Naoyu

When both Xiayu and Naoyu were young, their childhood felt bright and curious. They explored the manor, mischievously shot rocks at the squirrels and mice, then got chased by said squirrels and mocked by the mice. 

Did they learn their lesson? Yes…but for only three days then they were right back at it again. 

Life was good. 

They had warm food and servants to look after them. Their parents did not spend time with them, but the girls were too occupied to care too much. 

Though their cousins were mean and nasty boys, they eventually learned they can throw rocks at them just as they do the squirrels and mice. After losing to the girls, they run off and pout like babies. It was truly exhilarating and gut bursting to watch. 

Admittedly Naoyu enjoyed this activity more than Xiayu.

Although they both are twins and look identical, their thoughts and personalities are quite different. Where Naoyu enjoys the mischievousness of life, Xiayu prefers to watch rather than join in. 

Naoyu loves to run around in the sun, Xiayu prefers the shade and taking naps. Where Naoyu hates dresses, Xiayu doesn't mind them. Well only if they are light and uncomplicated. She'd be the first to throw a fit when forced into that multi layered torture device. 

With all their differences there are still similarities. Both girls don't mind getting dirty. They hate dressing up. Jewelry is useless and gets in the way. Beating up their cousins is enjoyable. 

Climbing trees and pretending they're fortes they must protect is another joy of theirs. They'd collect sticks and stones to throw at any and all that got near. Which included the servants and their annoying cousins. Those boys would even try to take over the tree if they let their guard down!

Of course the girls suffered losses, but most of the time they beat the boys back and laughed as they ran away in defeat.

Yes, Naoyu and Xiayu's childhood was good. 

Eventually though, the girls realized that something was missing. 

Their parents, unlike their cousins who'd boast about theirs, were never around. Admittedly the girls did see their mother at least once a month, but they never looked forward to it. Both Xiayu and Naoyu were secretly afraid of her. 

As for their father, if they were lucky they'd catch his silhouette, then they'd see him once, maybe twice a year, on birthdays or new year celebrations. Never alone though.

At this point the girls had made a new game which had two parts. This game was named Operation Monster Flash. 

Part one of the game deals with a monster. This 'Monster' is not your typical monster. This Monster is a secret code for Mother. So in other words this part of the game revolves around their mother. 

The rules are simple. Whoever can't stand staying with Mother for one hour without running away is a winner. Whoever loses is forced to wear those complicated dresses and be shoved off to dance while eating spicy snacks with no water.

Their score is thus.

Naoyu: 0/55

Xiayu: 0/55

It's safe to say the girls gave up a long time ago on this part of the game. It was much too hard! QAQ

Now what was left was the second part of Operation Monster Flash, which deals with Flash. This part was supposed to deal with their Father. Since he was always gone in a flash, this was his code name for the girls.

Admittedly they never figured out this part of the game since they became too absorbed with part one. Hence once they gave up on part one, part two was forgotten.

Luckily this didn't bother them and soon they didn't have the time to care for their parents' lack of attention. This was because a new family member had joined their home. 

Entering the manor was a little girl named Luo. She looked like a warrior that had come home from the wilderness. She even had the dirt on her clothes and bow on her back to prove this! 

Naoyu and Xiayu were instantly entranced by their fantasy.

Once Luoluo arrived in their life they immediately glued themselves to her. There weren't any other girls in the family and they were tired of the boys, so seeing another girl made them very excited. They were instantly curious about the things she liked and if she'd come play with them.

Sadly the girls were destined for failure. 

Luoluo shut them out almost instantly. Her cold stance of shutting the door without a word dropped the girls' hearts in their stomachs. They had just about cried at how disappointed they were.

But, Naoyu and Xiayu were never the types to simply give up! 

They were determined to talk to Luoluo and to be friends. Even Xiayu gave up her shade and helped chase Luoluo through the burning summer heat. They were equally determined and nothing was going to stop them!

Each time she rejected them, they would become even more determined. It was difficult since her courtyard was so far away, but the girls still picked up their pant legs, and ran off.

Eventually they wormed their way inside her courtyard. Naoyu and Xiayu domineeringly took over and made her courtyard their courtyard, and they never left.

This worked out in Luoluo's favor. She didn't have any servants to take care of her, so theirs became hers, and the old courtyard was cleaned up and food was plentiful.

During this time Luoluo opened up to them. They were very happy to learn she was equally as mischievous. She even had skills they didn't, skills that made climbing trees easier, shooting squirrels and mice better, the twins even managed to hit a few birds and rabbits! 

After spending time with her, the boys became even more terrified of them and acknowledged their strength. 

In both Xiayu and Naoyu's heart, Luoluo became their big sister, their mother, and a big sturdy wall to lean on. Before the twins had no one to cry out their grievances to besides themselves. Now with Luoluo they felt grounded, they felt pride, and that hole in their hearts they didn't even know was there, had been filled.

The twins' childhood was lively, fulfilling, but not completely filled with pink bubbles, but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

But then that changed. When Luoluo reached the age of choice, both Xiayu and Naoyu were forced out of her courtyard and they weren't allowed to return. Whenever they did, the guards or servants would pull them away. Even sneaking out did not help. They still got caught.

The only times they got to see Luoluo was when she'd walk into the manor, yet even those times were scarce. When she'd show up they weren't allowed to speak with her at all.

This was when Naoyu started to notice something. 

The servants were acting strangely to Luoluo. They were clumsy with her and their eyes reminded her of her mother's eyes.

Cold, hurtful, and empty.

• • • •

Naoyu's mother, Serefine, the first madam of the Hong Manor, in the eyes of all including herself, is a cruel and unfeeling woman. Her harsh lessons and dead fish eyes have always terrified the twins. This became even more so once she had them embark on the life choice of an Essence Practitioner, a choice they never had.

Eventually two years had passed and the twins too had reached the age of choice and experienced what Luoluo had. 

It's strange how it's called the 'Age of Choice' when they never had this so-called 'choice' in the first place. At the age of 10, their colorful childhood had ended, and the life of an adult had started. Their rights were gone and they could no longer be what they used to be.

• • • •

During Essence weaving lessons, both Xiayu and Naoyu were subjected to harsh training by their mother. It was terrifying and exhausting. Mother's ruthlessness had no end even to her own children. She treated them with heavy hands and never let them slack off.

As the elder sister, Naoyu took on more than Xiayu, allowing her to rest. Whenever Xiayu was dealt punishment, if Naoyu could, she took over for her. She'd finish their training faster so Xiayu could switch with her to rest. 

Naoyu had to do this otherwise Xiayu would break again.

This had happened sometime around the beginning of the twins' training. There had been a time where they were training so hard that Xiayu had vomited blood and fainted. 

This terrified Naoyu greatly. 

Watching blood stain Xiayu's white training outfit and seeing her fall to the floor so harshly, made Naoyu think her sister was going to die! 

Naoyu begged my mother to let her take Xiayu out to see the doctor. She begged to go so she could look after her sister. Naoyu even promised to take on Xiayu's share of training.

Mother simply turned her head, forced Xiayu to wake up and had her finish her training, then had the guards drag her off like a dead animal. 

The sight had traumatized Naoyu. She screamed and cried, attacking her own mother like the enemy she saw her as. 

In response, her mother ruthlessly slammed Naoyu to the floor and stomped her stomach harshly. One of Naoyu's ribs cracked and she, too, vomited blood.

"You're nowhere near strong enough nor competent enough to challenge my authority. Don't set your care on strangers, else you will die. Am I understood?" Her mother coldly stated, looking down at Naoyu as if she were insignificant trash.

"She's my sister, not a stranger!" Naoyu roared.

"No, she's your burden." Her Mother slipped her toe under Naoyu's back and shot her towards the wall. "Now finish your training."

Naoyu slammed into the wall and fell harshly to the floor. Blood spewed out of her small mouth. She landed in the blood while tears slipped out of her eyes.

When Naoyu didn't move, her mother shot an irritated glare at her. Naoyu challenged her with her own glare but soon regretted it. Her mother walked over, stalking towards like a predator, and she scrambled to get away, but it hurt too much and all she could do was shake and cry.

Her mother bent down and grabbed her hair. 

"I told you to finish practicing." Her mother ordered.

She lifted Naoyu halfway off the ground and paused.

Suddenly and out of nowhere, an arrow shot into the room. It aimed right at her mother. She let go of Naoyu and quickly retreated but was startled into further retreating when a blast of smoke filled the room.

Whoever it was rushed in and picked Naoyu up and rushed out.

They shot out of the courtyard and followed a path she'd never seen before. Thanks to this, Naoyu knew this person had come prepared.

When she looked up, the unknown person's face was covered, obscuring their identity.

At this moment Naoyu didn't know whether to be scared or relieved, yet she didn't have the choice since she fainted when they rushed into the trees.

When Naoyu next woke up, she found out it was Luoluo who had come for her. She burst into tears and clung to her, letting out all of her grievances. Luoluo patted Naoyu on the back which just made her cry harder.

After Naoyu had cried her eyes out, next time she'd woken up next to Xiayu, and Luoluo was surprisingly still here.

Thanks to the twins' servants, she found out that Luoluo had forced her way into father's courtyard and confronted him about Naoyu and Xiayu's treatment. Thanks to that, her mother hadn't forced them to train for a month.

Even though the training had become less harsh, the trauma suffered that day and its consequences would never go away. Both Xiayu and Naoyu were wounded and the scar would never truly heal.

Xiayu had become more withdrawn after that day. She wouldn't speak as much. She'd become cold to everyone besides Naoyu and Luoluo. Even still, she still wasn't as warm and lost that childish innocent they used to both have. This was how she protected her heart, and Naoyu was determined to also protect it.

Because Naoyu had lost hers.

Unfortunately as Naoyu had taken most of the brunt that day, she felt as if she'd become more warped, more twisted. She no longer cared. She became ruthless. She became cunning. She schemed and hurt others. She'd even killed those same animals they once upon a time threw rocks at, feeling nothing as she looked over their dead bodies.

Before Naoyu would feel bad if she hurt them too much, she'd even give them peace offerings. 

Now she just simply kills them. She doesn't care. She doesn't feel. She's simply numb.

But Naoyu never showed this side to Xiayu and Luoluo. She didn't want them to worry about her. So she'd smile as usual. She'd laugh as usual. 

'I was me with them, yet I wasn't me.'

'Naoyu was dead. I was dead.'

• • • •

As she stood in the rain, reminiscing about the past, standing there for what felt like hours, only a half of which had passed. 

A tap sounded then swiftly came a thud. Finally she moved her sight from the ground and up to Emi who'd returned. Then back to the ground, to the person or people who had just been thrown.

It was the maids that had appeared right outside of Xiayu's courtyard, both bound and covered in injuries. The tall one glared hatefully whilst the smaller one looked to have accepted she was going to die.

Of course she had. Long had she known she would die in this place just like everyone will. Just another nameless daisy weed to be pulled up with the hemlock. It mattered not if the daisy weed were fully innocent, as long as the hemlock was determined to let hellfire kill them both, the daisy weed who's roots could not pick where it was planted, would die no matter how aggrieved itt felt. 

Such a shame, such a shame. 

"Where is my cousin?" Hong Naoyu bent down and asked the shivering maids. Then she grabbed by the hair the one glaring at her, and slammed her forehead to hers. Those seductive eyes curve. "I smell your guilt. It's only a matter of time before I pry open the answer from those dainty lips. And if you still wish to die with that pretty face, I'd suggest you open them now."

Pa!

"Ehehe," Hong Naoyu laughed. She didn't even bother to wipe away the saliva on her cheek as she stood up, pulling the beaten rag with her. "Well, this is going to be fun."

The maid's heart jolted, and began to struggle. Regret pulsing through her veins, she claims over and over she didn't know.

It was far too late for her to realize the mistake of her actions. The devil stood before her, the madness in that cheek splitting smile, and the bloodthirsty glee glimmering in those empty eyes. Is enough for her to know.

Was it the disrespect that pushed the maid off the cliff? Probably not. Just the trigger needed to light the fuse, as insignificant as it was. A plausible reason for the killer holding the knife. A killer that truly didn't need a reason but still waited for one.

Nothing more, nothing less.

There is a secret that is spread amongst the servants, rumors that none believed were true. A rumor that stated that the Hong Manor twins were devils born from the air, insane individuals twisting all into rung out rags who dared to cross them, leaving only mangled corpses behind to hang from trees like rain dolls. 

But who would believe such nonsense? 

One was a shut-in and the other a silk pants degenerate. Neither of them came anywhere close to such a baseless rumor. So it died down quickly and never surfaced again, but it still remained in the hearts of those who scare easily, and the guilty who readily used such rumors to their advantage.

This rumor was the last thing this maid remembered as the devil turned her into a living breathing meat puzzle, all her pieces hanging from the trees strung up by her own hair, her blood swallowed by the earth.

And like that, another nameless hemlock had been uprooted in the most brutal of ways. The 'gardener' that had done so, smiling joyfully as it breathed its last.

Now only a daisy weed remained, withering against the wall, dead even though the heart still moves.