More of our people started aging, and just like the others they could not pinpoint one event that may have started the aging. I asked every question that I could think of, many I asked in different ways. Our people were now dying or at least aging every day, no one has died yet because of this. I started researching many things in the library. Dozens of books about our world and the world's overlapping it. Some of the world's were dangerous, some harmless and almost uninhabited. I ended up finding one book that brought into light why some of the other worlds had no people on them. There is a world that overlaps all of the world's, it's people can cross into any of the world's they want. I stayed reading this book all day. It told of the great power the people in this world possessed. Powers much like the ones my people have, but where we use the elements to heal, these people use them to destroy. I took the book from the library to show to my parents and tell them what I fear. If their powers are like my people's then they may have spirit too and that means they could create something that could be causing the aging. 

I gave my parents the book and explained what I found and how these people from the other world have slowly killed off many of the people of the worlds it's connected to. That more than half the world's have had to start over with only a thousand people or so left in the world, and that many of the worlds have no human life at all because of these people.“What is it that scares you the most about these people?” Mother asked me while looking the book over.

“The book says that they too control the elements as we do, it says they use them for dark and selfish reasons. That they sometimes torture people using the elements, they have spirit too which means they have people that can create dangerous and deadly things. That they could be responsible for our people aging when they shouldn't be. For all we know they could start dying because of this, or maybe they will age until they can't fight back and these people will come and slaughter our weak.” I stopped. I couldn't keep going, it was too much to think about.

“I understand your fear, this could possibly be the answer.” My mother said, later that night there was an attempt on my life. The attacker wasn't lucky enough to live. I took a person's life, and I'm not sure how to feel. This person tried to attack me, tried to kill me. I feel that it may have just been a warning to back off this investigation, but that's not going to happen. If this is a warning of some kind to back off, that means that I'm right or close to the truth. From now on I will keep track of who is around when I speak of these things with my parents.

A few days have passed and there have been no more attacks, and then my parents made the statement that there is a new disease that is causing people with it to age. They said they don't know how to treat it, or if it is even treatable, but they would look into it. After that I watched my parents closely and noticed that they were acting strangely. Very unlike the people I remembered growing up. The people I was looking at now could not be the same couple I had grown up with. I wanted to test my theory, but at the same time I was afraid that I would be right, and if I was right, where are my real parents, and who are these imposters that look and sound just like them…….can spirit users make clones of people…. That's a scary thought. So is the other option, people with the power to shift. To morph their bodies into anything they wanted. I'm not sure which idea frightens me the most. I need someone to talk to, but if I'm right then who can I trust? Maybe my brother. He hasn't been acting weird at all. I headed straight to my brother's room and shut the door quietly once I was inside.

“What did you close my door for sis?” Antonio asked. I studied him to see if there was anything off about him before deciding what to say.

“So that I can speak to you privately.” I replied quietly as I walked to sit in the chair opposite him. “Have you noticed our parents' strange behavior?”

“Now that you mention it, they have seemed a bit weird. I asked Mother yesterday, I think, about the weddings. If we were going  to have separate ones or one big one. She had no idea what I was talking about. She asked me 'what weddings dear?’.” 

“We had been investigating the cause of why a lot of our people have started to age dramatically and then I found a book that may be the answer, and then that night someone tried to kill me…….I…..I I killed them first. I didn't recognize the person, they were not from our lands, and then today they make the statement that what's happening is a new disease and that they will try to find a cure for it, if there is one. I don't understand this weird change. I don't think those people are really our parents. I think they may be imposters, but to what purpose………..” I trailed off on my thought.

“I know what you mean. Have you really stopped and listened to them when they talk? They don't sound the same. Their voices are lower than our parents. We need to do something about this, but we can't stay here. It may not be safe since someone tried to kill you.” Antonio said. 

“I know. The only place we can go is to our betrotheds, but can we be sure about them, or their parents? Maybe it has happened to both of us. They could be in the same situation. We need to go to them. Now.” I said. Antonio nodded and went to quickly pack a bag. I went straight into my room from his since they were connected, and quickly packed my own bag. I only grabbed the things I really needed. Travel clothes and good shoes. We didn't need to worry about packing food, that we could get on the way. No one would stop us from leaving the house. We were going to see our betrotheds. No one could be against that now could they? And I was right, no one stopped us from leaving the house or the grounds. We even made it out of the village our home occupied. There was no sign of anyone following us so we stopped in at a tavern in the next village we entered. We kept our eyes wide open, for any sign of someone watching us, but there was none. Once we crossed over into the territory belonging to the other Royal family we stopped worrying so much. We knew that people were watching out for us, to make sure no harm came to their leaders betrotheds. 

We made it to their home and carefully watched everyone for any sign of acting differently. Not finding what we had feared we might, we finally relaxed as much as we could. Our only worry now was what would become of our half of the country with those imposters inside the home. “We need to tell them that this is not just a casual visit.” Antonio whispered to me while we waited for Niklaus and Mae to enter the room. We had to know if they were really them, and we got our answer as soon as they came into the room. Niklaus wrapped me tightly in a bear hug, and Mae buried her face into my brother's neck. This was normal. We already knew their parents were not imposters, they greeted us when we first entered the house, they also mentioned the wedding which the imposters at our house had no knowledge of. I pulled back from Niklaus and looked up at him with fear and worry showing in my eyes. “What scares you so, my love.” Niklaus asked.

“I am worried for something horrible has happened at our home. We need to speak to your parents about this can we go to them?” I asked. Niklaus nodded and led them to his parents. 

“Mother, Father, Annabelle and Antonio have something they need to share with all of us if you are not busy.” Niklaus said.

“We have time. What is going on?” Their mother asked.

“This all started with the research into why our people are aging when they shouldn't be. I took what I had found so far to my parents, and then I went to the library to do some research there. I found a book that talked about a world connected to all the others, and this world the book said was like ours, but they used the elements to cause harm and even death. I took the book to my parents and explained my fear after having read the book. I fear that these people want our world for themselves, they have taken many of the other worlds. I'm afraid that this other world's spirit users have made something that's causing this. Anyway they took the book and said that they would look into it. That night someone not from our world attacked me. I…..I killed them defending myself. Then just this morning our parents made an announcement that it's a new disease that is causing our people to age, that they don't know what caused it, or if there is even a cure for it, but that they would look into it. It was after this announcement that I noticed they were acting odd, not their normal selves." I paused for a moment. “Antonio says they have been acting strangely for a few days. Our Mother asked what wedding he was talking about when he asked about it. I don't feel safe in my home anymore, so we came here.” I said 

“This is serious. Why would they try to kill you, do you think?” Their Father asked me.

“I had too many ideas that were close to the truth? I honestly don't know. I just know that I'm scared.” I said. “I'm scared that maybe I'm wrong and those really are our parents and they have gone crazy or something. Anything would be better than they could be dead and these imposters plan to slowly take over our world.” I was shaking. I was so scared by the thoughts going through my head. Niklaus wrapped his arm around me.

“It's going to be OK love.” He said holding me close. “I won't let anyone hurt you.” I snuggled deeply into Niklaus’ side, wrapping my own arms around his waist.

“You will stay in our home where you will be protected and safe. No one can touch you here.” Their Mother said to us. “Let us see what we can find in our library on this world you told us about.” With that both parents left the room.

“What do you think is going on? What are your instincts telling you?” Mae asked me. I sighed and looked at her with sadness in my eyes.

“They are telling me that I'm right. The people in my house are not my parents. That it was them who let that person into my home to attack or kill me, that these people want our world for some reason, and that they are behind our people's aging. That their spirit users created something that is causing our people to age.” I said mostly in one breath, my voice cracking at the end.

“That is a scary thought.” Mae said, shivering. “We need to find a way to stop these people. To keep them from taking our world from us.”

“Yea, but we can't fight what we don't know.” Niklaus said solemnly.

“Then we will just have to learn everything about these people, as much as we can, and fight them without dropping to their level.” Antonio spoke up finally. “If we fight them the way they fight we are just as bad as they are.” We all nodded in agreement to that.