be her too.

"I command you to stop this ruckus or else off to confinement with both of you"
Petrous shouts while glowering at us.

"I can't" Artemis and I say in unison. I feel fear and desperation. Why am I feeling these emotions that aren't even mine?

"I don't care."
Petrous glowers in front of me. He reaches for my neck and I close my eyes.

I hear a huge boom. Petrous is lying on the ground unconscious.

The marble wall is cracked. Karim looks at me in horror. I did that? I can't move. Why can't I move?

"Karim I didn't mean to.."
I chock back a sob. Resigned. He backs away grabbing Emmeline's hand and tugging her further with him.

"Your power comes with a price, give in to the darkness within."
A sly voice hints with amusement. I look around. No one said it. Even the lady in white is quiet. But she seems to have paled a bit.

"Give in and join me. I can show you greater things you can do with your power, far greater than anything you can ever imagine"
The sly voice says again with a hint of a laugh. It is in my head.

"Who are you?"
Artemis and I ask in unison. I stare at her shocked. She heard it too?.

"All in due time. Are you loving how am boosting your powers? I could do more but on one condition, kill her." The voice cackles.

I pale. She wants me to kill my sister? I hate her but not to killing extent. Artemis looks at me incredulous.

"Your the cause of this spectacle?"
The voice just laughs seemingly enjoying itself. I try to move but I can't, am paralyzed neck down.

It seems like forever but am sure all this has happened in a space of five seconds or less. I am mad. Whoever you are in my head, you are leaving. You chose the wrong person.

"Get. the. hell. out. of. my. head." Artemis and I  shout in unison as I channel all my anger to my head.

Something boils inside me. I feel it warping inside me. Fast.

A wave of pure light bursts out of me burning through the pale mist which dies down instantly. I wobble on my feet. I feel light and airy.

Artemis falls as a black wave bursts out of her colliding with the dark mist trapping her creating a huge colorful explosion the force throwing her farther from me.

I can feel my body again. I move to go to her collapsed form on the cold hard ground as waves of darkness engulf me hitting the cold marble floor hard myself.

We are trapped.

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