Fairytale Fate: The Legend Begins

♚ C H A P T E R • N I N E T E E N, P A R T • 2 ♚

"Any chance one of you is just really hungry and that was your stomach?" Carolyn asked, backing up from the door.

"Here," the old woman started, grabbing a large, maroon book and flipping through its browning pages. She turned it to allow the twins to read the fading text scribbled onto the parchment. "I hope you two have some magic in you...because it'll be the only way you'll make it back to where you're staying alive."

The bookkeeper pointed a trembling finger to a specific passage that was outlined in metallic gold paint.

The twins shared a wide-eyed glance to one another before slowly reading the fading text.

"Per murospeculo," they said with slight uncertainty.

Aura huffed in frustration before nearly dropping the spell book when she couldn't see her or her sister's forearms. In fact, she couldn't see her sister at all.

"Trippy," Carolyn mumbled as she attempted to wave her hand in her face, yet only getting the slight breeze that came with it.

The spell was gone as quick as it came, the sisters becoming visible once again.

"Hey what gives?" Aura said as she read over the text below the spell.

The power of invisibility is as coveted as a pile of gold. An important aspect to note is one must not dwell on their invisibility in order for the spell to continue to be effective. Just as the caster begins to question or focus on whether they can or cannot be seen, their fear becomes their reality.

"Great..." the twins grumbled as another growl slightly shook the palace.

"Again?" Aura suggested. Carolyn nodded before taking a deep breath to calm her rattling heart.

They muttered the incantation once more and disappeared from view, this time somehow cloaking the book as well.

"Both of you hurry before even more beasts come out to play," the bookkeeper rushed as she hobbled to the library door once more. "And remember what the book says."

The twins whispered their thanks before slipping out into the wall-less corridor that shone a dim red from the sea glass lantern hung from the vaulted ceiling.

As quietly as they could manage, Aura and Carolyn navigated their way through the twisting hallways of the castle, holding their breath any time they heard even an inkling of movement besides their own.

They successfully made it out of the castle and had begun their trek through Atlantis's city center when a horrific obstacle crossed their path.

An eel-like creature with almost metal spikes protruding all down its back slithered across the weathered stone of the street, coiling in and out of itself. It could easily fill one of their high school classrooms with just half of its size and length. Sharp fangs that looked like they could easily rip the twins in half stuck out of the creature's mouth in every direction. A low, menacing growl escaped the creature as its blood red, glowing eyes surveyed its surroundings.

Carolyn moved her hand around until she eventually found her sister's. She gave it a small squeeze before tugging Aura forward and towards the edge of the road.

It can't see you, it can't see you repeated in Carolyn's head and she drew closer and closer to the monster.

The beast began sniffing the air until it looked directly where the twins stood.

Aura squeezed Carolyn's hand as tight as she could to stop herself from screaming as the beast slithered closer and closer to them.

The twins took minuscule steps away from the hideous creature, stepping as lightly as they could so that their boots wouldn't clobber onto the stone.