A blonde girl slapped a young boy, she looked in her early teens, her face looked disgusted as she began beating him, he was a noble as well and would be ten at most.
Another noble older boy in his mid teens joined in beating him up, he was blonde as well.
In the same room, a noble blonde man sat on a chair with a newspaper in hand, he didn't bat an eye to what was going on.
The little boy ran to the man for help but he pushed him away to the floor, he looked at the boy with scorn then stood up with his newspaper in hand.
He rolled the newspaper and walked up the staircase.
Another little boy that looked identical to the other with the only difference being their hair styled differently.
He watched from a corner in the room with a frown.
–
– Another day –
The one that watched held a scissor in hand as he cut his brother's hair although messily.
He cut his in a similar manner as well.
Their haircuts were now similar, there was no telling them apart.
–
The girl looked pissed off as she looked at them both, she asked a question and the one that cut their hair raised his hand.
She beat him up till his face was all swollen.
–
Later that day in the yards with horses roaming about, the first boy pushed the bruised boy to a tree with force.
"Is that why you cut our hair?!
Paul!" The boy said with enraged eyes.
Paul smiled.
"You think I like seeing you get beaten everyday for something that was out of your hands?!
Huh?!
Saul?!" Paul yelled with teary eyes as he put his forehead against his brother's.
"Look from today onwards, I'm Saul and you're Paul.
You've suffered for nine years, now it's my turn to suffer for the next nine." Paul said as he grit his teeth.
"Wha-
How does that even make any sense" Saul asked with apparent confusion.
"We're twins, I'll take half and you'll take the other.
Just promise me this." Paul smiled despite his aching bruises.
"..." Saul remained silent for a while as he teared up, he eased his grip and fell to the ground.
"Thank you…thank you so much." Saul said as tears flowed from his eyes.
Saul went down to the ground as he held his brother's arms.
"Now remember, from today I'm Paul and you are?" Saul's voice faded.
– Weeks ago: The ceremony –
It was evening, the celebrations were at their peak, Zefroth shoved meat down Fiona's throat, she wasn't struggling.
Dan and Clarence chugged down drinks whilst Herra watched them, she tried to sneak a drink and Clarence slapped her hand.
While Leo and Karius had a hand wrestling contest, Leo won and made a gesture with both palms;
On the left palm four fingers were stretched out, while on the right he made a zero sing, Caesar pushed Karius away and faced Leo; he lost as well.
Rud spoke to Cera, it looked like he was still angry of her previous actions whilst someone watched the interaction.
Paul held a glass cup as he swayed the drink in hand slowly, his face was flushed red and he looked drowsy.
Saul walked in and swiped the cup from his hands.
"What do you think you're doing you idiot.
[He sniffed the drink in the cup.]
This is alcohol?! Are you trying to die young you stupid younger brother of mine." Saul said.
Paul put his head down on the table.
"But everyone back at ho…me thinks you're Saul, when you're-" Saul closed Paul's mouth then looked around.
" (Shhhhh) Are you tipsy?" Saul said in an awkward manner.
"I think you've had too much to drink, you aren't even old enough to be having alcohol." Saul wrapped his hand around Paul.
"Let's take you inside one of the buildings." Saul muttered as he supported Saul up and watched him.
He assisted him to a small dorm building in the main site.
"Doesn't this remind you of Caesar's birthday party from six months ago." Saul said to his brother.
"In…what way…[burp]
I don't remember it being in…a place like this…" Paul said.
"I mean the people, except Leo everyone else was was there.
Actually nevermind, just go to sleep." Saul dropped him on a bed.
"Goodnight Paul" Saul said.
"Goodnight Paul….
[Snooore]" Said Paul as he dozed off with a tear running down his cheek.
Saul's face looked worried as left the room.
***
– Present –
The door vanished before Paul's eyes, the last thing he saw was his brother's lifeless body.
"Saul?...
Saul!!!!" He said in dissonance, his eyes shook; knees buckled; he went to the ground on his knees.
[Splash]
The mire that befell him left his thoughts scattered.
He ran to the direction of the door and was blocked by empty space.
[Bang] "Saul!"
[Bang] "Saul!!"
[Bang] "Saul!!!"
[Bang] "Saul!!!" He banged his hand against the barrier continuously as his metal gloves deformed injuring his hands underneath them.
He kept to it for a while before gradually stopping, the tears that flowed from his eyes were neverending.
He didn't even bother wiping the tears off as they flowed, he gradually turned around and sat with his back against the barrier.
"...Paul" He muttered as his eyes continued to grow drearly he put his hands on the sides of his face as he thought;
"This can't be true, this can't be true, this can't be true, this can't be…" He was unstable.
–
He sat like that for an unknown amount of time, refusing to move as he grieved, his face looked tired.
"What do we do next Saul, hey Saul tell me…" said Paul as he looked beside him, a person sat beside him; it was Saul.
Saul smiled and stood up, urging Paul to stand up too, then he started walking away.
"Hey, don't leave me again, wait for me." Paul said as he grabbed his weapon and stood up.
He followed after Saul, at his steps he experienced the same things Leo experienced with the only exception being 'the voice'.
The ghastly being nearly pushed his mind to its breaking point, when the white lady showed up he stopped hearing his thoughts.
And then the memories started and ended, he experienced them with higher sensitivity due to the fragile state his mind was at that time.
He had questions, but buried them deep within himself.
At the end of the memories Paul stood face to face with the being once more as he held Saul's hand.
"So what are we doing next Pa- sorry Saul I almost forgot our promise.
I'm getting really clumsy these days hehe." Paul said with a smile.
Everything began to fade, the white lady the knights and the castle and eventually the being as well.
"If this is all an illusion, then the scene of Saul dying must have been the same as well." Paul thought.
"Ahh, thank goodness I thought I lost you." Paul said with a smile on his face.
"So what next?" Paul asked Saul.
Saul leaned on the door that appeared in place of the throne and knocked on it.
"Ah I see, we're passing through the door, is it the exit to where we came from, I hope it is.
But last time we passed through a door I nearly lost you." Paul said to Saul.
Saul giggled.
Paul began giggling as well.
–
Twelve door knobs all turned at once and from them thirteen people came out; it was Leo and his peers.
The room was an empty white space just like earlier and the doors vanished behind them.
From left to right they were; Herra, Karius, Dan, Clarence, Rud, Cera, Zefroth, Laura, Fiona, Caesar, Leo, Paul and Saul.
They all looked at each other doubtfully, with the previous room they had began questioning reality with some even drawing their weapons.
"You bastard, are you real?!" Dan yelled at Karius with a knife in hand, he pointed it at Karius.
"Realer than you are, I'd bet." Karius pointed his halbred to Dan.
"I don't even care if you're real or not, I'm inclined to kill you and Herra where you both stand." Dan said as he released his aether.
[Footsteps on the water.]
Rud walked to the front of everyone, his posture was upright but he was visibly sweating.
"Alright everyone calm down.
I want to be clear that we all saw the same things" He paused.
Rud addressed them as he asked them questions about what they experienced, it was now apparent that they all saw the same things.
The lady, the knights, the memories, the allies that were falsehoods, everyone experienced them, well…not everyone.
Two people shook their head in response to the last one.
It was Fiona and Paul, Fiona's was understandable as her gift warded off any psychological attack.
But for Paul he didn't understand.
"You didn't see anyone, no one at all?" Rud asked all baffled.
All eyes were on Paul.
"Now that you put it like that, I saw my brother but we came in together so that doesn't count does it?" Paul said with a smile on his face.
Everyone else's eyes widened, they were struck by confusion.
"Paul…, what are you talking about." Leo whose door was closest to his asked.
"Ah Leo, you could always tell us apart without identifiers.
What has you confused?" Paul said with a genuine smile.
"Are you still seeing illusions?!
You said you came together, with whom?
And where is Saul, why are there twelve doors instead of thirteen?" Leo was curious.
Paul giggled.
"Of course there are twelve doors because I and Saul came together, I mean look at him right he…re…" Paul dragged the last part of his sentence as he looked to his right.
Saul wasn't there, he looked around yet the same result.
"There is no one there what are you talking about.
Paul what happened?" Caesar's voice echoed through Paul's ears, his eyes shrank.