I went to back to the twin's room, and immediately positioned myself.

"tell us!"

"Hurry Mara!!"

"Ok ok! Jeez, can't you guys wait?"

"Just get on with it!"

I laughed softly, these kids are adorable. "Fine." And so I opened the book.

In the kingdom of Mileae, everything was peaceful. The kingdom live in prosperity. There was no evil, no war, no conflict.
-----
"Whoa!! I want to live Mileae!! Haha. "

"That's impossible, if we're together there would always be conflict. "

"Who says I'm with you?! "

"What do you mean?! You're gonna leave me behind?! "

"I could. "

"Your gonna chose a kingdom over your twin!?"

"Why not? "

"hey!! "

"Haha just kidding. "

"Both of you, lower your voice Maria is sleeping. Do you want me to stop the story? "

"Noo!!"

"Keep talking! "

"Haha OK OK. Just try not to interrupt OK? (Although that will be almost impossible )
---
But there was a reason for that. There was a reason why there was no war. Every generation a soul must be sacrificed to the kingdom. The system goes like this. The kingdom will chose 4 mothers before they can give birth to the soul they're carrying. The 4 souls that we're sacrificed will be transported to another realm. The realm of the souls ,where they will never see light. They won't get the glimpse of the beautiful blue sky. They won't be able to feel the warmth of the sun, or hear the sound of the birds. They won't know anything about the outside world. Except the coldness of the void.
But those sacrifices will not go to waste. A single wish cost 4 souls in the realm of the souls. Since that's enough, the king of the kingdom chose peace..peace for the whole generation. And this process was repeated
.
.
.
.
.
.until-

"Majesty ! The princess is missing!! "

"Search every corner! The culprit must've not gone far!! "

But failure was the only thing they found. Search was every where in Mileae but the princess of the kingdom was nowhere.

Despair flooded the king's mind. For it gave birth to a new era of evil. The wish depends on the soul of the caster. Once the soul is pure, white and clean then it can gave birth to an era of peace. But once the soul of the caster is corrupted then we can say things are not what they used to be.

Monsters ruled Mileae not soon after. With the black king as their master. Hundreds of citizens died.

Around that time 4 girls in the normalities -

"Woah woah woaaah!! What do you mean by nomatilie?! " Ella asked

Bella smug "it's normilati dummy. "

Mara laughed "it's nor-ma-li-ties. "

"Ooh. "

"It's the realm for beings that don't possess magical auras. "

"Like us? "

"I guess... Anyways. "

Around that time 4 girls in the normalities found the transporter. And since they we're part of the royal family they had no problem activating it.
However they ended up in a village of the ancient people who had access to the lost souls. Not knowing anything, the 4 girls decided to talk to the 4 sacrificed souls.

And there they started the wheels of destiny.

Emotions have strong effects on the power they possess. And with that in mind they freed the souls. The souls escaped and we're never seen again.

This caused an uproar in the kingdom. But nothing changed. Their hearts didn't turned dark, no war was done.

This is all because of a miserable lie that covered the beautiful truth and no one knew. No one except the 4 girls.

The uproar even got the king's attention. And when the 4 girls got captured, they explained themselves. The king felt warm. The daughter he kept on searching was in front of him. But the advisor changed his mind. To the point that the king agreed to execution.

The crowd gathered at the plaza. All cheering for death, for their heads.

The 4 looked at each other. Smiled, with tears in their eyes. With their last will exchange they've accepted death.

But that's when it happened. 4 rays of light dashed out of nowhere breaking the shackles that bind the girls.

The king was enraged. And soon those lights landed on the ground and transformed. Particles of light formed a sillhoutte of 4 men.

And when the transformation is done. The crowd was surprised.

It was the sacrificed souls.

~present~

"And then-" Mara snapped her fingers.

The room changed into night sky, with Ella, Bella, and Mara floating at it's grace.

"W-where are we?! "

"Don't panick. We're still in the room, this is an illusion I set up, now why don't the two of you look down. "

They followed at saw the exact same thing that Mara was just saying earlier.

"The 4 souls... "

"Yes... When they we're trapped in the void of darkness they we're still alive. But it was worse that way. Alive but dead inside. They can't find peace. "

Mara smiled

"Until they we're saved by those 4 girls. "

"We are the sacrificed souls that paid the price of you wish."

"But we ask you this. Do you really need to sacfice souls?! "

"There was no war while we escaped, am I right? "

"People of Mileae, we know that you dont need to pay the price of souls just to obtain peace. "

"You have peace way before. "

"Your majesty, your advisor has been lying to you all this time. All to keep in power. To create the downfall of Mileae. The downfall of your kingdom. "

"Sir! I- he doesn't know what he's saying. He's lying. "

"Sire if I may ask. Cast your spell on him. The truth will set you free and we can stop this tradegy. "

The illusion of Mara disappeared.

"And after that no souls were ever sacrificed again. The princess was found as one of the 4 girls. And the 4 souls that escaped lived their normal lives again. The end. "

"That.... Was....!"

"Amazing!!!! "

"Do that again!!! "

"You know we can't. You two are past your bedtime. You know that right? "

"But!!! "Ella insisted, she wanted to hear more.

Unfortunately Mara doesn't want to anger Maria more than she is by ruining her sister's schedule. So she looked a them in the eye "Sleep.... "

With no other choice- "Fine.... " the twins sulkily went to their beds and closed their eyes. Soon their exhuastion took over and they we're breathing with rhythm.

Mara smiled with nostalgic "It's nice to be kid again. " she was about to tuck them in bed -

-When suddenly the book she was just holding fell down. It began shaking at started emmiting bluish hue.

"What? " and when Mara almost picked it up it started shaking more violently. It continued to do that for 3 seconds, then it stopped. Like nothing happened

"...no way... "Mara was too stunned.

The door slammed open. And there was Maria enraged.

"Mara?! I just felt your illusion what were you-"

Her eyes landed on the book.

"You..... YOU READ TO MY SISTERS THAT PIECE OF..... UGH!!" Maria is having a hard time to control her anger.

"Maria i-i.... I just had too! What's wrong with reading it to them!! "

Maria grabbed the book and pulled Mara out of her sister's room. Then slammed the door behind them.

She pointed her finger to Mara. "This book is not worth their time! It's not worth anyone's time!! "

Mara's eyes were filled with sadness and so much worry. "Maria... You used to love this book. " she tried to approach her.

This made Maria more enraged. "I was innocent, I didn't understand the world back then! I cursed myself for not opening my eyes. I will take care of this book and I will NOT get it in you hands ever again. "

"But Maria earlier, that book was sha-"

Maria didn't care about Mara's worried expression all she can see right now is Mara read that book to her sisters. "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DAMN BOOK MARA!"

Mara had fear in her face. She stepped back. She tried to find words, but none came out. She swallowed hard, and that's when she realize that she was trembling with fear.

Maria widened her eyes. Realizing what she has done. "...just leave!"

They didn't know it back then.... But both parties had tears in their eyes .

Maria locked the door behind her, And sighed . She stared at space for quite some time. Replaying the events from earlier in her head. That wasn't anger, no that shouting back there? All those hurtful words she said? That was fear. Fear that her sisters might go through her same experience.
When her heart was beating in rhythm again she looked at the book.

"...this is nothing but a curse... "

The pain came flooding inside her head. She bit her lip in pain

She raised the book in position for throwing it across the room... She wanted it gone for good. "NOTHING BUT A-! " But out of nowhere a flash of smile appeared in her mind . Tears flowed faster by this point...she sat down and hugged her knees."Curse.."

And the night at that house seemed different.