Just to remind you, the next chapter will have at least 10,000 words, it's as long as "Rebirth Of The Past (Special)" or like a regular Miraculous episode. It's because it has no Adrienette, alright? You can skip "Part Eighteen: Secrets and Lies" the next chapter after this one.

Marinette woke up and met up eyes of red and orange, she blinked, "Zariffe?"

"Oh, you're awake. Greeat.." he rolled his eyes in sarcasm, making Marinette growing an irk mark of irritation. "I almost thought you were dead. You were barely breathing."

"Would it kill you to be more nicer--?!" A spoonful of soup in a spoon (of course) was shoved inside her mouth, this grew her with irritation. She knew exactly who it is. I mean, who else was in the room?

"How about you? Would it kill you to shut up? Just because you're one of the Twin Hearts doesn't mean that I have to respect you," Zariffe crossed his legs as he stirred his tea. Marinette plucked the spoon out of her mouth after swallowing its liquid. "Don't expect any eloquence. I still hate you for taking action to Jarell Divell in vain, I can understand him dragging you there but why didn't you fight back?"

"I was afraid!"

"Even if you're afraid, you have nothing to do but defeat him. It's your duty, don't forget that. You and Adrien were the only ones there, simply, you two are the ones to take action."

"Well, how about you Guardians? Why didn't you do anything?"

"We got info from Abigail a bit too late. We knew exactly where Jarell brought so as we thought, he brought ypu to the Chamber of Darkness. Mizell's former base." Zariffe passed out a cup of tea to her, which she silently accepted.

"Beneath Guardian Headquarters AND the center of the earth? How is that possible?" She sipped a bit of her tea, but nearly choked because it was too hot. She got irritated more after she noticed Zariffe rolling his eyes, "How about Ara? Is she doing fine?"

"Hmm, Aracelie? Yeah, she's doing fine. Fully recovered in fact. She broke about three bones, but she's fine.." Zariffe said that a bit too nonchalantly which made Marinette spit out her tea, "Heey. What's up with people spitting on the carpet these days? This is Headquarters' Guardian rooms! This is where I live, I can't go back to my damn family!"

"Fine?! How is having broken bones fine?!"

"Well, how should I say this..?" Zariffe turned away, ignoring Marinette's determind stare. "She's a hybrid after all. She can heal herself in a jippy!" He raked back at Marinette who seemed to be fine right now. Still, he looked at her from head to toe. She had a small sum of bandages, but Adrien's were far worse. "You should be more careful. You have so much injuries, are you able to hold back?"

"Huh? Y-Yeah. I guess." Marinette held her upperarm, where a bandage wrapped around it was. She bit her lip, "Shouldn't you be visiting Ara?"

"Hmm, let me see.. no." Zariffe brusquely replied, "She'll just kick the hell out of me. Ara's weapons are boots, her kicks are beyond stronger than Jarell Divell's superhuman strength. Plus, she wouldn't want a thing ruining her life. Wrecking her every peaceful and immense desire."

"Yeah. No kidding." Zariffe lifted a brow in confusion as Marinette said, "That thing is a monster. It's a mass of destruction, it's nothing but an indestructable weapon." She was referring to Jarell, who was a pain to them. Once she lifted her head up, she witnessed Zariffe's cold expression. "Uhm, is there something wrong..?"

"That thing you're talking about is right in front of you."

"Huuh?! I-I thought we were talking about Jarell! I'm so sprry! I didn't know it was you--!"

"Shut up. The ladybug kwami's not with you. She's with Fu, trying to figure out a way to revive her. Something's been up with your kwami ever since you've been down." Zariffe sat up and walked out of the room right after saying, "Once you're ready to go out there and face your opponent, try forgeting about that trauma you've faced and start feeling optimistic."

Once he walked out, Marinette stared down at her palm. He was right. Marinette has been traumatized by Jarell. What happened to the optimistic Ladybug who never was afraid of anything? The one who never lost hope? That was all gone ever since that incident.

She stood up and staggered out of the room as well, she needed to find Adrien. He was the only one who can help her at this moment. She needed to get stronger to defeat Jarell, but she's not going to do that alone. She needs her trusty partner (would've wrote "sidekick" but we all know that Chat's no sidekick, right?) She stopped her tracks and found herself in a dead end.

"Looking for something?" Marinette turned her heel to see Jarell Divell in front of her eyes. She trembled in fear as she began cowering back, "Indeed must I say, it's no coincidence about what's been happening. You truly are destined to be a Twin Hearts." Jarell leisurely walked up to Marinette who hit her back against the wall, Jarell slammed his hand on the wall next to Marinette's face.

"I'm very interested in you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You love Adrien Agreste, don't you? But do you actually think he'll love you back?" He was obviously messing with her, bluffing about it. Adrien does love Marinette as well, but he still hates her in a way.

Right after that incident about Nathan and her, it seemed to hurt him deeply. But oh well, in order to shun this crippling pain, you must ignore that person. It's for the best if you no longer want to feel that pain.

(Haha. This song is in harmonies, 'kay? As I stick by your side🎵questioning "isn't there something else more than just friends?"🎵I can feel the pain🎵 surrounding me again🎵 even yet in vain 🎵 you've smiled all the same 🎵(you smile all the same)🎵 now why can't I..just say it right in front of yooouu? 🎵 that I love you with all my heeeaaart🎵 say it again🎵 say it again🎵 say it again🎵so just tell meeee🎵 is there something wrong with meeee?🎵if there is, then I should've just smiled and just preteeend.🎵)

"W-Why are you here?"

"Nothing else. I just came to see how the Twin Hearts are doing. Though, I have a message for you.." he grinned in a different way, not his usual one. "Fooled ya!"

"Huh?" Jarell began to morph and shape-shift into René. (It was actually René, not Réne. Gah, curse these french names) Marinette gasped, "René?"

"Heyya! I'm surprised you didn't noticed me!" René bowed and scraped, he flipped his hat and placed it back on the top of his head. "Gotta tell ya, you sure are afraid of that guy.."

"H-How?"

"Deceiving Eyes," René replied with his turning turquoise blue, he placed a finger on his lips as he creased a grin. "I can shape-shift into someone anytime I want! Although, this only works for me, not on others. You really thought it was Ciel Lefevre, huh?"

"Jarell Divell. His name is Jarell Divell, Ren." Marinette sulked, so he remembers her and Adrien's name but not Jarell's? "You sounded like him. You looked like him. You have the same murderous aura like him. How come you imitated all of him?"

"Simple. It's my main ability besides playing with my strings!" René pin (not miraculous) glown blue, it's a Guardian Pin. Practically, these jewels alert them for any akumas, villains or any other things. "Whoops, duty calls!"

"Wait, please tell me about Adrien! Is he fine?"

René turned his heel and tapped his chin, "He seems to be fine. He still have those burns from two days ago, I guess. You two took a long time to recover, two days before you guyz were back. Despite the fact that Ara and Dante just recovered after the incident in a jippy!"

"How about..Zariffe? What did he mean by him being a thing?"

René turned to his pin, which was hanged on his belt like what other Guardians do. "Hmm, I couldn't care less about Zar but as far as I've heard from Leo.. he ran away from his family like what Rena did. He seems to be called a thing because he was too powerful."

"Hold up, his family knows?"

"Yes. They know, the Crimson Miraculous has been passed for generations. When Zar wielded it for the first time, the kwami was already gone centuries ago. Abbe (Adele. He has forgotten about the creator of all Miraculouses' name as well) freed every kwami in each Miraculous except yours and Chat Noir's. It's for Jarell not to squash them. So even if our Miraculouses were destroyed, we still have its power 'cuz we're already fused to it."

"Oh my, why not ours?"

"Another reason. You two are Twin Hearts after all. You're smart, figure it out in your own!" René dashed away, sliding down the stairs' rails rebelliously. Though, soon earned a smack from Fu, telling him to stop doing something so ill-mannered.

°•○°•●°•○°•●°•○

Dante almost burned half of the Training Room, where Guardians train to get stronger. Or..relieve stress like what Dante's doing currenty. Every target was destroyed, smoke was occuring on the nearby walls.

Burns everywhere in the floor, Dante panted as his eyes turned crimson red. "Dante, are you sure you're fine? You're becoming..that guy again." In spite of hearing that, Dante slashed a wave of dark power at the stained glass where Leo was watching him from behind it.

Luckily, it didn't broke. Instead, it made Leo pounce out of his chair. He grab-ahold of the speaker and said, "Dude, if you're still mad about that, you could've just told me! Something's been bugging you ever since Jarell Divell showed up, huh? Just what did he do to you?"

Dante gave his childhood friend a death glare that made him squeak and turn away. "I'm..going to check on Adrien.." he paced up to Adrien's medic room but truly Dante's lodging room. He saw Marinette holding Adrien's hand, he smiled and walked up to the couple.

Adrien was still however unconscious, "How is he?" Marinette turned to him and said in a weak voice.

"Pretty bad. Sore injuries took him when he protected you, I heard he showed up. Just what happened?"

"I don't want to tell you.."

Leo sighed and said, "Fine. I'll wait for a time where you'll say things fair then. Tell me if he wakes up," before he mustered out of the room, Marinette interrupted.

"Uhm, Leo.. what happened to René and Renartha's past? I heard Lyra was their stepsister. How come Rena left her twin?"

Leo sat across a seat adjacent to Adrien's bed, he sighed. "You really wanna know huh?" Marinette nodded  in response. "Oh well.."

"What are you saying, Mother?" Renartha, in the age of sixteen said to her beloved mother. "You're leaving us?"

The mother turned her heel and smiled sweetly to her daughter, "Your father doesn't love me anymore, Renartha. He has another woman, another mother that would take care of you and René." She meandered away from her daughter, heading to the tall doors - the exits. "Please do well without me."

"Mother, you can't be serious! You have to fight back--"

"I don't like fighting back. It's not my style. I leave the family into your care. Watch over the White Swan Miraculous for me.." the mother smiled warmly before the doors closed. But before that, her last words were.. "You and René have a new sibling. Please treat her with care."

"Mom!" Renartha fell on her knees as she watched her mother leave. Her kwami appeared or the Miraculous' ancestor, "Yumi.. why can't I ever do anything? I'm so weak!"

"There. There. You'll be alright." The ancestor morphed into a human, a girl with glossy pink hair and a maid outfit. She kneeled down to her and petted her head, "You'll be fine. I promise Adele that I'll watch over my master and I'll never break any promises."

Weeks later, Renartha left the house after saying to her brother, father and stepmother, "I hate the both of you. I can't believe you've let this happen!"

"Aurea, don't leave! That.. That child is your sister--"

"That brat isn't a relative of mine at all! And neither are you! You're not my mother! You'll never be! That brat is nothing but a nuisance, I'd like to see it die one day!"

Years later. René was about in his teenager days. He sat quietly in front of his father, "Father.. you want something to tell me?" They were at the Rousseau Mansion. René is another son of a CEO of another well-known corporation.

"Yes, Jekyll." Mr. Rousseau placed a tea down on the desk, as he clasped his hand. "Please treat Lyra in a good manner, she's still family even though she's your stepsister. Your real mother died already, Lyra's mother worries about Aurea, Lyra and you. Please don't do what Aurea did--"

René chuckled as his eyes fell, he smiled a bit. "What are you talking about, Father? Of course I'll treat her like family. But..I'll have you know that.. that.." his face suddenly soured as he looked up at his father with dark eyes, "You disgust me, Father."

Mr. Rousseau's eyes widen, René never treat anyone like that back then. Usually, he treated his elders or subordinates in a nice way. As his father stood up and René sat up as well, and paced out of the room. The father croaked out, "J-Jekyll?"

"Don't talk to me. Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what I said? I said 'you disgust me' so leave me alone. I despise you completely, Old Man. Don't call me your son ever again. Never let me see your digusting face. Come after me or move an inch, I'll kill you."

René left the room, but met Lyra as a child in the age of about ten. He met her after closing the door, he looked down. "Brother.. is there something wrong with me? Did I do something reckless again?" Young Lyra gloomed as she intertwined her fingers together reluctantly.

René haunched down and caressed her hair, he smiled warmly. "It's alright, Lyra. Big Brother just needs to go somewhere.."

Lyra looked up at her brother, "Can I come with you?"

René chuckled, "You can't. You're too young for a funeral ceremony."

"What's a funeral, Brother?"

"Haha, so young and naive." René embraced Lyra in his arm and tears welled his eyes up, "I miss her words.. I wish you met her, Lyra. You could've loved her."

Back in reality, Marinette nodded her head in apprehension. "Oh. So that's what happened. How about..Yudelle? I heard Ren mention her."

"Riight. Yudelle is Ren's lover, she died after sacrificing for Ren. Gosh, he's still depressed about that?" Leo stirred his tea as he stared up at the ceiling, wondering about somethings. "Man, that guy lied to me. He said he was over her! Anyways, both of his love ones died back then as he grew depressed."

"Ren still acts like a child since his father treats him like a kid still. He'll be hard to akumatize by two options." Leo stood up and finally left the room after all the way in saying, "One - because he's too cheerful that the depression would just fade away - two - as Guardians, we can't be akumatized. Impossible."

Marinette stared down at Adrien, once she noticed him fluttering his eyes open. She immediately let go and smiled, "Hey, you're awake."

Adrien slowly sat straight, he ached in pain. "Yeah, I am. But.. aggh, my head hurts." Once he saw Marinette's bandages, his eyes sadden. "Hey, you're hurt."

At first, it grew her in confusion. But soon after figuring out what he meant, she hid her arm behind her back. "Oh this? This is just nothing. You're in a tense situation more--"

"Gimme your arm."

"Huh?"

"Give it to me." She did what was told. After reaching her arm out, Adrien carressed her arm with his thumb. Marinette blushed as he did that, "Does it hurt?"

"K-Kinda." Adrien nodded and took an aid kit from beneath the bed, he took the bandage off slowly. This alarmed Marinette, "H-Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Tending you with care, obviously. It's been two days since you've woken up, right?" Adrien asked as Marinette nodded in response, "Then I need to change your bandages." Upon taking it off, Marinette began hissing in pain. Adrien noticed of course, he sighed. "Does it hurt that much? Can you hold it?"

"I can't. I've never done this sort of thing before." Marinette replied as Adrien nodded.

"Fine. Look at me, don't turn away. Focus on me while I remove your bandage, got it?"

"W-What?" Marinette blushed and turned, "C-C'mon, are you serious?"

"Yes, I am." Adrien held her chin, making her turn to her. "Now will you do as I say or not?"

"Why would I do a cat's bidding?"

"I'm not bidding." Marinette sighed in defeat and did what eas told, Adrien began removing the bandage on her arm. Marinette stared deeply at him, she was having a good time gazing at him.

But that ruined when Adrien met up eyes at her, they both blushed and looked away. "I'm done.." Adrien mumbled as he let go of her arm.

Marinette realized that Adrien had a bandage wrapped around his head since he fainted because he had a massive headache. "H-How about I return the favor by changing yours?"

Adrien caught her eyes laying on the bandage on his head, he touched it. "I guess.." he swerved a bit to the front edge of the bed. Marinette crawled behind and removed the bandage leisurely, her fingers brushed his hair. She blushed a bit but soon focused in replacing the bandage.

After it was done, she clamped her hands on his shoulders. "Done!" She said joyously, even though she was very nervous deep inside.

"Th-Thanks." Adrien held Marinette's arm from behind abruptly, "Marinette.. there's been something I want to tell you for days."

"Huh?"

Adrien glanced at her hand and later letting go sadly, "Nothing. It's just nothing."