“No one else can see the black aura? How? I mean it’s so visible…” I mumbled stunned at the revelation. 

‘No wonder no one else in the past could tell whether I was using my magic or not…’

Every mana has its own aura, for instance, the twins have a very distinct red aura. The color of the mana usually indicated the user's innate magical powers/element, mine in the past were the same shade of black as the one I saw before me now, the only other person who ever noticed my aura was Carl…

I had always thought people avoided my mana aura because of the color of my eyes but perhaps there was more to it that I never got to figure out.

“Perhaps it’s something only you can see, I saw in a book once that there are certain types of mana that only some mages can see. I’m not sure what, though, the pages that probably explained which types were ripped out.”

“A book? Do you still remember where the book was?” I asked.

“Well… The thing is, it was in the director's office but when I went back a few weeks later the cover of the book was burnt to ashes in the fireplace. I’m not sure why but she burnt only that book.” 

‘Burnt the book on magic… Those types of books usually cost an arm and a leg, the main reason why I never got to purchase any of them was the price tag that came along with it, but to burn something like that…’

“That’s not what’s important right now… We can’t leave Rein to go to that dungeon all alone and Reuben you too, didn’t you say the kids in section A get taken somewhere on a full moon? When’s the next full moon?” I asked changing the subject back to the more dire situation at hand.

“Tomorrow night, the next full moon is tomorrow night. So whatever plan we come up with will have to be ready by then.” Reuben spoke.

“I think I have an idea.” The Chimera Chimed up.

“I can do everything that my creator can do, that being Vee. When you awakened for the second time, I gained the ability to open up a subspace using mana, but mine only allows for items to be stored and not any living being. However, I’m sure that you can store people in your subspace.” I could understand the gist of the Chimera’s idea.

“How sure are you? Are there any risks to that? What if the subspace closes up and I am unable to get the twins back?”

“That won't happen, I guarantee it. You're a lot more powerful and in control than you think Vee, after they go into the subspace I can create replicas by splitting the mana coursing through me in half.” The Chimera reassured me.

“Alright that way the real twins will be safe but we’ll be able to see what’s happening to the children in sections A and B. Are you two okay with this?” I asked the twins, consent is key when it comes to cooperative missions such as this one.

“What else can we do? We can’t risk it, especially not after the way Rein acted toward the director. Rein hurry up and agree to the plan.” Reuben slapped Rein’s stomach as he seemed to doze off to sleep.

“Okay Okay, stop nagging me. I was all in from the moment Reuben decided to trust you, after all his gut feelings have never really been off.” Said Rein, the twins really trusted no one but each other and to have gained their trust even a little… made me think perhaps God was watching down on me this time.

- - -

A few long minutes later I managed to conjure a subspace opening big enough for a child to duck into.

“Now the inside of the subspace will be about the same size as this room, as Vee’s mana get’s stronger the space may grow, it’ll probably be empty in there and I myself am not sure how your mana will be affected through entering the subspace. I know for sure it won’t affect you in any bad way but you may create a sort of link with Vee, like how I am linked to her.”

“Alright, that’s fine I'll go in first Rein stop messing around and hold my hand,” Reuben said while holding out his hands towards Rein and treating him like a child.

“Ugh, why do we have to hold hands?” Rein groaned.

“So you don’t mess something up, now come on.” before they could enter the opening the Chimera stopped them.

“Hold on, I’m going to create your replicas now and since replicas need to be controlled by a mage to operate, I’m going to ask both of you to control yourselves. All you need to do is wrap the replica doll in your mana and you’ll know what to do after that.” 

The Chimera told the twins how to operate a replica while releasing a light golden mana with hints of blue swirling around it. The stream of mana swished past me and onto the floor next to the twins, in an instant 2 dolls almost identical to the twins were created.

“Woah… are we sure we use the same sort of magic, you're telling me this was created by something created by you? Wow, magic is truly magnificent.” Reuben gawked at the creation that the Chimera had created and at me for creating the Chimera.

“Yh magic is really something else isn’t it, anyways you two should try to control your dolls,” I answered, trying to ignore Reuben’s sparkly eyes once again.

“Okay… Here goes nothing.” Bright red mana flung out of both of the twins' palms and enveloped the dolls. The once-still dolls started moving.

“This feels really weird… It feels like I’m looking through someone else's eyes…”

“That is basically what you're doing, now you two should go into the subspace, once you're in there you’ll be able to link your mind to Vee’s and communicate with her, I wish you two the best of luck.” The twins looked towards each other holding hands and nodded then finally took a step into the purple whirlpool opening.

- - -

The twins had 20 minutes or so to get used to moving their dolls naturally then we took the clothes and went back to the playroom where everyone had already gathered sitting on the ground in a semi-circle leaving the area by the windows open like a stage.

‘Chimera make sure you see everything that happens in this room, we’ll need to be able to see everything and everyone again after this.’

[Alright I’ll stay near your shoulders]

“I think we're all here children so why don’t you go first Reuben seeing as how you are the one to suggest the game.” Miss Dandy spoke out and Reuben’s doll stood up and walked up to the front.

“This is the clothing I arrived in, the fabric is very soft but it’s pretty thin so probably not suitable to wear it alone during winter. Oh and the color is dark like the night sky, I believe people call this color black.” 

‘Good, hopefully, all the other children can describe at least the feel of their clothes, the softness and the strength of the fabric tell me it's made of Cashmere wool which is usually reserved for nobles and royalty. Not to mention black dye something a commoner could never even dream of obtaining.’ I skimmed through the clothes everyone was holding and saw nothing that stood out to me in particular.

Just when I was starting to think all these children were commoners the girl named Tella stood up and shouted.

“Me next! I wanna go next.” 

“Alright Tella, calm down a little and come to the front, Reuben you may go sit back down now.”

“I’m Tella! This is the dress I came to the orphanage in, It’s very frilly and Miss Dandy told me this was the color red, Oh like roses, apples and Vee! Like Vee’s eyes.” Her comment took me by surprise, people usually found my red eyes horrifying, it wasn't something they lumped together with roses or apples…

Children really are pure creatures, she was yet to be influenced by outside prejudice and sees my eyes as nothing more than red roses or red apples, to her I am just another harmless child… 

‘There is no time for such futile thoughts, the frills are combined with intricate lacing not to mention the fabric, her dress is made in a similar way to mine except for the color, red is significantly more luxurious than most. She’s most likely a noble child.’

“Oh and I also have this butterfly clip, Ummm I’m not sure what it’s made of but it's pretty and when you hold it up in the sun it becomes really colorful, see like this.” she held up her clip towards the window where the setting sun was shining through and it created colorful splodges of light in the room.

“Tella, can I feel that clip? It looks really pretty” The clip piqued my interest, the material for that clip alone could tell me which region of Fauner Tella may be from.

“Oh yh sure here.” 

The framing of the clip was made out of silver and the wings were made from intricately cut and blended stained glass with pearls of some sort making the body of the butterfly. This had now confirmed that she is a noble child.

- - -

“She isn’t our Evangeline… Can’t you see, she came back not wearing the same dress that I had sent her out in and now she’s even acting strange?” A shaky voice broke through the otherwise silent room.

“If she isn’t Evangeline then who is she? The temple has already confirmed that that is our Evangeline and so does her golden eyes, you know no one but the Imperial family can possess those.” A deeper voice dripped in frustration tore through after the other.

“Then how exactly do you explain her coming back in different clothes and losing the brooch as well as her strange behavior.” the voice grew a little louder.

“Your Highness should I announce your arrival?” the attendant by the door spoke out.

“Quiet, do not tell anyone that I was here today, and be quiet.”

“Your Highness eavesdropping is not very Imperialty-like…”

“I said quiet, you are not my etiquette teacher so shut your mouth.” I spat out quickly and continued to listen in not caring about anything else.

“The temple has already explained that during her baptism her clothes got wet so they had her change out of them as for the brooch, it was an accident. Also what strange behavior do you speak of?”

“How can you believe every word that the temple says to you so easily, tell them to send her dress back then! You’re trying to tell me that thing returning with a completely different taste palette and mannerisms to our Eva is normal to you?” 

“Empress! That’s going too far, she is our daughter, and children's taste palettes and mannerisms change all the time. She’s 7 for crying out loud.”

“Exactly, she’s 7 yet she’s gone from drinking nothing but milk and juices to drinking tea all of a sudden, she’s cut out all sugar and no longer refuses to eat vegetables. You know as well as I do that there’s something very wrong going on here, why do you deny that? My baby is probably lost and wondering when we're going to find her yet you want me to coddle that thing like it’s my daughter!”

“She is your daughter! I will have no more of this, this is utter nonsense the temple has no reasons to switch out or kidnap our child, not to mention that would be near impossible.”

“You're not going to listen to me are you?”

“That's because the things you are saying makes no sense, it’s crazy!”

“Oh I’m crazy am I? Why’d you marry me if that was what you thought of me?” my mother's voice flooded with emotions.

“I… I’m sorry that’s not what I meant.” panic rose in my father's voice.

“Right… Move out of my way, I’m going to find my daughter you can coddle that monster all you want, I can’t believe this… My poor baby is wandering the streets all alone and her own father refuses to look for her.” I instinctively hid in the next room over while my mother burst through the doors and speed walked back to her room.

This incident had started 2 days ago when Evangeline returned from her baptism trip to the temple, my mother the empress upon seeing Evangeline exit the carriage immediately claimed that she was not the real Evangeline.

Truth be told I’m torn between my father the emperor and my mother the empress, as Evangeline’s twin I thought we had a mental connection of sorts but that seemed to have disappeared too…

In mere seconds this family started falling apart… Mother’s meltdown had caused a rumor to spread throughout the palace walls that she had started losing her mind and mistreating the only Princess of the Empire, no one questioned why my mother was acting this way, even my father seems to have doubts about Mother's current mental health.

Now she was packing everything to leave for the duchy of Theadore because she was close to the duchess and duke.

‘I should go talk to Mother…’