Twin Blossoms in Darkness

As in our previous lives, my sister and I were held captive, unable to move, by chains inscribed with ancient runes that locked away our spirits.

The Demons' commander burst into raucous laughter, taunting the Celestial Guards, saying, "Be smart and scurry back to your Celestial Realm. I've only come for the Twin Flowers of Chaos this time. If anyone's feeling brave, step right up!"

I surveyed the crowd; they were battered and bloodied, their spirits nearly broken, and nobody dared to make a move. It had been ages since a new God of War had risen in the Celestial Realm, leading to this dire predicament.

The deadlock broke when my husband, Rein, the God of Water, and my sister's husband, Calder, the God of Fire, arrived side by side. The sight of them made me ball my hands into fists, while my sister's gaze turned steely.

The Celestial Guards rallied as if they had found their pillar of strength. An elder stepped forward and said, "You Demons really think you can take these sisters and throw the world into chaos? The Celestial Realm will never stand for it!"

"Exactly! With the gods of water and fire here, you'd better let the sisters go!"

"They're their husbands, for heaven's sake! If you're thinking of taking the sisters, you'll have to get past the gods of water and fire first!"

Their voices boomed across the battlefield. Rein and Calder exchanged a knowing smile, their faces the picture of calm, unafraid of the Demons.

Rein shouted, "You hear that? Let go of my wife!"

Before the Demons' commander could respond, one of his minions came forward, dragging a woman along. "My lord! I caught this one skulking around our side; she might be an enemy spy!"

He yanked her hair with such ferocity that Lila's head snapped back, tears welling in her eyes from the sharp pain. She gazed up at Rein and Calder, her eyes pleading as she said, "Mentor Rein... Mentor Calder... Please, save me."

The two men, previously the picture of serenity, were then visibly shaken, their faces etched with concern.

"Lila! What are you doing here?"

The Demons' commander laughed mockingly, his grip tightening around Lila's throat as he pulled her close.

"Let her go, you fiend!"

"Get your hands off Lila!"

Rein and Calder charged forward like madmen, but the Demons' commander only had to exert a little force on Lila to freeze the two of them in place.

He laughed and said, "You two are quite the spectacle. Is she your beloved? Then, who might these ladies be?"

He gestured scornfully toward us.

Rein's jaw clenched as he shot me a warning look. "Just wait."

Calder was more consoling, reassuring my sister as he said, "Serena, don't worry. I'm here, and they won't dare lay a finger on you. I need to rescue Lila first; her magic is weak."

Serena and I exchanged an icy, knowing laugh, but we remained silent.

We never stood a chance against Lila.

She was the daughter of Rein's dearest friend, who had died after failing the ultimate magic test, entrusting her to Rein with his last breath.

Their bond was more akin to father and daughter than mentor and apprentice.

Yet, somewhere along the line, things had taken a strange turn.

Every night he lay beside me, he would bring her up.

"Lila's growing up; she'll need new clothes.

"She's been fussing about her weight; make her meals light but plentiful. A girl can't afford to be too skinny."

However, it seemed he had forgotten that I was skinnier than Lila.

Lila's skill with the blade was entirely Rein's doing. He had trained her himself and even created a technique just for her.

After Lila got hurt, Calder came to her rescue, and from that moment on, she was showered with affection meant for two.

The Demons' commander found our love entanglement quite intriguing.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned three ice spears, each as long as an arm, and suspended them in the air before me, my sister, and Lila.

He then asked in a hushed tone, "Out of these three, who will you choose to save?"

"Lila!" they exclaimed together.

The icy spears pierced through my sister and me, blood spurted from our wounds, and we nearly passed out from the pain.

Just then, an elder from the Celestial Realm intervened.

"God of Water! God of Fire! Stop this madness! These two are the Twin Flowers of Chaos. Their death will unleash chaos, and the world will be no more! The two of you are their husbands; how can you forsake them? Think of the greater good."

Rein wavered upon hearing that.

However, the Demons' commander was merciless, forcing Lila to cough up blood, which tore at their hearts.

"Release her! I'll do anything you ask if you just let her go!" Rein shouted.

"Really? I've heard about the lotus tattoo on Elaya's waist. Carve it out for me."