Aleera is visiting Irena; they walk along the garden in a beautiful evening.
------------"Where is Van Helsing?
------------"He is with my father, they are fishing, Carl is with them.
------------"And your girls?
------------"With the nanny. Why didn't you bring Kiara and Allan? I miss them.
------------"They are with Stella, she is their new nanny. They are not feeling well, is not serious but I don't want to expose them to the cold air.
------------"My girls never get sick.
Aleera notices that Irena is pale and she has lost weight.
--------------"They are not sick but I think you are.
--------------"No, I am fine.
--------------"Don't lie to me Irena. What is the problem?
--------------"It's hard to explain. Erika and Astrid absorb me completely. Erika is so dominant, when she does something wrong and I want to punish her I simply cannot, and Astrid, she only remains where she is, observing her sister.
--------------"Your daughters have an erratic behavior. When they are in my house I scarcely listen to them, they play with my children in a normal way, although, this morning my children said to me something that worried me.
--------------"What did they say?
--------------"Erika said to my children that I was a bad woman in the past, that she has a special mission and that Astrid is part of it.
--------------"Oh my God! Do you believe that my daughters have found out about your past?
--------------"I don't know. But is dangerous for me, because I want my past away of the knowledge of my children.
-------------"Every day is more difficult for me. Erika is like a stranger for me. Rare things happen to me when she is next to me, I feel sick, tired, I have horrible nightmares every night. And the silence of Astrid drives me to despair.
-------------"Have you spoken about this with Van Helsing?
-------------"No. They love their father; with him they behave very well, Erika more than Astrid. Sometimes it seems to me that Erika forces herself too much in make her father happy.
-------------"You have to speak to him about this. Erika and Astrid need discipline. It is necessary to love the children, but also it is necessary to teach them who have the control.
Irena feels that she cannot do it, in certain way she is afraid of her daughters. Her value ends when Erika's deep eyes meet hers. In certain way she is afraid of her daughters.
-------------"It seems to me that Erika not only controls you, also she has dominated Astrid.
--------------"Please help me Aleera, I love them but I fear them at the same time.
--------------"I am going to help you, I promise.
Erika realizes that her 'mom' and Aleera have a too private conversation and she does not like. Astrid meanwhile looks with admiration at Aleera. In her soul there is rancor but the true thing is that she cannot stop wanting her as a sister.
Later that night, Aleera and her husband have a conversation in their room.
----------' What you say worries me
----------' I do not want these girls near to our children. But Irena is like my sister and I cannot despise her daughters openly. The idea of that my children finds out all about my past scares me.
----------"They will never know. Your past is buried. We have to speak with Van Helsing.
----------"Irena does not want to worry him and I understand her. Irena told us that these girls were left in very bad terms by their mothers. I need to discover the mystery.
----------"We will find out.
---------"They are so similar to them; if they weren't dead I would affirm that they are living in the daughters of Irena.
---------"Oh, please Aleera, don't say that, is impossible.
---------"Erika is domineering as Lillith, and Astrid has this innocent look, when she looks at me I feel the presence of Marishka around me.
Stefan can see the fear in the eyes of his wife. Stefan walks towards her and embraces her strongly.
------------" The past will not return to us my love. They are dead. The daughters of Irena are a little bad-mannered but it will happen already to them.
Aleera wants to trust in the word of her husband but it is not easy. Something says to her that it is necessary to investigate the facts that led to the mothers of Erika and Astrid to abandon them with so many urgency and coldness.
The following morning, Irena prepares the breakfast. Erika is in the dining room with her mother and Astrid is in the garden with her father. Erika is ready to torment her mother once again.
--------------" Aleera hates me.
--------------"Why do you say that?
--------------" She thinks that I am bad, like she was in the past.
--------------"What do you know about the past of Aleera?
--------------"The secrets are not eternal, and the people in the village have a poor sense of discretion.
Irena is impressed with the way of speaking of her five-year-old daughter.
-------------"The people of the town do not know anything; what they said to you about Aleera is a lie. Aleera is like my sister, she loves you, and also she loves your sister. She is not bad.
-------------"Fine.
-------------"Good. If I listen to you again saying something bad about Aleera, we are going to have many problems.
Erika has desires of many evil things but she knows that she must control her actions.
--------------"I am sorry mom, please forgive me.
Is almost midnight, Astrid is having a dream, a very weird dream. She is asleep, the light in the room is so white and soft, she feels a presence in the room. She opens her eyes and she sees Anna Valerious reclined beside her in the bed.
--------------"You?
--------------"Yes, it's me.
--------------"This is a dream or a nightmare?
--------------"That depends of you, of what you really want. Second chances are very important, because sometimes there is not a third chance. Aleera learned the beauty of humanity, she learned how to respect, love and admire the life in all the aspects. You can learn too.
--------------"My heart is full of hate.
--------------"You are a new creature in this world Marishka. You are in the body of a beautiful little girl, with a pure heart.
--------------"I am bound to the spirit of Lillith, she is Erika now, she will help me to obtain my immortality again.
--------------"Don't lie to yourself. You love to be who you are now. You love the sun in the morning, the food, the children playing around you, the beat of your heart, and the warmth of your skin. You are like Aleera in many ways, but you are always afraid and that's why you always choose the wicked path. The power of the human heart is the fear of the darkness. Look at me Astrid.
The little girl obeys.
----------------"My hate for Dracula escorted me to my death. Life is a gift and you have it now. Learn from others; learn from the good ones and you will find the way. .
Astrid awakes, with fear in her heart. Irena enters the room.
--------------"What is it honey? Are you all right?
Astrid can feel the love of Irena, the tenderness of her "mother" fills her heart with calm and joy. But the fear is always present and the resentment too.
------------"I had a nightmare, mom.
------------"Oh. Don't worry honey, a bad dream can't hurt you.
------------"You really love me?
------------"Of course, you are my daughter, you are the light of my life.
------------"Erika is bad with you sometimes; you love her?
------------"I know that Erika can be naughty sometimes, but I feel the same love for her.
Astrid wants a mother, the soul of Marishka wants deliverance, and she has mixed feelings.
-------------"Would you sleep with me mommy?
-------------"If you want to.
-------------"Yes.
-------------"Fine. We will sleep together tonight.
The next morning, Astrid is alone in the garden and Kiara arrives.
--------------"Hello Astrid
--------------"Hello Kiara.
--------------"Erika is here?
--------------"She is with my grandfather in the lake.
--------------"Good. I like you but I don't like her.
Astrid laughs.
-----------"Come with me Astrid, I want to show you something.
-----------"All right, let's go.
The two girls run away.
Erika is with Nicholas in the lake. The girl is planning something for her "grandfather", something that will harm Irena very deeply. But suddenly, something unexpected happen, Erika looks at the other side of the edge of the lake and see a girl, identical to her in every sense. Is like her image in a mirror, Erika cannot believe it, she is scared. The other girl is identical to her but her skin is paler. A scream escapes of Erika's throat, putting Nicholas in alert that immediately goes to help his dear granddaughter.
-----------"Erika what is it?
-----------"A girl! Identical to me! I saw her in the other side of the lake!
-----------"A girl?
Nicholas looks around and he cannot see another girl, less identical to Erika. Nicholas realizes that although he cannot see anybody either, his granddaughter is not lying to him. The fear in her eyes is real and worrying.
--------------"Erika look at me! There is no one here but us. There is not a girl in the other side of the lake.
--------------"I saw her! I am not crazy!
--------------"Look around, we are alone here!
--------------"I want to go home, please.
--------------"Fine, let's go home.
Nicholas and Erika begin to move away from the lake, but Erika looks backwards for a last time and again she sees her double looking at her in the distance. The ghostly image identical to her in any sense looks at her with sorrow, resentment and challenge.
Kiara and Astrid play near to the cliff in front of the sea. It is a beautiful place and known for Astrid. The soul of Marishka lost her body in this place and now it is trapped in the body of a girl, initiating a new life along with the evil, and with an intense desire to change. Astrid stops running for a moment and the same strange vision appears in the distance, but exactly in front of her. A girl identical to her in every sense is looking at her in the edge of the cliff. Astrid faints due to the impression, Kiara is a witness of this and she is scared, but immediately she is going to help her best friend.
----------------"Astrid, Astrid wake up! Please! Astrid! Don't worry, I will run fast, I am going to look for help!
Will Continue….