When Celest awoke from her nap, she found the two boys sitting near her, talking excitedly about the information they had gathered from the ruins. She stretched and yawned loudly, causing them to briefly acknowledge her.

“Ah, you are awake. I was beginning to worry that you might have died.” Damion joked.

Celest ripped up a clump of grass and threw it at him, “Very funny. Nice to see that you were concerned for me. What new boring stuff did you find this time?”

Damion gestured to Ari with excitement, “Ari was able to translate of wall of ancient text and we learned about the Caretaker Xylia. The festival goes back hundreds of years, Celest!”

“Huh. I guess that’s interesting.” Celest looked up at the painting of Xylia, “I found this mural. I was guarding it as I napped.”

Ari gazed up at the painting in admiration, “Ah yes. The Mural of the Seven Defenders.”

“The Defenders?” Celest echoed.

“Yes. You must know about the Caretaker’s chosen?”

Celest stared off, thinking hard. “D’you mean the heroes that protect people and carry out Caretaker order. Ooh! And they have weapons of legend and powers from the Caretakers themselves!”

Damion smiled, “You are actually correct for once. From generation to generation, the power of the Caretakers is truly incredible. Nothing is its equal.”

“Hm I think you might be wrong there, Damion.”

The twins look at Ari, confused and intrigued. He was staring up at the mural, a sad smiled creased his face. Damion gave a sideways glance to Celest, “I do not think I understand what you mean Ari.”

“Did you know that a deadly evil lives in this world? It is hidden very well but it is there.”

“D’you mean like the bandits and thieves?” Celest asked, becoming aware of the surrounding woods.

Ari shook his head gravely, “No, this evil is much more powerful than that. Much deeper than sinful desires of mere humans. I am talking about the demons of Izra. You see, Ixra was not the only kingdom created by the Caretakers. One Caretaker in particular made a very grave mistake that doomed this world from the moment it started.”

Celest and Damion listened intently, intrigued and nervous of his soft voice. A gentle breeze swirled around them and the sounds of the forest seemed to be disappearing. Ari continued to look up at the mural with the same sad smile. He sounded like a teacher telling his students a cautionary tale.

“I am sure that you two are very familiar with the story of how our beautiful world came into existence. The poor lonely elements wanted more and more and more. They created wonderful things to fulfill their wants. But one element was very, very stupid and let their emotions take over. Poor darkness. All it wanted was a friend. And it got one! The light. But then the light was loved and the darkness was shunned. It was shunned away and no one loved it.” Ari’s brow furrowed, “The darkness was exiled and all it had was its hate and loathing, teeming around it. Now I know that you know what happens next. The darkness created the dragon, right?” His face lit up in an unnatural smile which suddenly fell. “WRONG.”

Celest jumped as he snapped. She stood up abruptly. “Damion. We need to leave. Now.” Her brother stood with her and grasped at her hand.

“Ari, please, I think we should-“

“Ugh! Just shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!” Ari hunched over and began to tear at his hair. “Shut up and listen to me, you brats! You. Know. NOTHING. You think you are sooOOOooo smart,” his voice became a whine, “but you don’t even know about the wonderful land of Ifra?” He burst into laughter. Crazed, unnatural laughter. “You call yourself a scholar? You are truly pathetic. I don’t know what he sees in you.”

Celest’s eye widened with fear as the unstable scholar began to hold himself and rock back and forth on the ground. She pulled at her brother but he was firmly planted. “Uh Damion?” Her voice tight with fear, “I think it’s time to go.” She tried to say it in a light hearted, but it took all her will not to run away in a blind panic. Fear and insanity was permeating the atmosphere, the air was growing hot and the sky was turning dark. She looked at her brother but his gazed was fixed on Ari, his face a mixture of confusion and terror.

“Ari…what are you talking about? What is Ifra?” Damion spoke so softly, Celest could barely hear.

“STOP calling me that. It’s disgusting. It is SO disgusting.” Ari began to laugh again as his rocking slowed. “Do you know what the darkness made before the dragon?” The question was asked in a playful tone, mocking almost. “The darkness made Ifra. And then it made lots of nasty, awful creatures to live there. Horrible, foul demons that prey on weak humans and long to rule this DISGUSTING world. They’re so mean, so mean, soooo meaaan.” The boy began to sob pitifully, his whole body was convulsing with gasps for air. “They’ve been here all along but no one ever tells you that. They want you to think Almadoa is a perfect world. But it’s notttt. It’s horrible.” A black liquid began to seep out from under Ari, tainting the surrounding grass and stone black. It creeped towards the twins and Celest became paralyzed with fear. She gripped Damion’s hand even tighter. Her brother was motionless, the same expression of silent terror on his face. Ari slowly stood up with his chin touching his chest and his head swinging back and forth.

“I used to be like you. I had a family. I l—,“ He stopped, as if confused. His head lolled up like a doll’s, his eyes wide with madness. He tried to say the word again, “I l-l-loved them? Is that the right word?” A giggle escaped his lips and he quickly covered his mouth, muffling the sound, “I can’t even remember anymore. It’s been so long.” Ari, or what used to be Ari, looked at the twins and smiled, “Remember those awful, horrible demons I told you about, children? They’re the ones that killed my family.” He stumbled forward and leaned in towards Damion like he was going to share a secret, “They killed me too!”

Lightening cracked through the sky, scaring the twins back to reality. Damion pushed Celest back, shielding her with his arms, “Ari! Stop this!”

Ari looked at him with amazement “You still don’t get it do you? Ohhhhhh you humans never understand anything! I’m not Ari!” He spread his arms wide as if he revealed a surprise. He giggled again, “I became what killed me. He gave me a second chance. A new life.” His smile turned deadly, “and he wants to do the same for you.”

The demon doubled over and let out a piercing screech. Wings burst from his back and unfurled like fabric. His skin began to turn a sickly violet, oily and scaled. As he lifted his head, yellow eyes shone in the dimming light, sending fear through the twins. Ram’s horns sprouted from his temples and curled back. He flexed his hands, which had deadly claws protruding from each finger. A tail with a barbed end coiled around his feet and twitched excitedly. Black smoke swirled around him and slowly began to taint the air.

The monster before them let out a grating laugh, “Oh what a wonderful day. Everything is going perfectly.” He stepped towards the cowering siblings, licking his lips, “Now the most difficult decision; who to kill first.” His eyes lit up as he look down on Celest. “Ah Celest! Thank you so much for volunteering.” He grabbed the front of Damion’s shirt and threw him against the wall of the mural. His head cracked against the stone and he fell to the ground, limp.

“DAMION!” Celest’s shriek pierced the air. She lunged towards her brother, her arm outstretched, but the barbed tail shot out and plunged deep into her flesh. Another deafening scream filled the air and she collapsed to the ground in pain. Blood began to seep from the wound, staining the tail red.

“Emotions weaken you. They make you vulnerable. They create awful horrible things. Like Ifra,” the demon squatted down next to her, grabbed a handful of Celest’s hair and pulled her up to his face, “like me.” She let out a sob of pain and fear. “Oh poor Celest. Poor, poor Celest. You must be so frightened.” His face lit up, “How about I tell you what’s going to happen? So you aren’t dreading the unknown. I think that’s a great idea.”

Roughly, he grabbed Celest’s face, his nails digging into her cheeks. He began to lecture her again, like a school teacher, “Your brother is a very smart boy and my master wants me to bring Damion to him. His information could help us find the Caretakers once and for all and destroy them.” He began to laugh, “And do you know what the best part is? Your brother is a Defender! We’re taking one of their own and using him against them.” He burst into maniacal laughter. “You’re not one of the chosen though or very smart so you’re useless to us. It’s such a shame though. I would love to keep you for my very own.”

Celest spat blood on his face, “I would rather die.”

He smiled at her wickedly, “So be it.”