The woman before them looked exactly like the tales described—graceful, manipulative, and ancient. But the children didn’t flinch. Karinne stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she folded her arms.

“You don’t scare us, dear,” she said, her voice dripping with a confidence that defied her age.

Kylo shifted his weight, his hand tightening around the hilt of his practice blade. “No. Because we are tough.”

Then, with a mischievous glint, Karinne added, “Actually, we think you are quite cool. Can we have your autograph?”

Mother Gothel’s composed mask shattered. Her jaw dropped, and her dark eyes darted between the two siblings. “What? You’re not afraid?”

Karinne shook her head and walked closer, closing the gap between her and the villainess. “No, why should we be? There’s only one of you, and two of us.”

“Yeah!” Kylo barked, stepping up beside his sister. “You’re our prisoner!”

Gothel let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. “You seem to forget that you’re only kids, and that I’m an adult.”

“Wrong,” Karinne countered, her voice turning cold. “We’re quite grown up ourselves. We were raised by the most remarkable villains in history. We know every trick in your book.”

Seeing an opportunity, Gothel leaned in, her voice becoming a honeyed purr. “Why don’t you join me then? Together, we could rule this realm, and we can…”

Before she could finish, the metallic shing of a sword rang through the air. Kylo held his blade level at her throat.

“We don’t join the likes of you,” he declared, his voice ringing with honor. “Because we are good people!”

“Yeah!” Karinne agreed, standing tall. “We don’t follow in our parents’ footsteps. We choose a different path.”

Gothel’s expression hardened into something truly monstrous. The air began to swirl with dark, violet smoke. “Suit yourselves then,” she hissed, her voice echoing as if from a great distance. “But remember… you will regret it!”

With a final, chilling laugh, she vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the scent of old herbs and a lingering sense of dread. The siblings stood alone in the silence, knowing that while they had won the battle, the war for the Main Realm had only just begun.