𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 09. 𝕴𝖓 𝖂𝖍𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝕾𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝕴𝖙 𝕬𝖑𝖑...

(𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 :- 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙾𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎, 𝙸 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚖 𝚋𝚞𝚝, 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎, 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝.)

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𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓕𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴 :-

It was the day when everyone around Sylvie was overwhelmed, perhaps due to their own selfish reasons. Sylvie was officially turning 12 today. Also, her elder brother was going to introduce someone special to him today. It was finally, the time for cake. Her family didn't age... That's why they lived on the very outskirts of the city, in their centuries old church called 'The Sanctuary'.

Very few people came to visit them and most of her family was always inside the church. Only one or two people of her family went to work outside and they had to change their jobs continuously as they couldn't work for too long in one place due to their facial features never changing. It was due to this, they associated themselves less with normal humans. But, her family was huge. Everyone loved and cherished each other dearly, especially Sylvie. They adored her.

Sylvie eagerly waited for her elder brother to come. Her cake was 'S' shaped with little miniatures of fox like creatures spread there. Everyone put their best efforts to make the cake and 'The Sanctuary' look beautiful. Even though the church was old, they invested good amount of time and patience on maintaining the look of the church. Everyone ate and slept together, before their God.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆... But also a blessing in disguise. It was only due to their curse that they were so down-to-earth and lovable among themselves.

Suddenly, she could see her elder brother come from the gates. She could see a lady alongside him, and a child of almost five years with them. Algyva was the first to come and greet them. She was the oldest after all. They made their way to Sylvie.

"Who's she brother?" Sylvie asked while clutching her birthday knife. She was wearing blue and white gown for her birthday, her favorite color combination.

"You see, she's an actual human Vie." Her brother kneeled in front of her and patted her head. He knew she never had seen an actual human in her life.

"Not only that, she's going to be your sister in law too." Algyva explained to her. Her face overflowing with emotions. She was happy that someone, once again, found true love in their family.

"Sister in law? As in, you're going to get married brother?" Sylvie questioned. Obviously happy, that there was going to be an addition in her already big family.

"Yes. She's Lorelie." Her brother gave an intel about his choice. She was a tall girl with raven hair and red eyes.

"But, I've heard Lorelei isn't a good person. And she has red eyes..." Sylvie asked with curiosity and little uncertainty.

Her family just laughed at her silliness. Lorelei kneeled down to match Sylvie's height.

"I agree my name is pretty ill reputed but, trust me I'm not 'that' Lorelei, about whom you've heard of. And... About my eyes... This is a genetic problem. Generally, things like this are disorders that are inherited genetically which involve hypopigmentation of the parts of the body like the hair, skin or eyes. This means that there is little or no melanin in the affected areas of the body. This is caused by albinism, a condition caused by insufficient production of melanin, the pigment that gives color to your hair, skin and eyes. The red color comes from the blood vessels behind the iris showing through. I'm not sure how much I was able to explain but that's it... I guess." Lorelei finished with an uncertain laugh. She wasn't convinced if Sylvie understood her words.

Sylvie just looked at her. Everyone laughed a nervous laugh at Sylvie's behavior.

"And who's she?" Sylvie pointed towards the little girl behind Lorelei.

"That's my sister, Jezebel." Lorelei explained. The little girl had blue eyes and black hair.

"Even Jezebel isn't a good name." Sylvie pointed out.

"Your sister knows quite a lot about names..." Lorelei gave a nervous laugh.

"That's right. She loves literature. Even though we're secluded, everyone in the family take turns to teach her. That's why, she has the liberty of learning different things." Her brother answered his fiance with a proud smile on behalf of his sister.

"Alright, now light the candles Sylvie. We're in the middle of a party." Algyva interrupted their conversation. It was after all, getting late at night.

"She's a kid... Don't you think she shouldn't play with matchsticks?" Lorelei voiced her concerns.

"Don't worry. Our Sylvie isn't afraid of fire. Right Vie?" Her brother patted her head once again.

With that being said, Sylvie used her powers to light those candles. And before anyone knew anything, beautiful blue flames circled Sylvie's hand and the candles caught fire. Sylvie could sense something strange and thus, she turned her eyes to witness Lorelei watching with a weird expression. She brushed it for then. After all, Lorelei was going to be family soon.

Indeed, Lorelei isn't a name with reputable history. It's origins come from a Germanic name meaning 'Luring Rock.' This name is nothing but alluring and seductive, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn there's a sinister tale behind it.

In German legend, Lorelei was a beautiful maiden who threw herself into the Rhine after learning about a faithless lover. In death, she transformed into a siren and lured sailors with beautiful singing toward a rocky section of the river where they'd perish.

The esteem of this unusual name fluctuated over the years. It saw an increase in popularity in 1953 following Marilyn Monroe's role in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes where she played the seductive, gold digging siren Lorelei Lee. The name experienced another resurgence in 2004 with Gilmore Girls and Lauren Graham's character Lorelai.

Some same history is with her sister's name. Jezebel was, in fact, a queen of Persia, and a strong leader, but was demonized by the Bible. The name Jezebel means 'impure' or 'wicked.'

When we think of Jezebel we think of a seductress, a temptress, a corrupt woman. It's a name geared towards the evil. Like Sylvie, if you were going to meet someone called Jezebel you would probably make assumptions about them before you'd even met. That is, if you know these historical significances of these names.

All of these names and characters were sinister... Obviously, Sylvie was prejudiced. But, she accepted things such as these with ease and nodded her head with understanding.
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Days, months, and even years, with Lorelei and her sister passed. Sylvie could see that they were a little strange. First, Lorelei wasn't yet married with her brother. But, she and her sister were already living in 'The Sanctuary'. Second, her sister, Jezebel had a strange black circle tattoo like on her back, which she always kept on display.

Third, Lorelei was always in a kimono inside 'The Sanctuary', always covered from head to toe.

Fourth, Jezebel had suddenly started wearing strange purple crystals as jewelry around her neck and she even got an ear piercing to wear matching earrings. Seven was such a tender age for these things.

Sylvie tried sharing these with Algyva but, nobody in her family took her words seriously. Then, one day, fate showed that Algyva shouldn't have brushed Sylvie's instinct.
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It was the middle of the night, when Sylvie felt herself getting picked up in her sleep. She could feel herself being carried away. She opened her eyes in panic.

Before her stood Algyva, covered in blood from head to toe. Her head was all bruised up with blades and her nose was completely bleeding. Sylvie cried in panic.

"A...lgy... va. Algyva... What's happening?" She cried hysterically hugging her.

"Listen here, Sylvie. Lorelei had betrayed us. I can't carry you anywhere in my current state. And I'm afraid I'm not gonna live to see you grow up." Algyva hugged her tight.

"No... No... You can't say that. You can't die before completing your 200 years... You'll see me grow. I know." Sylvie wept on her chest.

"I'm afraid I won't. Lorelei can kill people like us. I don't know how she's doing it though. But, I'm not living and I know that. There's something I want you to hear before I die." Algyva hugged Sylvie even tighter, as if that was even possible.

"I'm afraid you can't abandon 'The Sanctuary'. She'll find you if you try to escape. So, whatever happens... You can't leave. That's why, keep this with you." Algyva took out a hairpin and hung it in her pendant. She proceeded to tie it in Sylvie's neck.

"This is the relic passed in our family. It contains all the powers and secrets of you flame. I hope you find your answers with this. And, one more thing. You must go and visit your brother now. He is going to die sooner than me. Please leave me... You'll never meet him again." Algyva pulled back from the hug and pushed Sylvie. Her body slumped back and she laid on the ground. Almost lifeless.

For a second, Sylvie had everything turn black around her eyes. But, she knew she had to move or else...

Her small feet carried her to the main hall of the church... Horrifying scene of every family member laying almost dead greeted Sylvie. Everyone had to say something to her. Everyone tried to hold her hand and pass their message.

"All of us knew that a time will come for us to take our last breath and leave this cursed human body - yet, when it's happening... I don't know what to say. But, please live Sylvie."
Her aunt said.

"We lived as if there are countless days ahead. We failed to seize the moment and grab the opportunities to enjoy life to its fullest, do things that make our hearts sing, or express how we feel about the ones we cherish the most. It always seems that we will be able to do that 'later', when the only thing we really have is now. Sorry, but it's late to realize this... But, you'll live normally, without regrets. Right?" Her elder cousin said with his eyes partially closed.

"I wish I had more time... Funny, considering I already lived a hundred years already. Don't be disheartened Sylvie... I believe in you." Her uncle breathed.

"I wish I'd lived a little happier. I did not realise until the end, that happiness is a choice. We all, had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into our emotions, as well as our physical lives. Fear of change had us pretending to others, and to our own selves, that we were content, when deep within, we longed to laugh properly and have silliness in our life again. I hope you never witness this regret Sylvie." Her second elder brother said holding her fingers tightly. As if letting go will leave him breathless, which indeed was true. But, he knew that he had to let go.

Walking between these dying bodies gave chills to Sylvie. Her emotions were all closed. Not a single tear was leaving her eyes.

"You can cry Vie." At last her brother breathed to catch Sylvie's attention. She rushed to her brother. Clutching his dying body tightly. But, her petite figure couldn't even lift her brother to sit straight.

"Crying may not be a blockbuster drug, but it's highly effective at healing. So, you've got to cry to let your emotions out. You know, when we cry we are actually relieving our body of countless toxins and hormones that contribute to elevated stress levels. If you can't cry at all, you might have a hard time working through your own emotions, and you could also find it tough to connect with others. In the end, crying is normal, so don't worry about trying to hold those tears back - they're completely natural." Her brother, always giving long talks to her, didn't let go of his habit even on his death bed.

"I've got so much to say to you. Just the time isn't enough. So, listen carefully... The hairpin that Algyva gave you has the relics related to your power. We've already told you that you would have this power. What we haven't said is that, when God gave us this power back, he spilt this in two parts, our ancestor and his his twin brother shared this power to preserve it... So, there's another relics out there. You must find the owner. Rightfully, that person will be your sister too. For he or she will also be the owner of these flames..."

"I've... Another family?" Sylvie asked. A little light coming in her bluish white eyes.

"Yes. The knowledge of having another family will be give you the power to live and leave this place. This curse has bound us to this place for many years. You should feel happy that we're leaving... Of course if it were done without knowing the feeling of betrayal from a loved one, we would have been better."

"I'll live..." Sylvie nodded towards his brother.

"Listen Sylvie, I am sorry for what's happening. I'll be okay if you don't forgive me for the rest of your life. I know I brought Lorelei and Jezebel here. But, I believe whatever happens, happens for good. Also, I believe in you. I know you'll find something good in this too." He smiled and ruffled her hair with trembling hands. And without Sylvie realizing anything, his hands were wrapped in silver chains. These chains started to move and reached his neck, tightening their hold.

Sylvie turned her eyes and saw Jezebel standing there alone, controlling these chains. Her tattoo was shining red as if they were the source of these powers.

Sylvie stood up. Tears finally coming out of her eyes. She raised her hands and Jezebel visibly paled, taking few steps back with Sylvie taking steps in front. Her hands raised. Blue flames started flowing in her veins... Sylvie touched those chains and they started burning. Her flames made their way to Jezebel burning everything, including the floor.

Suddenly, the fire stoped. She found her hand being touched by someone. It was a guy, wearing blue hoodie and a golden amulet. In front of them, was Lorelei.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓... 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒅. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅... 𝑨𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚...

She swore to live... And leave this place.

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Number of words :- 2458 (Excluding Author's Note)
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Author's Note :

Since, I'm doing this so late... I don't think I'm gonna write much for the Author's note today. BTW the source for these weird and devilish names was :- (Source :- https://www.babygaga.com/25-baby-names-that-bring-bad-luck-5/)

Which, of course, I found from Google. Let me know what you thought of Sylvie's childhood and the betrayal she faced from none other than someone who she thought loved her brother.

Also, let me know your thoughts on the chapter and all the characters (I've introduced every single character now...).

Untill next time, take care of yourself and people around you. It's really necessary... Nowadays the situation isn't very supportive as you can see. Covid is hitting human population really hard. Be precautionary towards this...