One quiet morning, at the doorstep of an orphanage run by the church, someone left a basket. Inside, swaddled in a threadbare cloth, were two identical newborn baby girls. There was no note about their names, birth or parentage.

  Such things were not a rare sight for the staff of the orphanages. In the early 19th century, as steam engines became widely adapted and cities were in need of workers, many from the countryside came seeking a better life. Instead, they found factories that devoured their dreams, tenements that were only big enough for a bed, and wages that barely fed a mouth.

  For women who became pregnant in the streets of the low class, they could do nothing. Many simply waited for the sign of labour and gave birth, only to leave them at the doors of nearby orphanages.

  The nuns of the orphanage gave them the name, Sola and Luna, the Sun and the Moon. It was a bright name for twins living in the darkest corners of society.

  From the day they were born, they were each other’s world.

  Sola became the stronger old sister, she was the mouth, the brain, the shield of the pair.

  Luna became the shy little sister, she was quiet, delicate and gentle. Like the moon, she reflected off the light of her sister.

  They were a pair that was blessed with each other’s presence, but dumped into the grim dark harshness of the world

  The church couldn’t keep the orphanage running solely by donations and government subsidies.

  Most rich men openly claimed their participation in charity, but behind closed doors, they were cutting down on spendings to charity work. After all, they only needed the positive public opinions.

  Meals in the orphanage were often a single, watery bowl of oats. Barely enough for developing children.

  Sola hated this life. She hated seeing her sister in hunger. She hated being told by the nun to pray and wait. She hated those wealthy individuals who cut the fund just to buy more golden rings.

  But she never cried, she couldn't afford letting her sister see her in this sorry state.

  She often dreamed that she and her sister could receive proper education and eat 3 meals a day. But in reality, orphaned girls like her would often end up becoming prostitutes on the streets only to become infected by Syphilis and die before reaching the age of 30.

  When their first orphanage shut down, the girls were moved again. And again. Each new place was more dreadful than the last. But still, they had each other.

  Until the day everything changed.

  When they had turned 8, a noble boy came to the orphanage in search of talented individuals.

  He was young, yet his demeanor was mature, though he tried his very best to hide it.

  His eyes were filled with human emotions, but for Sola who has seen the ugliness of this world, there was something eerie under his energetic mask.

  He arrested the administrator who was stealing funds from the orphanage and promised to bring changes.

  ‘He’s bluffing, noblemen like him always spoke big words without actions.’

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  Then, he offered a job for her and her sister. But her hunch detected something more sinister under those seemingly genuine smiles.

  ‘He is just using us for his own gain, he will abandon us when we are no use to him’

  But she swallowed her pride, because she knew, pride won’t bring food to the table.

  ‘I will use him just like he used me…’

  From that day on, they no longer have to starve, they can get clean clothes to put on and clean water to drink, and they even get a salary that was unimaginable.

  However, Sola knew this was only a temporary illusion. She should use her time here to learn and establish powerful connections to others.

  A month later

  Percival asked for permission to cast a soul bond spell on them.

  She didn’t hesitate, Bond magic like these can always be broken by the wills of the subject. When the need arises, she could just break free away from him.

  As time went on, she and her sister slowly grew a strange affection towards him.

  Her thoughts often wandered toward her master.

  She felt her heart racing whenever she was near her master.

  She felt her cheek blushing whenever she saw the cute smile of her master.

  She didn’t question the sudden affection because it felt natural.

  She didn’t realize that she was being mind controlled by his magic because it was subtle.

  She didn’t realize that even her eternal monologue began calling him Master with the initial capitalized as a sign of respect.

  Master’s once eerie aura was now replaced by comfort and warmth.

  When staring into his eyes, she felt as if she happily would jump off a cliff if he commanded. They were bright, they were hypnotizing, they were the most beautiful pairs of eyes she had ever seen.

  Then, a cardinal came to persuade them to join the ranks of the saints.

  Saints were a powerful title in the church. They were gifted light mages that fight to defend common folks from demons of the Dark Realm.

  If she and her sister wanted to become independent from the noble boy who was using him, now was the chance.

  For a moment, her old familiar self came back.

  However, when her Master turned his gaze to meet hers, her thoughts were swept away. What was she thinking? Why did she want to run away from him? Why did she want to become independent?

  She doesn’t need anything, all she needed was for those beautiful pairs of eyes to keep gazing at her and mesmerize her.

  “No.” She declined without any hesitation.

  Fast forward a few months to the ballroom.

  When she heard the conversation between Lancelot and their Master.

  Something dark and sticky arose in her chest.

  It was a mix of jealousy, grief and sorrow.

  ‘Why him? He was a guy? He doesn’t deserve to be together with you.’

  ‘We were a way better choice than him’

  She felt abandoned.

  But, when she was in her Master’s arm.

  Her Master proclaimed them as his pets.

  She should’ve felt betrayed, insulted and degrading.

  But then those beautiful pairs of sapphire blue eyes. All of those unnecessary feelings were swept away.

  ‘No… I need to stay awake…’

  Her sister’s mind was already bent.

  And she was trying to resist, but her mind yielded.

  Yes, I was a pet.

  I love being a pet.

  It was liberating to view herself from this new perspective.

  Her mind was bent, and she felt comfortable about it.

  ‘I am a good girl after all’