Laughter and footsteps reverberated throughout the open walkways of a lush garden.

  "You're too slow!" Brown hair that reflected sunlight fluttered as a boy zipped past a window.

  Another boy followed after, "I'm trying my hardest!"

  "Clearly not hard enough!" The Brown-haired boy barged through the doors of a building in a corner of the large estate.

  The White-haired boy entered right after him, "Don't talk when I'm carrying both!" The two children bickered as they sprinted towards their destination.

  "Slow down, you two!" A young maid yelled out, half out of breath as she tried to catch up but they ignored her pleas.

  They both ran at their fastest pace but one of them was lacking behind because he was holding two objects in each arm.

  "Open up!" The Brown-haired boy reached their destination first, a lonely dusty door.

  "Haaa it's disrespectful… ha… to shout, try knocking, idiot." The exhausted white-haired boy said as he arrived and looked up at the weird shapes in his vision.

  The brown-haired boy cleared his throat and knocked, "Are you there, Mistress-" The door swung open and he was grabbed.

  A woman covered in a red substance had caught him and held him tightly, "Ahhh let me go! You're dirty!" He tried to wrestle out of her hold but lacked the strength.

  "Oh, my apologies." She put him down and looked at the other boy, "Don't you want a hug too?" She opened her arms for the boy.

  "Not when you're covered in paint…" He backed away causing her to sigh, her white cloth shirt had blotches of red and orange paint all over, both dried and still wet.

  "So what'd you cause a ruckus for?" She wiped the sweat off her forehead as she looked beyond them at a poor maid who was gasping for air as she slowly made her way.

  "We wanted to show you our work!" The excited brown-haired boy gestured for the other boy to show the canvases, which he shyly did.

  The woman's smile grew as she looked at the two paintings of a grassy landscape, "Aww look at you! So you want to become just like me?" The boys looked at each other and then turned back with blank faces.

  "Which one is better?" They both inquired at the same time.

  "They're both perfect!" She immediately answered. The woman was all too familiar with their little competition.

  "That's a boring answer! Just say I'm better!" The loud brown-haired boy complained as the other white-haired boy simply looked away.

  "What do you mean perfect? It's subpar at best…" He murmured under his breath.

  The maid had finally caught up, "Mistress! I'm sorry for the disturbance, I just took my eye off of them for a second, I swear!" She bowed her head to the woman.

  "Let's go, your mother is very busy." She tried to guide the two back but they both refused to budge.

  "I don't see why we can't even talk to her!" One was very vocal while the other silently stayed in his place.

  "Elizabeth, how about you take a break? They can stay with me." The maid was caught off guard by her suggestion.

  "But the master said-"

  The woman put her hand up, "Don't worry about him. Take a break, you deserve it." She gave her a thumbs-up with her usual smile.

  "But… oh come on! how can I possibly deny you? Okay… fine, If you insist." The maid had always been very fond of the woman, who she saw as a role model, "you two, don't cause too much trouble for her." The two determinedly nodded in response.

  "Just call for me if you need anything, mistress." She bowed and then walked away, looking back every two steps.

  "Come in, you two." She gently pulled them inside, "Let's hang your paintings up."

  They entered and immediately got captured in awe at the sheer amount of paintings that hung on the walls, and also at the sheer size of them. They had been in this room once before, but the paintings had increased by a considerable amount.

  As they gazed at the many paintings, the woman took the pieces of art and walked up to the biggest painting of them all, a painting of a beautiful blonde woman. They followed after her and examined the portrait.

  "Do you know who that is?" The brown-haired boy asked his brother.

  "…no." The white-haired boy replied as he stood inches away from the portrait.

  The woman placed the two paintings on the opposing sides of the portrait.

  "Mistress-" the brown-haired boy raised his hand to speak but was cut off.

  "You don't need to do that here, dear. Just call me mother. Furthermore, you don't need to raise your hand to ask a question." The woman's part brown, part white hair fluttered as she turned around.

  The brown-haired boy hesitated, "Mother…" he inhaled and exhaled and was ready to speak but was beaten by the white-haired boy.

  "Don't you think it's inappropriate to hang our paintings next to yours?"

  "Hmm? Of course not! All paintings are on the same level, just because one masterpiece has more details than the other, doesn't take away from the fact the other is still a masterpiece in its own right!" She gleefully stated as she bent down to look at the two.

  "And also, I'd throw away all my paintings if it meant I could have something you two made!" She pulled them both into a hug. They didn't resist and simply accepted it.

  She then let go and turned to a large unfinished painting, "You can go sit over there, while I continue. If you need anything don't be afraid to say it." She patted their heads and smiled softly.

  The two went and sat on a couch and watched as their mother masterfully swung her brush.

  Their mother had an odd way of painting. She swings her brush as if it were a weapon, but each stroke was perfect and calculated. They watched as she endlessly swung her brush, the canvas was so big that even if she continued at this speedy pace, she wouldn't finish it any time soon.

  Hours passed as they silently listened to their mother hum and paint.

  Then there came a knock, "Elizabeth?" The woman asked but only got silence as a response.

  Then the knock hit stronger than the last.

  'Stop.' I clapped my hands and the scene stopped, 'I never liked this part.' I had regained control of the show moments before the knock.

  It felt as if I watched the whole thing, even the hours of her painting. I climbed up on the stage and examined the portrait.

  'Even after all these years, many nightmares, and the many sleepless nights I had trying to avoid this thing. I never found out who you are.' I examined the portrait.

  I did come to appreciate the beauty of the work, every detail was perfect. It felt as if I was looking at a real person, her dark green eyes followed me around as I examined the portrait from every angle. From some angles, she looked to be smiling, while others she looked indifferent.

  I turned to look at the woman who had her head turned to the door.

  'Um…' I quickly turned my head and closely examined the painting she worked on, 'your talents truly knew no boundaries.'

  'You illustrated everything that came to your mind.' I then turned back to her, 'and that smile. Even though you knew what was coming, you still smiled.' I sighed and went to return to my seat off the stage but remembered there were two others on stage.

  I looked at the two, 'I have nothing to say.'

  The brown-haired boy had been zoned out while the other had his head turned to the door.

  I clapped my hands, "Who is it?" Mother walked to the door, I waved my hand in front of the brown-haired boy's face.

  'No reaction…' I clapped my hands again as she began to turn the doorknob.

  'I don't know what I expected. I'm no longer a part of this scene.' I sighed and turned back to the paintings that hung on each side of the portrait.

  The nostalgic view of our garden, most of the paintings were horribly done but the sun stood out the most. It had the most detail, it didn't look like the normal sun kids drew.

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  'Mother did especially love the sun, and especially painting it. The very idea of perfectly painting something you can only perceive for a moment had become her favorite subject. It had probably rubbed off on us.' I looked at the two names at the bottom of both of the paintings, 'Seb and Kil.'

  I slowly walked over to the door, 'what if I were to open this door?' I put my hand over Mother's and prepared myself to turn the knob.

  'You already know what's going to happen.' I slowly turned it, 'so it's fine.'

  I fully turned the knob and slowly pulled the door open, 'nothing, Just darkness. The scene hasn't been prepared.'

  I took one last look at Mother, 'Hope you're well.' And snapped my fingers causing everything on the stage to disappear.

  'The Knight-King.' As the thought crossed my mind, a black armor-clad colossus appeared out of nowhere.

  I was briefly stunned but I immediately realized it wasn't him. I went closer and inspected him, 'of course, it's not an exact copy, this is my imagination after all.' The back was nonexistent, 'I couldn't see your back the whole fight.' I recalled some of the moments from the fight.

  I got an idea and went to my seat, 'begin.' As I clapped my hands the Knight-King started to move.

  'He sure liked to kick a lot.' The Knight-King started to kick just like I remembered, 'frequently kicks with his left foot.'

  'His first swing was always with his left.' The Knight-King immediately followed the kicks with left-handed swings.

  'And then followed up with a slash from his right.' The Knight-King slashed down with power, 'every swordsman has a pattern. Figuring it out is the key to victory.'

  'Hmm, his armor was quite troublesome. My strongest attack, I mean, [Aurora Splitter], barely broke through and didn't even cut through his hand.'

  'Granted, I was weakened but that's no excuse. With the wind assisting me, I should've cut his hand off completely.' I summoned my sword to my hand, 'his strength was unbelievable, but Pandres somehow managed to push him back.'

  'But that girl is also incredibly strong. I couldn't hope to match those two in terms of physical strength. At least, not right now.'

  I pointed my sword up at the Knight-King, 'you made me feel alive. And I mean really alive.' I jumped up onto the stage.

  'It won't hurt to engross myself for a little bit.' I cut through the Knight-King's figure and it disappeared, 'till we meet again, King's right hand.'

  The silence is finally setting in and I don't like that feeling at all. I looked down at my hand expecting my sword but it wasn't there.

  Memories of that room started to flood into my mind, 'Hey. Stop it.' The smell of the paint is so damn nauseating.

  'I-I don't want to be a part of this!' I grabbed at my head but my hands fell through completely. I was pushed back into the ground and closed my eyes.

  "Stop it!" I heard my voice? It used to be just my inner thoughts… my eyes were forced open, they were back, and… I was no longer on the stage.

  "Elizabeth?" Mother started to slowly pull open the door.

  "Stop!" I don't want to see it. Not when I was brought back here!

  "Who is it, mother?" The brown-haired boy was snapped out of his zone by his brother's shaking.

  I got to my feet and tried to run away, but my legs refused to move. Everything started to slow down.

  "This is just cruel…" I tried to move forward and my legs actually started to move.

  I ran at the door, "This is just a dream, that's all. I can stop it." I tried to push Mother away from the door and just fell through.

  I got up and tried closing the door, "I can feel it, but I can't push it closed…" I slumped down to my knees against the door.

  "I'm powerless… I can't change the direction of this…" I tried to grab Mother's hand but felt nothing.

  "How dare you." I heard the voice through the little opening, everything went back to normal.

  The door was forced open sending Mother back against a wall, the two boys immediately got up and frightenedly stared at the open door.

  "How dare you. I forbade them and yet you let them in here?!" An irate man glared back at the maid.

  "I gave orders! What's the point of you being a maid if you can't listen to them?!" He grabbed the maid by her collar.

  "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She begged with her hands in front of her face. He proceeded to throw her away like trash.

  He turned his attention to the boys, "You two, come here. Now." He used a different, more calm but just as commanding tone with them.

  They hesitated, "Did you not hear? I said-"

  "As bossy as always." Mother commented while still on the floor, he ignored her existence.

  "I said-"

  "Come on, still refusing to acknowledge me?" She smiled as she slowly stood up, "boys-"

  He finally looked at her, "Don't speak to them!" The man grabbed her by the collar and pushed her against a wall.

  I got up and tried pushing him off and a force pulled me into the ground. I couldn't move a muscle.

  "You bastard! Let go of her!" I felt my entire body get crushed under an unimaginable weight.

  My shouts fell on deaf ears. I tried to turn the other way, I succeeded and was met with another terrible sight.

  Two terrified children, the white-haired boy stood in front of the brown-haired one, "Damn it!" The expressions on their faces were a crime against humanity. No child should ever witness this atrocity.

  But I couldn't look at it any longer and was forced to turn to the other violent view, "You insane woman! Why do you have to be so-"

  The maid who had been so terrified tried to pull the man off. "So choose her side too!?" He took one hand and smacked her away,

  "Stupid-" he was interrupted by a slap.

  Mother had lost her smile and looked at the maid, "Oh dear. It's alright, Elizabeth." She regained her smile as she looked at the poor girl who had tears in her eyes.

  "Don't you dare do it! Stop it! Don't you-" my shouts were ignored. I was not an actor in this play. Yes, that's right, it was just a play. So it was fine.

  The man responded with a backhanded fist, and another, then another. The room fell silent.

  'It's just a play, Seb.'

  'This isn't real.'

  'It's all fake.'

  'It's just acting.'

  'It's similar to those theater acts.'

  If that's true… then why am I crying..? Why am I struggling to breathe through my sobs? Why am I grabbing at my chest?!

  The man let go of mother and went to grab the two children, "no!" The white-haired boy shielded his brother from the hand of the man.

  The man stopped for a moment, "Please… just stop." He fought against the tears and grinded his teeth.

  But a child was weak in the face of an adult. No matter how much he tried to resist, he and his brother were dragged out of the room.

  The maid was forced out of the room and the door slammed shut.

  'What a sorry sight.' Blood dripped from my lips as I lay in a puddle of tears.

  "Sebastian?" I looked up at my mother's face, the right side of her face had turned red. But… she still smiled.

  "M-Mother?" I reached a hand out to her and she held it.

  "Sebastian?" She gently pulled me into a hug, and I hugged back. I held her tightly and cried into her.

  "Mother!" I could feel her gently caress the back of my head.

  'Hold on. This doesn't make sense.' Stop it.

  'I shouldn't be able to feel her.' No, stop it.

  'This scene is based on my memories.' Please. I beg of you, don't.

  'I never saw what happened to mother after we left.' Stop it!

  "Sebastian?"

  "Don't let me go!" I held on even harder than before. I couldn't lose her.

  "Hey, it's fine now." It was a different voice now.

  I opened my eyes and looked up, "We're safe." It was Pandres..?

  Half my vision was black but I could still clearly see her face, "P-Pandres?" She smiled softly and looked down at me.

  "Yes?"