Chapter 2

What are memories but the echoes of what was and could have been?"

"Erick, look at me. Don't just simply follow my moves by copying me; it's a dance. I strike you with an open palm, and you counter. There is a reason we practiced slowly and in detail. Now focus and apply yourself," said Eleanor while landing a soft open palm on his nose.

A five-year-old Erick entered their family car with a nosebleed, belly full of anger and slight fear of the woman responsible. "Don't be a sore loser, my little menace. You'll block me if you pay attention next time. Now let's go get ice cream from the Witch's Oven. I'll buy you the red finger," said Eleanor with a loving gaze while heading home.

Erick thought "Why do I suffer? Other kids play and watch movies. We aren't even allowed to watch anything."

"Lory, sweetie, there is a reason why I brought you to hunt with me. Your brother, despite his reluctance to take the life of an animal, but he can pull through. But you have a softer side, like my mother and father."

"One lesson I want to teach you is that morality is what society says it is. But you need to know killing is unavoidable in this cold rock of ours. You must always remember to take action if it serves a purpose, like protecting you and your brother." With lamentation the looked at his daughter.

"Now, you've let this poor animal suffer too much. End it by cutting where I said to," said Jacob, with sadness in his voice. Glory looked at her father with a bloody knife in her hand and a tear forming in her left eye, but she stood there, needing a reason to move.

"I wanted to ask a question ever since this whole training started, Dad. That idiot won't say a single word if he doesn't have to, because he said you would tell us what has both you and Mom scared. You want us to learn, and we will, but if you truly love us, then tell us something."

"A couple of months ago, Erick said something that has kept me up every night. From what you've made us read, both you and Mom are involved in some political game on the continent with the warlords, both hierarchies, the guilds, sovereignties, and every other power-hungry idiot."

Jacob looked at his daughter's face with heartache, knowing that trying to walk a fine line had already started to take its toll. "Both of you are not going to be as normal or what passes for normal in these lands. Your minds will be your greatest assets and hindrance," Jacob dodged question after question from his daughter all the way to their house.

As is tradition for the parents to prepare dinner every night, Erick and Glory both sat down in the living room reading books on whatever subjects their parents deemed necessary. Despite their reluctance, both brother and sister started reading "Strange Bedfellows" by Sir Decimus Taitus, a book expressly written for the untrained as it eloquently and precisely describes the basic power structure of Twilight, or as the natives call it, Duskmire.

Erick started to chuckle slightly at how a fallen noble thinks he had a grasp on the reality of their surroundings. "You found it funny too, didn't you?" said Glory, smiling.

Mother and father sat down with the food on the table. The father started their meal conversation with what they thought about the book and their input from what they knew beforehand. As they finished their dinner, they took the conversation to the living room.

A doorbell started to ring and Glory, as usual went to open the door. Instead of annoying neighbors, this time there were a woman and a man standing at the front door with strange clothes covered by trench coats, gloves, and strange-looking boots with slightly shimmering dim blue lights. As she gazed at the strange sight in front of her, both of these individuals gave her a deep bow, something she usually saw on her vision board (a device similar to a tablet but more advanced and compact).

"They're friends. Bring them in," said Eleanor while starting on the tea. "You guys didn't have to come fully geared tonight. It was just an introduction. Take the masks off and the coats as well, and take a seat," said Eleanor while she prepared the drinks.

As these two strangers complied with the request, both Erick and Glory were intrigued by their new guests and the gear they wore. It was unlike anything they'd seen, something only the rumored warlords and their soldiers could own. The helmets looked like they were being destroyed or burned like paper. As the helmets slid to the back of their heads, the faces of two middle-aged people appeared: a woman with light red hair, a fair complexion, and a comforting smile, and a man who looked rough with a beard of grey and black hair with white streaks on his left side. They apologized for their appearance to both parents, but somehow both siblings got the feeling that their guests didn't like their father.

Elenor stood up in the middle of the room and started to make an announcement. "Now kids, we talked about the points you raised today, especially you, Glory. Have both of you wondered why you've never heard us talking about our relatives, parents, or grandparents? Or even why we're so hard on both of you two? It's not like what other parents do, and Erick, I can see those brain cells of yours telling you to answer in a stupid way right about now, so don't. Marcela and Nethan here will introduce themselves first. Why don't you guys start," said Eleanor, inviting them to do so.

"My name is Marcela. He is Nethan, my partner. We both work for your mother and father, helping with security and intelligence gathering. Also, we..." said Marcela, as Erick cut her speech, "I know you. You're a teacher at Ink Heart School for Arts and Science..." as Glory had a lightbulb moment, "Yes, he is police. Remember two months ago when the accident with those thieves and Oakwood Hall auction happened? It was big news. He was in the background. I only noticed because he was distinct." With slaps to their heads, they stayed quiet. "It's impressive. I've noticed you as well, young sir, and you as well, young lady, when your parents dragged you there. Now tell me, do you both remember the woman that gave you directions?".

"I knew there was something wrong with her. Her eyes and hair were wrong," Glory looked annoyed at her brother but still skeptical. "I don't believe you," replied Glory.

As both of them started to change their facial features, both kids were so startled that they backed up to their chairs quickly. After a little laugh from the adults, Marcela continued, "This technology is limited on this continent. It's from across the sea. Only a few people have something like this. But straying from the subject, tell me, do you guys know what's so different about your parents from everyone you see here in this territory?".

"Your mother and you lovelies are Bright Ones. Your father is a son of a diplomat from Eldorian federation on the far west side of the continent , and your mother was, is, and always will be the prime princess of Celestia."

"Both of your last names are Archen-Light, a combination of both. Your grandfather thought both of them would come back to their senses, but due to some complications, they managed to settle down here in Twilight."

"So father was a diplomat in this Celestia place ", "as I was saying they decided to settle in Zelcore Guild territory, one of the richest territories in Twilight. They both use their skills and superior education as consultants. In return, they get to stay in the most secure and safe part of Zelcore."

With shock on their faces, they couldn't even start to process it. Glory seemed a little relieved, but Erick stood up and left the room. Before they could say anything, he ran out of the house and started running, with thousands of thoughts running through his mind—horrible scenarios of death and loss.

With what he heard, things started to come clearly into focus. With the dangers of these money-hungry guilds and all the shady things he reads on the Oracle Net—the weapons they sell to states at war, experiments on so-called acquired assets (slaves)... As his thoughts strayed off, a light that came out of nowhere knocked him down in plain view of the family.