《Sing an Endless Tune》


 A Path of Fire

    Nothing but darkness surrounded her and she ached to find a path, a light, anything to show her the way out of this terrible nightmare. She found no such thing, however, save for sneering voices and sinister laughter, echoing louder and louder until it drowned out even her own thoughts¨C


    ¡°Kali? Kali get up!¡± A hand grabbed her and pulled, ripping her out of her nightmare and into reality. She gasped then, eyes wide open as she stared at the face hovering over her. It was much like her¡¯s, with golden-brown skin and silver eyes. Long hair woven into mini twists fell from it, tickling her own face and making her scrunch up at the sensation.


    ¡°Thanks for pulling me out Kendi.¡± It wasn¡¯t a rare occasion for one twin to be burdened with nightmares and the other to save them from the ordeal. Today it seemed to be Kendi¡¯s turn to play the savior, pulling his younger sister from the darkness her mind trapped her in.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you did the same for me last time and that dream had Lehana in it.¡± Their mother, Lehana, was anything but loving. She was worse to them than any nightmare the twins could dream of. From birth, they were reminded of who they were: mistakes, regrets, and above all¨Cbastards.


    Though to the twins Lehana was nothing more than a cold and heartless mother, there had been a time when she was warm and loving. Then with her beauty reminiscent of the morning sun, no person could resist her. Eventually, she caught the eye of the emperor himself.


    His love, as she would tell her children many times, had been the cause of her downfall.


    The court, disgusted by royal children with a lowborn mother forced the king to cast her out, though he didn¡¯t put up much of a fight against them. Banished to the smallest estate furthest from the palace and given only a handful of servants to raise her new children, Lehana descended into a rage. A rage so pure, fueled by lies and lost love, that even when the twins reached 16 she never stopped blaming them.


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll come back home tonight?¡± Kendi shrugged in response, watching his twin sit up and tie her mini braids up into a ponytail.


    ¡°She could, she hasn¡¯t been home in days. Hopefully, if she does it¡¯ll make the servants cook for once? Our stash is running low.¡± The entire mood of the mansion was gloomy, with the servants forced to take care of a manic mistress. What other way could they take out their anger but on the children worth less than they were?


    If Lehana wasn¡¯t home they didn¡¯t cook, clean, or take care of the estate, resulting in their home appearing like a haunted manor. They especially didn¡¯t care for Kali or Kendi, leaving them with worn-out clothes and little food. What the twins could get their hands on they rationed, reliant on Lehana to come home drunk every couple of days to get the servants working again.


    ¡°I am tired of this¡­¡± Kali sighed, taking a piece of stale bread from their dwindling stash for her breakfast. Like every day in this dreary place, she wished for something more. She fancied a universe where she and Kendi weren¡¯t born with bad blood, free from the torture of simply existing. A world where they could be whoever they wanted to be and travel the world together.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you go daydreaming again, you¡¯ll make me hopeful.¡± With his words Kendi gave Kali a soft flick to the forehead, prompting a hum of annoyance in return. Despite the misfortune of being born, they had both been blessed with powers since birth, able to connect with each other''s souls. They could speak to one another without uttering a word aloud, enter each other¡¯s dreams, and even evoke emotions in each other.


    With this they felt as if they were more than just siblings and more than just twins. They were one and the same, two sides of the same coin. Without Kali there would be no Kendi, and without Kendi Kali would cease to exist. It was this power, strengthened by an unbreakable bond between the twins, that had encouraged them to survive this cruel environment around them, content as long as they had each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kendi, I just can¡¯t help it sometimes.¡± Her brother nodded, understanding that even with the obvious obstacles in their path they couldn¡¯t stop hoping. What else did they have, other than the aching desire to live another life?


    ¡°You wretched children! Come out at once!¡± Lehana, of course.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Alarm struck the hearts of both siblings, it was early morning and Lehana usually showed up in the evening. Quickly they scrambled up, Kendi grabbing their stash of food to hide and Kali rushing to tidy up their room. Anything out of order was simply an excuse for their mother to lash out at them and they had learned to give as little reason as possible for her to raise her hand.


    But it was too late, because as Kendi unceremoniously shoved the stale food into their closet Lehana barged in, like a beautiful storm ready to unleash a torrent of wind and waves. Mercilessly she laid eyes on her prey, caring for none of Kendi''s frantic pleads. Her sharp nails found her son''s face, and a cruel grin spread across her own when she saw the blood it drew.


    "First you ruin my life and now you think you can steal from me?" Her words were slurred, yet sharp enough to make Kali shudder.


    "Mother, it''s not what-" Air was knocked out of Kendi''s lungs by the kick Lehana gave him, leaving him kneeling and crouched over in pain. Kali gasped then, running over and placing herself between the two.


    "Mother, we barely have any food to eat. So we just save a little for when we get hungry. We didn¡¯t mean to offend you, please forgive us!" Kali ignored the yells echoing in her mind, even if Kendi wanted her to save herself she never would. Instead she stared cautiously at her mother, who seemed to pause a bit at her words.


    "Why would the servants ever feed pathetic bugs like you?" It was an expected answer but it hurt nonetheless. Kali braced herself as Lehana ruthlessly grabbed her daughter by the throat and choking the air out of her.


    ¡°You know what they do to thieves these days? They brand them so that everyone knows of their crime. Befitting is it not?¡± Kali soundlessly shook her head in desperation, and Lehana smirked as an idea formed in her wicked mind.


    She threw her daughter down onto the cold wooden floor, turning once again to focus on her son. She grabbed him by the arm, dragging him out of their small room and into her own. It was like entering a whole new manor, with expensive furniture and beautiful decor. It was warm too, unlike the twin¡¯s cold room, heated up by a large chimney fire.


    Kali had always looked at that fire with jealously, wishing that she and Kendi could have one too. Now she only stared at the flames in horror. Lehana grabbed an iron poker from its rack with her unoccupied hand, shoving it into the fire.


    ¡°Mother, please. We won¡¯t do it again I swear!¡± Kendi¡¯s desperate words fell on deaf ears. Something happened to Lehana that night that had driven her mad. She saw and heard nothing but the pain of sixteen years ago, memories fuelling her unending insanity.


    ¡°That man, how could he? How could he do this to me?¡± She screeched the words, blinking back tears before she withdrew the poker from the fire. What had her son said? She couldn¡¯t care less. Those cursed children were the reason why she was here, why she was suffering. They deserved to suffer with her, it was unfair for her to cry alone.


    She couldn¡¯t even hear his blood-curdling scream when she drove the poker into his chest, and barely processed his look of agony. But she did hear a voice, clear and cold as the ocean waters, loud enough to muffle her racing thoughts.


    Stop Lehana, let him go.


    Lehana dropped the poker instantly, taking a step back in confusion. Who was that? It was only her and her children in the room, the servants knew to steer clear of her at times like this. With only one option, she slowly looked to Kali, gasping when she saw her daughter.


    Kali''s hair, a rich black that glistened under the sun, had changed. Now it shined a platinum white. It was as if her eyes and hair had traded shades, with her once silver eyes becoming like endless black pools. Lehana wanted to scream, yell at whatever thing had possessed her daughter¡¯s soul, but found that she couldn¡¯t. She was rigid, forced only to watch her daughter open her mouth and speak again.


    If you want someone to burn so badly, climb into the fire yourself.


    There is a hallowing despair in knowing the outcome of a situation and being powerless to stop it. The twins had come to accept this feeling when Lehana would come home to them, but it was a frightening thing for their mother to experience firsthand.


    Against her will she nodded, turning away from her daughter and walking towards the fire. She didn¡¯t want to, of course, who would willingly step into a lit chimney? But her body wasn¡¯t her own, controlled by the will of her bastard daughter.


    Kali herself couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening, or what she was doing. To her, she had simply witnessed her brother burn and had thought to herself that it was truly it this time. Lehana was going to kill them both if she wasn''t stopped. So she decided to stop her mother herself.


    She had sensed a similar feeling to when Kendi entered her dream and pulled her out then, a connection to Lehana¡¯s spirit that she had never felt before. Though unfamiliar she had grasped onto it, taking command of her own mother¡¯s will. Kendi had felt it then as well, that his mother¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t her own anymore. He had been so surprised that the pain in his chest seemed to dull, replaced by alarm, confusion, and finally¨Chope.


    Never before had they been able to connect to another person¡¯s soul. Now, as they watched their mother climb into the fire and scream, the twins realized that Kali had unlocked in them both a way out of this miserable life, a path they hoped wouldn¡¯t lead them into more despair.

 The Funeral

    When the servants heard the screams they came into the room and saw an unforgettable sight. Kali was kneeling next to Kendi, applying ointment found in the mistress¡¯s drawers to his burnt skin. If it had only been that, two siblings caring for one another, it would have been a fond memory for the servants to have. But the mistress was burning.


    Not too far from the siblings the mistress screamed, curled up in the chimney¡¯s fire. It was a haunting sight, she was clearly in agony and yet refused to move. Her entire body was still except for her mouth, which let out chilling sounds of pain. The servants had begged for her to come out but Lehana didn¡¯t, opting instead to cry out until she took her last breath. By the time they brought water up to put out the flame their mistress was gone, her body nothing like it once was.


    When the funeral came the children didn¡¯t shed a single tear. They hadn¡¯t cried, yelled, or done anything to mourn Lehana¡¯s death, though the servants didn¡¯t blame them. They too wouldn¡¯t have wept for such a horrifying mother. It was peculiar, however, to Rashidi.


    Everything had been odd, to the Lady¡¯s death and the twins'' indifference, that had caused the head butler of the royal palace to question what had really occurred. He had been sent to bring the twins over to the royal palace, with Lehana¡¯s tragic death even the nobles couldn¡¯t argue with the king wanting to bring his illegitimate children under his fold.


    Looking at the twins now, Rashidi wished they could have come to them sooner. They were smaller than most their age, clearly a sign of neglect and malnutrition. Rashidi didn¡¯t even want to compare them to the king¡¯s legitimate children, who were larger and stronger than most people in the empire.


    It was their mother¡¯s funeral, yet they still wore old, plain clothes as if they had no others. Their faces were worn as well as if they had experienced as much as an adult would in their lifetime. What had Lehana done to these children? Rashidi wasn¡¯t sure if he truly wanted to know.


    ¡°Your highnesses, it is a pleasure to serve you. I am Rashidi, head butler of the royal palace.¡± It was a few days after the funeral that he introduced himself to the twins. They had spent the past days moving the twin¡¯s things into a room in the royal palace. It hadn¡¯t taken too long, the twins had barely anything to call their own.


    Now he stood before Kali and Kendi, feeling somewhat irked although they were only children. Something was off, he was sure of it, but another part of him screamed not to investigate, or next it would be his body in a fire. So he simply greeted the royal children and left their new room, claiming to come back once things were more settled.


    ¡°I think he knows,¡± Kendi muttered it first, though he had already spoken the same thing silently to Kali when Rashidi was there. It was more so because it needed to be said aloud that he spoke, watching his twin sister nod her head in response.


    After she had compelled Lehana to throw herself into the fire, her appearance had returned to normal, and they had both vowed to hide the truth of what had really happened that morning. The twins knew it was suspicious, no one would ever burn themselves alive on purpose, but who would believe that Kali had controlled her own mother?


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Both Kali and Kendi hadn¡¯t experienced the feeling that pushed Kali to control Lehana since that day as well, though they tried many times on the servants, gardener, and even the stray animals nearby. The connection to another¡¯s soul never came again, and they both wondered if it was either good or bad.


    ¡°He¡¯s suspicious, but he doesn¡¯t know anything. He¡¯s just a butler forced to take care of two misfortuned bastards.¡± If she were him even she would scurry away from them. She heard the rumors of how they drove Lehana to madness and were cursed because of their blood. The maids whispered when they walked by, stealing glances of malice and disgust as they passed.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know any better. Don¡¯t let them affect you. At least now they¡¯ll stay away from us.¡± Her brother¡¯s words echoed in her head, and she smiled softly.


    ¡°How¡¯s your wound? She dug pretty deep with the poker.¡± As if reminded of it Kendi winced, shrugging at his sister¡¯s question.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting better. Do you still feel it too?¡± Pain wasn¡¯t something the twins experienced alone, and Kali felt the sting of the iron poker as Kendi had. It was softer for her and would disappear sooner than the actual wound, but Kali felt it nonetheless.


    ¡°A bit, it¡¯s still fading. What do you think will happen to us now?¡± Kendi knew what Kali really meant when she wondered those words aloud. Were they going to survive? They were in the palace of the king himself, the man who cast out their mother and drove her to insanity. He had never shown a sign of interest in his two youngest children until now, and Kendi was sure it wasn¡¯t out of the goodness of his heart.


    ¡°Perhaps he plans to kill us quietly and sweep this whole matter under the rug.¡± The suggestion caused Kali to groan, allowing herself to fall backward and onto her plush new bed.


    ¡°We need to get out of here. Lehana was bad enough, but the king? Not to mention his children.¡± Lehana wasn¡¯t hated by nobles only because she was lowborn, but because she did not have the blood of the blessed in her. Only those in such a lineage, blessed by the Goddess Niche herself, could govern entire kingdoms.


    Blessed ones were stronger than the average human, with unique gifts of their own. They didn¡¯t age past 25, and live at least double the years of most humans. According to legend, each personal gift they possessed were unique to their kingdom''s time of need. To keep the blood strong the king was only supposed to love other royalty also blessed by Niche, but he had set his eyes on Lehana instead.


    They weren¡¯t just worthless children, but entire abominations to the rest of the kingdom, a stain on the king¡¯s legacy. It was no doubt that the legitimate children hated the twins, and would do everything in their power to see their downfall.


    ¡°Have we escaped the smoke only to be thrown into the fire ourselves?¡± The question from Kali echoed in Kendi¡¯s mind and he grimaced. As if to confirm their suspicions a quick knock came at the door, and Rashidi announced himself before coming inside.


    ¡°Your highnesses, the king has requested you come to dine with him and the rest of your siblings. If you would allow me to help you prepare, I would be honored.¡± Kendi looked to Kali at Rashidi¡¯s words, wondering what ¡°prepare¡± meant. Why dress them up if they were only going to meet their deaths?


    Nevertheless, they agreed, bathing in baths full of sweet lavender and dressing in expensive silks. Both wore red, though Rashidi gave them jewelry that helped distinguish them from one another. Kali was given golden waist beads and a necklace while Kendi was offered golden arm cuffs and a headpiece. While they would have preferred something to tie their twists and braids up and out of the way, Rashidi refused, claiming that it looked better for their hair to be down.


    With the transformation complete, both the twins felt like frauds. They had never touched such expensive things before, let alone worn them. Awkwardly they walked, following Rashidi as he led them to the dining hall.


    ¡°The king understands that Lehana was not...attentive to your highnesses, so there is no need to worry about etiquette and following customs. That will all be taught to your highnesses at a later date.¡± Rashidi went on for quite a bit as they walked, and whether it was out of nervousness or boredom, the twins couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°Later? So do they not plan to kill us?¡± Kali silently spoke to her brother, receiving a shrug in return.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore Kali, this is all so new.¡± She felt his uneasiness then, he was worried that they would be used in a different way, a way worse than simply a punching bag for Lehana.


    After turning various corners and walking up a flight of stairs, they finally reached the dining hall. Rashidi nodded to the guards before he cleared his throat, exclaiming loudly.


    ¡°The royal highnesses, Kendi and Kali your majesty!¡±