The Twins woke up as usual, then went through their morning routine before padding downstairs for breakfast and their expected morning coffee. As they finished their meal and sat savouring their coffee, they discussed the best way to travel to the Illusion Garden, with Morgranna recommending they use the carriage, as they couldn't be sure of their state after the training.
The Twins agreed, thinking this was wise, since there was a high chance of them being emotionally volatile after the training, and meeting others in that state might result in conflict.
When the time came, they boarded their carriage toward the Illusion Garden. Trepidation filled them as they headed for training, recalling how Morgranna had explained what kind of Teachers they'd be facing. The mental Teachers were spirit warriors capable of weaponising emotions and attacking the mind, causing massive emotional and mental damage to enemies and destabilising them.
While they mused, they neared the Illusion Garden, the domain of the mental Teachers. Soon, they saw a large, opaque domed biome—the Illusion Garden itself. Rounding a corner, they got their first real look at the biome's entrance. The view cleared as the carriage stopped at the garden, and they disembarked.
Beyond a twisted iron gate shrouded in creeping moss, the garden sprawled beneath a sky of bruised violet. The air throbbed with a sweet, metallic perfume exhaled by black-petaled lilies and copper-veined poppies, petals gleaming as if wet with dew—though what dripped from them glistened red in the half-light. Vines swirled along the ground, thick with thorns tipped not with poison but with the amber sap of memories one wishes to forget.
A forest of strange flora rose and fell around winding paths: trees with hollow, whispering trunks that echoed your most anxious thoughts, bushes heavy with fruit pulsating faintly—each bite unleashing a flickering vision of a hidden terror. In the distance, bluish mist drifted over murky pools, where glassy-eyed frogs croaked the names of those you've failed.
Moths the size of hands spiralled overhead, their wings decorated with shifting images of worst-case scenarios. Ravens perched silently, their obsidian gazes pinning you in place as shadows flitted across the grass—long-fingered silhouettes moving with intent even when no one stood nearby.
Every step forward brought a discordant symphony of animal calls: the shriek of an unseen fox, the uncanny laughter of hyenas, the hiss of serpents coiled around stone statues that looked eerily familiar. In this garden, the line between reality and nightmare blurred—each blossom, each breath coaxing forth the deepest fears from the corners of your mind. Here, mental fortitude was forged in beauty laced with horror, and every hallucination was a lesson in conquering the soul's darkest shadows.
An ethereal Infernal being emerged from the garden biome—their mental Teacher. "Good morning, Twin Demon Chaos. I am your mental Teacher, Veylak, and I will be guiding you in increasing your mental state and barriers, strengthening and protecting your resolve," he spoke in an ethereal manner.
"Good morning, Teacher Veylak. I am Chaos Yi, and this is Chaos Er. We look forward to mental training, as we wish for our emotions to be under our control instead of us being controlled by them," Chaos Yi introduced them solemnly.
Teacher Veylak smiled widely. "This is a worthy cause and resolution. I hope you achieve it."
He gestured for them to enter the Illusion Garden biome, giving instructions: "Your task is to follow the path through the garden until I pull you out, or you exit by reaching the end. You will see and hear things causing you to relive your worst memories, live through your worst nightmares, and face your greatest fears. You can do as you wish, but by the end of your training, nothing in this garden must be able to interfere with your minds or emotions. Do you understand?"
"I think so—we just need to let the feelings and hallucinations wash over us until we no longer react, is that right?" Chaos Yi asked for confirmation.
Teacher Veylak nodded, pleased they'd figured out the key to the training so quickly.
The Twins thanked him and entered the garden through the iron gate, which closed behind them.
Veylak brought up their real-time data and video footage to monitor them and, if necessary, pull them out before they suffered permanent damage.
The Twins walked through the garden, letting the scents, sounds, and sights wash over them, their emotions and minds unsettled—yet they were surprised to find they weren't as affected as they'd expected.
They strictly followed Teacher Veylak's instructions: sitting on the ground and simply enduring whatever the garden did to them, only moving on when they felt no longer affected by what they saw or heard.
Teacher Veylak examined their data, raising his eyebrow in surprise—it barely shifted. He dialled the holo calls and activated a meeting; as the holo-images flickered to life, responses ranged from worry to panic.
"I've shared the real-time data and video feed. The Twins are doing better than expected," Veylak responded calmly.
"Are you able to pull a real-time display of what they are seeing and hearing and share it with us, so we can evaluate if further guidance or reassurance is needed?" Soleil asked.
Veylak nodded and did just that. Everyone watched in trepidation as the Twins relived their memories and observed their reactions. Relief spread—they saw them watching their past unfold with an almost detached, clinical mindset.
As the Twins progressed, everyone exited the holo call, reassured yet keeping the shared feeds open for analysis. Confidence was high knowing Veylak monitored them; he was the best at what he did.
The Twins slowly but steadily progressed along the garden path, moving from reliving their pasts to enduring their worst nightmares—again surprised at how little they were affected, while the adults watched in amazement.
Soon, they reached the garden's central part, where their worst fears surfaced. The adults, monitoring them, were amazed as the Twins conquered their fears one by one, reaching the heart of the garden.
This was the most dangerous part, focusing on their past, present, and future expectations, fears, and nightmares. Here, most people had to be pulled out, repeating the cycle until they met the standard.
They watched as the Twins struggled a bit at first, much less than expected, and overcame everything the garden threw at them. By the end, they witnessed the transformation of the Chaos Twins—mirror images caught somewhere between shadow and flame—enter the heart of the garden, their footsteps echoing with defiance. Where the scented air thickened and nightmare blossoms unfurled, they weaved through the thorn-barbed vines, unfazed by the amber venom of unwanted memories.
The Twins strode side by side. The glassy-eyed frogs croaked out secrets of guilt and loss, but the Twins exchanged a brief, knowing glance and pressed forward, laughter bubbling from their lips as they collected the frogs' words like curious pebbles instead of burdens.
Each step on the winding path was met by twisting branches whispering anxieties and moths trailing fears with every wingbeat. Still, the Twins danced—spinning, leaping, turning their dread into choreography, refusing to be paralysed by what-ifs.
Shadows stretched with greedy fingers, yet the Twins darted through them, swapping places at dizzying speed, making the nightmare silhouettes mimic their boldest poses. Where the garden conjured its worst—a cacophony of fox shrieks, hyena cackles, the hiss of unseen serpents—their laughter rang out, fierce and clear, overwhelming the discord with their own harmony.
The Chaos Twins thrived where sanity frays. In this garden of terror and beauty, their bond became a flame against the darkness. With every hallucination, every torment made manifest, they proved fear—when faced together—becomes fuel for resilience. Their courage was contagious: a brilliant light, unbroken by even the strangest horrors the mind could conjure.
When they exited the garden at three in the afternoon, having spent lunch there (thanks to Morgranna's packed meal that morning), everyone heaved a heartfelt sigh of relief and happiness—relief that their worst fears had not come to pass, and happiness that the Twins had overcome their past and were focused on the present and future, determined not to let their past consume them any longer.
At the same time, simmering rage burned toward the people of their homeworld for the atrocities committed against the Twins and others like them. They discovered that three-quarters of those experimented on did not survive—at least three hundred Children perished, their potential lost, Children who could have filled their ranks and now enjoyed the happiness the survivors experienced.
Again, the Elders sent the information to Tian Dao, hoping this time to gain approval to take action against that accursed Planet. Once more, it was rejected, with the message that there were inconsistencies in the monitoring data and that a Slyer had to travel there to confirm or deny the presence of Outsiders interfering.
A new meeting was convened: the Twins would return to their Dorm, and an Infernal mental Healer would come to absorb any lingering negative energies from the training; afterwards, they were to relax for the rest of the day. Physical training will resume tomorrow.
Veylak agreed, sent the Twins home in their carriage, and congratulated them for achieving their goal and strengthening their resolve.
As the Twins rode their carriage back to their Dorm, they discussed the garden experience. Er commented, "Brother, when we first relived our past, I felt rage and wanted to lash out. But then I thought—why should I continue to let them torment and control me?"
"I'm stronger than they now; I should be the one to torment and control them. But then I realised, by wanting to torment and control them, I'm still letting them dictate my actions—and I no longer want to give them that satisfaction. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Yi nodded, "I felt the same way. That's how I overcame everything that happened to me. Did you, too?"
Er nodded, "I think we can be proud of ourselves for freeing ourselves from their influence. I think the adults will be very proud of us, especially our Mammy!"
Yi nodded in agreement. "We should celebrate a little after we're done with the Infernal Healer—we've earned that right, don't you think?"
Er leaned back in his seat. "Yeah, but I want a bath first. I feel dirty and tired." Yi agreed—they had earned the right to a hot bath to wash the dirt away and relax.
They arrived at their Dorm after sitting for a while in comfortable, companionable silence. Disembarking the carriage, they entered their Dorm to find Morgranna waiting, as usual, ready to scan them before greeting and ushering them upstairs.
"You have time to take a bath before the Infernal mental Healer arrives, so off you two go—I think you've earned that!" She shepherded them upstairs like a mother hen, proud yet sad for all they had endured.
The Twins thanked her and went upstairs to undress, shower, and then slipped smoothly into the bath for a long, quiet soak. After half an hour, they emerged, dried themselves, groomed their horns, and brushed their hair before putting on large, comfortable robes, fastening them with sashes, and heading downstairs.
Morgranna was waiting for them by the sofas, with cups and a large pot of tea ready on the small tables at their side. "Go on, have a seat and enjoy a cup of tea to relax. The Healer should be here in about ten minutes. After that, you'll have some free time. Any ideas what you want to do?"
"I've been thinking about watching a movie on the big screen. What about you?" Yi asked, turning to Er, who nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's do that. I saw the reviews for a movie that looks epic, and I really want to watch it!"
"Me too—then let's watch that one later!"
Morgranna smiled at how relaxed they seemed, glad they had overcome their past and were ready to embrace the future wholeheartedly. "Alright, I'll make some snacks for you to enjoy during the movie. Afterwards, I'll whip up a nice celebratory meal. Sound good?"
Both Twins nodded eagerly, happy to eat whatever Morgranna prepared for them, knowing it would be delicious regardless.