Orchid jumped to the side as fast as she could, "Oh geez" she said and rolled her eyes. The creature that attacked her growled angrily. She raised up her fist and blast a ray towards the creature, the bright ray illuminated the room briefly. Orchid took a good look at its bright red eyes and pale translucent body that looked similar to a dog.

"A homunculus?" Orchid said to herself before leaping to the dresser nearby, she shot another bean towards the creature. But it dodged the attack and skidded to the side. The Homunculus barked widly, Orchid rolled her eyes. She raised her palm and shot a beam upwards, it hit a chandelier and it came crashing down. Orchid heard the creature yelp painfully.

"Lotus. I would appreciate if you kept your pet in cages. You know" Orchid said as she stared at the full length mirror next to her.

Her reflection stared icily cold back at her at first, then it smiled and winked. Her pony tail and bunny clips disappeared; the reflection was hers and also wasn't.

Orchid took a step back from the mirror and watched as a person stepped out of the mirror. He looked pleased with himself. The creature yelped loudly, it scratched the floor boards and trashed around under the broken pieces of the chandelier.

"Shut it" Orchid said, she raised her palms up at the creature.

"It is just happy to see me, sister." Said Lotus.

Orchid glanced at Lotus quickly, "I see you are busy with your creations again, huh?" she put down her hands and walked a couple of steps away from him.

Lotus lifted up the chandelier and freed the homunculus, the homunculus licked Lotus on the back of his hand in gratitude.

Lotus stared at the creature and shook his head, he snapped his fingers and almost immediately blue flames were set on the it's skin. The homonculus shrieked and howled. Lotus stared at it unfeelingly.

"It is not good enough." Lotus muttered as he watched the homunculus burn to ashes.

Orchid glanced at her twin brother then to the pathetic burnt creature on the floor next to him, "Why did you do that?" she asked him quietly.

Lotus did not answer his sister question, instead he walked away from her towards his work table. He began to scribble words into his journal furiously. Orchid came up to his side and glanced over.

She had a glimpse at the words: Homunculus 28. Before the book snap close, Lotus stared at her quickly and suspiciously.

"What are you doing here anyway?" He asked her. Orchid took a step back from her twin brother. Almost immediately, she recalled all the events that took place that morning from the hall to the corridors with demon and hilla. The little incident with the homunculus were indead quite shocking, it had made her forget temporily however there was one thing that she would not ever fail to remember. The ice cold echo of the black mage's voice ringing in her mind.

Lotus placed the green vial onto its rack, "Well?" he continued, beginning to lose interest in the conversation.

"The black mage wanted to see you." Orchid said with the most neutral voice she could come up with. She watched as Lotus turned melodramatically to face her. He wore an inexplicable grin on his face.

"You are serious?" He asked her again.

Orchid blinked, she never seen Lotus grin so much before. It was unerving to see her twin brother like this but she did knew that Lotus admired the black mage. So this wouldn't be too much of a surprise to her. Yet, that grin was putting chills down her spine.

"I'm glad you are delighted." Orchid said, she placed her hands on his shoulders cheerfully. However Lotus shifted away from her touch.

Orchid looked at her twin brother. She notcied that his expression was rather distant and frigid.

"Are you alright…?"

Lotus turned away from her, "You should go now." He told her curtly.

He walked to the door and opened them.

Orchid felt her heart sink deeply, but she was reluctant to show her emotions plainly on her face.

"Alright. I'll see you downstairs then" she answered cooly.

Orchid was already outside his door, but her heart was aching slightly, she turned around just for a moment. "Lotus…" she whispered.

The door shut unceremoniously in her face.

Orchid closed her eyes and sighed. "What has happened to you…"