Legacy (FT Next Generation)

|Chapter 13| The Twins

Rin and Sylvia awoke to pounding on the bars of their cell. They quickly got up and on their feet, with Rin protectively in front of Sylvia.

Sylvia still wasn't sure why he did that.

The person behind the pounding was a woman. She didn't look like a guard or a knight. In fact, the aura she gave off was similar to that of the woman who kidnapped them the night before.

She seemed soft spoken, with a delicate face.

They knew better than to trust it.

"Follow me," she said quietly. She pulled out keys and unlocked the door.

The sibling's adrenaline went up as the door swung open. They didn't know what was going to happen.

They treaded over to the exit, carefully. The girl turned around and started walking, they followed.

They walked out of the large room with cells, who had many people still sleeping. It was early morning, they guessed.

Walking through the underground of the castle was dreadful. They knew they were there to draw Gray and Storm out, but how they would do that... The twins weren't sure.

Not only that, but was that all they were there for?

Rin took a chance in asking, "what are you-"

"Do not speak unless spoken to," the woman said, without giving any physical sign that she recognized what Rin was going to say.

"No," he said, "how are you going to use us to get our father and brother?" He reached for her shoulder.

The girl stopped. Rin almost had his hand rested when he heard gasps of breath behind him.

Sylvia stood with her hands around her neck, choking.

He quickly turned around and caught Sylvia as she fell. "Sylvia-!" He was sitting on his knees while keeping Sylvia's head in his arms.

"Do not speak unless spoken to," she said without turning around. "Do not touch anyone."

"Okay! Stop, please!"

Sylvia took her hands away from her throat, and started gasping for breath. There was a red ring around her neck, which would surely turn to bruising.

"Come," she demanded.

Rin helped Sylvia stand, her arm around his shoulders, "focus on breathing. I got you."

They went up stairs, and then they were in the main floor of the castle. Truth be told, it was just as grueling as below the castle.

The golden carpet with red lining had not changed the mood.

The twins noticed that there was spots on the walls where picture frames had once hung. They were taken down, leaving decolored shapes on the walls that no one had bothered to cover up.

Well, the king hadn't bothered.

They made their way through the palace, to the throne room.

The brooding king sat on his throne, as high and mighty as they would've thought he would be. Once the woman stopped, Sylvia parted from Rin and they both kneeled. The girl stood next to his throne, along with eight other important people, who the twins guessed as the 9 Gates. Rin's breath got heavier, and he wasn't sure how he should act.

King Zeref rose from his seat and approached them. Specifically Sylvia, who held her head low. She didn't want to move.

Zeref squatted down and lifted her chin with two of his fingers. Rin turned his head.