Once upon a time, the realms of Chance and Men lived in peace and harmony. The balance of the worlds was perfect. Unfortunately, the thirst for power and magic is an inevitable poison, as insatiable as the noble families of chance. Their thirst led...
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Chapter 24
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If the prince's kingdom doesn't suit me at all, my sister appears radiant from her throne. When she spots me, a bright smile forms on her lips. I take a few seconds to fully assimilate her presence. Her long red hair cascades around her face, and her skin is more radiant than ever. She wears a pale pink dress that perfectly contours her figure, but what disturbs me the most is her gaze. The color of her pupils seems brighter than ever. Her eyes, usually light brown, now have a hue similar to that of two topazes. I can barely hold her gaze fixed on me.
I turn my attention back to the Prince, whose golden crown sits askew on his golden curls. He gazes at me with mocking quartz eyes. "What have you done to her?" I spit in his direction. He raises an eyebrow, and a deep laughter reverberates on the walls of the room. His shirt is light and open, revealing a perfect body, too perfect to be human. His features resemble those of a fox, including the shape of his eyes. He's a predator, and he's circling around my sister.
"Isabella, help me!" I shout in her direction, and she rises from her seat, letting the train of her dress hang at her feet. She approaches me and runs a cold hand over my cheek. "She's burning," she exclaims towards the Prince. She kneels by my side, and her appearance is so different. "I don't understand," I murmur in her ear. "I came to save you." She moves away for a moment before laughing herself. "Save me?" she mocks, then she leans in to release my bonds with a simple gesture. They fall to the ground, emitting a faint burnt smell. "How?"
"You're starting to remember, aren't you?" she whispers, and I nod, perplexed. The Prince reaches his hand towards her, and she takes it, wrapping her arm around his waist in an affectionate gesture. If I was lost before, it's nothing compared to my current feelings. In the fog of my mind, I'm only certain of one thing: a sense of betrayal brewing within me. I struggle to stand and glare at her, letting anger slowly consume me. "You..." I start, and she turns towards me, surprised. "You let me suffer in this world. I was attacked, nearly poisoned, injured... betrayed," I say the last word, feeling Killian's gaze on me, but I continue. "All for you! While you were there, happy and well-off."
"Alice, my dear sister, please don't exhaust yourself further," she says. But I'm exasperated and don't give her a chance to continue, startling as my own voice suddenly echoes through the room: "ENOUGH." I see her face crumble, realizing that it's the first time I've stood up to her, confronted her - my own sister, my other half. I bite my lip so hard that I feel drops of blood welling at the corner of my mouth. I brush them away with the back of my hand, focused on the sight of my sister in the arms of such a monster. "Because of him," I point at him, realizing that I'm no longer trembling. I'm suddenly perfectly calm, breathing between each word: "Because of him, people have died, Isabella. And they continue to die, every day." She says nothing, nor does she lower her gaze. I understand that she is amused. She is not shocked or angry that I finally decide to confront her. I see pride on her face.
