Once upon a time, in the world of Saztrel, there lived a royal couple who were adored by their subjects in the kingdom of Myrtle. They ruled the kingdom with tremendous compassion and prosperity. It has been referred to as the kingdom's golden era during its three centuries of history.
Despite their blissful lives, the royal couple had one concern. They had been married for over 10 years and had yet to have a child.
They sought help from every physician and magician in every region in order to discover a solution to their predicament. But it was all for naught. When the royal couple began to lose hope, a mysterious woman shrouded in a white cloak approached them. She presented herself as a priestess. And Lumiera, the goddess of light and life, sent her. She assured them that if they prayed to Lumiera every day for a year without missing a day, their problem would be solved.
They did what the priestess had instructed, and the queen was pronounced pregnant on the first of February the following year.
This miracle brought joy to the kingdom. But the royal couple being known as virtuous people didn't forget their gratitude to the priestess who helped them. When the royal couple tried to locate the priestess, they couldn't find her anymore.
In order to show their deep gratitude, they built a shrine of the Goddess Lumiera.
Months passed and the queen gave birth to healthy beautiful twins, a boy, and a girl.
The twins possessed hair that gleamed like strands of gold and eyes that were as clear as the azure sunlit skies. They both appeared to be ethereal angels sent to bless the lands.
***
'They indeed resemble beautiful ethereal angels, as described in the story,' Fourteen observed, looking at the two royalties captured by her father, the demon king.
At least six feet off the ground, above the stage. The royal siblings were both chained in a chair that was specially designed for them, preventing them from using their magic.
'Princess Margarette and Prince Maven had a striking resemblance. Well, that's because they're twins.'
Fourteen continued her observation.
King Ventrizel, the demon king, wearing a dark coat made by the thick skin of the dark dragon. He had an overbearing presence that was screaming of great authority and wickedness. He approached the two royals slowly. His lips curved into a menacing grin. The two royals cast him a scornful glare. Being wary of any action he takes.
"With these two in our hands, we will finally be able to complete the sacrifice when the darkness covers the light!" King Ventrizel's voice echoed like a roaring thunder through the hall.
All the demons and monsters' cheers boomed from what the demon king declared. "Even the hero will be powerless to resist us once we get the ultimate power to conquer the world!"
"Laugh all you want!" Princess Margarette screamed. "The hero will come and kill you!"
Prince Maven remained silent. His angelic face was expressionless, but his steely blue eyes glowed with fury. He cast a glance at the man who had red hair and that was at the end of the stage. The man who betrayed them and put them in this predicament.
'The hero. Of course. If there is a demon king, the antagonist, there will be a hero, the protagonist of the story. And two weeks from now, at the event of the solar eclipse, the hero and his party will defeat the demon king. In the end, the entire world will be saved. The hero would marry the princess and they would live happily ever after. An ending befitting for every story like this.'
'But I have seen enough.'
Fourteen began to move away from the mob. Even if she vanished, no one would notice such an insignificant being like her. Despite being the demon king's daughter, it didn't actually prove anything. The demon king is the father of almost hundreds of children from different races.
And having her name as a number meant she was ranked low. She was just another nobody among the demon king's children. Because the children that excelled and had higher rankings were given by a name of the demon king himself.
'But it's not like I cared for it either.'
Fourteen reached the dimly lit halls of the demon king's fortress. She went till she reached a section that was in mess in comparison to the first part of the halls she had strolled through. She came to a halt in front of a door after a few more turns. The door in her room was far shabbier, and with one wrong move, it could break at any time.
'I really don't care.'
Fourteen carefully opened the door and closed it gently. Her one bed and table was what greeted her first. Then she walked towards a portrait of an empty brown vase. She closed her eyes for a bit.
"Sense," she chanted to herself.
"All clear."
Fourteen removed the portrait when she felt no demons within a five-kilometer radius from her. There was a concealed lever beneath it. As she twisted the lever to its left the wall in front of her began to break in two. She flicked her finger, causing a single ball of fire to erupt from the tips of her index finger. She moved carefully down the long corridor 'till she came to another door at the end.
"Seven," Fourteen called out with a smile on her face.
"Fourteen! You're back!" he exclaimed as he ran up to Fourteen and embraced her. Her elder brother, while being considerably two years older than her, had the mentality of an eight-year-old toddler. But he was not like this before.
Fourteen reached out to embrace her elder brother as well. "I apologize for taking so long to return, Seven."
Seven shook his head, staring at Fourteen with the same red eyes as hers. The red eyes that Fourteen cursed in her entire life; since they were the same as the demon king who led their lives to become hell.
"It's alright, Fourteen. I know you will always return." Seven said with all smiles. "By the way, Lilian and Knox are not with you?"
"Seven, Fourteen," Both of them turned towards the corner of the room.
Lilian, fourteen's elder sister from a different mother, emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room. Knox, a little boy, appeared next to her. He was also Fourteen's younger sibling from another mother.
The four siblings all had crimson eyes. Their hair, however, was not the same color. Knox's hair was dark blue like the ocean and had two little horns, whereas Lilian's was ebony dark. While Fourteen and Seven both have Silver hairs.
"Sister, Knox, welcome back." Fourteen greeted them.
"Lilian! Knox!" Seven immediately ran towards the two. He gave them a hug the same thing he did with Fourteen.
"We brought back some kebabs from the human world. It is said that this dish was popularized by the hero." Lilian gestured her index finger to her mouth. "Shh!" A playful smile escaped her red lips.
Knox simply snapped his fingers and four boxes of kebab appeared from it.
"Kebab! Yey!" Seven happily exclaimed as he received one box from Knox.
Fourteen smiled meekly as she walked towards them.
'It's alright. Whether the demon king or the hero killed each other, I don't care. As long as I have my siblings in this hell, I am already happy.'
And in about two weeks, we'll escape together to this place to live a happy and comfortable life, free from the demon king's clutches.
Fourteen grabbed one kebab as well.
In a small and cramped dingy room. As they conversed, the four siblings merrily shared and eat their delicious kebab together.
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