Tama and Lani

It's been two weeks since the start of the term, and the need for more merits has become glaringly apparent. I refuse to be displaced to a room with fewer amenities, especially after getting accustomed to the comforts of my current living space. Additionally, our serpents are in need of mana crystals, which means more merits are essential.

The best way to accumulate merits freely and efficiently is through a club, but the idea of joining an existing one doesn't appeal to me. So, I've made the decision to create my own club. Of course, to do so, I'll need a professor to act as a patron. I'm confident I can convince Professor Xavier to take up that role.

According to the academy's guidelines, a club requires a minimum of seven members. As of now, I have Selene, Elizabeth, Gregory, and Damien on board. However, I haven't formally asked them yet, but it's not as though I need their approval.

I've been on the lookout for the remaining two members, but my standards are quite high. None of the students I've observed so far seem to fit the criteria I'm looking for. Well neither does Gregory, but he's a special case.

As I lie in bed, Selene runs her fingers through my hair, a comforting gesture that lulls me into a sense of peace. I decide that the issue of finding the final two members can wait until tomorrow. It's time to drift off to sleep.

**

In the forest behind the House of Shadows, I'm playing with my now not-so-little serpent friends, who have grown to about 60 cm long. As I feed them two crystals each, Selene does the same for her snake.

"Selene, it's not like two members will suddenly introduce themselves—" I start to say, but I'm abruptly cut off.

"We've finally met you," a voice with a thick accent says. Confused, I look in front of me to see two people kneeling. What's going on here?

"Excuse me?" I say, bewildered. Selene walks to my side, equally curious.

The two people look up, revealing identical beautiful faces—one male and one female. They have striking red-colored eyes and equally vibrant red hair, braided with beads that contrast beautifully against their tan skin.

"I'm Tama, and this is my twin sister Lani," the male, Tama, introduces themselves.

"Okay... nice to meet you, Tama and Lani," I respond, exchanging a look with Selene, who's just as puzzled as I am.

"You mentioned we've finally met you. Care to elaborate? And please, do stand up," Selene says, her tone firm but curious.

The twins stand, brushing the figurative dust off their golden-colored robes.

"Forgive us," Lani speaks softly, her voice mesmerizing and still thick with their unique accent. "My brother and I have been searching, wandering for the past two years, and our search has led us to you."

"May we speak somewhere private?" Tama adds.

Selene and I exchange another look, silently agreeing, and we lead the twins to our room.

*

In the room, I watch as Tama hands Lani a small pouch and she retrieves a handful of white powder. She begins chanting some incantations that make my head ache if I try to listen closely or make out the words. With precision, she draws a circle on the floor and completes her incantations, motioning for us to step inside.

Curious about the turn of events, Selene and I join them on the floor, sitting as they do.

"No one can listen in now, not even the highest powers in Tavill," Tama says confidently.

I believe him. Back on Earth, one of my men had angered an African priest, and the following day he began experiencing hallucinations. I'm not sure of the details, but he lived in a state of paranoia and fear, screaming for hours. Each time he attempted to harm himself, he miraculously survived... until ten years later when he was found choked in his own saliva. It was a terrifying ordeal. I still shudder at the thought.

"My brother and I come from a remote Ariadan tribe, that is no longer there due to… circumstances…" Lani's voice carried none of the weight of loss she should have when speaking about the loss of her tribe, suspicious, as she recounted their story. "Since my brother and I were left homeless and aimless, I decided to ask the spirit of our dead nana... She wasn't happy about it, but she did pull some supernatural strings and peeked into our lines of fate."

The revelation shed light on their enigmatic appearance. In Arkaria, where diversity was limited, people with dark skin and red hair were a rarity. The only other group that remotely resembled them were from the House of Seas, known for their striking purple eyes and sun-kissed skin.

"The Ariadan desert, located on the northwestern part of the kingdom, was our home," Lani continued, her voice carrying a hint of longing for a place lost to time. "But now, guided by the wisdom of our nana's spirit, we were to venture south."

"She informed us to go south and gave us a set of words," Lani explained, her tone solemn yet determined. She recited the phrases they were given:

"Saphira 'ayn amunet"

"Dauzayani zula yul"

"Emir al tal'fana"

"Aymara"

"Ashnara"

Selene and I exchange puzzled glances as Lani chuckles, offering translations for the enigmatic phrases.

"Blue eyed serpent," Lani says with a hint of mystery.

"Daughter of the dark moon," she continues, her voice carrying a sense of wisdom.

"Prince of Darkness," Lani's tone deepens, hinting at power and secrecy.

"Lovers," she says softly, the word filled with warmth and connection.

"Reborn," Lani concludes, her eyes shining with anticipation. Watching our reaction.

As Tami spoke, my mind raced, trying to process the sudden turn of events. I maintained a poker face, not allowing any hint of my inner turmoil to show. Beside me, Selene mirrored the same composed demeanor.

"What does this have to do with us?" I asked suspiciously, my eyes narrowing slightly.

"After receiving the words, we traveled south for months, and upon reaching the first city we came across, we decided to delve into our research," Tami continued, his voice steady.

"In that town, we discovered that the Southern territory of Arkaria is under the rule of the House of Shadows. Their key features are blue eyes for direct descendants, and they are symbolized by a serpentine divine beast," Tami explained further, his words carrying weight.

"So, we had a clue on where to go. After our research, we chose Tavill Academy as our destination. The goal was to find out which of the direct descendants would lead us, or at least find a lead. If not, we planned to attach ourselves to a descendant and continue our search when they returned home to the southern territory," he finished, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips.

"That still doesn't explain why you believe it's me," I pressed, my voice tinged with skepticism.

"When we arrived here, we observed the few blue-eyed descendants we could find, including you. However, only two of them had lovers: you and Daniel. To solidify our conclusion, the way you two relate to each other suggests a familiarity of lovers who have spent a lifetime together, not just teenage infatuation. This is odd, considering you both must be 15 this year. So, we concluded it's you," Tami explained their reasoning, his gaze meeting mine.

Selene and I exchanged a glance, the weight of this revelation settling between us.

"Assuming we are the ones, what's the plan now?" I inquired, seeking clarity amidst the swirling uncertainty.

Tami merely shrugged, his expression unreadable. "The goal was to get here; what happens after is really none of our business," he stated matter-of-factly.

"You should know that what our nana did was peek into the future and give us a direction. We were bound to meet anyway, probably in 10 years or 20, or less. She just gave us a little boost," he added, his tone reflective and uncaring.

"In my brother's defense, we did expect to be searching for a while..." Lani chimed in with an awkward smile, her eyes flickering between us.

"We'll see you tomorrow?" Selene interjected, standing up from our seated position. "We need time to think about this," she added, her voice firm.

"Of course," Lani replied, her tone gentle yet decisive.

As they exited the circle, Lani uttered a small incantation, and the white powder in the pouch turned into smoke, dissipating into the air.

Selene halted them before they reached the door. "Wait," she called out, her curiosity piqued. They turned to face her, their expressions expectant.

"What was that powder?" Selene asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied them.

Lani's smile widened, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Beware of the conversations you have around this place. There's constant surveillance," she warned, her words hanging in the air.

With a final bow, Lani softly uttered, "Crushed human bones," before turning and leaving, the door closing quietly behind them.