Chapter 37 - 35: Past ( 3 )

That evening, two young boys sitting in a dim room with only candles as their source of light. Next to them, mountains of books were placed. The writing in the books seems familiar yet the word they learn sounds different from their language.

Shin closes his book for a moment and rubbed his tired eyes, " Nii-chan, is it really alright for us to not recite the clan's rule? "

A sigh came and Shun take another book, " Do you really think that old man will care whether we would recite them or not?

Shin, " Then...Why did he punish us to go here? "

Shun look at his inexperience young brother and gave a haughty smirk, " What else? There's only one thing that he wants from us. "

Shin who still doesn't understand continues to ask, " One thing? "

Shun, " ' Fearless'. Our family motto is ' One have to be fearless no matter what even at the time of your death. ' -If we are still scared of darkness, then...we can't be the head of the family, right?

Shin nods understanding the meaning behind his grandfather's behavior. But, because Shun mention "darkness" now both of them starts to remember the horror stories from the servant of the house and also that frightening nightmare of darkness they had when they were younger.

' Rumble '

The dark evening sky grew even deeper along with the slowly unfolding rumble. Li Lian opened her window, look at the sky and mumble, ' It's going to rain. ' She opened the bandage on her arm and blankly look at the bruises on her arm.

" Young masters are punished inside the ancestral hall?! " a voice echoed from the hall through her room. Her eyes peek the slight opening between her door and found two servants talking.

The other maid asks," Yes, anything wrong with that? "

" Don't you know, the young master loses their parents in a stormy day, but they were young at the time so I doubt they remember that. However, they were also locked inside the ancestral hall for a whole night. "

" W-What? That ancestral hall?! That one? Isn't that room known for its creepiness? No servant ever wants to clean that room much less spending an hour there. It's so dark and they only use candles there...It almost looks like a scene from a horror movie. " The other maid shuddered from her own stories.

Li Lian continues to hear the conversation between the two maid who speaks in Japanese. Foreign words travel to her ears and she could only understand a few words from them.

Despite her inability to understand their conversation, her face paled at the four keywords she could grasp " Young masters"," Punished", "Locked ", " Ancestral hall ", and " Whole night " !!

After the servants walked away from her room, she quietly went out with peaches and blankets she clutched tightly in her hand.

Meanwhile, as expected, the twins that heard the loud rumble from the sky jolt in fear. They looked at each other with ' what should we do ' written all over his face. Just as they were trying to regain their composure, the sliding door creaked as if something opened it.

The twins clutch at each others' clothes in fear, gazing at the slight opening of the door, a black strands of hair creep out.

Their clutching grew even tighter, they change their position and dragged their body behind. Praying in their heart " Buddha, save us!!! ".

Shun looked at his younger brother looking more ghastly and braven himself, he shielded his brother with his arm, telling him to go back to the corner and took a candle next to him.

" W-Who?! " His words still shakes in fear, not knowing what crawling into the room, his brain worked more than its usual potency.

' Thump '

Suddenly something went inside the room with a loud 'thump'. Shun clutch tight his eyes and took one of the books next to him, ready to launch his attack at the 'thing'.

" Nii-chan? " A frail girl's voice calls his name in a weird pronunciation.

Shun heard the voice and stop the book the was about to throw, still, in fear, he peeks between his eyelids and found Li Lian sitting in front of the door.

In relieve, the twin sighs. They looked at each other's frightened expression and burst into a laugh. Li Lian tilts her head in confusion, she turns around the room and found heaps of Chinese dictionaries and books filling their surroundings.

She points the books next to her and asks, " This? Study? "

They nod and after a moment of silence, they answered her in Chinese, " We are studying, do you want to talk with us in Chinese? "

Overwhelmed by the kindness that the twins gave, Li Lian's lips parted, her eyes soften as she smiles, " Thank you. ".

A soft feeling grew in their heart, they looked at each other happily and continues to talk together until the sun rises. Apart from them, Kei behind the door faintly smile before he leaves.