“ARE YOU Aruna or Arche?”

“Oh, I’m Arche.”

“Why did you switch with Aruna?”

“Because it’s dinner time. I want my twin sister to eat lots of delicious food.”

“Oh, you get along well as usual.”

In an abandoned tower in the Imperial Palace, the one infamously known as the ‘Cursed Tower,’ three children were huddled together near the single window in the room.

The moonglow passing through that window was the only source of light there.

It didn’t matter for the children who were blessed with inhuman abilities, though.

One was blessed by the Stars, Edna– the child with flaming red hair, and bright lavender eyes– also known as currently the youngest Black Witch on the continent.

The other was the “disgrace” of the de Luca clan, Ramona– a child with jet-black hair, and forest green eyes– the anomaly that her family couldn’t get rid of.

And finally, the Imperial Princess destined to die young– Aruna de Moonasterio.

White hair, ash-gray eyes that would turn red, and pale skin.

Only one bloodline in the entire world possessed such physical traits.

“The Stars told me something last night,” Edna said in a soft voice. This child was always shy and soft-spoken as if she was sharing a secret that the world shouldn’t know. “Apparently, Callisto de Luca has descended back here to the human world.”

“It’s probably because my mother is already dead,” Aruna said indifferently as if it had nothing to do with her. “She killed herself last week because she couldn’t bear living with my father anymore while longing for another man. And that man happens to be Callisto de Luca.”

Since Aruna’s mother was dead, no one would bother Callisto de Luca again.

It was no secret that the empress had a dangerous obsession with the demigod.

Hence, Callisto de Luca ascended back to his place in the Upper World to avoid the empress. Surprisingly, the demigod and his people were lenient to other people in power. The group was only cruel to the Imperial Princesses.

“Oh, right. Your mother was obsessed with Callisto de Luca,” Ramona said, clicking her tongue. “Too bad Callisto de Luca is only interested in the de Moonasterios.”

“You’re way too calm,” Edna complained lightly, her pupils shaking with fear. “Callisto de Luca descended to k-kill Aruna! Aruna has already shed her first period blood after she turned twelve years old. F-For Callisto de Luca, this is the perfect opportunity to kill her!”

Every female de Moonasterio would grow weak every time they had their menstrual cycle.

Although Callisto de Luca was far stronger than the Imperial Princesses, who were never taught how to use their powers properly– much less how to awaken their Soul Beasts,– the demigod still developed the habit of killing the poor princesses the moment they shed their first period blood.

It was to ensure that the Imperial Princesses were at their weakest.

“Don’t worry, Edna,” Arche, in Aruna’s body, said while patting the little Black Witch’s head. “Our plan will work.”

Ramona pointed her thumb at herself confidently. “Trust me and my ability.”

“You two better not die!” Edna said between sobs. “Our plan will only work if the two of you succeed in knocking down Callisto de Luca.”

***

IT WAS a grandiose temple.

But instead of the Moon God, it was a temple that worshipped Callisto de Luca as if he was a god when only half of him was divine.

However, his devoted followers who filled the temple didn’t care about that.

“The throne only needs one successor, Prince Arche.”

Arche, now in his own body, didn’t even flinch when Callisto de Luca put his hand on the top of his head.

His eyes were focused on his twin sister who was unconscious on the cold altar.

Aruna wore a white dress– a dress used by the deceased, to be precise.

Yes, the cult dressed the Imperial Princess and placed her on the altar as if she was already dead.

All because today was the day Callisto de Luca decided to kill Aruna.

“Princess Aruna’s death won’t be put in vain,” Callisto de Luca said. “We will extract her Beads and put them to good use.”

“Uncle Callisto, is everyone here?” Arche said, ignoring everything the demigod had said ever since they arrived at the temple. “The people who belong to the cult.”

“Yes, I invited everyone,” Callisto de Luca said proudly. “Even the High Executives.”

“Ah, then I’m relieved.”

“What do you mean–”

The demigod stopped talking when all the doors and the windows of the temple had suddenly shut down.

It wasn’t the wind, of course.

Someone was behind it.

“This aura…” Callisto de Luca said in disbelief. “The young Black Witch?”

“Don’t focus on Edna too much, Uncle Callisto.”

“You–”

The demigod was forced to stop talking again when he realized that everyone in the temple– even the strongest ones– began to fall one by one.

Unconscious.

It didn’t end there.

The entire room had been quickly frozen while every single person, save for Arche, Aruna, and Callisto de Luca, had been turned into a block of ice.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Callisto de Luca watched in a mix of confusion and amazement as the ice phoenix (smaller than its original size) landed on Arche’s shoulder. “Since we have you mastered using your Soul Beast, my prince?”

“I was born a genius, it seems,” Arche said confidently. “We were born a genius.” .𝘤𝘰

“Argh!”

Callisto de Luca flinched when a baby wolf bit him in the leg– and the demigod was confused because it was the first time he saw that Soul Beast. “Did you get another Soul Beast, Prince Arche?”

“That little one is mine.”

It wasn’t Arche who answered the demigod.

Callisto de Luca raised his head.

Then, much to his shock, he saw Princess Aruna slowly getting up from the altar.

“You awakened and got a Soul Beast?” Callisto de Luca asked in disbelief. “How could a mere Imperial Princess achieve that?”

Aruna scoffed at the demigod. “You always look down on the Imperial Princesses, but you know what, Callisto de Luca? We are more of a god than a mere demigod like you.”

Callisto de Luca growled and moved as if he were about to charge at Aruna.

But the demigod suddenly realized that he couldn’t move.

The leg that the baby wolf had bitten earlier was now covered with ice.

But it wasn’t the only reason why he couldn’t move.

“Uncle Callisto, you’re afraid of the Black Witches, aren’t you?”

Callisto de Luca’s eyes widened in shock when a little girl shyly stepped out of the darkness. “Who let you out?!”

The little Black Witch flinched, then she ran towards Arche and hid behind the Crown Prince.

“You should worry more about yourself, Callisto de Luca.”

It wasn’t Arche, Aruna, or Edna.

Ramona, the “stain” of her family, sat on Callisto de Luca’s shoulders while holding the demigod’s head in her hands.

Callisto de Luca clenched his jaws, but he couldn’t even lift his head. “Ramona!”

“Yes, it’s me,” Ramona said, laughing. “Say goodbye to your perfect world, Father.”

***

ARACHNE tried to stab the unconscious Callisto de Luca with his ice sword again and again, but it didn’t work.

His ice sword would just hit an invisible barrier every time.

“It must be the Moon God’s blessing,” Aruna complained. “The Moon God loved his brother so much that he gave him the best protection in the world.”

“We know that, and that’s exactly why we asked Ramona to turn Callisto de Luca into a child.”

Yes, that was their ultimate plan.

And it happened.

Ramona had successfully turned Callisto de Luca back into a child– a child around their age.

“We devised this plan with the assumption that Callisto de Luca’s protection would weaken when he turned into a child,” Ramona said, clicking her tongue. “But it’s not working. He’ll kill us as soon he wakes up.”

As if on cue, the unconscious young Callisto de Luca slowly stirred back to life.

Arche, Aruna, Edna, and Ramona all jumped backwards– away from the demigod.

Callisto de Luca, a boy who looked like he was twelve or thirteen years old, woke up while clutching his head. Then he looked around and knitted his eyebrows while looking at the kids who looked around his age. “Who are you…” He trailed off, then he clutched his head tight as if he were in pain. “Who am I and where is this?”

Huh?

Arche, Aruna, Edna, and Ramona were in disbelief.

The children didn’t expect Callisto de Luca to lose his memories.

But Arche quickly used his brain to use this opportunity to devise a devious plan.

If we can’t kill Callisto de Luca, then we should use this chance to make him an ally.

There was one thing Arche failed to consider, though: Callisto de Luca, just like the de Moonasterios, had the tendency to get obsessed with one person for the rest of their lives.

***

“ARUNA!”

Haaah.

Arche, in Aruna’s body, smiled “sweetly” at Callisto de Luca who was running towards him.

It had been eight years since he raised the demigod and yet he was still alive.

Aruna smiled at the “young” man. “Good morning, Sir Callisto.”

“Why are you being polite to me?” Callisto de Luca asked, flashing his boyish grin. And then, with his cheeks flushed, he held “Aruna’s” hand shyly. “We’re lovers, aren’t we?”

***

“OH MY GOD,” Neoma said as soon as she opened her eyes. “Did I just watch a short BL film in my dream?”

Arche.

Aruna.

Edna.

Ramona.

Of course, Neoma recognized the ancient twins in her “dream.”

But Edna and Ramona were new characters to her.

New, but not really unfamiliar.

Edna was a Black Witch while Ramona was a Crowell.

“What a crazy line-up,” Neoma whispered to herself. “It’s like watching a temporary group consisting of the most popular members from different top-tier idol girl groups.”

“You’re talking to yourself again, Neoma.”

Oh.

Neoma got up and greeted her visitor. “Hi, Hanna.” She knitted her eyebrows, then she tilted her head to one side while looking at her second cousin. “You’re always well dressed, but you look fancier today, Hanna. Is that your “revenge dress?””

“Revenge dress?” Hanna asked, confused. “What does it mean?”

“There was a certain princess from the modern world who wore a sexy black dress after her divorce from her allegedly cheater scumbag husband.”

“Ah, I think you’ve mentioned that before,” Hanna said, smiling. “I do have a reason for wearing a fancy dress, but not for revenge. I’m here to officially report to the emperor as the new Duchess Quinzel.”

“Huh?”

Hanna just laughed at her reaction.

“You’re now the duchess? Duke Quinzel already passed his title to you?”

“Is that so surprising, Neoma?”

To be fair, Neoma wasn’t surprised.

She had always known that Hanna would look better as a duchess with her own power than an empress without real power since, in the empire, the emperor held the absolute power in the monarchy.

Plus, she knew that Duke Quinzel would make Hanna his successor even if the law hadn’t been changed yet.

She was just surprised by the timing.

Wait, the time…?

“Of course not, but let me ask you something,” Neoma said while massaging her temples. “How long was I out this time?” .

“Three days,” Hanna said, raising her three fingers. “And so many things have already happened in those three days that you were out, Neoma.”

“Other than you becoming the new Duchess Quinzel?”

“Rubin Drayton is already the new Duke Drayton now.”

“Huh?”

Hanna chuckled as if she was enjoying Neoma’s dumbfounded reaction. “And Duke Rubin Drayton has been visiting the palace for you ever since he found out you’re back.”

Neoma pinched the bridge of her nose, already feeling stressed out.

Goddamn**ing**.

***

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𝘦𝑎.𝒸ℴ