3. The Hidden World

1871.

With many things Lily has got used to now.

Like how maids thought Lily was an abnormal one among the Ruan kids.

It's been two years since Lily regained her past self in a new body.

"How strange!", she touched her cheek. She is still not used to the body she is in. 

Long jet black hair,ocean blue eyes, just like her mother,Erlyien Ruan. 

Rose looks like their father,Tao Xin. Though the twins don't look the same, they are still the same from the heart, like how they were in the past. Inseparably close. 

Their names are now Ruan Siya and Ruan Sayo. 

They are the second born of the Ruan clan head,Ruan Erliyen,their mother. 

A First born will inherit the father's family and the second born will inherit their mother's. So the Ruan clan belongs to these sisters. 

From what they learned, they understand that they are not humans. Far from knowing how complex their families are. Pureblood. They didn't understand what it meant. They couldn't believe it at first,but after a while they had confirmed that by themselves that they were not human. They indeed have human-like form but non-human beings,with supernatural abilities. Jinn.

She felt like she was in a dream. 

Rose interrupted, 'You are not!'

Seeing her comment Lily discard the thoughts and asked, 'How long are you gonna keep reading me?'

Rose smiled, 'As long as I wish.'

Though Rose is not capable of controlling her powers fully yet,she has grown accustomed with the fact that she can read mind. Lily was happy as she didn't have to describe Rose how much she was grateful to have another chance. 

Rose smiles.

Lily's heart feels content as the 21 years old Lily was still there. They now know,they are not normal. Jinns cannot read each other. They can just communicate among themselves through telepathy and they can only read what humans are currently thinking. 

Rose was confused,'but...doesn't that mean I'm abnormal!?'

Lily disagrees, 'That means you're special.'  

Rose smiles, 'You are so optimistic.'

Lily can't help it as it lets one know the possible surviving method. She doesn't want to lose this family. They looked at their parents who were talking and laughing among themselves,sitting under the European beech tree. The leaves have turned orange yellow now. The serenity of this moment she didn't want to fade. Her heart felt tight as she had this fear, a feeling that this happiness won't last long.

Lily decides suddenly and says, 'Rose! We need to study. We should study to know the world. Both of the worlds.'

Rose giggled, 'How funny! I was thinking the same.'

They kept looking ahead. The vast landscape was quiet and peaceful. The sun was turning orange. They tried to decide what they wanted to be. They both thought by themselves. As they were silent, their parents noticed the change. They thought something was wrong. They called out for Lily and Rose. 

'Darlings! Please come here.'

Their thoughts were interrupted.

Lily was surprised why they would suddenly call them. She looked at Rose. 

Rose explained, 'They assumed that we were fighting.'  

Lily was shocked, 'Fighting?That's impossible!... '

They couldn't keep themselves composed as they never fight. They laughed as they went to them

Lily called out to them while running to them, 'Yes mommy! Daddy?'

Rose reached to them and asked with an innocent face, 'What happened?'

They got confused at their behaviour. Their innocent faces didn't have any signs of anger or depression. 

Erliyen became confused, 'Ah! Nothing! We just thought.. What were you thinking about separately? You guys never let each other even a bit away? so we thought..'

Lily ensures, 'Nothing is wrong, ma. We were just thinking.'

Tao and Erlyien were surprised. They know, both of them are very intelligent and Siya has been good in her studies since she turned two where Sayo was very good in sports. Her speed was so fast. But to hear these three years old babies, busy in thinking instead of playing was rather astonishing to them. The girls already know that they can't think privately unless they look away from each other. So they try this method whenever they want to think by themselves. To not look at each other when they don't want to share anything. 

Especially Rose,she is still unable to control and doesn't want to pry on each other's  privacy. Tao was curious what they were thinking. They didn't expect a serious answer like they were thinking what they wanted to be. Rose spoke out that they wanted to be someone who can protect the one they love. The parents looked at each other. 

Lily interrupted Rose talking inside her mind, 'Rose you silly! Why are you so dumb' !

'Why?!' Rose couldn't understand what did she do.

'Watch the words you say.' Lily's word cleared the misunderstanding.

'Ah! I'm sorry! I forgot!' Rose apologies.

The mother frowns at the statement. Erliyen heard maids gossiping something about them. They always stay so lost in their own worlds. 

Erliyen couldn't feel them as any reincarnations of their ancestors or others. Yet they are so mature that she sometimes thought someone must have got reincarnated. Lily looked at Rose with frowned eyes. 

'Ma! I want to be a detective or a policeman!' Rose changed the concentration from that to another.

That surprised everyone. Including Lily. Rose made Lily understand that she has always wanted to be a police or detective. Lily recalls a past where Rose and Lily used to play police and thief.

The parents were confused. They waited to hear the parent's thoughts about what they had to say. 

Tao didn't stay quite, 'I knew it!'

Seeing Tao excited about something made them curious. Tao had doubts that Sayo takes after Erliyen as Rose doesn't sit around calmly which reflects Erliyen's personality so much. As a father he fears that no one will want to marry Rose if she is a Tom-boy like Erliyen. That comment made Erliyen laugh. She mocked, 'Huh! Didn't you marry me!'

Tao explains with evidence, 'Well you are not much like her! She beats around the other boys who they play with.'

They were wrong, that's why she beats them. Rose didn't bother. Tao advised her saying she shouldn't bully humans as that can be the cause of losing their power if by chance they are innocent. As Rose can read them,she knows who is or not. 

Erliyen assured, 'Don't worry about that. A boy who really wants Sayo,will not care about anything but her heart. You fell in love with a person's inner self,not the outer. '

This advice of her mother's sunk deep down in Lily's mind. Rose didn't bother much yet as to her Lily is everything. They wanted to know about what Lily wants to be. In her past life she couldn't do anything with painting. Her talent was not recognised. She believes that she didn't have that talent. She tried that in her previous life because it seemed painters can earn much through them. Later the bitter truth she learned you need to have inner talents to be a true artist. To pour your heart into the canvas. As she thought she had nothing like that in her,she is a failure.

She understood that she won't be able to help others just with that. She needs to be capable so that she can take care of Rose. She starts to think,

'I don't want her to be sick again. And if she wants to be a detective or police I can cure her or help when she gets hurt. Even Jinns get hurt like humans.So..'

'I want to be a doctor.',Lily was determined and her was expressing that.

Erliyen asked her to reconfirm, 'You want to be a doctor?'     

'Yes!', Lily's answer was the same.

As she was good with memorising and practicing as well as analysing,so it won't be hard she thought. They have enough time,a long life-span,If they feel to do anything else they can do it later.But for now she focused on being a doctor. 

Erliyen asked Tao, 'They are not kidding are they?'  

The parents were very much surprised. 

Tao says, 'I had a feeling that Rose takes after you and she after me. But why did her choice become like that? '

Lily was confused. She knows there is a small hope for women to be a doctor successfully but she is sure it will be a good change if women can become a doctor

' Of course not darling,maybe in human's world there are not many female doctors available now because of the restriction but here, in this world,you can become anything you want as long as you are capable.' Erliyen's words were very encouraging.

Tao also explains if that world doesn't let one in because they are women then they can just change themselves as a man. Simple. If one wants to learn they are free to learn. Tao inspired her as the Ruan clan doesn't have a doctor now. Erliyen suddenly caught Tao's comment. 

Erliyen assumes, 'My grandfather used to be..are you telling she is my grandfather's reincarnation?'

Seeing possibility Tao proposes,

'Why don't you visit the Xen sisters?'

From Erliyen's perspective,she thinks Tao believes too much in fate in which Tao never reacted. Tao has always been a religious one. Blessed with many talents. 

'Religion has nothing to do with blinded beliefs.' Erliyen tries to clear.

'Don't make them an atheist.' Tao was disagreeing with Erliyen.

Erliyen argues that she believes in God,just doesn't believe in fate. Her belief is that Fate is decided by one's deeds. Which made Lily think about what she had done to deserve my past life like that and if fate depends on deeds, why did she suffer like that.

'But if God didn't exist then how am I here ? Isn't this proof that God exists?' Lily was immersed in her thoughts.

Rose says, 'Of course He does.' 

Otherwise their life wouldn't have been justified. May be they had struggled in the past life that's why they were born here this time so that they can fulfill their wishes

 'yes.We are lucky that we can remember', Lily was thankful.

They fell asleep as their mother was singing a lullaby to them. At Night,when their mother is able to stay, she would sing them a lullaby. There were some human maids outside our castle and the Ruan family lives in a visible place to humans. They know they cannot reveal themselves recklessly.

Lily reminds Rose that the main thing is not about fear. It's about balance. Humans are the beloved one of God's so naturally they would have more power. They can control elements and other things that humans cannot.

'So how can they be powerful, Lily?'

Lily places a book in front of Rose

If the evil one really were the strongest one then humans couldn't have driven us out from a place or body. A benevolent Jinn can overpower their evil one. Both humans and Jinn are subjected to the Almighty. Evil Jinns or Demons, are not only human's enemy but also enemy for the good Jinns. Every being will be rewarded or punished according to their deeds.

Jinns hide from humans when Jinns are not the evil one,to avoid chaos. Everyone is greedy for powers. According to the girls' assumptions, maybe Humans would want to overpower Jinns,so will Jinns,that's why they need to stay in their own world. And it's forbidden to have family with them. 

Rose pointed out, 'It says we can coexist with them without making us obvious.'      

'Really?', Lily didn't know.

These 4 years old babies were now busy training themselves so that they could live in this world. Little did they know that not everything is recorded. Some of the secrets have been passed down by their ancestors to their direct descendants. Rose didn't understand another topic. 

Cross inheritance.

They started analysing.

According to the history,

When a baby is born it's necessary to protect the baby as they are prone to attract the demon clan. Each baby is gifted with special powers. So kidnapping them would be beneficial for the evil one or another clan. They would want to imprint them while they are baby and that is an easy task for them as a baby can't use its powers.

If they get imprinted when they are still a baby, their loyalty to that person cannot be broken. If it's a baby from a powerful clan then it becomes more terrifying. Father and mother are the selfless one to their baby. So they are in charge of that and it's a must. In ancient times,there used to be internal war inside families. To solely have wealth and power, there used to be a murdering system. And because of that their population was about to get wiped out just because of greed. Since then few laws were established. 

A couple can conceive only twice.

Twins or more born at the same day will be considered as the same status if they have another offspring. 

Tao Shin is the first born while Siya,Sayo is the second born.

If Tao Shin was not born Siya would have been the first born. 

The first born will gain his father's inheritance while the second will inherit mother's.

If one child then that child will gain everything from their parents. 

The next generation will gain cross inheritance. Tao Shin's kid will gain Ruan sisters inheritance while Ruan sisters' kids will be titled as Tao Shin's. 

That way murder because of powers will be diminished. If anyone abuses or kills any of their siblings,will be banished for forever from their clan and will be revoked from any inheritance or rights. It is the same for the Purebloods or among non-purebloods.

The actual process was much complicated and they have yet to realise Everyone is greedy in their own way and the girls too, were not any exception.