《The Villainess With No Happy Endings》


 Chapter One – Somehow I Became The Villainess

    I could feel my head hurting as I sat up in my bed. My throat felt painful and really dry. For some reason, my eyes felt puffy, as if I was crying. I lifted the covers that were covering me off and put my feet to the ground. As soon as I did that I collapsed onto the floor.


    My body felt so weak and my stomach was hurting so much like I haven¡¯t eaten in a while. I was so confused about what was happening. From the corner of my eye, I saw a mirror showing a small figure.


    I turned around to face the mirror fully and felt even more confused. The mirror showed a girl in a nightgown, who looked to be ten years old and skinny to the point her cheeks were sunken in. I realize that I had long curly brown hair that reached my lower back. My skin was dark but seemed rather pale as if I haven¡¯t seen the sun in a while.


    What drew me in was my dark and seemingly empty brown eyes. It reminds me of my own eyes. The eyes that stop believing in people and everything. That the type of eyes I was looking at. I slowly reach a hand up to my face and feel my breathing quicken once I realize the reflection in the mirror copy me.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t right... This isn¡¯t right! THIS ISN¡¯T RIGHT!¡¯ I tried to stand up quickly but could only fall back onto the ground. My legs felt so weak but I was trying so hard to get up. I tried to say something but my voice couldn¡¯t make a sound. All I could do was curl onto the floor and tried to get my breathing back to normal.


    Once my breathing was under control, I thought everything would get better but I was wrong. My head started to hurt so much that I felt like I was going to die. I could hear someone screaming in pain. It was so loud and sounded so hurt. After a few seconds, I realized it was me screaming.


    I could hear footsteps coming quickly towards me but I was too distracted by the pain I was feeling. I could feel myself get picked up by someone and hear a voice trying to speak to me but I just held my head that wouldn¡¯t stop hurting.


    I could feel myself being carried quickly toward somewhere and other countless voices. I couldn¡¯t take the pain anymore so I decided to just close my eyes. I could see countless images flashing through my eyes.


    I could see a female who felt familiar to me appeared in countless images. She always had a frown on her face. I realize that person was me. The real me. The me who had no parents. The me who was always getting in fights. The me who had no one on my side except me.


    I could see myself playing a game in some of the images. I remember that game. It was the only thing I enjoyed. ¡®Wait... That girl in the game looked familiar to the girl in the mirror.. ¡® I realize in the images the girl from the mirror was also from the game.


    Aurelia Giliam... That is her name. She was the villainess of the game. She hated the heroine so much. She did countless things just to mess up her chances. Even though she was always causing trouble for me in the game. I could only feel a sense of kinship with her.


    She was like me. Even though she had a family, they didn¡¯t want anything to do with her. Her father hated her for taking the life of the only woman he loved and her older brother didn¡¯t want anything to do with her. She was simply something everyone didn¡¯t care for.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    I remember feeling guilty with one of the routes where I went after the only person she felt could care for her... In the end, she killed herself after being harshly rejected by the only person she loved. I remember feeling bad for a few weeks after that route.


    Now it seems like I am this tragic character... Fuck.


    After a while of getting back memories from my past life and Aurelia''s life, I finally woke up. I was in a hospital bed. My head no longer felt like it was getting split open and my stomach didn¡¯t feel hungry anymore. I was looking around the room not expecting to see anyone.


    ¡®I doubt the old man will be here. Seeing how he got her a house to live in by herself with only servants to keep her company... He may not even come to check on her. Probably will send someone to give her a message.¡¯ I closed my eyes and tried to remember the things from the otome game I played. The game was called ¡°A Highschool Royal Romance¡±.


    The game was about how an orphan who found out she was the missing daughter of a noble family. She was taken back into the family with open arms. Since she was back with her family she had to go to a school where only the most important and richest people could go.


    I felt a bit more relaxed knowing that the game took place during the modern-day so I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about dealing with a different era. I know that there are a total of five love interests, one of them being a hidden character. I was just getting to the hidden character route before... I can¡¯t remember what happened to me. Did I die?


    ¡®I remember I came home from my job and I was soaked in water from a sudden downpour. I remember taking a bath that lasted for an hour before finally getting out. I decided to play the game for a while so I could get closer to figuring out who the hidden character was. Then I remembered...¡¯ I could feel my head start to hurt when I tried to remember beyond that.


    I was grabbing at my head as another painful headache came up and couldn¡¯t focus on anything. I felt myself snap back to focus once I felt someone touch my arm. I quickly looked at what touched me and saw a worried expression on an older woman. I didn¡¯t let my guard down right away until I realized it was a caretaker of Aurelia, Mae.


    She raised Aurelia ever since she was born after her father wanted nothing to do with her. She was in her forties, but she still had a youthful look to her. She always had her blonde hair up in a neat bun. Her skin was covered in freckles that were able to be seen rather clearly with her fair skin.


    She looked like she hadn''t slept well in a while and I couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for her. I opened my mouth to say something to her but all that accomplished was me coughing violently. Mae quickly was at my side with a bottle of water in her hand. ¡°Please drink some water. You must be so thirsty.¡±


    I took the water with shaky hands and drank from it. My dry throat was feeling better already and I handed the water back to a worried Mae. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for causing you trouble, Mae.¡± From what I receive from Aurelia''s memories she wasn¡¯t eating anything until her father came to visit her.


    No matter how much everyone begged her, she wouldn¡¯t change her mind. She just wanted to see her father. ¡®...Yet, he ignored her pleas for attention and let her starve.¡¯ I had a feeling that Aurelia had died from nothing eating in such a long time. She wasn¡¯t here anymore, only me.


    ¡°I was so worried about you, Aurelia! You wouldn¡¯t wake up for four days and I was worried that you-!¡± Mae stopped herself from finishing that sentence by covering her mouth with her hands with a fearful expression on her face. She looked unsteady as she stood there and I was worried she would collapse onto the floor.


    I raised a hand to place it on her hands and tried not to react to how thin my hand looked. I slowly pulled it off her mouth and held it in my thin hands. I rub her shaking hands slowly, hoping to calm her down.


    After a while, she stopped shaking and I stopped holding her hands. ¡°Can I go home?¡± I felt uneasy being in this hospital room. Even if it wasn¡¯t my home I was returning to, I would rather be there than here.


    ¡°The doctor has to check on you, just to make sure everything is alright.¡± Mae went out of the room to find a doctor and I was left there by myself again. I felt a different range of emotions going through me at the moment, trying to handle this new situation I was in.


    ¡®Aurelia is the villainess of the otome game I enjoyed playing. She never had a good ending even if the heroine got a bad ending. She is a character not allowed to have happiness. I am here now but I won¡¯t let my fate in the game happen to me.¡¯ I was squeezing the covers on top of me tightly to the point my knuckles whiten. I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to die just because I was the villainess. I will survive and find a happy ending.

 Chapter Two – The Broken Family

    I was laying back onto the hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling, with a dull expression on my face. Mae was still gone and I was growing bored of just waiting. I was going to try to get up from the bed when I heard footsteps coming towards my room.


    I looked at the door, expecting Mae to come through the door, but was proven wrong when I realized it was ¡°my father¡± and ¡°my older brother¡±. They didn¡¯t have any expression on their face as they stared at me. I just gave them an empty stare back, not caring enough to speak to them.


    ¡°My older brother¡±, Erik Giliam, was a serious-looking, glasses-wearing boy. He was two years older than me. Even though he hasn''t grown completely yet, he is still a pretty-looking boy. His light green eyes stood out on his tan skin. His brown hair was neatly combed and style adding onto his serious-looking nature.


    ¡°My father¡±, Myles Giliam, was a close off looking man. He had light blue eyes, but they look rather gloomy and dark in all of Aurelia''s memories. He had blonde hair that was neatly styled and parted slightly to the right of his face. He had a beauty mark near the bottom of his lip that was easy to spot on his rather pale looking skin.


    I was just staring at them, not bothering to act how Aurelia used to act whenever she saw them. It was just a silent staring contest, as we just stared at each other with an empty expression. It was like this until Mae came back with the doctor.


    Mae noticed how tense it was and quickly went to my side, putting her hands on my shoulder in a comforting way.  The doctor pretended not to notice how tense it was and just went to the check-up. After confirming I was okay, he nodded his head with a please look in their eyes.


    ¡°You seem to be better now, but your body is slightly underweight so it may be hard to walk around. I am urging you to eat more so something like this won¡¯t happen again. Also, I will need you to come again, just to make sure everything is okay with your head.¡±  The doctor looked nervous when he mentioned my head, making me wonder if something unusual was found about it. I couldn¡¯t just ask them straight up what was wrong with it since technically I am a child at the moment.


    I just silently nod my head at the doctor and bury myself more into Mae, liking how warm she felt. I could feel that she was shaking and the grip on my shoulder was getting a bit painful. I look up at her, seeing that her expression was of her trying not to cry.


    After the doctor left, a nurse came in with a wheelchair. ¡°My father¡± and ¡°older brother¡± still haven¡¯t spoken to me as the nurse lifted me and put me into the wheelchair. ¡°My father¡± makes a move to push my wheelchair but Mae was quicker to my side. I didn¡¯t bother to look at him or ¡°my brother¡± as I was pushed out of the room I was in.


    It was quiet as we walked through the hospital, I could see from the corner of my eyes ¡°my brother¡± and ¡°my father¡± looking at me with emotions in their eyes I couldn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t want to understand. ¡®The relationship between us is nonexistent so why bother to care about them. If they don¡¯t do anything to me then I won¡¯t make their life a living hell.¡¯


    Once we reached outside and I got to the car that was waiting for me, ¡°my father¡± finally spoke to me. ¡°Aurelia, we have decided that once a week we shall eat together. That should be satisfying enough for you, I assume.¡±


    I looked at ¡°my father¡± who spoke to me in an uncaring voice and stared at me with cold eyes. I wanted to refuse to eat with him once a week but I realize that this happened because Aurelia wanted to eat with her father. Not wanting to speak to him, I just nodded my head with an uninterested expression.


    ¡°Mae, lift me into the car, please.¡± I didn¡¯t want either one of my ¡°family members¡± to touch me so I asked my caretaker to help me into the car. Mae quickly opened the car door and lift me from the wheelchair to the car. She then quickly folded the wheelchair and put it in the truck before she went in the car with me.


    I look out of the car window to see ¡°my father¡± and ¡°brother¡± going into a separate car. Even though I didn¡¯t care about that, my heart clenched so painfully I dug my nails into my palm until the pain went away. ¡®This must be Aurelia leftover feelings affecting me. Even if her family doesn¡¯t care for her, she can¡¯t but want them to love her.¡¯


    ¡°Mae, I want to eat curry when I get home, can I?¡± I decided to ignore what I was feeling at the moment and decided to fix my current problem, my hunger. Mae looked at me with tender eyes and nodded her head slowly at me with a smile on her face.


    The ride back to Aurelia''s home was quiet and peaceful. Once we arrived home, Mae got out of the car quickly and got out of my wheelchair. She then lifted me and put me onto the said wheelchair. As she was pushing me toward my home, my heart grew uncomfortable as I looked at the huge house. It looked beautiful being surrounded by a garden but it gave off an empty feeling.


    ¡®At least my home was warmer than this place is. . .¡¯ I was planning on figuring out how to make my home feel more warm, just to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling in my chest. As I was pushed into the house I was greeted by many servants who all bowed when they saw me.


    I could see that all the servants in this house were pleased to see that I was okay and back home. Compared to the Giliam family, the servant felt warmer toward her. She could feel her heart be filled with countless warm emotions making me realize that Aurelia loved all the people who worked for her.


    I was pushed into the living room where I was waiting for the curry I requested to be made. My hair was being combed by a servant. From Aurelia''s memories, I learned that different servants brush her hair every day and style it differently. This was something Aurelia enjoyed her servants doing.


    After a while of combing and styling her hair into pigtails, the curry was finally done. I was pushed into the dining room and on the table, there was a single plate of curry for me waiting. I was lifted from the wheelchair and pulled into the chair so I could eat. I ate the curry slowly, feeling my body slowly grow warm all over the place.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As I was eating, I realized the curry was starting to taste a bit salty for some reason. I felt confused at the gasp of concern as I continued to eat. I stopped eating once my eyes started to get blurry. Rubbing my eyes I realized I was crying. The more I rub at my eyes the more tears appear. I could feel the original feelings of Aurelia and I forced myself to continue eating the curry.


    After I finished the curry, the crying stopped instantly. I was picked up from the chair and moved back to my wheelchair. I was pushed to the stairs and picked up by a servant, who carried me to my room. I was carried into the bathroom connected to my room and I reluctantly allowed them to help me wash.


    After cleaning myself, I was changed into my sleeping clothes, which was a black nightgown. I was placed into my bed and the servant who was taking care of me left. After a while, Mae came in and sat onto my bed. Mae then started to sing a lullaby to me and from Aurelia''s memories, this was something that usually happened every night before she went to sleep.


    I slowly closed my eyes and even my breathing. After Mae stopped singing and kissed my forehead before she turned off the lights then left the room. After listening to make sure she was gone, I quickly sat up in the bed.


    After listening to make sure no one was coming I went to get out of the bed. I was a bit shaky as my leg touched the ground, still not feeling at my full strength at the moment.  After making sure I wouldn¡¯t fall I went to the desk I remember seeing as I was carried into the room.


    Going through the draw attached to the desk I found an empty notebook to use. Sitting in the chair that was in front of the desk I started to write down what I remember from the game. I know that the game will start once I turn sixteen and start highschool so my time limit is six years.


    Now I have to write down all the love interests. I know four out of the five love interests, seeing as I was currently on the hidden character route. In all of the routes, Aurelia appears, causing trouble for the protagonist and the people she is currently pursuing. All the love interests are princes of some important countries.


    The first love interest is Isaias Donnell, the crowned prince of Goldcrest. He is an independent, generous, and well-mannered person on the surface but his true personality is a vulgar, rebellious, and manipulative person. The heroine found this out by mistake so he decided to force her to keep her mouth shut by forcing her to run errands for him. Over the time they spent together the heroine slowly opened his heart to her and let her in.


    I rub my head as I unfortunately remember both the endings for Aurelia in the happy and bad ending. In the happy ending Aurelia tries to help the enemies of Isaias out by telling them where they could kidnap the heroine. He found out about this and captured both his enemies and Aurelia. He then publicly killed both of the parties by cutting off their heads. Aurelia''s family just watch as this happens, nothing trying to help her out in any way. In the bad ending, the heroine is kidnapped and killed causing Isaias to go mad with grief and capture Aurelia. He then tortures her until she dies.


    I understand why the prince was so upset but why the hell does the punishment for her crimes have to be so horrible. . . My eyes narrowed as I put a skull next to his name, reminding myself to never trust the piece of shit.


    The second love interest is Colton Lynn, the third prince of Aquarine. He is an analytical, responsible, and rude person. He acts like this due to the fact he is the youngest compared to his other siblings and he doesn¡¯t want to be taken advantage of. He and the heroine got into an argument after she was falsely accused of stealing a test paper which was set up by Aurelia followers. After realizing she was innocent he decided to make it up to her. Due to many events, they end up getting closer to each other.


    The happy ending for them involves Colton getting out of an arranged marriage that was forced by his parents. Aurelia tried to help out the person who Colton was going to marry by poisoning the heroine. Colton found out and forced Aurelia to swallow the poison herself. The bad ending involved Aurelia succeeding in killing her but in the end, Colton used all his influence to kill all the people who were involved in the heroine''s death.


    I put a skull near his name too but made it two skulls. I remember how hard it was to even get through his route and how much time I had to start over. He wasn¡¯t my favorite person at all.


    The third love interest is Merrill Parrish, the illegitimate prince of Moonbright. He is a fun-loving, cheerful, and laid-back person. He is famous for always dating different girls every month. He and the heroine met when he tried to pick her up but she reacted negatively to it and she slapped him. He ended up growing interested in her fierce personality and decided to pursue her. While he was pursuing her the heroine ended up learning why he acted the way he did. He is not a child who is looked at positively due to the fact he is proof of an affair.


    In the good ending, Merrill saved the heroine from being taken into human trafficking due to the planning of Aurelia follower who was in love with Merrill. The follower and Aurelia were both imprisoned by Merrill and treated horribly during the time in prison until they died. The bad ending the heroine is captured by the human traffickers and when the heroine tries to escape she ends up dying in the process. The follower and Aurelia were both taken into human trafficking which was planned by Merrill as revenge for what they did.


    I put a line and skulls near his name while biting my lip roughly. What happened to the heroine during the route near the end wasn¡¯t even planned by her. It was her follower yet she was still punished! Even though she did bully the heroine during the route doesn¡¯t mean she was the one who planned for that to happen to.


    The fourth love interest is Eli Madrigal, the only prince of Greenflower. He is a touchy-feely, nurturing, and sincere person. He has a habit of dressing like a female due to the fact he enjoyed looking cute. At first, I thought he was a good person since he was childhood friends with Aurelia but he turned out to be the yandere type of love interest. He ends up falling in love with the heroine at first sight after she helps him out when he trips on the first day of school. He then started to seek her out so they could grow closer to her. Even though he was a yandere type he didn¡¯t do anything that would result in her being left by herself in school. He just took care of the people who caused trouble for her. Aurelia was persistent in this route due to the fact she was in love with Eli.


    The happy ending for Eli was when Aurelia tried to push the heroine down the steps after telling her to stop hanging around with Eli. Eli stopped Aurelia from pushing the heroine down the steps and told her that no matter what he would never fall in love with someone like her and she could die for all he cares. In the end, Eli and the heroine got together while Aurelia took her life in her room by hanging herself. The bad ending is where Aurelia succeeds in pushing the heroine to drop down the steps and end up causing her to lose her memories about Eli. This cause Eli to break down and he took his anger out at Aurelia by pushing her down the steps too but unlike the heroine, she died the moment she reached the bottom of the steps.


    My heart was clenching tight as I thought about Eli and it took all my strength not to cry out from the pain. I crossed out his name fiercely and put many skulls near his name also. He was the only person Aurelia felt like could love her but in the end, he became like her family. Even if he was mad at her, why did he have to go and say that? I hate him more than anything and want nothing to do with this asshole.


    I look at the four love interests that I wrote in my notebook and look at the blank space for the fifth love interest. I didn¡¯t manage to finish the route and all information on them was hidden until you met them. So the hidden character was someone I had to look out for, unfortunately.


    ¡®This is the way I will survive in this world. I won¡¯t interact with any of the love interests. I don¡¯t care about them at all. They stay out of my way and I will stay out of their way. Be with the heroine all you want. I don¡¯t care.¡¯ I closed the notebook and put it away in the drawer and made sure to hide it well. I end up yawning, realizing how tired I was at the moment. Getting up from the desk I went back to my bed.


    I closed my eyes and went to sleep rather quickly, feeling satisfied with what I had planned to survive this world. Just avoid all the love interests and if they start any trouble with me then I will make them experience something worse than death. ¡®This seems like a really smart plan that will work out well for me.¡¯


    I thought this as I fell asleep with a small smile on my face feeling pleased but the moment I woke up the pleased feeling disappeared instantly. My ¡°childhood friend¡± was here at the moment with tears in his eyes, looking at me like a kicked puppy.


    ¡®Why the hell is this bitch here?¡¯ I could feel my eyes grow cold the more I looked at Eli who was standing by my bed, his face covered in tears and snot. The perfect plan I came up with was instantly destroyed by this unexpected appearance.

 Chapter Three – The Childhood Friend

    ¡°Aurelia! I was so worried when I heard you were sent to the hospital! Are you okay? Are you still in pain?¡± Eli was getting too close to me with that snot covered face so I, not hiding it, move away from him with a disgusted and annoyed expression. Even though his face was so gross looking to me right now I could see how he was ¡°attractive¡± to Aurelia in the first place.


    With a face that still had baby fat, I could see deep blue eyes that I am surprised someone so young has. His light caramel skin went well with his light blonde hair. As I keep on looking at him I notice that his feet were off the ground as he fully lay on my bed. I could see he was currently wearing a white floral dress with white ribbons holding his hair up into pigtails.


    He gave off an expression of an innocent child who could never hurt anyone. I narrow my eyes at the thought, feeling my heart tighten as I continue to look at Eli. I could feel something deep inside of me wanting to comfort him but it quickly got overpowered by my deep resentment for the boy standing in front of me.


    ¡°If you could be so kind, get off my bed right now and leave. I do not wish to see you at all. Now if you will excuse me I am going back to sleep. When I wake up, you better be gone.¡± I could feel my heart loosen as I say that and pull my cover back over me then close my eyes. I couldn¡¯t hear anymore sniffling from Eli but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t hear him leave either.


    After a few long minutes that felt like hours, I could hear Eli footsteps walking away from my bed and out of my room. I felt myself relax and I went back to sleep, not wanting to do anything else today but sleep. I would start planning tomorrow. For right now I just want to sleep.


    After a while, I was going to drift off again until I heard footsteps approaching my room again. I could smell something delicious coming closer and my stomach decided to let out a growl, showing me I was rather hungry at the moment.


    I slowly sat up in my bed again and I had a frown on my face once I realize it was Eli with a cart of food. He struggles to push the cart to my bed but continue to do it until it was near me. Letting out a huge breath, Eli sat on my bed again and I notice his face wasn¡¯t cover in tears or snot anymore.


    ¡°Aurelia, let eat breakfast together! You must be hungry, right? You shouldn¡¯t starve yourself you know? It will badly affect you in the future.¡± Eli was giving me a bright smile as he removes a tray from the food cart and put it in front of me. I looked down at the tray and I saw french toasts that were designed to look like cats and tamagoyaki in the shape of hearts. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    If Eli was the one who made this I would have thrown it on the ground, but I knew it was the people of this house who made it for me so I could only let out a sigh as I pick up a fork from the tray and eat.


    Eli had a tray in front of him too as we ate on my bed. He was humming happily while I had an annoyed expression on my face, feeling pissed that I, unfortunately, was eating together with my ¡°childhood friend¡±.


    ¡°Is the food not good? You have such a displeased look on your face.¡± Eli finally notices how annoyed I was at the moment and was tilting his head towards me in a cute way. If anyone else was here the would be gushing about how cute he was but I could only frown deeper at what he was doing.


    ¡°Why are you still here? I wish to be alone. Not eat breakfast together with you. After this is done, leave.¡± I coldly spit that out to Eli and continue to eat, not caring that Eli stops humming. After I finish eating I place my fork down and look at the upset Eli who was just pushing around his small portion of leftover food. Eli made eye contact with me and I notice that his eyes look glossy.


    I only stare at him, not caring that he is tearing up at the moment. Eli got up from my bed and put both of our trays onto the cart. I thought he was going to leave with the cart but he got back on my bed and, to my surprise, hug me tightly. Whenever I tried to wriggle out of his grip, he just increases it and I could only sit there with a glare on my face.


    ¡°Why are you so cold today?.... Did I do something wrong? Even though you usually act like this with me, you aren¡¯t this cold with me. A-Are we not friends anymore?¡± I could feel my breathing get difficult as Eli¡¯s grip grew super tight. I was surprised someone at his age was this strong already. I could feel danger flags going off in my head as my shoulder grew wet with Eli tears.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t be your friend, what the point of being alive anymore? Not having you in my life is death itself. Don¡¯t kill me, Aurelia. Don¡¯t.¡± I could feel cold sweat appearing on my back, as Eli¡¯s cutesy voice grew darker. ¡®Okay, I forgot one important thing. He is the yandere love interest. I can¡¯t just be cold towards him. He is literally a wildcard.¡¯


    ¡°Eli, you are hurting me. We are still friends but you are hurting me so let go before we stop being friends.¡± I could only sigh on the inside once I realize I would have to be his ¡°friend¡± if I didn¡¯t want any ¡°accident¡± to happen to me. Eli let go of me quickly and I saw a bright smile on his face as he just looks at me. I just give him an indifferent look, not bothering to pretend I was please or happy.


    ¡°Sorry! You did come out of the hospital. I hope I didn¡¯t hurt you at all. You are my best friend after all. I would rather die than hurt you.¡± Eli was nuzzling his face against mine and I couldn¡¯t help but understand why Aurelia fell in love with him. If someone acts like this towards you and you never got any type of love from your family then of course you would stick with this person. ¡®How disgusting. I hate this. I hate him. But I have to put up with him. Once I reach the game starting point I will never have to deal with him again.¡¯


    Eli was still nuzzling me as I thought this, humming happily again. I had both my hands tight in a fist, holding myself back from trying to harm him. I had to be smart. Even if I hated him, I can¡¯t just act out whenever I want. I will just plan ahead. I won¡¯t do anything to him unless he does something first.


    I wonder if it is bad that I hope he tries something just so I can break him.

 Chapter Four – A Child Prodigy

    I spent the last few days at my house relaxing and waiting for my body to be at one hundred percent. While I was relaxing I was, unfortunately, visited by my ¡°precious¡± childhood friend. He would bring me different types of gifts to help me get better.


    The servants in my house found it cute how considerate he was being but I could only see him in a negative light. I will never fully trust him. I won¡¯t trust anyone who is involved in a way with my death in the game. I have to be careful around them.


    After a few days of me not doing anything, my ''father'' sent me my usual tutor to make sure I was being kept up to pace with everything. From Aurelia''s memories, she didn¡¯t enjoy studying at all. She could never be good enough in her ''father''s'' eyes. Only her ''brother'' was the perfect child so she always hid away from her tutor and never did her work.


    Seeing as I am here now I will do something different. In my previous life, I had to keep my grades better than anyone if I wanted the best life. Not having anyone to support you and your education is difficult so you have to become someone that people want to support. No one cares about a child without parents that much.


    I will be better than my dear older ''brother''. I don¡¯t want my ''father'' to praise me for what I am going to do. I just want to crush my ''brother'' under my feet and become someone even better than him.


    The day when my tutor came to my house, I was already sitting at my desk waiting for them to arrive.  When I heard my bedroom door being knocked on I permitted them to come into my room.


    I look at my tutor who just came into my room. It was a man who looked to be around twenty. I raised my eyebrow at him because I wasn¡¯t expecting someone who is so built to be a tutor. His intimidating black eyes met mine and I could feel him judging me. His short brown hair was neatly styled to the back. He was wearing a simple suit that had one button undone.


    ¡°I see that you are ready to learn today Aurelia. I am surprised to see this.¡± My tutor sat in a chair that was near my desk. He put down different books on my desk and I looked at them with interest.


    There were different books on all the things required for me to know before I can publicly go to school and make myself known to the rest of the important higher up people. There was also a book on magic and how to understand it.


    That was another thing I enjoyed about this game. It was the fact that even though it was based in modern time people could still use magic but in a more modern way.  Everyone can use magic when they reach the age of five. Rarer cases can use magic at sixteen.


    The magic types in this world are water, fire, air, earth, light, and darkness. The strongest magic is darkness but it is also the most dangerous one since it can corrupt the user if they are not careful enough.


    Light magic is something that people can use but not a lot. When someone does have light magic they are usually seen as some form of luck bringer or whatever bullshit some religious asshole tells everyone.


    Aurelia can use dark magic and this doesn¡¯t help with her relationship with other people. Her magic isn¡¯t that strong but it can do some damage. My ''father'' blames the fact I can use dark magic for the death of my mother.  I do not see how that is even possible but why bother talking to stubborn people.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Aurelia often uses her magic to mess with the heroine who, not a huge surprise¡­, can use light magic. What a lucky thing for her. The creator had to make the villainess of the game have the ¡°bad¡± magic so that the heroine was even better in the eyes of everyone.


    Technically magic in this world isn¡¯t bad or good. It depends on the people who use it. Aurelia''s magic was bad because she was actively going against the heroine. But it could have been good.


    Aurelia''s magic isn¡¯t that strong because she was too busy building up her image in school but I can make it strong so that no one will mess with me. If I have magic that is the strongest in this world then I will use it.


    ¡°Will we be learning about magic also today?¡± I was looking at the book about magic with interest in my eyes. I want to know how I can become stronger. I don¡¯t have a lot of people on my side so I will have to protect myself.


    ¡°If we can get to it. We have to deal with the work that you didn¡¯t do at all. With how much work it is, I will be surprised if we manage to talk about magic at all today.¡± My tutor slammed down a bunch of papers in front of me. I just look at it with blank eyes. I did more work than that so I am not worried.


    My tutor was looking at me carefully, waiting for me to react negatively to the work I had to do but grew confused when he realized I was going right into the work.  I could feel his confusion grow as I breeze through the work in front of me with no problem.


    It wasn¡¯t that hard for me, I just had to look through the books just in case I needed to be sure about the things I was going to put down as my answers. I put down my pencil when I finished the last paper of work and I turned to look at my shocked tutor.


    ¡°May we learn about magic now teacher. I want to get better at understanding my magic and getting stronger with it.¡± I couldn¡¯t deal with my tutor being shocked at how fast I manage to finish my work, I want to learn about magic.


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ Magic.¡± My tutor cleared his throat as he gained control of his expression again. ¡°Aurelia, you know that your magic is based around the darkness. While darkness is usually seen in a bad way it can also be rather helpful. You can be able to blend yourself in the darkness, make a portal with your shadows to go anywhere, and once you are strong enough with your magic it can cancel out other magic from working against you.¡±


    My tutor''s face grew serious as he continued to speak to me. ¡° But this magic can easily control you if you give in to negative emotions. The stronger they are the more likely your magic will consume you and take over you. When that happens it will most likely be impossible to bring you back. So you have to be careful with your magic.¡±


    I was listening to what he was telling me with a serious look on my face. My magic can be powerful but it can also be dangerous to me. I will have to figure out a way to make sure my emotions never get too much for me to handle. I don¡¯t want to be my downfall.


    ¡°How can I get better with my magic?¡± I had to get better at my magic. I can not be weak in any form. I will be better than anyone so that no one will be able to do anything to me.


    My tutor handed me another book. It was a completely black book. There was no title and there was only a lock on it that prevented me from opening it. I looked at my tutor confused, not understanding what I needed to do with this book.


    ¡°This book has spells that are based around your magic but they only show spells that suit your current level. You can¡¯t currently open the book because your level with magic isn¡¯t even close enough to see the low-level spells in the book. My first lesson with magic with you is for you to open this book.¡± I could only frown at my tutor as I held this book in my hand. So I have to open this book up just to get better with my magic.


    In the game, all I had to do was minigames to increase my level of magic but I guess I have to do this the hard way. Doesn¡¯t matter to me. I did harder stuff than this so I won¡¯t give up.


    ¡°That is it for today''s lesson. Aurelia, you surprised me with how quickly you did all the work. I guess you are a smart child. Don¡¯t like studying but I''m smart nonetheless. I am also glad to see you are well, I was rather worried that you were never going to wake up. Take care of yourself.¡± My tutor rubbed a hand on my head and I could only look at him with slightly wide eyes. He took his hand off my head and put away all the books that he brought for the lessons and left my room.


    I was left alone with my magic spell book in my hands. I was looking at it with interest but I knew that I shouldn¡¯t mess around with it now. I should do this when it is night. When the darkness is the strongest. Hopefully, something will happen.


    I put down the black book I was holding and decided to go to the library in my house to study more about the world I was in. It is good to learn about everything so that I won¡¯t be surprised in the future. I can hopefully learn about the different princes in my library, if not I may have to use my dear childhood friend to gain information on them.


    As I was leaving my room I didn¡¯t notice that the black book that I placed on my desk was shaking a bit before it stopped moving again.

 Chapter Five – The Figure

    It was in the middle of the night and my only light source was a candle that I found in the house. I was sitting in the middle of my bedroom with my black book in front of me. I tried to once again open it but stopped once I realized it wasn¡¯t going to budge.


    ¡°Okay... From the books I read on magic and dark magic if I want to get started with it I have to give up something of myself¡­ It must be talking about blood since I don¡¯t know what else I could give up from myself.¡± I lift a needle that I stole from Mae sewing kit and stab myself in the finger with it.


    I held the finger dripping with blood over my black blood and let my blood fall onto it. My blood landed on the book and I looked at it with focused eyes, waiting for something to happen. I was getting irritated when nothing happened after a few minutes and was going to get off the ground when the candle in front of me went out.


    It became completely dark and I could feel something else in the room with me. I couldn¡¯t move my body off the ground and I hated myself for feeling scared at the moment. Why am I scared?


    ¡°Quen ¨¦ este triste nena? (Who is this sad child?) Por que me chamaches aqu¨ª? (Why did you call me here?)¡± A voice that didn¡¯t sound female or male was calling out to me from all sides. I shouldn¡¯t be able to understand them but I could. I could feel myself being held by a dark figure but I still couldn¡¯t move my body.


    ¡°O nena cheira tanto a odio, sufrimento e anhelo.(The child smells so much of hatred, suffering, and longing.) Por que ¨¦ iso? (Why is that?)¡± I could feel a touch on my face that was trailing down like a tear. I could feel tears start to fall out of my eyes when that happened. I could feel the figures surrounding me grow restless when this happened.


    ¡°?Temos medo, nena?( Are we afraid, child?) Non queriamos asustarche. Somos curiosos. (We didn¡¯t want to scare you. We are curious.) Temos un forma que ¨¦ adecuado para vostede, nena (We have a form that is right for you, child.)¡± The dark figure that I felt around me disappear for a moment before appearing in front of me again. The figure was a humanoid whose gender I couldn¡¯t figure out.


    It was an adult woman for a second, an adult man the next, a boy who looked to be my age, then a girl who looked to be my age as well, it was then an old man, then finally an old woman. It kept switching between different appearances like it didn¡¯t know what it wanted to be.


    ¡°Desculpa. Pasou moito tempo desde que falamos cun ser humano. (Sorry. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve talked to a human being.) non recordamos a ¨²ltima forma que empregamos para os humanos. (We don¡¯t remember the last form we used for humans.)¡± After a few more seconds of them changing forms they just settle on one that appears to be a child my age but their gender couldn¡¯t be determined.


    ¡°Podemos saber o nome do triste nena? (Can we know the name of the sad child?)¡± The child-like figure sat in front of me with their hands in front of them. I didn¡¯t know if they did that to make me feel safer around them.


    ¡°My name is Aurelia Giliam¡­¡± I felt a bit proud of my voice for not shaking as I answered this figure in front of me. I still had tears falling from my eyes and my body was still frozen in place with some type of fear but my voice didn¡¯t get shaky at all. It was a small win for me.


    ¡°Ese non ¨¦ o teu nome. Non queremos o nome desta nena. Queremos o teu nome. (That¡¯s not your name. We don¡¯t want this child¡¯s name. We want your name.)¡± I could feel myself stop breathing for a while when they said that. How could they know that? Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t remember what my old name is. All I have now is Aurelia Giliam.¡± Even though I felt nervous knowing that this figure knew I was someone else I didn¡¯t try to lie to them. The figure in front of me grew quiet and I couldn¡¯t tell what expression they had. I felt myself flinch slightly when the figure raised a hand to my face once more.


    ¡°Vemos. Cando recordas o teu nome, c¨®ntanos. Pero polo de agora, usaremos o nome desta nena.(We see. When you remember your name, tell us. But for now, we will use this child¡¯s name.) ?Quere ter o noso poder? (Do you want to have our power?)¡± As the figure continues to rest their hand on my face. I was expecting it to be cold but it felt so warm to me...


    ¡°I want to be strong so that no one will be able to hurt me. I want people to see that I am someone that shouldn¡¯t be looked down at.¡± I could feel my heart tighten as I told the figure this. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was my emotions or Aurelia''s emotions. Maybe it was the both of us¡­


    ¡°Escoit¨¢mosche e v¨¦monos. Damos o noso poder e n¨®s mesmos a ti. S¨® pedimos que faga iso a cambio. (We hear you and see you. We give our power and ourselves to you. We just ask you to do that in return.)¡± I could feel myself being surrounded by many things in the dark. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was the darkness itself or something else.


    ¡°If that is what I have to do then I hope you will accept me and everything that I have to offer. I just hope you won¡¯t hate what you get.¡± I could feel the tears on my face coming out faster but I made sure not to lose myself in my emotions. I can¡¯t be weak in front of anyone. I always have to be strong.


    ¡°Que hai que odiar?(What to hate?)¡± I couldn¡¯t tell exactly but it felt like the figure was smiling at me when they said that. The figure leaned in closer and kissed me gently on the forehead. When that happened it felt like something inside of me was changing.


    I closed my eyes when I felt different negative emotions appearing inside of me at full force and countless voices of people scolding me, hating me, leaving me¡­ It finally stopped and I couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore.


    I opened my eyes and felt confused that I was in my bed. Did everything that happened yesterday a dream? Did I just make that up? I ignored the disappointed feeling inside of me as I sat up in my bed.


    As I was sitting up in my bed I realized I was holding something smooth in my hand. When I opened my hand I saw a medium-size blue stone in my hand. It felt so cold in my hand but it made me feel at peace as I continue to hold it.


    As I was looking at this stone I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I looked at the windows in my room and I realized it was morning. Meaning Mae was here to wake me up and serve me breakfast. I permitted her to enter my room.


    ¡°Good morning Aurelia. I hope that you slept we-.¡± Mae gave a bow before looking at me. When she finally looked at me her expression changed into a concerned one and quickly moved to me, leaving the food cart at the door.


    ¡°Your eyes are so red and puffy. Did you have a bad dream? Are you in pain? Do I need to get a doctor?¡± Mae had her hand on my face as she looked at me with a worried look on her face. I raise a hand to my eye and touch it. It did feel rather puffy like I was crying¡­


    The only time I remember crying was when I was talking with the dark figure. So that must mean it wasn¡¯t a dream¡­ They must have put me in my bed¡­


    ¡°It is nothing to be concerned about Mae. It was just a sad dream I had but I feel better now that you are here.¡± I smiled at Mae, hoping it would ease her concern a bit. Mae didn¡¯t move her hand from my face for a while but did move away from me with a sigh.


    ¡°I see. Dreams can be horrible sometimes but never forget that you do have people who love you, Aurelia.¡± Mae was giving me a serious look when she said that and I could only give her a nod. I knew if I said anything I would bring up my ¡°father¡± and my older ¡°brother¡±.


    ¡°Oh, what do you have in your hand? Is that a magic stone? Where did you get that?¡± Mae noticed the stone I was holding in my hand and I was surprised to learn it was a magic stone. Did that figure give me it?


    ¡°...It was something I found hidden in the house. Can I keep it?¡± I gave Mae a pleading look and she gave me a soft smile as she nodded her head. I felt myself ease up when she gave me the okay. Mae went back to my door to get the food cart she left there.


    ¡°Tonight your father and brother will come over to eat dinner with you. I can pick out clothes for you in the closet for dinner.¡± Mae was looking at me from the corner of her eye as she said this to me. I knew she wanted to know how I would react to this news and I made sure to keep my face completely flat.


    ¡°I can pick out the clothes for me. Also, Mae, if it is not too much trouble could you find me something like a ribbon that could hold this magic stone in it? I wish to wear it on my neck.¡± I rub the stone in my hand as I ask her this. I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable if I couldn¡¯t have this stone with me safely at all times.


    ¡°I can get that done by today, Aurelia. Now make sure to eat everything on your plate.¡± Pinching my cheek, Mae left me to myself to eat my breakfast. I looked at the plate of french toast with bacon. There was a smiley face on the french toast and I couldn¡¯t control the warm feeling that appeared in my chest when I saw that.


    I ate my breakfast as I thought about what I should eat for my family dinner. I wonder if Aurelia has anything black in her closet? Black would be perfect for this dinner. It is going to be a depressing dinner so I should dress to match it.

 Chapter Six – A Family Dinner

    I was standing in front of my huge closet that was in my bedroom. I had a frown on my face when I saw all the bright-looking dresses. I went further into this closet hoping I could at least find something that was dark. I was going to give up hope and grab a random dress from the closet when I saw something that stuck out from the colorful dresses.


    Getting the dark clothing from the line of clothes I held it in front of me. It was a black dress with white lines near the end of the dress. I felt satisfied with what I was holding and took it out of the closet with me so I could wear it for dinner.


    After I was done picking out my outfit I decided to go back to the black book that my teacher gave me and try to see if I could teach myself a spell. I held the book in my hand for a few seconds before finally opening it. I could feel a small smile on my face when the book opened easily.


    When I looked inside the book I saw that there was one spell on the first page of the book. I could feel a frown replace the smile on my face. I couldn¡¯t understand why the spell Shadow was the first thing I had to learn. What does it even do?


    Trying not to get irritated I got ready to use the spell. I think for me to cast a spell I have to speak in the magic language. I don¡¯t think I know what it is but I have a feeling it would be something that just happens.


    ¡°Umbra. (Shadow.)¡± As soon as I went to do the spell I said something in another language and the whole room I was in was covered in darkness. Even though it was dark I could see clearly inside of the room like nothing was wrong with it.


    When I went to move in the darkroom I felt my feet start to sink into the darkness. I was panicking and tried to cancel the spell but I was too slow. I fell into the darkness and felt a small pain in my bottom as I fell onto the ground.


    I held my book tightly as I looked around in the place I was currently in. I was surprised to see I was outside the kitchen door.  I slowly got up and walked from the dark area I was in. I could feel myself get a bit excited when I realized what I could do with this first spell of mine.


    It seems like I can cause an area to become covered in darkness and to travel to the said darkness to somewhere else. I wonder if I could control where I could go with this spell. This was something I would have to practice more.


    After standing outside of the kitchen door for a while I headed back to my room and went to practice using the spell Shadow more. Even though I kept on ending up in different places in my house I didn¡¯t want to stop practicing this spell. It could be helpful in the future if I needed to escape from something or someone.


    After a few hours of me practicing my spell and going to my library to read books on different things about this world and magic, it was finally time for the family dinner. I had a blank face as I was dressed by two of my servants. They even put my long curly hair into a braid that was turned into a hair bun.


    Mae finished the outfit by giving me a ribbon that had a spot where I could put my magic stone in. I looked in the mirror that showed an expressionless Aurelia. Mae was behind me with a tense smile on her face and I calmed her down with a pat on her hand.


    ¡°I am ready to go now.¡± I stood up straight and spoke indifferently. Mae gave me a stiff nod and led me to the dining room where  ¡°father¡± and ¡°brother¡± were waiting for me. I could smell food coming from the dining hall but it didn¡¯t smell like anything to me.


    When I finally arrived in the dining hall I could see that both my ¡°father¡± and ¡°brother¡± were sitting waiting for me with an expressionless face. The air was tense as I made eye contact with my ¡°father¡±.


    ¡°Good evening father. I hope you didn¡¯t wait too long.¡± I gave my ¡°father¡± a polite bow in greeting and walked to my seat at the table. My seat was pulled out by Mae and when I sat in it she pushed me back in. She then went to stand by the wall and became like a statue.


    ¡°It seems that you know manners. I am surprised that you know how to use them. Also, you should learn how to be on time and not late by a minute. It comes off as rude.¡± The first words out of my ¡°father¡± mouth were scolding words. I didn¡¯t expect much from him but I couldn¡¯t control the tightness that appeared in my chest.


    ¡°I am sorry for that. I was busy with reading and practicing my magic, father. I will make sure to be careful next time.¡±  I force myself to keep my polite tone as I spoke to my indifferent ¡°father¡±.


    ¡°Oh, your teacher is allowing you to practice your magic sister? I am surprised to hear that, seeing as you were never seriously doing your lessons before. It is rather strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± I could feel that my ¡°brother¡± was insulting me as he looked at me with cold eyes.


    I didn¡¯t say anything as the food was being served to us by my servants. I could feel my body react negatively when I saw what I had to eat. It seems like Aurelia hates soup with a passion. I looked toward my other family members who were eating the soup with no problem. I look towards one of my servants who could only give me a sad look.


    Forcing myself not to feel sick I picked up my spoon and started to eat the soup. I had to force myself to swallow the soup and not to throw it back up into the bowl. I knew, later on, I would be throwing up into my toilet because of this.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I heard something interesting from your tutor. He told me that you manage to do all your work with no problem. This is rather surprising news to hear indeed. I see you are trying to live up to our family name and not embarrass us in front of everyone.¡± My ¡°father¡± placed down his spoon once he was done with his soup and wiped at his face with a napkin.


    ¡°I am curious as to why you are learning to use your magic. Focus more on your studies and not your magic.¡± I tightened my grip on my spoon as I saw the disgust on my ¡°father¡± face as he spoke about my magic.


    ¡°I simply want to be good in all areas, father. It would be helpful to our family, would it not?¡± I left my spoon in my bowl, worried I would bend it with how upset I currently was at the moment.


    ¡°We have your brother for that. He is simply gifted with his water magic. You should know this after all. When people hear our name they remember the son of the family who is gifted in studying and magic.¡± I was not looking at my ¡°father¡± as he continued to speak. My hands were in fists on my lap and I could feel my emotions getting a bit out of control.


    ¡°If I get better with my magic I could be on the same level as brother. I also believe I can be good enough in studying as well. I just need to improve myself more.¡± I force myself to keep my tone respectful as I spoke back to my ¡°father¡±. I could feel my eyes getting hot but I forced the feelings of the original Aurelia back.


    ¡°Not to be rude sister but with how you are when it comes to studying I doubt that. I would be surprised if you did become gifted. Also, why should you even work on that dreadful dark magic of yours? It may cause people to look down at our family.¡± My ¡°brother¡± sneered at me as he said this and I could feel my emotions getting even more out of control.


    I could feel the original feelings of Aurelia appearing in me. Why are they like this to me? Why don¡¯t they like me? What am I doing wrong? I don¡¯t want to be hated. I can be better. Stop hating me. Why are your eyes so cold? Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. Please love me. PLEASE LOVE ME.


    I hated the fact the original Aurelia feelings kept controlling me so much. Why can¡¯t she just go away?! I can¡¯t have these useless feelings controlling me all the time. I need to be stronger. No one can look down at me. No one.


    The dining room got dark and everything started to get destroyed when this happened. I could hear the concerned screams of my servant. My ¡°father¡± voice could be heard along with my ¡°brother¡±. I didn¡¯t say anything as this was happening. I could feel tears on my face as I just sat with my fists in my lap.


    This is all the original Aurelia leftover feelings, not mine. So why the hell is it so hard to just simply ignore them?!


    ¡®How do you know that? How do you know that this is the original Aurelia feelings?¡¯ I felt surprised when I heard another voice in her head. It showed just like my old voice but more child-like.


    ¡®How do you know this isn¡¯t your feelings, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~? Poor old ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~, unwanted by everyone. Never had the love of a parent. You are so pathetic.¡¯ The voice was sharp as they continued to insult me. I could feel my tears increase as I listened to this voice.


    ¡®I don¡¯t care¡­ I don¡¯t need anyone¡­ I always took care of myself without anyone on my side. I don¡¯t need any fucking love from anyone!¡¯ I was trying hard to push down the voice as I continued to try to calm down my emotions.


    ¡®¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¡­ Why are you such a liar? You hate liars so why are you one? You want to be loved. You want to be accepted. You are like Aurelia so why the hell are you lying to yourself. It''s goddamn pathetic!¡¯ The voice kept getting louder in my head and it was getting harder to breathe. My heartbeat was going so fast that I was worried it would escape from my chest.


    I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying. I. AM. DYING! I don¡¯t want to die. Please¡­ Someone help me¡­ I am so scared.


    I had my arms wrap around me as I struggled to breathe. My head was pounding and my eyes hurt a lot. I thought I was going to pass out but I could feel myself being surrounded by a familiar feeling. I could feel my heartbeat slowly calm down but I was still having a hard time breathing.


    ¡°Respira nena. Respirar¡­ (Breath child. Breath¡­) Est¨¢ ben. Estamos aqu¨ª. Nada che vai facer dano. (It¡¯s okay. We are here. Nothing is going to hurt you.)¡± I could feel my breathing finally get under control and the panic I was experiencing slowly disappear along with the voice that was in my head.


    ¡®I will always be here, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. Even if you get rid of me today. I will still be with you.¡¯ The voice left with a soft laugh and I finally felt calm again. I was still being held by the being who was rubbing my back in a comforting way that a parent would to their child.


    ¡°Desculpe nena. A nosa maxia adoita ter este efecto nas emoci¨®ns das persoas. Isto volver¨¢ a suceder, pero axudar¨¦mosche a descubrir xeitos de manexalo. (Sorry child. Our magic often has this effect on people emotion¡¯s. This will happen again, but we¡¯ll help you figure out ways to handle it.)¡± The being kissed my forehead again and the dark dining room had light again. I looked around the room and noticed that there were many things thrown around. My ¡°father¡± and ¡°brother¡± were on the ground looking slightly hurt. I was the only one who was still sitting in my chair.


    ¡°Aurelia! Are you okay?! What happened?!¡± I was quickly lifted out of my chair by Mae and she held me against her chest as she rubbed my back. I just let myself be hugged by her, still feeling worn out by the thing I just dealt with.


    ¡°I do not wish to be rude but Aurelia does not look well and I think this dinner will have to end early. Have a good evening sir and young master.¡± Mae gave a quick bow to my ¡°father¡± and ¡°brother¡± before she left the dining room quickly with me in her arms.


    I was taken to my room and into the bathroom in my room. Mae gave my body a quick but accurate cleaning then changed me into my sleeping clothes.  Mae tucked me into my bed and sat down next to me with a concerned look in her eyes.


    ¡°Aurelia¡­ Are you okay? Did you get scared? I am sorry that I couldn¡¯t protect you during that but I am here now and I will always be with you until you no longer need me.¡± Mae''s voice was talking softly to me as I lay down in my bed still feeling a bit shaken up.


    ¡°...If I ask you to stay with me forever, would you?¡± I grabbed her hand lightly but I didn¡¯t allow it to be too far from me. I knew I was being childish but I just wanted to be comfortable even if the way I was getting comfort was by lies.


    ¡°If that''s what you want then I will do that for you. I care about your happiness, Aurelia.¡± Mae kissed me on the forehead as she said this. I felt my heart grow warm at this. I didn¡¯t care if she was lying to me. I felt so wanted¡­


    ¡°I will make sure nothing bad happens to you, Mae. You are my people so no one is allowed to harm you. I promise you that.¡± Mae just smiled at that but I was being serious. I would become someone that would make sure my people would get bullied by anyone.


    I don¡¯t need approval from people who hate me. I only need to become more successful than them. When that happens they won¡¯t ever look down at me again. I will be the one who is doing that.

 Chapter Seven – Villainess Ability

    I spent two months in my house slowly expanding my knowledge of the world.  My magic was getting better but it wasn¡¯t perfect. I could still hear that voice appear in my head often but I always manage to push them back down.


    I was currently having a lesson with my tutor who was impressed with how much I improve over the two months since I got into this body. He was currently teaching me stuff that was more suited for children who were older than me.


    ¡°I am impressed with how you are progressing in your studies. Your magic is above average as well. I wonder if you were able to do this before, why didn¡¯t you?¡± My tutor was currently looking through assignments he gave me with pleased eyes. I felt satisfied that he was impressed with how I was doing. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Everything had to be better than everyone.


    ¡°I was too focused on getting attention from people who will never give it to me.¡± I was currently looking through a book that had information on the different kingdom with the different royal families and noble families. Over the two months, I was learning everything about the different princes.


    If you truly want to best your enemies you must learn everything about them. I had a notebook filled with information on them. Using both my knowledge from the game and from the book I read I was feeling pretty confident with having an upper hand over them.


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, this is it for today''s lessons. I also have a gift for you since I, unfortunately, won¡¯t be able to make it to your birthday party.¡± My tutor placed an object that was wrapped up but I didn¡¯t take it right away feeling caught off guard by what he said.


    ¡®Birthday party¡­? Is my birthday happening this month? I was too focused on getting knowledge of this world..¡¯ I opened up the present my tutor gave me and I felt my eyebrow raised in surprise. It was a book on different ways I could do magic.


    ¡°I know how much interest you have in magic so I decided to give you a book on different ways of doing it.  Most people can¡¯t verbally use magic so they have to do it in different ways. Those ways are rather helpful and powerful depending on the people using it.¡± I felt a bit excited about learning how to use magic differently. The more powerful I mean the more likely I will be over everyone else.


    ¡°Thank you very much for this teacher. I will always be thankful for your teachings.¡± I gave him a rather awkward smile, not good at smiling at people. But my tutor just shook his head, amused, and messed up my already messy curly hair.


    My tutor left my room and I was forced to think about the birthday party he was talking about. From Aurelia''s memories, her ¡®father¡¯ would always hold it at his house. It was never really about her, just people coming to the party as an excuse to make a connection with her ¡®father¡¯.


    I felt a headache appear once I realized what I was going to deal with at my ¡®party¡¯. This is bullshit but I have to deal with it. If I am going to be forced to deal with this then I will dress in a way that will blow everyone away.


    So I decided to ask Mae to help me get a custom dress for my ¡®party¡¯ that will, unfortunately, happen in three weeks. It''s going to be a fall-themed birthday since I was born during a day where autumn begins.


    When I got that out of the way I had to, unfortunately, learn how to dance properly so my ¡®father¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed by me in front of his many allies. I doubt anyone would dance with me at my ¡®party¡¯ so why should I bother with this.


    After three weeks of practicing to dance for my ¡®party¡¯, the day was finally here and I didn¡¯t feel that excited by it. I don¡¯t understand why I have to stay for four hours at a party that isn¡¯t even about my birthday.


    ¡°Aurelia, you look so beautiful today. If your mother was here I think she would love the way you look as well.¡±  Mae was brushing my hair as she told me this. I was sitting down at my dresser as this was being done.


    I looked at myself in the mirror in front of me and I felt pleased with how I looked. I had a brown lipstick on and eyeliner that made my eyes look even sharper. My curly long hair was in a princess braid currently and I had a small tiara on as well.


    ¡®I look like a princess¡­ Well, more of an evil princess with how my eyes are but a princess nonetheless.¡¯ I thought my appearance was rather nice for this party and got up from the dresser suit when Mae was done messing around with my hair.


    As I got up I could feel my cover my legs a bit but not fully, still showing off my low black heels. My dress had a ruffled blacktop that had my ribbon magic stone around my neck. My dress opened in the front, showing off my black pants. I like this type of clothing very much. Money does help you show off your clothing taste.


    ¡°Well, I am off for the party Mae. I will be back in four hours so you should go home to your family during the time I am gone.¡± I didn¡¯t want Mae to be in this place for so long just waiting for me to come back. I would rather her go home to her family and spend time with them.


    I wonder if I should do that for my other servants as well. I knew some of them also had family as well. It would be nice if they could spend some time not having to take care of me.


    ¡°If that is what you wish then I will do that. Should I tell the other servants this as well?¡± Mae''s body was slightly lower as she spoke to me. I gave her a nod, telling her I want that to happen as well. Giving me a polite bow in response Mae went to tell the other servant the news.


    I left my room and went down the stairs so I could go outside and get into the car that my ¡®father¡¯ sent for me. An unfortunate thing Aurelia had to deal with whenever she went to her ¡®father¡¯ house was that her ¡®father¡¯ sent a car for her. He didn¡¯t want anyone from her house to send her to his house.


    So only he could decide when she could go back and not her. He didn¡¯t give her much control when it comes to visiting him. I wish I could do something about this but I am still a child so I have limited choices in many things¡­ For now.


    I opened the door to the car that was waiting for me and I sat down in it. Before I could put on a seatbelt the car started to move right away. I didn¡¯t let anything show on my face but I was pissed at how my ¡®father¡¯ people were treating me.


    In Aurelia''s memories whenever she went to her ¡®father¡¯ house his servants would always treat her like she was a bug. They never did it in front of her ¡®father¡¯ since it would still get them in trouble but they knew that if she went to tell him about it he wouldn¡¯t have much of a reaction. It''s disgusting a bunch of adults finds it okay to treat someone younger than them like trash.


    I will make every single one of them know why they shouldn¡¯t mess with someone who is on a higher level than them. I may be hated by my family but I still have status.


    I was glaring coldly at the back of the head of the driver who I could see was slightly tense. I think I could even see sweat appearing on his neck. Is he nervous? What can I do to him? I am just a child.


    When I finally reached my ¡®father¡¯ house the driver attitude changed quickly. He went to open the door for me and help me out of the car. I took his hand with a look of disgust on my face and once the driver took his hand from mine I took out a handkerchief to clean my hand off.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Throw this out. It is filthy now.¡± I threw the handkerchief I used to clean my hand with on the ground and walk into my ¡®father¡¯ house that had many people going into it. I could hear whispers as I continued to walk to get inside. I simply ignore them and just continue to walk.


    When I was inside I was greeted by one of my ¡®father¡¯ servants who just started to walk away when they saw that I arrived. I could only glare at them when they did this. They must have not been trained properly if they think they can walk over me like this.


    I was taken to a huge ballroom that was in my ¡®father¡¯s'' house. I could see a table filled with food and drinks. There were countless tables for people to sit at and talk to each other. When I walked in people looked at me for a second before going back to what they were doing. Even though this was my birthday party everyone didn¡¯t care about me. They only care about getting closer to my ¡®father¡¯.


    I went over to my ¡®father¡¯ who was talking to a group of other adults. When I arrived my ¡®father¡¯ raised an eyebrow at the way I was dressed. He must have thought I would have worn my usual colorful dresses that would have attracted people''s attention but I am more focused on getting everyone to know they shouldn¡¯t mess with me.


    ¡°Father, it is wonderful to see you again. This party looks wonderful and I do appreciate it.¡± I spoke false words of thanks to my father and gave him an empty smile. I could see that my smile made the rest of the adults uncomfortable seeing as they looked away from me when I made eye contact with them.


    ¡°Your choice in clothing is changing, isn¡¯t it Aurelia? I do hope it doesn¡¯t get far worse than this.¡± My ¡®father¡¯ didn¡¯t hide the distaste he had in my clothing choice but I could only smile at what he said.


    ¡°I am simply dressing to show appreciation for the dead father. I simply don¡¯t want to forget who is no longer here. It would be horrible if I forget them.¡± I could see my ¡®father¡¯ expression harden for a moment when I said that but he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Seeing as I didn¡¯t have to say anything else to him, I gave him a bow and went off into the party. No one approached me at the party and I didn''t care for that at all. It gave me a chance to watch the people at the party.


    I could see some of the people who were the followers of Aurelia in the game. I feel like it would be helpful if I still got my group of followers but I would make sure they wouldn¡¯t act in such careless ways. Bullying someone would always put you in a bad light so they simply have to become role models in everyone''s eyes.


    As I was watching people at the party I noticed a couple of boys sneaking off with a pitcher glass filled with water. Feeling a bit curious I followed after them silently. When they finally arrived where they wanted to go I saw a teary-eyed Eli looking all dirty surrounded by a group of boys who were our ages.


    He was wearing a light blue dress that''s puffy and had a big ribbon behind him. His hair was in pigtails that were held up by light blue ribbons. The dress would have looked pretty if he wasn¡¯t dirty and slightly torn.


    ¡°It looks like they are back with the water. Don¡¯t worry we will get you clean right up so you won¡¯t look so ugly anymore.¡± The boy who seemed to be the leader of the group took the pitcher of water away from the other boys. This boy was taller than Eli but not taller than me which is normal for most boys growing up since it takes a while for them to reach their full height.


    His curly black hair was neatly cropped and had green eyes that were rather light. He had fair skin that suited someone who was raised in a rich family. He was wearing a formal suit that had a couple of buttons undone.


    I was just standing in the shadow as I watched this boy pour water on Eli with a smirk on his face. Eli looked like he was crying now as the rest of the boy started to laugh at him. I wanted to walk away from this scene and just let this happen but I could feel a wave of deep anger in me appear in my heart.


    Even if I wasn¡¯t the original Aurelia her feelings for Eli are so strong. Even though he was the reason for her death and suffering before she still sees him as her precious friend, her first love. Even though I am disgusted by him and want to hurt him I can¡¯t just let this continue.


    ¡®He looks a bit like you doesn''t he? Getting bullied by a bunch of children for no reason just because he isn¡¯t like them. Children are the cruelest when they are younger and haven¡¯t fully understood empathy yet¡­¡¯ The voice was back in my head and it felt like they were whispering in my ear. I could feel a ghost of someone on my shoulder but I knew no one was there.


    ¡®I bet he is wondering why people are treating him like this? What did he do wrong? Is he the problem? I know that this was what you were thinking when this was happening to you ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¡¯ My hands were in tight fists as I remember scenes in my last life during my life in school. Getting my things destroyed, my clothes dirty, step on, insulted¡­.


    Even though I was mad at Eli for what he did to Aurelia he didn¡¯t do it yet so I shouldn¡¯t let this control me right now. I will show these shit how to hurt someone and leave them to a point where they can¡¯t stop crying.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I came out of the shadow and walked towards the group of boys. The boys all stopped laughing when they saw me. They all gave me looks that I received from my ¡®father¡¯ servants and the party guests. They are looking at me like I am someone not important.


    The lead boy went to pour more water on Eli who was currently looking at me with unreadable eyes. I grabbed the boy''s hand that was about to pour the water and squeeze his wrist tightly. The boy let out a pained scream and the pitcher fell to the ground and broke. I was still holding onto the boy''s wrist, twisting it in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Let go of me, you stupid girl!¡± The boy hit me on the face with the hand I wasn¡¯t holding and I didn¡¯t attempt to dodge it. I felt pain appearing on my cheek but I just continued to hold the boy''s wrist.


    I forced the boy to drop to his knee so he was looking up at me. The boy now had tears in his eyes as he glared at me angrily.


    ¡°Who am I?¡± I glared right back at the boy who was looking up at me.


    ¡°Why is that important idi-?!¡± The boy didn¡¯t finish his sentence because I slap him in the face with my free hand.


    ¡°Who am I?¡± I asked this with more force now as I glared down at this boy.


    ¡°A-Aurelia Giliam¡­¡± The boy finally said my name as he looked at me in fear.


    ¡°Now who is he?¡± I pointed to Eli who was looking at what was happening with wide eyes. The rest of the boys who were still here were looking at me with scared eyes.


    ¡°E-Eli Madrigal the prince of Greenflower¡­¡± The boy stuttered out Eli''s name quickly, looking at my free hand that was raised to slap him again if he tried something.


    ¡°So why are a bunch of low-class nobles like yourself messing with him? Do you know what his family could do to all your families? You sure have the guts, don¡¯t you? You must want your family to lose their status.¡± I could see all the boys grow pale at what I just said. I had a feeling these boys just mess with Eli because he looks like someone who doesn¡¯t want to admit to people he is getting bullied so they didn¡¯t think much about him telling his parents.


    I look into the eyes of the boy whose wrist is in my hand and I place my finger on the boy''s forehead and cast a spell that I learned recently from my black book. I also used the knowledge I got from my tutor book on different ways to cast magic and I learned how to cast spells just by touching someone and thinking about the spell. This is one of the easier ways to cast spells non-verbally.


    The spell I cast on the boy was something that allowed me to see all of the doubts, fears, and insecurity he currently had. This was only surface level since I learned this recently but it still gave me good stuff to work with.


    ¡°You are bullying Eli just because your parents love your younger brother who is more skilled than you. You wish that you were an only child like Eli so that your parents wouldn''t have someone to compare with you but let me tell you something. They would still compare you. In this world, there will always be someone better than you who your parents will like more. Don¡¯t you dare think it is only limited to your own family. You will always be compared because you are not good enough.¡±  I leaned in close to the boy who was still kneeling and told him all this in a cold voice. The boy started to sob after I told him this and I could only scoff at how quickly he cried. Pathetic.


    I let go of his wrist and looked at the other boys who all avoided my gaze. I walked over to the wet Eli and lifted him off the ground. I started to pull him to one of the many guest rooms so I could help him get dried off and somewhat clean.


    Eli didn¡¯t say anything during this time and I was thankful for that since my emotions were not stable at the moment. I put Eli in one of the guest rooms to wait for me as I went to find a servant to give me some towels. I found one who was helping with serving food.


    ¡°Excuse me, I need a towel,¡± I called out to the servant who was about to pick up a serving tray. The servant looked back at me before ignoring me and picking up the tray that had drinks on it. The servant went to walk away from me but I quickly got in front of them.


    ¡°Who are you? Where is this pride coming from? Are you a master of this house? Are you paying everyone to work here? Is your last name Giliam? Or are you just a servant who could be replaced without a thought.¡± My voice was cold as I stared down the servant who''s annoyed expression slowly became timid.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for the disrespect, young mistress¡­ I will get a towel right away.¡± The servant quickly put down the tray of drinks and went to get me a towel, avoiding the cold look I was giving them.


    When they came back they didn¡¯t meet my eyes as they grabbed me the towel. They bow towards me as they went to pick up the tray of drinks again and left quickly.


    I walked back to the room with Eli in it and saw he was just sitting quietly on the bed. I went up to him and placed the towel next to him. I then reached up to take out the ribbons that were in his hair so it wouldn¡¯t get in the way of drying his hair.


    I quickly got on the bed and behind Eli then picked up the towel so I could dry off a still wet Eli. It was quiet as I dried him off and tried to get him somewhat clean. I put down the towel when I was done. I just sat next to Eli on the bed, not wanting to say anything at the moment.


    ¡°...Do you find me weird for wearing female clothes? Should I just stick with male clothes and not be so different from the other boys?¡± Eli finally spoke up as he asked me this question. I had a feeling those boys were bullying him for that as well. A boy who enjoys dressing like a girl. It is weird in the eyes of others who don¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°Clothes have no gender so why should it just be limited to some people? People who find it strange are just unnerved by you. You wear these types of clothes proudly but no one can¡¯t understand why. They may even find you attractive for it but don¡¯t want to admit it. But it doesn¡¯t matter what everyone else thinks. It only matters if you are happy.¡± I don¡¯t trust Eli and I don¡¯t fully like him for being someone who kills Aurelia in the game but I do like how he wears the clothes that make him happy without caring how it affects other people. I can¡¯t help but respect him for that.


    I felt a weight on my shoulder and felt wetness on it after a few seconds. I didn''t look down at Eli and I just reached for his hand. For now, I will comfort him for a while¡­. I would have liked it if someone did it for me when I needed someone before¡­


    ¡°...You look cute in your dress today, Eli.¡± I said that softly to a crying Eli who responded was to only hold my hand tighter. I don¡¯t know if this will do anything to our relationship but for now, I will treat him as someone who isn¡¯t a game character. Just someone who needs a shoulder to cry on.


    I didn¡¯t flinch when I felt the grip on my hand increase and the fact Eli was now hugging me with one arm rather tightly. Just going to let him do what he wants for now but I need him to learn some boundaries in the future¡­

 Chapter Eight – Rival At First Sight

    Eli became even clinger after my ¡®birthday party¡¯. It is weird to have him always hugging my arm, hugging my waist, and just hugging all over. Is he trying to do something? Also, I am not liking that intense look in his eyes whenever he thinks I am not looking at him.


    He would always invite me over to his home so that I could watch him dress up in his clothing. He would even make me choose what he should wear telling me, ¡°I want to dress in a way that you enjoy. Your opinion matters to me after all.¡±


    It didn¡¯t help that he blushed when he said that to me. I don¡¯t know what is happening to him at all. I mean as long as he isn¡¯t trying to mess with me I will, unfortunately, allow this to continue but I am going to figure out a way for him not to always be in my personal space. It gets uncomfortable if he is always close to me.


    After my ¡®birthday party¡¯ passed and I became eleven I was invited to countless tea parties that I didn¡¯t have a choice in refusing since my ¡®father¡¯ already decided for me. I met with countless other young girls who were my age.


    During one of the tea parties I was at I met Aurelia''s future group of followers again. They ended up getting drawn to me and we became ¡®friends¡¯. They would often visit me and tell me stuff they heard from their parents in secret. It was useful getting information like this without anyone knowing.


    I also got closer to the follower who caused my death in one route because of her love. I decided if I didn¡¯t want that to happen again I needed her to be taken¡­ So I decided that she should get engaged.


    It was rather easy to do. The parents just happen to want to have a close relationship with a family and I just happen to find one who was willing to do that. They also just happen to meet each other during a small get together for other nobles. Now she is engaged to get married after school.


    I know I shouldn''t be using my magic in such a way but I am planning for my future. I can¡¯t have anything going wrong. I need everything going perfectly. I need to be smarter than everyone. Gifted with my magic. So powerful that no one can lay their hands on me.


    I was at a social gathering that my ¡®father¡¯ decided to take me to instead of my ¡®brother¡¯ since he noticed how ¡°well-behaved¡± I have been acting during these months and didn¡¯t have to worry about getting embarrassed by me.


    Eli was also at this gathering wearing a light blue dress that puffy at the end of it and had heart patterns all over it. His hair was in a high ponytail that was held up by a light blue bow. I didn¡¯t understand why someone who could use fire magic dress in all blue. I assume he would like red.


    ¡°Hey, Hey! Aurelia, do I look pretty today? I dress like this with you in mind.¡± Eli gave me a shy look as he asked me this. I looked at him and just gave an indifferent approval noise. Eli let out a happy giggle and hugged my arm happily.


    ¡°I think you look so nice in your clothing today! It makes you look so mysterious and handsome.¡± Eli was looking at me with passionate eyes as he looked at the clothes I was wearing for the small gathering. I was wearing another black ruffled top and still had my magic stone ribbon around my neck. I had on neat looking black pants and my height was even taller with my heel shoes. My hair was down and out showing off my curly hair. I had some makeup on but it was just my lips and eyes.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ Mae help me get dressed.¡± I felt rather pleased that Mae was happy with how I was dressing. She was more supportive than my ¡®father¡¯ who looked at my new clothing style with distaste.


    As I was standing in the corner with Eli eating the food that was from the food table I saw a group of girls giggling and blushing in a direction. I look over to where they were looking and I grip onto the plate of cake I was holding tightly. I could feel my heartbeat increase slightly once I realized it was a love interest from the game.


    Colton Lynn, the second love interest of the game and the route I hated the most. He was practically dressed like an asshole with his neatly pressed navy suit. His silver hair was long and in a braid that added to his boyish charm. His stern green eyes could be seen behind his frameless glasses.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I could remember all the frustration I had from doing his route in the game. Always having to suck up to him. Be submissive to him and always be on his side just because he had an inferiority complex with his other siblings. He was such a tiring route to even deal with and I don¡¯t want to even get involved with him.


    ¡°Ah, does Aurelia want to meet Colton? I could introduce you to him but he means to people he just meets. He is a good guy! But he doesn¡¯t hold back with what he thinks about people¡­¡± Eli told me that with a troubled expression but I noticed that his eyes darken a bit when he thought I wanted to talk to Colton.


    ¡°I have no interest in meeting him.¡± I didn¡¯t know why Eli didn¡¯t want me to meet with Colton but I didn¡¯t care. I would rather not meet with a jerk like him anyway. I will just avoid him and the heroine in the future. Not going to even acknowledge his existence.


    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Eli smiled happily when I told him that but he quickly frowned and his face grew embarrassed as he looked at me. ¡°I need to use the bathroom¡­¡±


    ¡°You can go. I will wait for you to come back.¡± I was just pushing around my cake as I told Eli that, not understanding why he told me that in the first place.


    ¡°Can you please go with me? You can just wait outside the bathroom. I don¡¯t want to be alone¡­.¡± Eli''s eyes grew teary-eyed as he looked up at me and I could only let out a sigh as I placed the plate of destroyed cake down on a table nearby.


    I held out my arm for him to hold on and started to walk to the bathroom once he grabbed my arm. I could feel someone staring at me as I walked Eli to the bathroom but I just ignored it. Unless they are giving me a look of hatred I won¡¯t even pay attention to it.


    Once we reached the bathroom I stood outside the door and leaned against the wall with a bored expression.  As I was waiting for Eli to be finished in the bathroom I heard footsteps coming towards me.


    Looking up to see who was coming toward me I could feel my eyebrow twitch in irritation once I saw it was Colton. I just ignored him, assuming he was going to the bathroom as well but I got confused when he stopped in front of me and stared me down.  Well, he wasn¡¯t staring me down seeing as I was a few inches taller than him especially with the shoes I was wearing.


    ¡°...What?¡± I was getting annoyed after a few seconds pass of him just staring at me with a frown on his face. What did he want from me? We have never met each other before so he shouldn¡¯t even be bothering me right now.


    ¡°So you''re the one teacher been praising lately? I don¡¯t see what so good about you. I never saw someone with such a depressed-looking face before. It is rather disgusting.¡± The first thing Colton said to me was a bunch of insults. I got confused then I got pissed off.


    Why is this small child speaking to me like we know each other? Does he want to get me angry?


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± I didn¡¯t want to lose my composure in front of this idiot so I just asked him who he was talking about since this conversation came out of nowhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the person who teaches you, idiot. I don¡¯t know what Mr. Pryor sees in a student like you? Especially with such a past of yours. Just because you are improving doesn¡¯t erase your history.¡± Colton was giving me a look that was the same as my ¡®father¡¯ and my ¡®brother¡¯.


    ¡°What type of history do I have? Tell me. I am really curious about what you think about me.¡± I pushed myself off the wall I was against and walked toward Colton. I was looking down at him as we were close to each other.


    ¡°Your father didn¡¯t want to see the face of the person who killed his wife and gave you a house that wasn¡¯t even close to him. Quick to anger and always want to be acknowledged by your brother who is far suited to your family name than you. I feel sorry that your mother had to die to give birth to such a child.¡± Colton continued to speak down at me and I could feel my heart tighten as the feelings of the original Aurelia appeared.


    Why is he talking to me like this? What did I do? I don¡¯t want to be hated! Stop hating me! I want everyone to like me¡­. It hurt so much¡­. Why does it feel like my chest is breaking? Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!


    ¡®Who does he think he is? Talking to us like this? Just because he is a prince doesn''t mean shit to us. Show him who he is messing with.¡¯ My head was so loud as it was getting overwhelmed with the two voices that were screaming at me currently. I could feel my breathing was increasing and I feel like I could see red.


    I grabbed the front of Colton''s suit and lifted him off the ground and brought his face close to me. I could see his eyes widen in surprise at this and he was struggling in my grip but I didn¡¯t let go of him. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make him cry. I wanted him to feel what I was feeling.


    ¡°Aurelia¡­? What are you doing?¡± I was called out of my emotional daze and I looked behind me to see a concerned Eli who just came out of the bathroom. He looked like he put on some makeup while he was in there which explains why he was taking a while in the bathroom.


    I let go of Colton who fell right on his ass. He glared up at me and I glared right back at him. I never hated someone this strongly before. I never wanted to make someone suffer this badly. Even when I was bullied in my last life I never felt this much hate before.


    ¡°I will make sure I am always better than you starting today. You will never be in first place as long as I live. I will be the one who takes that seat. Don''t you ever fucking think I will allow you to be better than me. I am the one who is better than you.¡± I spit that out to Colton who was still on the ground and started to walk away from him. I could hear Eli walking behind me quickly to catch up to me but I was too mad currently.


    If Eli didn¡¯t show up when he did I may have done something that would have been bad. But the thing is¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have regretted it.

 Chapter Nine – My Dog Servant

    I was in my house library studying and taking notes of things I didn¡¯t understand so I could ask my tutor to explain it to me when we came at the usual time. I increased my studying time after I met that prick, Colton.


    I had to take a deep breath as I remembered him and made sure to get my emotions under control. I don¡¯t want to lose to that dick. I have to keep my studying up so he will not catch up with me. I would rather bite my tongue off than lose to that stuck up dick.


    As I was reading through a book on the history of how magic came to be I heard the door to the library open. I didn¡¯t bother looking up, assuming it was one of my servants here to leave me a little snack. After a few minutes of silence, I realized that the person who came into the room didn¡¯t leave and I could feel them looking at me with intense eyes.


    Looking up from my book with a little bit of curiosity I was surprised to see a boy instead of my servant. He looked to be older than me and tall as well. He was fidgeting in place as he looked at me with wide dark grey eyes. He had long lank blonde hair that seemed to reach to his waist and was put into a low ponytail. He also had a fringe that was brushed to one side of his face. He had golden looking skin that made him look like a really attractive person.


    But the huge thing I should be focused on is the fact he had animal ears and a tail which was currently excitingly wagging behind him. I read about it in my book but I never thought I would meet a beastman in real life. How did they even get into my home?


    ¡°Who are you and how did you get in here?¡± I looked at the beastman with suspicious eyes, not trusting them at all. I was trying to figure out what spell would be helpful with taking him out when the door to the library opened again and Mae came in with a relieved look on her face.


    ¡°There you are, Sybil! I was looking all over for you. But here you are with Aurelia. You didn¡¯t bother her during her studies did you?¡± Mae went up to the beastman and petted his head with a gentle smile on her face. The boy, Sybil, nuzzled into Mae''s hand as she did that and I felt a fit of sharp jealousy go through me as I watched this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if he bothered you, Aurelia. This is my son Sybil. I told you about him before but now you are meeting him.¡± Mae had a happy smile on her face as she introduced her son to me. I was holding onto my book tightly as I looked at her son still feeling jealous.


    ¡®He''s going to take her away from us. Why is he here? He must want her to leave us by ourselves! He can¡¯t do that! Kill him! Get rid of him! He is trying to take her away from us!¡¯ The voice in my head came back again and I could feel myself getting cold as I looked at Sybil with indifferent eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but want to get rid of him. This urge was so strong that I was worried I may just lose control of me.


    Before anything did happen, Sybil got away from Mae who was petting him, and came toward me. I slowly moved away when he got to his knees in front of the chair I was in and looked at me silently. After a few minutes of silence, he gave me a huge smile and rubbed his face into my legs. His tail was hitting the ground quickly as he continued to rub his face into my legs.


    ¡°You''re so pretty¡­ Are you a goddess? So pretty¡­¡± Sybil was mumbling this as he rubbed his face into my legs. I tried not to kick him when I felt his breath touch my legs. I was just wearing a ruffled blacktop with my usual ribbon around my neck with short pants that went to my knees.


    ¡°Sybil! Don¡¯t just go up to her and do that! It is not proper!¡± Mae put her hands on her waist as she looked at him in disapproval. Sybil stopped rubbing his face into my legs and got up from his knees but instead of going back to his Mae side, Sybil went to hug me into his arms and rub his face onto my hair now.


    My body was tense as I froze at the sudden hug from this stranger. I didn¡¯t know what to do about this. The only people who usually hug me are Eli and Mae. I could feel myself going cold the longer he hugged me.


    ¡°Sybil! What did I tell you about respecting people''s personal space! You can¡¯t just hug someone without making sure they are okay with it.¡± Mae went up to Sybil and grabbed him by his animal ear and dragged him away from me.


    ¡°But mom! I want to hug her! She is my goddess and I want to be close to her!¡± Sybil was trying to hug me again but flinched when Mae pulled at his ear again. I didn¡¯t know how to feel about the look he was currently giving me. No one looked at me with such admiration before and I don¡¯t know how I should feel about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him Aurelia. My husband had something he had to do and the usual person who took care of him was busy as well so I decided to bring him along with me today. I hope it isn¡¯t too much trouble.¡± Mae gave me an apologetic look as she continued to hold Sybil''s ear as he continued to try to hug me again.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t mind. Things like this happen sometimes and you can¡¯t control when it does happen.¡± The jealousy I was feeling was slowly going away and I slowly decreased my hold on my book.


    ¡°Well, I am going to make Sybil follow me around and hel-.¡± Before Mae could finish what she was going to say Sybil got freed of her hold on his ear and hugged me again but this time he made sure he was facing Mae.


    ¡°Mom, I want to become her servant, can I?¡± I felt my head go blank as soon as I heard him ask Mae that and I tried to understand what was going on currently.


    ¡°What are you saying! You barely can clean up after yourself at home! How can you take care of someone else?¡± Mae frowned at Sybil with a disapproving look in her eyes.


    ¡°Then I can train to be her servant! You can even set a deadline for when my training can end to see if I am good enough to be her servant!¡± Sybil didn¡¯t back down from wanting to be my servant and increased his hold on me.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Mae let out a tired sigh as she rubs at her forehead, not wanting to argue with Sybil about wanting to be my servant anymore.


    ¡°Yay! I get to be with my goddess. I will be the best servant you ever had!¡± Sybil lowered his face near mine and started to rub his cheek against mine with a happy hum.


    I was just silent as this happened, not fully understanding how this all turned out. I really can¡¯t believe I will have Mae''s son training to be my servant. This is way out of my control¡­.


    <hr>


    Day One Of Sybil Training Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I was sitting in my room doing an assignment that was given to me by my teacher. I was focused on finishing my work when I heard the door to my room open without anyone announcing themselves to me. I was surprised at this happening and looked up to see who was here.


    Standing in my room with tea and snacks for me was a smiling Sybil. He was currently wearing a uniform that all of my male servants wore as well but he had a couple of buttons undone and his necktie was badly done. Seeing as it may have been his first time wearing clothes like this I paid no mind to how he was dressed.


    ¡°I brought your usual tea and snack, Lady Aurelia.¡± Sybil pushed the cart with the drink and snack towards me. I could see that his tail was wagging fast behind him as he got closer to me. I didn¡¯t bother to question why he called me Lady Aurelia and went to put up the tea that was poured out for me by him.


    As soon as it touched my tongue I quickly spit it back out and immediately started to cough. Why is it so salty?! I could hear Sybil''s concerned voice calling out for me and him quickly running out of my room. I could hear him re-enter my room and hand me another cup. I quickly drank it and felt thankful it was water.


    ¡°D-Did you mistake the salt for sugar?¡± My voice was a bit hoarse as I asked Sybil this. Sybil''s ears were lower on his head and his tail hung low as he realized he probably did do that with the tea.


    ¡°I will also throw out the sweets I brought for your snacks¡­ I use salt for them as well. I will ask for someone else to make you something to drink and eat.¡± Sybil pushed out the cart with a depressed cloud covering him as he left the room.


    I could only let out a sigh, knowing that his training to be my servant will be a really hard thing, for both of us. I hope it doesn¡¯t get worse than this¡­.


    <hr>


    Day Five Of Sybil Training


    Eli was currently in my room as he went through my closet and helped me pick out clothes I would not be wearing anymore. For some strange reason he wanted to take the clothes I would no longer be wearing. Even though I found that weird I decided to let him keep them, they weren¡¯t mine anymore.


    ¡°Lady Aurelia! I made some sweets for you! This time I made sure I used sugar instead of salt.¡± Sybil came into my room without knocking again and I could only let out a sigh at this habit I knew I had to fix.


    ¡°Sybil, you have to knock before coming into my room. I would rather you not catch me in an indecent moment.¡± I gave him a disapproving look at him and he could only lower his ears in shame at that.


    ¡°What type of sweets did you make for me?¡± I gesture for him to come towards my bed I was currently sitting on so I could see what type of sweets he had on the cart for me.


    ¡°I made some cookies! I even decorated them with frosting I made myself.¡± Sybil eagerly pushed the cookies he made towards me and I tried not to show any reaction when I saw the cookies¡­. They looked like me but the cookie me looked nothing like me. I don¡¯t have such a cute expression on my face!


    ¡°..What interesting design on the cookies¡­¡± I picked up a cookie that was me blushing and holding a heart in my hands. I bit the head off quickly so I couldn¡¯t see the unsightly expression of me on the cookie anymore. I raised an eyebrow in surprise at how good the cookie taste.


    ¡°From your expression, I have a feeling you like it. I am so happy about that!¡± Sybil quickly got to my side and tried to hug me but to my shock, Eli was by my side and got hugged by Sybil instead.


    ¡°Oh? Who is this sweet looking beastman? Are you a friend of Aurelia or something? If you are not her friend why are you trying to hug her?¡± Eli''s voice was a bit weird as he spoke to Sybil whose happy expression immediately became cold.


    ¡°Oh, you must be the childhood friend. I didn¡¯t see you there. I mean I am surprised Lady Aurelia can even see you with how short you are¡­¡± Sybil let go of Eli with a disgusted look on his face as he stared down Eli. I couldn¡¯t understand why the air was so tense at the moment. Do they not like each other? But this is the first time they are meeting.


    ¡°Aurelia let go play somewhere else in the house. I am done messing around with your clothes in your closet.¡±


    ¡°Lady Aurelia let us go to the library. I found a book I am sure you would enjoy reading.¡±


    I suddenly had both, Eli and Sybil, holding either of my arms as they started to pull me toward them. I didn¡¯t understand why these two wanted me to go somewhere else with them. This is such an irritating thing I am experiencing right now¡­.


    <hr>


    Week Two Of Sybil Training


    I was outside my house exploring in the garden that was a part of it. This was the first time I was going through this garden. It was filled with flowers I did know and flowers I had no clue about. It was an interesting experience for me.


    I was sitting down in a field of flowers, being careful not to crush them with my weight. I originally was going to read a book from my library but I feel so at peace right now. This is the first time I ever felt this much peace with myself.


    During this time where I was at peace with myself and everything, I heard a noise that broke the peaceful quiet I was experiencing for a brief moment. I could see an embarrassed Sybil who had stepped on a random twig that was on the ground.


    ¡°Sorry for disturbing you, Lady Aurelia¡­¡± Sybil looked awkward as he came closer to me and fidget in place as he just stood next to me. I still couldn¡¯t understand Sybil at all¡­ He was someone who wished to be at my side and I can¡¯t help but question for what reason¡­


    ¡°Be honest with me Sybil¡­ Why do you wish to be my servant? It can¡¯t simply be because you see me as a goddess¡­ Why would you wish to be a servant of someone whose own family doesn¡¯t wish to see them.¡± I didn¡¯t look at Sybil as I asked him this. I picked up a random flower that was near me, it was a daisy but it was missing a few petals.


    I could feel a breeze pass through me and I shiver a bit due to it. I was just wearing a black sundress which seems to be pretty dumb at the moment. I should have at least bought something with me to keep me warm just in case I grew cold¡­


    I looked up in surprise when I felt something warm cover me and Sybil only gave me a gentle smile at my surprised face. I didn¡¯t think Sybil would cover me with his suit jacket... He then sat down carefully with me and picked up a daisy as well.


    ¡°I am doing it for a selfish reason¡­ When I first saw you I guess I could understand why my mom always spoke about you with such a look in her eyes. I was jealous of you at first, always taking my mom away from me but¡­ I grew jealous of my mom. She was able to be with such a person for many hours in a day¡­¡± Sybil was slowly getting more daisy and making something with them.


    ¡°You have such cold and lonely eyes¡­ I want to see your eyes change and I felt pretty dumb wishing I can be the reason why your eyes change. And I wasn¡¯t lying why I told you I saw you as a goddess. Such a lovely goddess you are¡­¡± Sybil put the flower crown he made onto my head and brushed a random strand of hair behind my ear. My ear felt hot when Sybil''s finger touched it and I could feel my heart skip a beat for a second as I looked at the gentle smile on Sybil''s face.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I could only say that as I looked away from him and brought the jacket that was covering me closer and brought my legs up closer to me as I continued to look at the daisy in my hand¡­ It is a pretty beautiful flower, isn¡¯t it?


    <hr>


    Final Week Of Sybil Training


    It was the final day of Sybil training and Mae was going to tell him the result of his training. I was also with Mae as she did this. I was being served tea by another servant who was also in the room with us and I nodded my head in thanks toward them.


    ¡°So, the first week of your training was simply horrible. You didn¡¯t wear your uniform properly, confused salt for sugar didn¡¯t knock as you entered Aurelia room, and messed up with your assigned chores.¡± Mae had a frown on her face as she spoke to Sybil whose ears were dropped and his tail was hanging behind him.


    ¡°But you did improve with the other weeks. I thought you would continue to make mistakes but you prove me wrong. You quickly change yourself for the better and manage to serve Aurelia adequately. But the final choice in this matter is Aurelia.¡± With that Mae went off to the side and I was being looked at nervously by Sybil who couldn¡¯t keep his eyes connected with me.


    I put down the tea I was drinking and went up to Sybil. Even though he was taller than me he made sure to shrink down his body so he wouldn¡¯t tower over me. I reached a hand up to his head and started to pet his slowly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like you at first and assume you would only cause me endless trouble but just allow you to do what you want because you were Mae''s son. But you grew on me and I feel like you would be a good servant.¡± I took the hand that was petting him off his head and put it under his chin then made him make eye contact with me.


    ¡°You can be my servant but you must swear never to betray me. If you promise that then I will make sure no one dared lay a hand on you or anyone you care about. I promise you that.¡± I looked at him seriously in the eyes as I told him this word for word.


    ¡°I would never dream to betray you.¡± Sybil had a smile on his face as he told me this but I could see how serious his eyes were as he spoke. I nodded satisfied at this and took my hand away from his chin, ignoring how he went to follow my hand as it left him.


    ¡°Good, now you are my servant. The first order you must follow is this. From now on I wish to drink hot chocolate instead of tea. Tea is kind of getting boring now. Make sure not to make the hot chocolate look boring. Make some cute design with it or something along those lines.¡± I was getting bored with drinking just tea whenever I had a snack. I wanted it to switch up and drink some hot chocolate. I heard sweets are good for the mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Lady Aurelia! I will make the best hot chocolate for you right away!¡± Bowing toward me quickly Sybil quickly left the room we were in and went off to the kitchen to make the hot chocolate I wanted to drink.


    I could feel my lip twitch a bit as I felt a smile approaching but I stopped myself before it could appear in my face. Can¡¯t show any emotions, even if they are positive emotions. Keep my face emotionless so that no one will be able to take advantage of me.

 Chapter Ten – A Troublesome Person

    I had a cold look on my face as I looked at my ¡®father¡¯ who was talking to a group of important-looking nobles. I was at a table with other children who were my age but none of them dare speak to me, too scared by the cold look I was giving.


    A cup was placed in front of me and the cold look on my face slowly went away. I look over my shoulder to see Sybil standing behind me with a professional look on his face. Even if I was pissed at my current situation I felt pleased that at least I had one person I could trust with me.


    I was currently at a tea party but this wasn¡¯t just any tea party, it was a tea party for children my age to hopefully get engaged to someone from an important family. When my ¡®father¡¯ visited me one day and told me I was invited to one I felt like I was going to lose control of my magic due to how angry I felt.


    He is already powerful enough with his reputation but he still wants to get even more untouchable by having a business marriage arranged for me. I couldn¡¯t understand why he couldn¡¯t do it with my ¡®brother¡¯. Maybe it is because I am the useless one.


    I could hear my cup make a small sound as it cracked from how hard I was holding it. I breathe out slowly through my nose as I went to calm my emotions once more. I had been doing this for the last three hours after all.


    I was getting bored with just sitting at the table with children who were clearly afraid of me. So getting up in a calm way I left the table. I motioned for Sybil to follow me as I went off to find somewhere quiet to be by myself until my ¡®father¡¯ would decide I was finally allowed to head back home.


    I was walking through this huge house with Sybil right by my side. The only sound was Sybil''s tail wagging behind him happily. I looked over at him and could only let out a sigh at the dazed look he was currently giving me.


    ¡°Please pay attention as you walk. I don¡¯t want a servant of mine embarrassing himself in public. People will talk and that will cause me unnecessary problems¡± I brush back my curly hair behind my shoulder as I spoke to him. I really didn¡¯t understand why he was acting like this. He clearly knew what I was going to wear today for this tea party.


    I felt like I did rather well today with my clothing choice. I was wearing a long black dress that touched the floor but didn¡¯t get dragged behind me. I was wearing high black boots that added to my already above average height. I had a light gray veil that just covered my shoulder and went down to my lower back. I didn¡¯t do anything to my hair, just let it be in its natural curly state.  I also had a daisy hair clip in my hair off to the side.


    ¡°I am sorry but you just look so breathtaking today. I mean you always do but today is even better.¡± Sybil still didn¡¯t look in front of him as he continues to look at me with a stupid look on his face. I wanted to get mad at him but I couldn¡¯t help but get amused by how he was acting. He kind of reminds me of Eli when he acts like this¡­


    We reached an area in the house that had an open roof that showed off the clear sky. I saw that there was a bench for people to sit on so I went over to it and sat down carefully. Sybil didn¡¯t sit down, instead, he stood off to my side as he continued to look at me with his dazed expression.


    ¡°I feel a bit thirsty. Could you find me something to drink? A light snack would be nice as well.¡±  I realize I should have told him beforehand to bring something along with us but I just wanted to leave the stuffy place with all those fake people.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be long. Don¡¯t go anywhere on your own.¡± Giving me a professional bow, Sybil went off to find me something in the house. I knew he would be okay since everyone knew he was my servant but I still felt nervous that someone would think to bully him. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    After making sure no one was around me I closed my eyes and made a shadow servant follow after him. This servant would be in his shadow so no one would know they were there but it will protect Sybil from being bullied by anyone. After doing that I opened my eyes again and felt shocked when I saw someone standing in front of me with a rose.


    I felt my shock grew even more when I realized who it was. Merrill Parrish, one of the love interests in the game. I could see why he was considered quite the hit with the female when he was older. Even though he was young I could still see his attractive features.


    He had white hair that was swept back charmingly. His lilac eyes looked at me with a gentle look in them. Even though his skin looked paler than average it didn''t take away from his charm. He had normal height and we probably would match in height if I took off my high heel boots (which will never happen). He was wearing rather casual formal clothes that made him seem like a person who you could relax around.


    ¡°Hello there, Daisy. I couldn¡¯t help but be drawn by your mysterious beauty. Do you mind if I give you this rose that matches your beauty? I would have given a daisy but I couldn¡¯t find one. Sorry about that, Daisy.¡± Merrill winked at me after he said this and handed me the rose which I unconsciously accepted.


    I looked at the rose in my hand with a confused feeling going through me. I then look back at Merrill who was giving me a charming smile. If this was anyone else they would be blushing at this attention but I was too busy wondering why he was even speaking to me.


    He saw me alone in this place so he could have guessed that I wanted to be alone yet he still came over to bother me. And he used such cheesy words to flirt with me. This is really such a sad thing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this and work on your talking skills. I felt like I was being spoken to by a commoner who learned how to speak by listening to drunks coming home from late-night hang out.¡± I let the rose that I was holding fall to the ground in front of me and step on it as I looked directly into Merrill''s eyes.


    Merrill''s expression froze with a smile like he couldn¡¯t understand what just happened. I only let out a sigh as I went to twirl a hair that managed to make it way back in front of me. I wonder if he is dealing with the fact I reacted so negatively to his flattery? So annoying¡­.


    ¡°O-Oh¡­ U-uh¡­ That was bad, wasn¡¯t it? Hahaha¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Merrill was looking at the rose that was still under my foot with intense eyes and I was surprised my foot wasn¡¯t catching on fire due to how hard he was looking at it. For some reason, he doesn¡¯t look upset by this¡­ He looks¡­ interested?


    ¡°Why are you fumbling like a toddler? You do know how to speak, don¡¯t you? So speak and speak well. I dislike people who don¡¯t get to the point right away.¡± I got up from the bench and walked over to Merrill who was looking at me with wide eyes. I grip his chin with my hand and look at him with my cold eyes.


    Instead of him becoming nervous, Merrill''s expression got rather¡­ excited? Wait¡­ Does he enjoy this? Is he a masochist? He is eleven like me! He is far too young to be finding this out about himself.


    ¡°I-I will sp-speak w-well!¡± Merrill didn¡¯t try to break away from my hold and instead look interested in what I would do next to him. I felt like I was being taken advantage of at the moment so I let go of his chin and wipe my hand with a handkerchief, trying not to show how disgusted I was with him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this anymore. It''s yours now. Now leave. I am here alone for a reason.¡± I threw the handkerchief at his face and Merrill quickly caught it in his hand with a red face. Merrill opened his mouth a couple of times before he simply just nodded his head quickly and left from my sight.


    I went to sit back down and let out a tired sigh. I could feel a headache appearing when I thought about that situation with Merrill¡­ I really don¡¯t want to deal with him at all¡­ Please let this be the only time I meet him.


    Why am I even meeting the love interests in the game? I understand Eli but the other two are people I should only meet in school. Hopefully, this will be the last time I will meet a love interest. I really hope it''s the last time¡­


    I really need to take a long bath when I get home as well¡­ I feel so dirty now. Merrill''s reaction to how I was treating him was something I really didn¡¯t expect and like. Now I have someone else on my list of people I dislike¡­ He isn¡¯t going to seek me out now, is he? I really don¡¯t want that¡­


    ¡°Sorry, it took so long. I was trying to make hot chocolate for you but took forever to find chocolate¡­. Um¡­ Are you okay, Lady Aurelia?¡± Sybil finally returns with a plate of snacks and a cup of hot chocolate. He placed them down next to me and stood off to the side, looking at me with a worried expression.


    ¡°I met a troublesome person I do not wish to meet again if I can help it.¡± I only told him that as I took a sip from my hot chocolate. I could feel my body relax after drinking it but I still felt tired from that situation with Merrill.


    Actually, I should have probably connected the dots when Merrill fell in love with the heroine after she slapped him in the face. That seems like something that gives off big signs. I guess this was something I could have avoided if I was actually thinking for a second. Such a dumb move I could have easily avoided¡­

 Chapter Eleven – The Prince With The Mask

    It seems luck was not on my side when Merrill decided to ask his parents if he could visit me once a month and stay at my home for a week.  I really wanted to refuse but my ¡®father¡¯ ignored what I wanted and told me to simply behave nicely.


    I hated that no matter how harsh and cold I was to Merrill he kept coming back for more and waiting for me to say something else to him. He was simply a person who couldn¡¯t be dealt with by using harsh words. I never thought I would actually prefer Eli over the other two troublesome love interests.


    Eli and Merrill seem to have a really tense relationship as well, from what I could see from their interactions with each other. Sybil and him didn¡¯t get along either. I really didn¡¯t know why they didn¡¯t like him but it really wasn¡¯t something I would worry about.


    I was having a lesson with my tutor one day when he brought up something that caught my interest.


    ¡°There is a meeting between people who are really interested in magic that is happening in a week. Seeing how much you enjoy learning about magic I got an invitation for you to go. I think you will be able to find more information on magic during the meeting if you talk to the right person.¡± My tutor handed me a letter that I held with both hands. I could feel my lips about to break out into a smile but I forced myself not to do that and only stiffly nodded my head.


    ¡°Jeez, what a serious expression. I am worried about your personality when you get older. If you are happy then show that you are happy. Who is going to judge you for that?¡± My tutor pulled at my cheek with a frown on his face and I tried not to show any reaction to the slight pain I felt on my cheek.


    ¡°...If I show the wrong people a reaction it could be used against me. I have to keep an indifferent expression no matter what.¡± Aurelia wasn¡¯t someone who had a lot of people on her side. Her servants were with her but you never know if they will leave or turn against her. It is a sad thought to have but the world that we live in is like that. You can never know if you can truly trust someone.


    ¡°You are too young to be thinking like that. Now let''s go back to the lesson.¡± My tutor had a look in his eyes that disappeared before I could really understand what it was. It was probably something against me or whatever.


    As I was getting ready for the meeting for people interested in magic I was practicing with my magic and getting even stronger with my spells. I only knew three spells so far but I knew if I kept practicing I could learn more soon.


    I was really getting into the one spell that allowed me to make a shadow servant who could go into the shadow of a person I either picture in my head or say their name. It at first could only hear what is happening and briefly affect the area around them but since I was getting stronger with my magic they could now increase the number of people I could spy on and freeze their shadow for one minute.


    This could actually be helpful with the other spells that allow me to go anywhere with a dark area. I just needed to figure out a way to combine them smartly. I wasn¡¯t really doing too much with the spell that allowed me to look into a person''s deepest fear and doubt. Whenever I did that the voice would come back and try to make me lose control so that spell was something I could only use during a specific situation.


    It was finally the day of the meeting for people who were interested in magic and the background surrounding it. Mae was helping me get dressed for the event. She was doing final touches on my hair, making sure it was extra curly today.


    ¡°You look simply perfect with curly hair. It just makes you look extra cute, Aurelia.¡± Mae put on a headband that had a single daisy on it. I felt my heart get warm at Mae''s compliment. She always knew what to say to make me feel happy.


    I got up from the chair I was sitting in and the long black flared skirt I was wearing brush against my ankles.  I was wearing high-heeled lace-up sandals that had a flower pattern on it.  I held out my arms so that Mae could put my gray overcoat on me. It fit perfectly with my sleeveless white blouse. I felt satisfied with what I had picked out for today''s magic meeting.


    ¡°Unfortunately Sybil won¡¯t be able to join you at this meeting. His father came back today and he wanted to do some bonding activities with him. I really hope it won¡¯t be anything too extreme like last time¡­ What a stupid husband I have¡­¡± Even though Mae called her husband stupid I couldn¡¯t help but notice a look filled with complete love¡­. I guess she really loves him.


    ¡°I can take care of myself. It is just a gathering for fellow people who are interested in expanding their knowledge of magic.¡± I felt like even if something did happen to me I could handle it. My magic did get stronger so I was confident I could handle anything that would try to harm me.


    ¡°If you feel uncomfortable then you can leave early. Your driver will be waiting for you, ready to leave at any moment.¡± Mae had a nervous look in her eyes as she kept on speaking to me. I know she was worried about me and my safety. It made me feel really happy knowing how much she cared about me.


    ¡®How long will this last¡­ People always change. It''s unfortunate but Mae may leave you one day and everyone else with her. Then you will be alone. A pitiful little child who is unwanted by everyone. How does that make you feel,  ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~?¡¯ I tried not to show anything on my face when the voice came back. It was so hard not to just give in to this voice. It''s so tempting just to give up and lose myself to this voice similar to mine¡­Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°I¡¯m off now¡­¡± I didn¡¯t bother to acknowledge the voice as I said goodbye to the still worried Mae. The voice just clicks their tongue and disappears in my head again. As I was leaving many of my other servants smiled at me as I walked by them.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why all these servants in my home like me so much? The original Aurelia was quite the short-temper girl yet all these people look at her with warm eyes. It made me feel strange having people actually look happy I was in their line of sight. But how do I really know if they like me¡­?


    I got into the car that was waiting for me outside. It was Aurelia''s personal driver. He was an old man who looked to be in his fifties. He didn¡¯t have that many wrinkles on his face but did have some under his eyes.  He always had a frown on his face but whenever I met him in the house I could see some warmth in his eyes. I guess he is just someone born with a resting serious face.


    ¡°So you going to a gathering for people interested in expanding their knowledge in magic¡­ Quite a serious thing for you to be going at such a young age, little miss.¡± I could never figure out why but I felt like my driver had an accent that usually showed up in his speech but he tried hard not to let it be shown fully.


    ¡°Age shouldn''t get in the way of wanting to expand your knowledge on something that interests you.¡±  I was looking out the window of the car as we passed by many places on the way to the gathering.


    ¡°That is true, isn¡¯t it? You are quite an interesting one, little miss. I bet you will be even more interesting once you get older. I can see a bit of a younger me in you.¡± My driver''s voice became a bit weird once he said that to me. I didn¡¯t know if that was a bad thing or a good thing but I just gave a nod in acknowledgment.


    It was quiet for the rest of the ride.  I was about to doze off when the car finally stopped. I looked outside to see that we were parked in front of a building that looked like it was probably a library.


    ¡°I will be out here waiting for you, little miss. Don¡¯t hesitate to come out if you want to leave early.¡± My driver cracked open the window in the car and then turned off the engine. I notice that he took out a pack of half finish cigarettes. I gave him a nod before leaving the car. I hope he doesn¡¯t smoke too much. It seems like a bad choice with how old he is.


    I walked into the building where the gathering was happening and gave brief nods to servants that I passed when entering the building. Inside the building, I could see people of different ages and gender hanging around in the building. The building gave off the smell of new and old books which I found to be rather comforting.


    I looked around in the area I was in, not really knowing what I should do at the moment. As I was getting deeper into my thoughts I felt a heated stare coming from near me. I looked around indifferently, trying to figure out who was looking at me.


    I could feel my magic flare up for a second once I saw Colton glaring at me. He was looking at me from the corner of a wall with hatred clear in his eyes. A few people walked past him and gave weird looks in his direction.


    I really didn¡¯t want to go through this gathering with Colton glaring at me so I decided to walk in his direction. I could see his eyes widen in shock once he realized I was going in his direction. He quickly backed away from the corner he was looking at me from and started to walk off in a different direction.


    I continue to follow him calmly. I could see him looking back at me as he continued to try to lose me. This continued until we made it to an empty area that was filled with countless books that were floating in the air.


    ¡°Why are you following me! It is so annoying!¡± Colton turned around and glared at me with a fierce look in his eyes. But I didn¡¯t feel concerned about this since it felt like I was just being glared at by a small dog.


    ¡°I assume anyone would want to speak to the person who was quite obviously glaring at them with such hatred in their eyes. Have you no manners? I feel sorry for your parents, raising such a fierce child like yourself.¡± I spoke politely but I was coldly looking down at him as if he wasn¡¯t worth my time.


    ¡°At least my parents bother to take care of me! I would rather be like this than hated by my own parents!¡± Colton stomped his foot into the ground as he tried to make himself appear taller than he actually was.


    ¡°There is a saying. If you have nothing nice to say, don¡¯t say anything, or else I will be forced to cut out your tongue and feed it to you.¡± I took a step closer to Colton as I said this in a serious voice.


    ¡°What a violent person you are! How is someone like you better than me! Teacher keeps on saying how impressed he is with you but I don¡¯t see what is so good about you!¡± Colton''s face was getting redder due to how upset he was getting.


    ¡°If you keep comparing yourself to me then you will never become better than me. It isn¡¯t smart to keep comparing yourself to people. It will get in your way of getting better. I don¡¯t care about how you feel about me. You are honestly someone I don¡¯t see as a rival. All I care about is becoming someone way more gifted than my dear older brother. But if you want to continue this pointless game then I will make sure to crush you under my foot countless times until you are satisfied.¡± I was getting closer and closer to Colton whose fierce expression was slowly disappearing because of my words.


    ¡°Now tell me¡­ What should I do with you and your pathetic jealousy?¡± I leaned close to his ear and said this with a cold voice. I put a hand on his shoulder and slowly push force into my grip.


    ¡°Now, now~ Let not get so aggressive with each other.¡± A voice from behind me called out to us and I backed away from a blank face Colton. I looked behind me and I saw an attractive boy standing in front of the door to the room with a smile on his face.


    This boy was the same height as me but maybe a few inches taller since I was currently wearing sandals with heels. He had gray hair that was slightly spiky but in a way that was appropriate for someone high in status.  He had exotic looking skin that made it seem like he was from a place that was closer to the sun.  He was wearing prince-like clothing but nothing too extreme.  Even though he had a smile on his face I could see the coldness in his yellow eyes.


    I had my guard up against him once I realized who he was, Isaias Donnell. The first person route I did in the game. He had a gentle smile on his face but all I could see was someone forcing themselves to interact with people they didn¡¯t think highly of.


    ¡°Now what seems to be the problem between you two? You shouldn¡¯t be fighting each other like this! You look close in age so why can¡¯t you be friends?¡± I really hated the faked gentle voice Isaias was talking to me in. It''s like he was treating me like I was a child.


    ¡°Watch your tongue. You don¡¯t know what just occurred so you shouldn¡¯t say something so stupid. Especially with that fake personality of yours. It makes me sick.¡± I didn¡¯t feel like wasting my time with these two love interests from the game anymore. I came here to get more knowledge of magic and that was it.


    ¡°If you two would please excuse me. May you both have a pleasant day.¡± Giving a formal bow to the two love interests, I left with an indifferent expression.  I didn¡¯t bother to look at either one of them as I left.


    Why should I pretend to care about people I simply don¡¯t think highly of. I can¡¯t believe I actually was getting worked up over a brat. I am older than both of them mentally so I shouldn¡¯t even put them in my sight. What a troublesome thing I was putting myself through.

 Chapter Twelve – Don’t Be Dumb

    I was getting ready in my room as I was heading over to my ¡® father¡¯s'' home to eat dinner with him there. It seemed like our relationship was getting ¡®closer¡¯ and he wanted to show his improved opinion of me by having me eat dinner at his house.


    I didn¡¯t feel honored by this at all. Just made me feel like he was telling me I should be thankful that I can be in his grace.  I hated this man and one day I wish I could become higher than him in status. Not through marrying someone powerful but with my own skill.


    I let out a sigh as I realized it would be a long process for me to reach that goal of mine. Even if I see him as a piece of shit this ¡®father¡¯ of mine is someone who earned his status in the world.  He is ruthless in his deals and doesn¡¯t let useless emotions affect his business deals.


    I looked at myself in the mirror and reached up to touch my eyes. I hate to admit it but my eyes remind me of him. So cold and empty. I wish I could dig out my eyes so I don¡¯t have anything that reminds me of that man.


    Feeling the sticky sensation of blood on my fingers as I take out my eyes... It would be painful but it would get the job done. I would no longer be able to see his eyes anymore...


    Before I got too deep in the dark emotions I composed myself.  I was getting better at doing that. I don¡¯t get to the point of panicking whenever my emotions get too much for me to handle and my magic goes to consume me. It still annoying that this happens at complete random without me being able to stop it.


    ¡°O noso doce neno, cara a onde te dirixes con roupa tan fermosa? (Our sweet child, where are you going in such beautiful clothing?)¡±  I was slowly surrounded by a huge shadow as I looked in the mirror. I felt cold hands touch my shoulders but it didn¡¯t make me feel uncomfortable. I lean into the hold of this shadow being and nuzzle into their embrace.


    ¡°I have to go eat dinner with my father and brother today. Even if I hate it I don¡¯t want to look like a slob in front of them.¡±  I could feel the figure take a hand off my shoulder and touch my hair. They were being extra careful not to mess up the high ponytail I had held together with a daisy hair tie.


    ¡°Par¨¦cenos interesante que, a pesar de que os odias, non queiras parecer mal diante deles. (we find it interesting that even though you hate them, you don¡¯t want to look bad in front of them.) Por que non queres parecer mal diante deles a nosa doce Aurelia? (Why don¡¯t you want to look bad in front of them our sweet Aurelia?)¡±  When they question this I felt myself freeze for a moment and look at myself in the mirror.


    I was wearing a long black wrap dress with round short sleeves. I had white stockings under my dress and was wearing high heel flats. I had a white cardigan on as well that gave me a mature look. I felt happy when I first put this on but now I am questioning the reason for it.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that I was doing it hoping that either my ¡®father¡¯ or ¡®brother¡¯ would compliment me¡­ I don¡¯t care what they think about me. I am doing it because I like these clothes¡­ right?


    ¡®I wish they could love me¡­ Even if they look at me with such hate-filled eyes I can¡¯t help but love them still. One day I will be good enough to earn their approval. We will be a happy family and we will live together.¡¯


    ¡®How fucking disgusting. What is this? Some fucking bullshit children cartoon where love and understanding will fix this fucked up family? I can¡¯t tell if this is the original Aurelia or if it is you ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. They hate your guts and wish you weren¡¯t here.  Nothing clearer than that.¡¯


    ¡®If I keep on trying they may one day love me. Is it wrong to wish for that? I must not be doing enough. That''s why they still hate me. I have to keep getting better. I want them to look at me with love in their eyes.¡¯If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡®Ugh, I may just be a voice but I almost puke at that shit. One day they will love me! Gross, how sad are you. Don¡¯t forget your life before ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. Always hated by the family who took you in, especially the one with their own children. You were only loved because you were useful to them. Now¡­ Don¡¯t let this pitiful child emotion make you forget¡­ Who was the one who helped you get through life? A family or yourself? Don¡¯t forget that or else you will be hurt again. That''s my only warning ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. Don¡¯t ignore it.¡¯


    I was kneeling on the ground as the two voices spoke to me. My head was pounding and everything felt so dizzy at the moment. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was awake or asleep. If this was really me or if I was just a puppet being controlled by an outside force. I. Want. It. To. STOP!


    I had to force myself not to dig my fingers into my face as my emotions were getting too much for me to handle. Breathing felt so hard at the moment and I couldn''t see in front of me. I was drenched in my sweat and my body felt so cold. I didn''t know if I was dying at the moment. I was so scared and wanted someone to help me. I didn''t like this at all and I wanted it to stop already.


    ¡°A nosa doce Aurelia ... perd¨®n por desencadearte. debemos ter m¨¢is coidado coas nosas palabras xa que sabemos o sensible que ¨¦ a t¨²a alma pero a¨ªnda falamos sen pensalo. (Our sweet Aurelia ... sorry for triggering you. we must be more careful with our words as we know how sensitive your soul is but we still speak without thinking.)¡± I could feel cold arms hugging me from behind but at the moment they felt so warm. I just wanted to lose myself in their hug and forget about everything and everyone. But I knew I couldn¡¯t do that no matter how much I wanted it¡­


    ¡°...I am fine¡­ You made me realize something important. I shouldn¡¯t be wasting my time with people who don¡¯t like me. It is rather foolish of me and I should have stopped this a long time ago.¡± I got out of the embrace of the figure and forced myself not to go back into their hug.  I looked at myself once more in the mirror before taking out my ponytail. I still felt a bit shaken up and I couldn''t stop trembling but I force my eyes to get cold.


    I wasn¡¯t going to do dinner once a week with my ¡®father¡¯ anymore. I have more important things to focus on and that ¡®family¡¯ of mine is something I shouldn¡¯t concern myself with unless it is avoidable.


    I could feel my heart tighten with an unknown emotion but I just narrowed my eyes as I put a hand over my chest. These feelings of mine concerning my ''family'' are pointless¡­ I am no longer the old Aurelia. These feelings of hers are holding me back. I have to close them off.


    I am not going to suffer because of senseless hope. I am no longer a naive child anymore.


    "Aurelia? Are you ready to head out?"  Mae knocks on my door as she slowly opens it up. The coldness that was behind me disappear as soon as she appears. I felt an uncontrollable sense of abandonment when this happens but a pulse from the magic stone around my neck calm me down.


    "I decided I no longer wish to eat with my father and brother once a week anymore. I want to focus more on my studies and taking time out of my day for them is cutting in with my time for studying." I took off my cardigan as I was speaking to Mae. I walk over to my closet and went to pick out something else to wear.


    I was going to take these clothes and burn them later when no one was around. I can''t believe I wanted to be acknowledged by those useless shit. I don''t need anyone''s approval. I just need to focus on myself and not people''s opinions.


    ''I wish they would say they are proud of me and that they love me. I would feel so wanted if they just say that one thing to me. I just want them to love me and to hold me...''


    I cover my mouth as I felt a strong emotion go through me. I felt like I was going to puke from this heavy emotion that came out of nowhere. I don''t need to be dealing with this shit. I don''t need them. I am fine.


    "Aurelia! You got so pale! Are you okay? Should I get some medicine for you? I think you should just lay down for today. I will tell your father that you will no longer eat with him and your older brother once a week. Please make sure to rest." Mae was looking at me with such concern eyes that the heavy emotions I was feeling ease up for a second and I didn''t feel like puking anymore.


    "...I will do that Mae. Wake me up when there is food for me to eat." Since I felt rather sick at the moment I decided it was best if I just slept it off. It would be foolish to push myself when I am not at my one hundred percent.


    Mae still had a worried look on her face but she left my room with a reluctant frown on her face. When I was alone again I went to change back into my sleeping clothes and went to my bed. I could feel the heavy emotion still going through my body and I tried my best to ignore what the voice kept saying to me as I force myself to fall asleep.


    ''I just want to be loved like everyone else... I will let you do anything to me if it means you will love me as well. Please just love me and quit looking at me with such cold eyes... Please, anyone, can you love me?''


    I ignore the voice as it started to cry in my head. It was the voice of someone pathetic and I shouldn''t be listening to someone like that or else I may end up thinking like them. Thinking like a naive fool. I am not a naive fool. I...

 Chapter Thirteen – Who My Mother Was

    Ever since I decided to limit my contact with my ¡®family members¡¯  I felt a bit more at ease with myself. I don¡¯t know why but it felt like a weight was off my shoulders and Sybil told me my eyes looked brighter and that ¡°You look even more beautiful, Lady Aurelia!¡±.


    I decided to ignore what he said and focus on my studies. My tutor, whose name that I finally learned was Hale, told me that I was going to start working on lessons that are for people who are older than me because I was progressing rather fast in my lessons.


    I felt an odd sense of pride as I thought about Colton''s angry expression once he learned this. As long as he keeps being angry with being behind me then I feel like I am doing pretty well in my studies but I can be doing even better. I have to get past my ¡®brother¡¯ in his studies then I will feel like I am actually at the top.


    But something that has been bothering me lately was the letters I started to exchange with Isaias reluctantly seeing as me just ignoring it wouldn¡¯t stop him from bothering me. The letter looked polite on the surface but I could see hidden messages between the words on the paper. He was making sure I wouldn¡¯t say anything about his hidden personality.


    Even though I haven¡¯t seen his said hidden personality he still felt the need to keep track of me. He was such an annoying person and I really shouldn¡¯t have let my emotions get control of me at that moment. Now I really have a bunch of annoying people in my space and they simply won¡¯t go away.


    I was reading another letter from Isaias and felt a headache appearing as I looked at his false polite words. I was just going to use one of the premade letters I have laying around to send to him again. It seems like he didn¡¯t notice yet but I knew he would realize sooner or later that I am just sending letters I just prewritten to him.


    After I handled that I went exploring in my house. I haven¡¯t really seen everything in this house which is surprising. Well, the original Aurelia didn¡¯t either so I guess this will be a new experience for me. It was getting rather draining if I only focused on studying and improving my magic.


    As I was exploring the house I heard a weird sound coming from an empty hallway I was currently in. I didn¡¯t see anyone around me but I kept hearing that weird sound again. I look around and notice that a wall in the hallway looked rather weird.


    I approached it slowly and pushed against the uneven wall. When I did that the wall opened right away and I immediately coughed at the dusty air that escaped from the wall. After the dust slowly settles I look into the dark space of a hidden room I just found.


    I couldn¡¯t see well into the room so I decided to use a new spell that appeared in my book. This spell was tenebris oculi (dark eyes) which allowed me to be able to see into dark areas as if it was filled with light. I slowly entered the room and looked around.


    It looked to be a room that wasn¡¯t used in many years from the dust that are covering everything in this room.  I realize that I didn¡¯t know if my ¡®father¡¯ bought this house of mine or gave it to me because it used to belong to someone else who didn¡¯t need it anymore.


    As I was looking around this hidden room I saw something that was covered by a huge sheet that was on the center of the wall.  I was curious and I went to pull on the sheet. The sheet came off rather easily and with it came another cloud of dust.


    I was coughing pretty badly as I waited for the dust to settle down. When I was sure the dust was gone I opened my eyes that I didn¡¯t realize was close. Blinking my watery eyes I looked at what the sheet was covering and I felt my heartbeat increase.


    I saw a woman with messy dark curly hair that was in a messy ponytail. She was wearing a red dress shirt with a lacy skirt that had stockings under the said skirt. The sleeves of her dress shirt were rolled up to her elbows showing off the muscles she had. She had on short boots with heels and a few buttons of her dress shirt were open.


    I didn¡¯t know why but I felt like I knew this woman. She had such a fierce smirk on her face that made her brown eyes look bright in the painting. I could see a couple of freckles on her dark skin that just added to her charm.


    As I was in a daze from looking at this fierce woman I noticed something else in front of her painting. It was a fancy looking box that had a twist on the side of it. I felt nervous as I approached the painting of this familiar woman. As soon as I picked up the box it opened right away in my hands and a voice came out of the box.


    ¡°Is this thing working¡­? Ah! It is! Okay, now what should I say? Ahh¡­. I am so nervous but I am the one who wanted to do this. Aurelia, my precious daughter, I am so excited for you to come into this world. There is so much I want to tell you but I don¡¯t know where to start¡­¡± I heard a gentle woman''s voice coming from this box and I just knew this woman was the one from the painting¡­ She was my mother¡­


    ¡°I am so nervous about you coming into this world but I guess this is normal for most mothers since I felt the same way about your older brother! But I swear I am worried for a positive reason since I just want the best for you. Ahh¡­ I don¡¯t know if I will be good at raising a daughter since I have no idea how to do that. I mean my father raised me like a son after all. But I will try my best!¡±  I could picture my mother holding a fist up with a serious expression on her face and I let out a dry chuckle at this thought.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Aurelia I want you to know this¡­ I love you so much. I can¡¯t tell you how much I care about you. I don¡¯t know why I am saying this but I just want you to know this. I mean I will always be telling you this when you are born but I just want to tell you this now. Oh! I want you to hear this song. I just remember my mother used to sing to me whenever I had trouble sleeping. Please excuse my bad singing. I am more of a fighter than a singer.¡± My mother cleared her throat and started to sing, well it was her singing some words and humming other words. Even though it wasn¡¯t a perfect song I couldn¡¯t help but let out tears as I heard this.


    This woman wasn¡¯t my mother but I can feel how much she loved Aurelia¡­ She loves her and I wonder if she would have loved me also? How could someone like this woman end up with such a cold man like my ¡®father¡¯.


    So this is what love from a parent feels like¡­ It is so warm and painful¡­ I want to keep these feelings for a bit longer. Ahh¡­ Why am I so jealous of Aurelia¡­ She had a mother who loved her this much but my own family gave me up¡­


    This pain in my chest won¡¯t go away¡­. I continue to stand in the dusty room and listen to my mother sing/hum from this box until it went quiet. Even when the box stopped making noise I didn¡¯t bother to move.


    It was a confusing feeling¡­ My heart felt warm but it felt like a hole was appearing in my heart. But this box in my hands felt so warm to me and I didn¡¯t want to let it go. I wonder if it is okay to accept the love of a woman when I am not even her child¡­  Can I be selfish for once?


    I finally decided to leave the hidden room I was in and close the door so that the room was hidden again. This can be my own special place that no one else can know about. I still had the box in my hands but I knew I had to put this away in a place where only I knew. I just wanted to keep the love that was coming from this box to myself and me alone.


    I just want this so bad¡­.


    Later on in my room, as Mae was getting me ready for bed I decided to ask her about my mother since I had a feeling she knew more than she was telling me.


    ¡°Mae, what was my mother like?¡± As soon as I asked her that Mae stopped pulling my blanket up and looked at me with a frown on her face. I knew it wasn¡¯t a frown at my question but about something else.


    ¡°...She was a really outspoken woman who could befriend anyone with her wonderful personality. I mean she tends to be so hard-headed but¡­ You couldn¡¯t help but get drawn to her and want to become someone important in her eyes. You remind me of her¡­¡± Mae''s eyes looked a bit watery as she spoke about my mother.


    ¡°...Were you close to her?¡±  The way Mae spoke about her made it seem like she was really close to her. I wonder if she dislikes me as well for taking her away¡­


    ¡°She made me realize I shouldn¡¯t let people who aren¡¯t me control my life and if I really want something I should go for it.¡± Mae sat down on my bed and play with her ring on her left hand with a faraway look in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you dislike me for taking her away?¡± I didn¡¯t know why I asked her this but Mae''s opinion mattered the most to me¡­ She was like a mother I wish I had growing up...


    ¡°How could I ever hate you? She loved you so much and I am sure she is so sad that she isn¡¯t here by yourself¡­ She was looking forward to you. She wanted to teach you how to fight! What a weird woman she was. She only knew how to use her fist to get her feelings across to other people but there were moments where she did know how to talk to people¡­¡± Mae looked lonely as she talked about my mother but she also looked so happy as well.


    ¡°What was my mother''s name?¡± I really wanted to know the name of that beautiful woman from the painting. The one who made Mae show such emotions. The one who made my ¡®father¡¯ hate me so much.


    ¡°Gia¡­ She never did tell anyone her last name. Always said she didn¡¯t find it important to talk about her past or where she was from. She may have been dealing with something back home since she always looked so lonely whenever she talked about where she came from.¡±  I wonder what her life was like back home? Did she get along with her parents or was the relationship as tense as mine is with this ¡®family¡¯ of mine?


    ¡°Why are you asking about your mother? Did¡­ Did something happen?¡± Mae was looking at me with concerned eyes and I could only let out a low sigh.


    ¡°I just wanted to learn more about her since my father never bothers to tell me anything about her or show me any photos of her¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t lying as I said this. The original Aurelia never saw any photos of her mother or heard anything about her. All she knew was that she died because she was born.


    ¡°I have some photos of her at my home. I give you them if you really want to have a photo of your mother close to you.¡± Mae patted my head gently as she told me this.


    ¡°...I love you, Mae¡­ Thank you for always being at my side¡­¡± I rolled over to my side and tightly closed my eyes. It was quiet for a long time and after a few seconds, I could hear Mae sniffle for a second before she quickly excused herself.


    I could feel that my ears were hot as I continued to keep my eyes closed. My heart was beating fast and I felt so nervous that I thought I was going to die.


    But it was a nice feeling and I allowed a small smile to appear on my face as I finally went to sleep.


    I dreamt of a woman with messy curly hair smiling as she sang a silly song to me. She had me resting my head on her lap as she drags her fingers through my hair. I felt so warm as I moved closer to my mother who let out a chuckle at how clingy I was acting with her. But she wasn''t annoyed with my actions and I wasn''t used to that...


    Aah¡­ This is what the love of a mother is like... So warm...

 Chapter Fourteen – Brother VS Sister

    I felt an odd sense of happiness after I found the secret room of my mother. I would always be sneaking off when I had spare time to her secret room and clean it up a bit. I didn¡¯t ask anyone in the house if this used to be the home of my mother since it would bring up questions about me knowing that.


    Mae also had been a bit more affectionate with me after I told her I loved her. I found it embarrassing but I enjoyed this close relationship between us. It felt like me and Mae were a family. I told Sybil that and when I mentioned that I sort of saw him as an older brother he got upset for a while and was mumbling to himself for a few days. I didn¡¯t bother to ask him what was wrong since it wasn¡¯t getting in the way of his work.


    During a quiet day in my home where I was looking through my black book, Mae knocked on my door before coming in with a letter in her hand. Taking the letter from her I saw it was from my ¡®father¡¯. I didn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t just call me through the phone that was in my house but could only let out a frustrated sigh as I went to read the letter.


    Aurelia,


    There will be a magic competition in three days. I have already signed you up for it so I assume you will be prepared for it. Don¡¯t disappoint me, your brother will also compete so don¡¯t drag him down.


    -Myles Giliam


    I read through the letter many times before I crumpled it up and threw it on the ground. I was rubbing at my head when I felt a painful headache appear. I could feel an arm go around me as I was squeezed gently. Mae had a concerned look in her eyes but she was giving me a comforting smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine Mae. Just feeling tired. It seems like I have to do a competition in three days. It would have been nice if I was told sooner but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I spoke indifferently but I could feel a flash of pain go through my hands as I dug my nails into my palms. The pain had helped me get my emotions back under my control.


    ¡°You know it is fine to be not fine. No one will blame you for that. You are a child and children don¡¯t always have to be fine.¡± Mae was rubbing at my shoulder and saying comforting words to me but it didn¡¯t feel like that. I got out of Mae hold and ignored the hurt look that went through her face for a second.


    ¡°I am fine Mae. I will always be fine and nothing will change that. I have to be fine and not being fine means I am showing my weakness.¡± I could feel an itchy feeling appearing in my heart as I said this. It was so irritating but I forced myself to ignore it.


    ¡°I want to be alone for today. Send my food up to my room and only call me if something urgent needs my attention.¡± I wasn¡¯t looking at Mae as I said this to her. I felt hollow as I spoke coldly to Mae like this but I didn¡¯t like how she saw me as someone who needed to be comforted. I don¡¯t need that. I am fine. I. Am. Fine.


    ¡°...I understand.¡± Mae''s voice sounded upset as she left my room. I didn¡¯t know how her expression was and I didn¡¯t allow myself to imagine it either.


    I went back to looking through my black book, more determined with my reading. I am not allowed to lose in this competition. I am going to be the winner no matter what. That''s all that matters¡­.


    During the three days, I was forcing myself to combine the magic that I learned in different ways. I had to be perfect in both my defense and offensive so that no one will be able to defeat. I wasn¡¯t able to look at Mae during these three days but once I win everything will be better for me. It will be fine. I am fine.


    During the day of the competition, I went to the stadium where the competition was happening. Since I couldn¡¯t bring all my servants from my home I only had Mae and Sybil with me. Eli was there too, he wanted to support me during the magic competition and I didn¡¯t think much of it. I was only focused on the competition.


    ¡°Aurelia! I am so excited to see you show off in this competition but I am also so nervous¡­ What if you get hurt or get a scar?¡± Eli was looking at me nervously from my side and the hand that was holding mine slowly increased the grip on it. I tried not to flinch at the pain I felt from his hold.


    Eli was wearing a medium-length dress that had a layered skirt with a gathered waist and strap sleeves. There was a huge bow behind his dress that gave him the look of a cute doll. He had his hair in twin buns that were held together by some more bows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things. I will be fine and I will be the winner of this competition.¡± I struggled for a second to take my hand out of his and when it was finally freed I gave his head a light tap. That seemed to pleased him since a huge smile broke out on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Lady Aurelia¡­ What if you do get hurt? I won¡¯t be able to sleep at all if anything happens to you. I would slam my head into the ground until I am bleeding as punishment.¡± Sybil came up to my other side and told me this with a serious look in his eyes.


    ¡°I rather you did not do that.¡± I could feel a headache appearing as I dealt with these irreverent concerns. Why are they so concerned? Do they think I am that weak? I am not weak. I will be fine. I am fine.


    ¡°Just be careful¡­ I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± Mae was looking at me with worried eyes and I couldn¡¯t look her directly in her eyes, still feeling guilty about how I treated her before.


    I didn¡¯t respond to Mae and left to the area where I would change into clothes that would be suited for the magic competition. I could feel that I was being stared at by countless people as I headed to the area and I forced the anxiety I was feeling down. I gave the people who were looking at me sharp looks and they all turned away with an ashamed look on their face.


    Even though they were no longer looking at me I still felt like there were eyes on my body that wouldn¡¯t go away no matter how hard I tried. It felt like they were under my skin and wouldn¡¯t leave even if I took a knife to dig them out.


    When I finally got to my changing area I went into the room and locked the door behind me. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t even know I was holding. I could feel my heart beating against my ears and I forced it to calm down. When I felt I was under control I went to change my clothes.


    I had a black crop top that was suited for fighting with a white undershirt that seemed like it added extra protection for me. I had breathable pants that didn¡¯t feel too tight or too loose on my body which was perfect for fighting. I had on flats that had a firm grip on the bottom on it so I didn¡¯t have to worry about accidentally slipping on anything. I finally put my hair up into a firm ponytail that wouldn¡¯t be able to come out during the fighting.


    After I was finished changing I was doing a breathing exercise to get ready for what was going to happen soon. I was going to be fine. I am not going to lose. I am going to win. I am fine. Feeling that I was fully calm I felt a bit more at peace with myself. I still had my magic stone choker around my neck and I could feel a pulse go through it. It felt like it was encouraging me¡­


    My eyes hardened as I went out of the room and went to go against the first person that I was assigned to in the competition. I am not going to lose against anyone and I will be the winner. It will be fine. Everything is fine.


    As I went through the rounds fighting different opponents I realize that I am not good at close range fighting seeing as I was only focusing on getting better with my magic. This seems to be a weakness that I need to overcome. How can I be strong if I can''t simply be able to fight people up close and personal?


    Even though I was struggling with this problem of mine I was able to get through my many opponents with my magic and manage not to get hurt that badly. But, unfortunately, my stamina is not that great either. As I was fighting I could sometimes see Mae worried expression in the crowd and that push me not to lose any of my fights. I can''t speak to her if I end up losing. I can''t disappoint her...


    I was back in the room where I changed my clothes. I was relaxing my sore body after finally getting through my last match with my opponent. I was waiting to hear an announcement to call me back to the fighting stage to go against my final opponent. I realize that I haven¡¯t heard or saw my ¡®brother¡¯ in this place.


    Before I could think more about that I heard a ring that was telling me it was time for my final match. Putting a hand over my magic stone once again, I calmed myself and left the room. For some reason, it felt like people were staring at me as I went to the fighting stage.


    It felt like a mixture of pity and mockery. I couldn¡¯t understand why this was happening until I finally arrived at the fighting stage. The person standing on it was my ¡®brother¡¯. He had the same outfit as me but his outfit was blue instead of black.


    He didn¡¯t have his glasses on as he looked at me with cold green eyes. I could feel the air get tense as we both just stared each other down. Even though I was looking back with cold eyes as well I felt my heart was twisting painfully in my chest.


    ¡°Huh, I am surprised you actually made it this far, little sister. I thought you would be out in the first round but you actually surprised me.¡± Erik broke the silence with a cold tone. He gave me a snarl as he gave me a disgusted look.


    I could only bite my tongue as he spoke coldly to me. I could taste blood appear in my mouth as I did this but I knew I couldn¡¯t say anything even if I tried. It felt like there was something in my throat that prevented me from speaking back to him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t even say anything to me¡­ No matter. I will make sure you won¡¯t be saying anything for a while when I am done with you.¡± Erik gave me a cold smirk and before I could do anything I was hit with a spell.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Gutta pluvia! (Rain drop!)¡± Many shots of water attacked me quickly and I was sent flying across the fighting stage. I let out a gasp when I violently hit the ground. I could see that Erik was going to attack me again so I quickly cast a spell.


    ¡°Palmam umbra! (Palm shade!)¡± A huge wall of shadow in the shape of a hand appeared in front of me. It slapped back the water that was coming towards me and aimed it back at Erik at full force. This was a new spell of mine where I could have a huge hand slap back any spells to the caster.


    Erik quickly slapped away the water that was coming toward him and started to mumble something quietly to himself. The air grew cold and I could see my breath appearing in front of me. I realized that something bad was going to happen soon so I got up from the ground quickly.


    ¡°Ice tela nequissimi! (Ice darts!)¡± Erik threw frozen water that was shaped like needles towards me. I ran across the stage trying to avoid the attack but I still managed to get hit in my right shoulder and left leg.


    For some reason, it felt like something bad was happening to my body once that happened. It felt like a burning sensation was going through the area that was just hit by those frozen needles.


    ¡°Just something you should know. Those needles can cause frostbite. I would be worried if I was you, Aurelia.¡±  Erik had a cold smile on his face as he threw more frozen needles at me. I quickly cast my Palmam umbra (Palm shade) again but the frozen needles thrown at Erik were just destroyed by him.


    I was going to summon a shadow servant behind him but I felt myself step into a puddle of water. Looking down I was surprised to see a huge circle of water under me. Looking at Erik he gave me an empty smile before casting a spell.


    ¡°Aqua carcerem! (Water jail!)¡±  The water that was under my feet quickly surrounded me and I was lifted in the air in a sphere of water. I quickly gather air when I realize this was happening but looking at Erik I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold my breath forever.


    I could feel a panic go through me once I realize I may drown to death. I could see a few staff of the competition looking concerned and shouting something to each other that I couldn¡¯t make out. People were in the seat of the stadium realizing something was going on and they were giving each other concerned looks and saying something together.


    I couldn¡¯t see where Mae, Sybil, or Eli were located but my eyes locked onto someone familiar. It was my ¡®father¡¯... He was looking right at me as this was happening. There was no look of concern in his eyes as this happened. He simply looked indifferent to my situation¡­


    For some reason, I could feel something in my chest break and everything went numb. I let out a breath in this sphere of water but I didn¡¯t feel myself drown¡­ I felt too hurt at the moment to feel anything.


    In the end, her family abandoned her and she died alone with no one to mourn her death¡­ She died alone with no one to mourn her death¡­ She died alone and no one mourned her death¡­ She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She died alone. She. Died. Alone.


    I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE! I AM ALONE!


    Aah... Who am I kidding? I was always alone.


    I felt something dark completely consume me but I was too numb to care. I could no longer feel the water surrounding me. I didn¡¯t understand why Erik was looking at me with such wide and scared eyes. Wasn¡¯t he going to drown me? For some reason, I could only hear the sound of my calm heartbeat that was slowly decreasing in speed.


    For some reason, my feet weren¡¯t on the ground¡­ Why is that? Aah¡­ I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t care.


    I just want to make Erik feel the same pain I was feeling. Raising my hand towards him I decided to use a spell that was just on the tip of my tongue. It really wanted to come out.


    ¡°Dolor est hic. (The pain is here.)¡± A small ball of dark energy floated over to Erik and he looked confused as it slowly approached him. When it finally touched him the expression on his face changed quickly. He let out a scream of pain and he curled up into a ball on the ground.


    I could feel myself heading over to the place where he was. When I was finally there my feet finally made contact with the ground again and I looked down at the crying Erik with an empty feeling. I lifted my foot with no emotion and started to stomp on him. I didn¡¯t stop even when I heard him beg me to stop. I didn¡¯t stop when I heard the voice of the staff calling out to me.


    I only stopped when I heard a familiar voice call out to me.


    ¡°Aurelia¡­ This isn¡¯t you. Please stop.¡± I could hear Mae''s voice. It sounded so sad and worried. I stopped what I was doing and looked behind me. I could see Mae had tears on her face and she was trembling. The numb feeling I had disappeared and I was only left with a feeling of wanting to run away.


    I didn¡¯t care about how everyone else I was looking at me. All I could see was the look in Mae''s eyes. She looked so scared¡­ Why is she scared¡­ I want her to stop looking at me¡­ Please stop looking at me¡­


    ¡°S...Stop looking at me¡­ Why are you looking at me¡­¡± I was backing away from Mae as I felt a coldness cover me. I didn¡¯t want her to look at me with scared eyes. What did I do wrong?


    ¡°Aurelia¡­¡± Mae went to come closer to me but I only backed away farther from her. I didn¡¯t want her to touch me at all. She can¡¯t touch me. Please don¡¯t touch me.


    ¡°Go away¡­ Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. Go away. GO AWAY!¡± I scream at Mae and turn away to run away from her. I could hear her crying out for me but I didn¡¯t stop running. I kept on running even though my leg hurt so badly. I had to get somewhere dark and go into the shadow.


    When I finally found a dark area to use my spell in, I was brought back to my home. I was near the kitchen door and I heard a servant of mine let out a surprised yell when I came out of the dark area.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to them as I ran to my room. As soon as I reached my room I quickly locked the door. I was pacing in my room as I could feel everything getting out of my control. What did I do? Why was Mae looking at me like that? Why did I mess it up!


    I could feel my breathing quicken and I quickly went to the hiding space in my room where I put the box with my mother''s message to me. My hands were shaking as I opened the box and didn¡¯t stop even when I heard her gentle voice.


    ¡°W-Why is this not working?! WHY?!¡± I could feel tears coming out my eyes as I got to my knees and put my head in my crossed arms. I was biting my lips hard as I forced myself not to let out a sob.


    I am fine so why is this happening to me. There is nothing wrong so why is everything going bad for me. This hurts so much¡­ Please make it stop¡­ I am begging you...


    "I messed up again, didn''t I? Why does this always happen to me... It not fair! Why does everyone hate me so much! I just want things to go well for me just this once! Does my death mean so little to my own family...?''  For some reason, the voice that was usually just in my head came from next to me and when I looked over to where the voice was coming from I was surprised to see me but my skin was deadly pale and my eyes completely black as black tears come from my eyes.


    "Why should we even try anymore ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~? The more we keep trying the more we keep failing. It a rather sad cycle we are stuck in. It happens whenever we have a bit of hope in our hearts. Now the only person who cares about us is scared of us. What a fucked up situation we are in ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~! WE REALLY HAVE NO ONE BUT OURSELVES IN THIS FUCKED UP WORLD!" I was grabbed by my shoulder roughly and in front of me was another me but my eyes were completely black and hollow and where my heart was just a gaping black hole.


    I was pushed to the ground by the gaping hole Aurelia and I was forced to look up at the two different versions of me. I felt so little as I was being stared down by the two versions of me who had different expressions on their face. I wanted to run away from both of them but I couldn''t force my body to get off the ground.


    "We truly have nothing in this world so why do we even try  ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~? The more we try the more disappointed we feel when it doesn''t go our way. What the point anymore ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~? It too much for us to keep trying. We just want to close our eyes and never wake up again." Both Aurelia covers their eyes as they speak as one with each other. I felt like I was slowly being cover in darkness and everything felt so empty at the moment. I didn''t care about the tears that were still coming out of my eyes. I just felt nothing. As the darkness slowly consume me I could see a third person appear over me.


    "So it seems like we are going to die again. We really aren''t good at staying alive, are we ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~?" I couldn''t make out what this new person looked like since they look like just a mess of scribble black lines in the shape of a human body. I could tell that they were an older woman by their voice and that they had rather black eyes.


    I couldn''t help but feel like they were familiar...


    They were the last thing I saw before I disappear into the darkness and I was alone once more... I am always alone... Why am I always alone?

 Chapter Fifteen – I… – Volume One End

    I woke up at a table that had a book on it. My head felt foggy as I tried to figure out where I am. The last thing I remember was getting pulled into a dark space and being stared down by familiar black eyes.


    ¡°You are finally awake, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. I was getting worried that you died in your sleep. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time that this happened.¡± A heard a familiar woman''s voice and when I looked in front of me I saw the familiar scribble figure with black eyes. She was sitting at the table with me and had a lazy posture.


    I realized she wasn¡¯t alone at the table, I saw the two different Aurelia also sitting at the table with the scribble out figure. Their expressions were blank as they looked at me with no emotion. I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening or where I was.


    ¡°W...Where is this place?¡±  The place I was in was completely black, I couldn¡¯t see anything beyond me except for the table that was currently in front of me. Even though the place I was in was just darkness I could feel eyes looking at me, judging me. I didn¡¯t know where they were coming from but I just knew they were here.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that you answer some questions for me. These are easy questions. But for you, it may be hard. After all, you are such a liar.¡± The voice of the scribble figure was so strange to me. At times it sounds like a normal woman''s voice but then it would get all deep and scratchy.


    ¡°Why do I have to answer your questions?¡± I didn¡¯t like how I was being looked at by this scribble figure. She was looking at me with contempt and I couldn¡¯t understand why. Was she someone I know?


    ¡°Because I said so. Now answer my question ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. I can¡¯t wait to see what lies you will tell me. It will be so fun!¡± The scribble figure reaches for the book on the table and opens it. She then turned the open book towards me and instead of seeing anything in the book, I just saw pages that were completely covered in pencil scribblings.


    ¡°What am I supposed to be seeing? These are just scribblings.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to show me. At what I said the scribble figure let out a short harsh laugh. But it seems like she couldn¡¯t help herself and she went into an uncontrollable laughing fit.


    ¡°This is hilarious! You actually block out everything! Forgetting your past and pretending you don¡¯t know anything! So fucking pathetic!¡± She was shaking with laughter at what I just and looked like she was going to fall out of her seat. At her laughing, the other two Aurelia started to laugh with her but their expression didn¡¯t change. They had nothing on their face as they laughed along with her.


    I felt like I was being drowned in laughter as they continued to laugh at me. It was horrible and I wanted them to stop laughing at me. Why are they laughing?! I want them to stop! Make them stop!


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!¡± I slammed my hands onto the table and it shook under me. I was breathing heavily but the laughing finally stopped. I was then being looked at with a blank expression once more.


    ¡°Quit acting like a child. You are an adult no matter what your current appearance is. So act like one.¡± The scribble figure spoke in a harsh tone as she slammed a fist into the table and I could hear something break. The table tipped to the side but didn¡¯t crash to the ground.


    The scribble figure went back to turning pages in the book that she was holding and she got to a familiar scene and I felt my breathing stop for a second as I was forced to look at the book.


    ¡°I came home from work. I was soaked in water from the sudden downpour that appeared out of nowhere. I took a bath for an hour and went to play the game so I could figure out who the hidden character was. Then everything is a complete blank¡­ But that a lie, isn¡¯t it  ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~?¡± The scribble figure was tapping the picture of my final moment in my last life. I was just sitting in front of my TV as I played ¡°A Highschool Royal Romance¡±. My eyes looked tired as I blankly played the game.


    ¡°Hey, you do know how you pass away, don¡¯t you? You know what happened next. So why are you acting like you don¡¯t remember what happened next? You can¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what happened.¡± The scribble figure was tapping her finger on the page as she looked at me with black, empty eyes.


    I don¡¯t know if she was doing it on purpose but her finger taps were in time with my heartbeat. I could feel cold sweats appearing on my back and my vision was getting shaky in front of me. Even though I wasn¡¯t in a small area it felt like I was slowly being suffocated.


    ¡°How did you die? You know how you die. Now tell me how it happened. Make sure it is the truth this time.¡± The scribble figure closed the book and placed it on the table. I was being looked at by all three people who were at the table. I felt like I was on a trial and it was driving me crazy.


    ¡°I...I don¡¯t remember¡­¡± I was digging my nails into the palm of my hands as I looked down at the table.  I didn¡¯t want to look at them anymore, I felt like if I kept looking at them they would know I was lying to them.


    ¡°You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth. You are a liar. Tell us the truth.¡± The three of them got out of their seats and slowly walked towards me with a dark look in their eyes. I pushed my chair back as I went to put a distance between us.


    ¡°How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? How did you die? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE? HOW DID YOU DIE?¡± Their voices were getting warped and they were surrounding me in my seat. I had my knees closed to my chest and I was covering my ears as I tried to block out their voices. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It felt like their voices were digging into my head and I couldn¡¯t hear myself think. I couldn¡¯t handle it. Make it stop. Go away. I am sorry. Please stop it. Why is this happening? Why? Why? Why? WHY?!


    ¡°I KILLED MYSELF! I FUCKING KILLED MYSELF!¡± I screamed at them and the voices stopped right away. I don¡¯t know when but I wasn¡¯t sitting down anymore, I was just standing in the middle of them. I was panting and I was still avoiding looking at them.


    ¡°You finally told the truth. I am surprised at this. I thought I would have to force you to relive your last moment. I can¡¯t help but be disappointed by this. But at least I got to see such torture look on your face.¡± The scribble figure was laughing again and I just wanted her to stop it. Why was she doing this to me?


    ¡°Who are you¡­? Why are you doing this?¡± I was speaking quietly but my voice still managed to sound so loud in this place. She stopped laughing right away and I could feel her cold eyes looking at me.


    ¡°The fact you don¡¯t know me is hurtful. We knew each other for so long. How could you forget me so easily ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~? I could never forget you so why is it so easy to forget me. It makes me want to kill you.¡± Before I could even react I felt a hand go for my throat and I was lifted. The hand holding my throat wasn¡¯t holding back with how tightly she was grabbing at my throat.


    I could see many black dots appearing in my eyes as the scribble figure didn¡¯t ease up with her grip on my throat. I struggled for a while, trying to kick at her but I slowly gave up fighting against her. I was just too tired and wanted to give up¡­


    ¡°Solta o noso filla agora. (Release our daughter now.)¡± The scribble figure quickly moved out of the way when an attack appeared out of nowhere. I was quickly pulled into a familiar embrace and I was coughing harshly as I rub at my throat.


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t this nice. You manage to find us. Even though I made to get rid of the magic stone necklace. I guess I needed to be smarter about this. You are a powerful being, aren¡¯t you?¡± The scribble figure laughed to herself and didn¡¯t seem to care much that she was almost attacked by the figure.


    ¡°Quen eres? Por que est¨¢s a facer dano ao noso fillo? O noso precioso beb¨¦. (Who are you? Why are you harming our child? Our precious baby.)¡± The figure''s voice sounded angry as their embrace slowly grew tightly. They relaxed their hold once they heard me let out a pained groan.


    ¡°I am not telling~ But your dear child does know who I am. She just doesn¡¯t want to remember me. That makes me feel so sad. I think I am going to cry.¡± The scribble figure brought her hands to her face and made a fake crying sound. The two Aurelia with her copy her and pretend to cry along with her.


    ¡°Pare estes xogos. Ind¨ªcanos quen es ou ver¨¦monos obrigados a empregar outros m¨¦todos para obter respostas. (Stop these games. Tell us who you are or we will be forced to use other methods to get answers.)¡± The figure was getting annoyed with the scribble figure antics and the dark area I was in reacted to their emotions.


    ¡°I understand, I understand. I know when I am not wanted. I will leave now. But I hope you know this, I will always be here. Just hiding away from your sight.¡± With those words, the scribble figure disappeared from my sight leaving behind the two Aurelia.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say to you¡­ What a sad life that we have¡­¡±  The crying Aurelia with black eyes gave me a look of pity before she disappeared from my sight. The only one left behind was the gaping hole Aurelia who was still looking at me with a blank expression.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have anything to say to you ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. I knew you were pathetic but this is even lower for you. Forgetting your past won¡¯t erase what happened. Your past will always be the same. No matter how hard you ignore it.¡± With those words, she left as well. I was alone with the dark space still being held by the figure who was rubbing at my back.


    ¡°Nena noso, est¨¢s ben? Sent¨ªmolo, permitimos que isto che suceda. (Our girl, are you okay? Sorry, we let this happen to you.)¡± The figure whispers this in my ear and the surroundings in front of me change. I was somewhere familiar again. I was in the garden that was located in the back of my house. We were in the flower section of the garden.


    ¡°Est¨¢s ben? Non sabemos que facer. Nunca fomos bos en comprender as emoci¨®ns humanas. (Are you ok? We don¡¯t know what to do. We have never been good at understanding human emotions.)¡±  The figure placed me on the ground and I was surrounded by flowers but they didn¡¯t bring the usual calmness I often got from being around flowers.


    I felt numb as I stood in these flowers. My leg was still aching and I realized I didn¡¯t do anything about the wounds I got from my ¡®brother¡¯ magic attacks. I should be concerned about the frostbite that was still on my leg but I really couldn¡¯t be bothered.


    The figure noticed my indifference to everything around me and went to move towards me again but stopped when they heard footsteps approaching where we were. Giving me a look of regret, the figure disappears, leaving me alone.


    ¡°Aurelia! You are here!¡± Hearing the familiar voice of Sybil, I turned to look at him with empty eyes. Everything felt like it was moving too slow and too fast. I didn¡¯t know what was happening anymore and I just wanted everything to stop.


    ¡°Everyone was looking for you after you disappeared from your room! We were worried you got kidnapped when we noticed that your magic stone necklace was left behind.¡± When I looked down at Sybil''s hand I saw that he was holding my magic stone necklace.


    Sybil got closer to me and put the magic stone back around my neck. I just absentmindedly rub at the magic, not feeling the usual sense of relief. I just felt nothing and everything at the same time. My emotions were so hard to understand.


    ¡°Aurelia¡­ What are those markings around your neck? Did someone choke you?¡± Sybil''s ears were twitching nervously as he noticed the choke marks. I rubbed at them and I felt a small tingle of pain go through me as I touched them.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I did get the choke, didn¡¯t I? I see¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t really concerned about what happened to me. I didn¡¯t care. What the point of caring anymore. I have nothing to care about. I¡­


    ¡°Aurelia, what is wrong? You aren¡¯t acting like your usual self. Did someone hurt you? Where were you for these past hours?¡± Sybil''s voice was rising as he tried to understand what was happening with me but I didn¡¯t care about how he was reacting.


    ¡°I am such a pathetic person¡­ No one truly cares about me and yet I always have a small hope that people do care¡­ I am stuck in an endless cycle of disappointment that I trapped myself in. I really am such a fool¡­¡± I was just speaking softly to myself and wasn¡¯t looking at Sybil. I wasn¡¯t really looking at anything, I just felt so distant from everything.


    ¡°If I were to die no one would care¡­ No one cares about¡­¡± Before I could even finish what I was going to say I felt a sharp pain on my cheek. My head was off to the side and I slowly turned my head to look back at Sybil who still had his hand raised.


    He was looking at me with angry eyes and had tears in his eyes. I put a hand to my sore cheek still feeling confused about what just happened to me. Sybil started to rub at his eyes as his tears started to increase at a fast pace.


    ¡°Why did you say something so cruel¡­? So many people care about you yet here you are saying something so cruel! Do you really not think everyone in this house cares about you? If they didn¡¯t care they wouldn¡¯t be here! They wouldn¡¯t be looking so desperately for you! SO DON¡¯T YOU SAY THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU!¡± Sybil was crying as he spoke to me and I couldn¡¯t understand why he was acting like this. It didn¡¯t make sense to me.


    ¡°W...What are you talking about? I don¡¯t get it¡­ No one cares about me¡­ I am unwanted, hated, unloved, pathetic. How could anyone really care about me¡­ You are just lying to me. I know you are lying! Stop lying to me!¡± I was getting angry with Sybil. Why was he saying these false things to me? I know that one day I will be alone so why is he saying such lies to me.


    ¡°Stop thinking you know everyone! Not everyone is like your father and brother! There are people who do care about you! They would be so sad if you were to die one day! So don¡¯t you dare say no one would care if you were to die!¡± Sybil got angry with me as well and we were standing so close to each other. I just wanted him to stop lying to me already. Why is he still lying to me?!


    I couldn¡¯t hold back the anger I was feeling and tackle him to the ground. I raised a fist and went to punch him in the face. But before I could even hit him in the face I stopped myself. I couldn¡¯t move my body, I just had to hit him in the face yet I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. I was just frozen in place as I slowly lowered my fist.


    ¡°Why do you even care about me¡­ You just met me one time and yet you would die for me. That is so suspicious¡­ I can¡¯t trust your words¡­¡±  I was gripping onto Sybil''s uniform as I questioned him. I just felt so tired and everything was too much for me to handle.


    ¡°You really look like your mom¡­ She was really nice and had such a beautiful smile¡­ I guess I am being selfish since the reason why I care so much about you is that you look like her¡­ I may just be trying to be the person who brings light back into your eyes¡­ But I do care about you¡­ It is not because of your mom but because of you¡­¡± Sybil was looking at me directly in the eyes and he looked so honest¡­ But what if he was just lying¡­ What if he is just saying that?


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t believe me and I understand that but please know that people do care about you. How could no one care about you? You are truly one of a kind. You are special, Aurelia.¡± Sybil put a hand to the cheek he slapped and gently rubbed at it like he was trying to say sorry for slapping me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but start crying and lower my head to his chest. I was still gripping onto the front of his uniform and my hold increased. I was rubbing my face into his chest as the tears couldn¡¯t stop coming out of my eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ I really want someone to love and care about me¡­ That''s all I want¡­ Nothing matters to me but that. I just want to be loved so badly. I know that no matter how much I wish for that it won¡¯t happen for me. But is it so bad that I still hope for it¡­¡± My voice was wavering as I spoke into Sybil''s chest as I continued to cry. I could feel that my shoulder was shaking as I cried silently to myself, not allowing myself to cry out.


    ¡°I love you, Aurelia. My mom loves you. Your servant loves you. You are loved. You are loved so much¡­¡± Sybil wrapped his arms around me and brought me closer to him. I could feel that he was rubbing his cheek against my head and patting at my back in a soothing motion.


    ¡°I¡­ I am not fine. Everything is not fine! I don¡¯t feel okay at all! Everything is too much for me to handle! I am so scared¡­ I am so lonely! I want my mommy!¡± I started to cry out, no longer caring about holding back my emotions anymore. I just felt too tired to pretend I was okay. I am not okay at all.


    Sybil just rubbed at my back and didn¡¯t say anything as he allowed me to cry into his chest. I don¡¯t know how long I cried but when I was finally done I realized there was someone else standing in the flower garden.  Looking up I saw that Mae was standing there with puffy looking eyes.


    I slowly got up from the ground with Sybil and hid behind him, too ashamed to face Mae after what just happened earlier. But I didn¡¯t stay too long behind him since he pushed me toward her and when I looked at him with troubled eyes he just smiled at me.


    Before I could say anything to Mae, she quickly closed the distance between us and hugged me tightly to her body. I could feel my shoulder getting wet as she started to cry. I couldn¡¯t help but be frozen for a second but I slowly put my arms around her and I could feel myself getting teary-eyed again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mae¡­ Please forgive me¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do that. I just felt so angry! Please don¡¯t be afraid of me. I promise I will be better!¡±  I was holding onto Mae tightly as I begged her not to hate me. I didn¡¯t want her to hate me. I would be in so much pain if she hated me.


    ¡°I will never hate you. I care about you too much. I love you so much, Aurelia. You are so important to me.¡± Mae''s voice was wavering as she spoke to me. She was holding onto me so tightly like she doesn¡¯t want to let go of me. I held back just as tightly and didn¡¯t want to let go of Mae.


    But this moment came to an end when I felt a sharp pain in my leg that caused me to flinch in Mae''s hold. Mae quickly moved away from me and looked at me with worried eyes. She noticed I wasn¡¯t putting too much force on one of my legs and quickly went to check it out. When she saw the frostbite on my leg she let out a concerned gasp and quickly gestured for Sybil to come over.


    ¡°Sybil, carry Aurelia to her room. I am going to get some magic ointment to help out with that. Make sure she doesn¡¯t walk on her feet at all.¡± After saying this, Mae rushed over to the house. After she was gone I felt myself go weightless for a moment and I was being held by Sybil.


    I struggle for a bit but settle down after getting patted on my back reassuringly. I was too tired and wanted to rest my eyes for a bit. So I just leaned my head against Sybil''s shoulder and closed my eyes.


    ¡°...You are the best. I love you, big brother¡­¡± I mumbled this to Sybil and I could feel his hold on me tighten for a bit but quickly got gentle again as he let out a troubled sigh. I couldn¡¯t really understand what I said wrong but quickly stopped thinking about it after he rubs at my back.


    ¡°I guess I have the role of an older brother now¡­ Not something I was aiming for but I guess I can wait a bit longer¡­¡± Sybil mumbled this to himself and I couldn¡¯t understand what he meant but I was too tired.


    I moved in closer to Sybil and just nuzzled into his grip. I eventually fell asleep in Sybil''s hold. After falling asleep I woke up to a familiar scene. I was just floating in place at my old house. I was looking at an older woman who was playing an otome game on her TV.


    I couldn¡¯t make out the woman''s features because every time I tried to look directly at her it would get scribbled out. The woman finally stopped playing the game after she completed it. The game showed a congratulation sign on the TV, showing off the fact she did every route in the game.


    The woman did not react to this and just walked toward the bathroom that was located near her room. She was in the bathroom for a second before she came out of it, now holding a bottle of pills. She went and sat on her bed as she looked at the pills in her hands.


    She opens the pill bottle and pours many pills in her hands. She then threw her head back as she swallowed all the pills in her hand. She ended up coughing up a few pills that ended up on her floor.


    Placing the pill bottle on the floor, she went to sleep on her bed. As she closed her eyes her breathing slowly decreased until she was no longer breathing.


    I woke up with a start from my dream and I was covered in sweat. I looked around the room and relaxed when I saw I wasn¡¯t back in my old home¡­ I lay back in my bed and rub at my eyes with a groan.


    When I looked next to me I saw a cart of food next to my bed. I got out of my bed and I realized I was no longer wearing the clothes from the tournament. I was wearing my usual nightgown and one of my legs was bandaged. It still hurt a bit but it didn¡¯t hurt as much as before.


    When I got closer to the food cart and lifted the lid covering the food I saw that there was curry that still looked like it was just cooked. I could feel tears appear in my eyes at this. This was the first food I ate when I came to this world. I didn¡¯t know if I was feeling emotional or it was someone else. I just knew I felt so happy¡­


    I ate my curry in silence and sat on my bed for a while thinking deeply¡­ I realize that I was forgetting some stuff from my past¡­ I don¡¯t know if I was doing this on purpose or maybe something happened to my memories when I came into this body.


    I just knew that me remembering would be important¡­ Even if I didn¡¯t want to remember anything¡­ I felt so scared but I knew it was something I would have to face even if I didn¡¯t want to deal with it.


    Remembering was the only way to deal with that scribble figure. If I didn¡¯t remember she would kill me. She had to be from my past and me running away from her isn¡¯t an option...


    I walk over to the desk in my room that was facing the window, ignoring the dull pain the went through my leg every time I put pressure on it.  I notice that it was still dark but I could see that the sun was going to come up soon. I really had no idea how much time went by or how long I was asleep but for now, I didn''t care about it.


    I am not fine. I never was fine.  In my last life I couldn''t take the pain I was dealing with and left everything behind.  I don''t remember much of my past and I am scared to remember it. I don''t want to remember all the things I went through but I knew if I wanted to get a deeper understanding of my emotions I had to do it.


    I want to be able to live a life where I am truly happy. Maybe this time I will be able to find happiness... I don''t have high hopes about it but... I do want to try...


    I don''t remember my name from my past life. In this life, I was reincarnated as the villainess of a game I loved more than anything. She never had any happy endings in the game. Always being abandoned by her family in the end. Her name, no, my name is Aurelia Giliam. I will try to live a life where I am able to find my own happy ending.


    I sat at my desk as I looked out the window, waiting for the sun to come up. I knew I should go back to my bed but I was too comfortable at my desk. I couldn''t help but smile to myself as I slowly watch as the sunlight gradually cover the dark sky. I don''t know when but I must have fallen asleep at my desk.


    I dreamt of... I don''t really remember but it was something really great...

 Chapter Sixteen – Through Mae Eyes – In Between

    The day I met Gia was the day my black and white days finally gained some life. She was a stranger from a place no one knew. She didn¡¯t seem to care about what people thought about her. Always speaking her mind with such confidence that I couldn¡¯t help but seek her out with my eyes.


    It was so strange that someone of the same sex made me feel like this and it scared me so much. What did this mean and was it good? Since I was a child and rather stupid I did join other people who were messing with her but my heart wasn¡¯t in it. Even though I was one of the people who were messing with her, I wasn¡¯t hated by her and she could see that I didn¡¯t even want to bully her.


    We ended up having a secret friendship with each other, it was like she was mine alone and I just loved that. I wanted to change myself so I could be a better friend to her. I started to pick out a path that my family disapproves of and it was scary. Yet she was always by my side to help me out.


    I remember the day when that man came and messed up the world that only belonged to the two of us¡­ I hated him and I wanted him gone. I felt pleased that she didn¡¯t pay him much attention and I would always show off how close we were together.


    But eventually, the distance between them slowly closed and I was losing my position in her heart. It felt like I was being covered in cold water and I wanted to cry. I couldn¡¯t understand these feelings of mine so I put some distance between her and me.


    She noticed this change in me and questioned why I was acting like this. She assumed I like that man and the thought of her thinking I was in love with him was so disgusting and I just let out the secret that was hidden away deep in my heart.


    Even though I felt like a weight was taken off my heart I couldn¡¯t get rid of the fear of her reaction to these feelings of mine. But instead of ending our friendship and never talking to me again, she understood how I was feeling and didn¡¯t shame me for my feelings. Even though she couldn¡¯t accept them she wouldn¡¯t stop being my friend because of it.


    That was how my first love ended, I still Gia more than anything but I knew I could never have a place in her heart.  So I decided to always follow behind her and help her out with many different things. She never told me why she would do these things, only telling me it was to make up for her family''s past mistakes.


    During those years with me following her and her getting more people to follow her as well, I eventually fell in love with someone else. He was a beastman and he was kind of stupid, like on the level of Gia which is saying something.


    I guess that what drew me to him and that made me question if I like people who were rather dumb. It was rather shocking new information regarding me and I had to look back on all the people I liked before who all turned out to be stupid in some way.


    I end up dating him against my family''s wishes and when I mention I wanted to get married to him they told me it was either him or them. So I was cut off from my family and haven¡¯t spoken to them since then. He felt guilty about what happened and always wondered if it was better that I ended the relationship so I could be let back into my family.


    I didn¡¯t care about my family abandoning me and I told him I was okay with being by his side until death. Even though he was still feeling guilty he couldn¡¯t hide how happy he was that I decided I wanted to be with him. We ended up getting married a few months after Gia married that man.


    I don¡¯t know if it was because we were close or something like that but we ended up getting pregnant around the same time. Gia showed uncharacteristic nervousness while pregnant and was always reading books on how to be a good mother. I would always have to ease her worries and tell her that she would be perfect no matter what.


    I ended up giving birth first and it was rather strange that my son came out looking like a dog that was in a humanoid shape. It made Gia question if her child would be like that as well but I told her it was just because of who my husband was. When her son finally came into the world she was so happy that she cried for a couple of weeks.


    My son was infatuated with Gia and I could only laugh at how my son loved Gia as I did.  I guess we really did have the same taste in people after all¡­ He would always bring her gifts to show off how much he liked her. Gia would always accept the gifts with a smile on her face even when some of it was small dead animals my son managed to catch without my knowledge.


    It was a happy family of those three and I reluctantly gave that man my blessing when I saw how gently he was treating his son. I still hated that man but I put it aside just because of how much Gia loved him. We never did speak to each other kindly when we were alone without her by our sides. We just could never like each other and I am fine with that.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    When Gia was pregnant again I noticed that she looked a bit different from her first pregnancy. She was tired all the time and looked paler than usual. Whenever I would question her I would just get brushed off. I wonder if she knew that she was going to die if she gave birth to her child¡­


    It was a bittersweet moment when she gave birth to Aurelia. She lived long enough to hold her daughter but not long enough for Aurelia to look at her.  That man locked himself away with Gia''s dead body for a couple of days until he finally allowed her to be buried.


    He wouldn¡¯t hold Aurelia at all and didn¡¯t allow her brother to even be in her presence. I ended up learning to my horror that he wanted to give her up so I forced myself to beg him to let me raise her in Gia''s old home. He did allow that but told me he wouldn¡¯t provide her with any more servants and that I would have to find more by myself.


    I wanted to curse at him but I knew he was the only thing allowing me to watch over Aurelia so I kept my feelings to myself. I found old close friends of Gia and they agreed to help me raise Aurelia. I felt bad that I would be focusing my attention more on Aurelia than my own child but my husband promised me it wasn¡¯t any problem and that he would take care of our son.


    It was hard to take care of Aurelia because she wouldn''t stop crying as a baby. It was like she understood that she wasn¡¯t wanted by her own father.  It would always make me feel so upset and I would always whisper to her as she slept that I loved her.


    As I watched Aurelia grow up and tried to have her father give her attention and watch her cry when she was coldly rejected by her own father it made my heart ache for her. I tried so much to distance her from this but she was always seeking out the love of her father.


    I felt so distraught when she wouldn¡¯t eat for a couple of days and ended up having to go to the hospital due to how weak her body was. I hated that man so much and I wanted to kill him for what he was doing to Aurelia.


    I don¡¯t know why but it felt like Aurelia changed after coming out of the hospital. Her eyes were much colder and she didn¡¯t smile a lot anymore. It was like her heart became cold and closed off from the world.


    She would often go off to the library and read by herself for many hours. I would be forced to remind her of the times when her food was being served.  She also stopped allowing people to help her get dressed or shower. She distanced herself from everyone and I was worried it would affect her negatively.


    She would often let down her guard near me and show me her soft personality but only for a second. It was like she was scared to show her vulnerable side in fear she will be hurt. I wanted to say something but no words seem right¡­


    I don¡¯t know if she noticed but whenever she was near that silly son of mine her eyes would become softer and wouldn¡¯t be so stiff near him. Even though my dumb son was a lovesick fool in front of her, Aurelia couldn¡¯t help but smile at his actions.


    Aurelia was slowly opening herself again and was asking about her mother. It was a huge moment when she told me she loved me. I couldn¡¯t help but cry to myself and only stopped when my husband comforted me with a hug.


    But good things never last forever¡­ It was that man''s fault for allowing this to happen. Making hatred build up between his children¡­ Making Aurelia become like that, like someone who saw no point in living anymore.


    She looked so scared when she saw me and I just wanted to hug her close to me, tell her everything was alright. I could never be scared of the child I raised for so many years¡­ Yet she ran away from me and I couldn¡¯t find her at all, no matter how much I tried.


    I never felt so much panic when I went back to the house and couldn¡¯t find her there either. The only thing left of her was that magic stone necklace of hers. I felt like I was going to faint due to how worried I was. Nothing could calm me down and I couldn¡¯t help but sob uncontrollably at random times.


    When I finally saw her again and she ran to me crying, I felt like everything would be better now. She was letting down her guard and let me in a bit more than usual. I don¡¯t know what my son said to her but it seemed like it was a good talk.


    I still feel a bit useless as an adult¡­ I never could help her during the times when her father kept on showing her only hate and rejection. Nothing I could say could help her get over the fact she wasn¡¯t wanted by her father. That her own family hated her.


    I still don¡¯t have words for her but I will show her all the love a parent should give to a child. I don¡¯t know if she would even want my love but I will still give it to her. I want her to smile so happily I could mistake it for her mother''s smile.


    The child that I raised for many years has changed and I don¡¯t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing yet. But the only thing that hasn''t changed is how much I love and care for her like she is my own daughter.


    I will be by her side like her mother was by my side. I won¡¯t allow that man to hurt her anymore. Someone like that really wasn¡¯t good enough for Gia. I don¡¯t know if it is my jealousy still talking but I can never like a man like that.


    Now I will focus all my attention on making sure Aurelia grows up to be someone who can see that while there are hateful people in the world there are people who are truly good no matter what. I want the light in her eyes to grow brighter. She is after all my sweet precious daughter.

 Chapter Seventeen – Through Sybil Eyes – In Between

    I was a child born between two people who really loved each other. My mom would always call my dad a silly man but she couldn¡¯t hide the love in her eyes as she told him this. My dad was someone who would do anything to make himself worthy to be called her husband.


    I never really understood it but it seems like my mom''s family didn¡¯t approve of my dad or me. They cut off ties with my mom and refuse to see me as their grandson. It didn¡¯t really hurt my mom that much and took it like it was nothing.


    I also noticed as a young child my mom would look at someone else with love in her eyes¡­ It was a really beautiful woman. I always got all nervous around her and would often leave gifts of dead animals to show my affection, this would end with me getting a slap on my butt and a long lecture. My mom couldn¡¯t hide how much she cared about that woman and how much she hated that man.


    I wonder if in another life would she have married that woman? I would have been okay with that since I really didn¡¯t like that man at all. He would always give my mom rude looks that I didn¡¯t like at all. So I would pee on him anytime he was forced to hold me in his arms. It made me happy seeing how ugly his expression would get at this.


    Even though I hated seeing this man come over to my home, I knew that it meant I got to see the beautiful woman. She would always scratch behind my ears and rub at my tummy. She was never without a smile on her face.


    She had tried to make me get close to her son that was around my age but I didn¡¯t think much of him. He smells too much like that man and they seem to have the same face so that really didn¡¯t help to get a friendship going. I would often leave dead bugs in his hair and smile when he would cry due to this.


    I slowly noticed that the woman''s stomach was getting bigger and she was looking weaker. I would give her stuff that would make me feel better when I was sick but she just sadly shook her head. I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on with her.


    She would always ask me to listen to her stomach and ask me what I could hear. I would always tell her it sounded like a happy heartbeat and for some reason that made her smile so happily.


    When she didn¡¯t come over anymore and I would see my mom crying silently to herself I felt an odd sense of loneliness. I knew she was gone and that I wouldn¡¯t see her again. After the woman was gone my mom ended up leaving me with my dad for different amounts of times.


    When she would come home her eyes would look so sad and she would only give me an empty smile when I asked what was wrong with her. My dad said I would understand when I was older but I wanted to understand now.


    One day when my dad wasn¡¯t paying attention I decided to track where my mom was. I ended up at a big house that was filled with different people who were wearing work uniforms. I didn¡¯t know why my mom was at a place like this since we did have a lot of money due to my dad and what he did as a job.


    I decided to just follow the scent of my mom and found her in a room with the door half-open. I wanted to greet my mom right away but she had an upset look on her face. That''s when I noticed a young girl who looked younger than me, probably by two years or maybe more.


    She was on the ground sobbing loudly and wouldn¡¯t allow my mom to touch her. She was just curled up into a ball on the ground. For some reason she looked just like the woman from when I was younger but¡­ She is so different from the woman.


    Why is she so upset? It was so strange to see that on her face when the woman always had a bright smile on her face. I just stood silently outside of the room my mom was in until she came out. She was surprised when she realized I was here and scolded me for leaving the house without my dad.


    I wasn¡¯t fully listening to her, still stuck on the little girl I saw in that room. I can¡¯t get the sounds of her pain-filled cries out of my ears. It felt like it was echoing inside my head. She looks just like that woman but¡­ Not the same personality¡­


    I would always remember the little girls during the years as I grew up. It was rather annoying when I woke up in the middle of the night due to a dream I had of her and the woman crying together. I couldn¡¯t understand why it was affecting me this much.


    Maybe it''s because I don¡¯t feel comfortable seeing the girl who looks so much like that woman cry like that? I decided to accept that for the reason why it was bothering me this much and it did help the dreams of both the girl and woman to settle down for a while.


    I remember when I met the little girl again but she wasn¡¯t so little anymore. I snuck out of my house again and showed up at the place my mom worked again. She only let out a sigh as she allowed me to stay.  I followed what she was doing for a while before I eventually grew bored with what she was doing.


    I walked away when she wasn¡¯t looking and went to explore this huge house by myself. I eventually got to a door that was closed and for some reason, I wanted to head in there due to a nice scent that was coming from it. When I open the door it feels like I open a door to a whole new world.


    Her eyes were cold as she looked through the book in her hands. She looked just like the woman but she wasn¡¯t the woman. When she made eye contact with me, my heart nearly came out of my chest. I got that same nervous feeling as I got with that woman. This had to be love!


    She spoke coldly to me for the first time but it only made me like her more. When my mom found me with her and tried to take me away I had to grab onto her legs. It was such soft legs¡­.


    That was when I decided I would become a servant to this beautiful girl. My mom gave me a doubtful look but I ignored it, I had to stick by this girl''s side so that this feeling will last longer! The beautiful girl, whose name I learned was Aurelia, gave me a cold look before leaving me alone with my mom.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    My mom kept asking me if I was sure about my decision and that just because I was attracted to her doesn¡¯t mean I should work for her. I couldn¡¯t understand what my mom was concerned about and just wave off what she was saying, ignoring the looks she was giving me.


    When I went back home that day and went to sleep I had that dream again with the woman and Aurelia. I couldn¡¯t understand why it was happening again but I tried not to think too much about it.


    During my training to be Aurelia''s servant I end up realizing that I have no idea how to tell the difference between salt and sugar. It was so embarrassing looking at Aurelia''s expression as she forced herself to swallow the bad tea I made for her. She could have gotten pissed at me but she just told me to look more carefully next time.


    I made sure to practice in secret for a while and I ended up realizing I was really good at baking. I wanted Aurelia to see that I wasn¡¯t a screw up so I went to her room to give her the dessert I made. It went I met that annoying little childhood friend of hers.


    He was looking at me with eyes that looked like he wanted to attack me. Aurelia didn¡¯t seem to care that much about her childhood friend. Well¡­ It seems like she didn¡¯t care for a lot of things. I know that she really cares for my mom but I don¡¯t know what she thinks about everyone else.


    She was really not like that woman who was always so close to everyone else. I wonder why she was like that and not just like that woman. For some reason the more I thought along those lines, Aurelia and the woman in my dream would keep on getting closer to each other. To the point, it looked like they would combine to be the same person.


    I remember the day where I found Aurelia sitting in the flower garden with a peaceful look on her face. She didn¡¯t look cold, distant, or sad. She just looked so at peace with herself. It was at that time I didn¡¯t compare her to that woman, I only saw her as Aurelia¡­


    When she asked me why I wanted to be her servant. A servant of someone hated by her own family. I could see that she wanted to cry but forced herself not to. I wanted to hug her at that moment but I knew that it would be the wrong time for that. So I tried to comfort her with my words, it didn¡¯t seem to help get rid of all her worries but she looked a bit warmer in my eyes.


    I felt really happy when she agreed to me being her servant. I decided that I would be the best servant she ever had and that I would be so great at making hot chocolate. It was a nice experience working for Aurelia. I got to be around her a lot and learn her habit.


    I also pick up habits of her that I think she doesn''t even know she does. Whenever she was feeling concerned about something a wrinkle between her eyebrows would appear. When she was feeling happy and wanted to smile the corners of her eyes would curl slightly but not for a long time. When she was feeling angry she would dig her nails into her hands until blood appeared on them.


    Using those as hints I would always figure out a way to make sure she was always in a happy mood. I felt like she wanted to let her guard down around me but she would always get cold faced when she thought we were too close.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t want to trust me fully¡­ It was painful and I couldn¡¯t help but be upset for a while. The woman was always letting people get close to her and trusting them without hesitating. It felt strange that Aurelia wasn¡¯t like that either.


    I knew she did care for me in some way since I saw a shadow servant that I knew belonged to her following me during a party. I felt like she was doing this in secret so I didn¡¯t bring it up with her. I couldn¡¯t understand why there was this distance between us¡­.


    She wasn¡¯t like that woman who always had a smile on her face¡­ I couldn¡¯t understand if I liked her or I like how she looked like that woman. Was I only trying to replace the woman who was already gone with her daughter? I felt like a dick when I thought about it in that way.


    I felt like she was slowly letting down her guard after she decided not to see her family for dinner anymore and she was showing a lot of care for my mom openly. I kind of wish she didn¡¯t tell me she saw me as an older brother, really not something you want to hear from someone you are attracted to.


    It even seems like she may even get light back into her eyes but of course, her family has to mess it up. I can¡¯t understand how one family can even hate each other¡­ Aren¡¯t families always supposed to love and care for each other? Why is there so much hate to the point of wanting to kill each other?


    I saw a side of Aurelia that I really didn¡¯t want to see. It was the side of her that didn¡¯t want to live anymore, the side that didn¡¯t care about anything anymore. I didn¡¯t want her to be like that. I just wanted her to be happy.


    When she went missing and no one could find her it felt like everything was going wrong. My mom wouldn¡¯t stop crying and I felt like I was going to have a panic attack from all the fear I was dealing with. I felt happy when I picked up her scent in the air and went to her side quickly.


    But she wasn¡¯t okay at all. Her eyes were vacant and her body was giving off cold air. She looked like she wasn¡¯t even paying attention to what was happening to her. She looks like someone who may end up fully cutting herself off from the world.


    I can¡¯t let that happen. I didn¡¯t want her to do that. I didn¡¯t want to lose her and make her leave my side. It''s not because she looked like that woman anymore. It was because she was Aurelia and I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to see that she was cared for and loved. I didn¡¯t want her to feel like she didn¡¯t belong.


    It felt like a relief when she finally cried and let out everything that was kept inside of her. She was letting her guard down and I was able to see who she really was. Just a young girl who feels so lonely and scared. A girl who wants to be loved so badly.


    I felt at that moment I wasn¡¯t thinking of that woman or how they were alike. I was just thinking of Aurelia and only Aurelia. She was the only thing in front of me and the only thing in my mind. She didn¡¯t have to be like anyone. I felt happy with her alone.


    I still felt a bit like a jerk for always comparing her to her mother in my mind. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like maybe I should wait things out and see if the feelings I have for her are more than just admiration.


    But I knew I wouldn¡¯t leave her side at all. I will always be with her no matter what. Even if everyone hates her I will still be with her, always telling her that she is loved and cared for. She is someone no one could really forget¡­


    I can¡¯t wait to see what she becomes as she grows. Hopefully light will come into her eyes and she will be able to smile with nothing holding her back. Aurelia is someone who deserves everything and is such a gentle person who cares so much about the people who are the closest to her.


    I will make sure to always help her out from now on whenever it feels like the world is on her shoulders. I want her to know that no matter what she can come to me for help and that I will always take her side. I am her personal servant and whatever my lady wants I will do it for her.

 Chapter Eighteen – Through ▊▊▊▊▊▊▊▊(The Figure) Eyes – In Between

    Our creation is something we don¡¯t remember much of. All we know is that one day we were created and we were in a dark space with only us. We don¡¯t know how many of us are there. Many there is only one person but their mind was shattered to many pieces. It is confusing so we don¡¯t think much of it.


    We are bored, we have nothing to interest us. We don¡¯t know what we should be doing. There is no one there to tell us the meaning of our existence. We simply have to figure out what we have to do. It''s lonely, probably¡­. Some of us feel lonely and others feel nothing. We never have the same emotions as each other.


    When we first were allowed out of the dark space it was a strange experience. We saw so many weird things that we couldn¡¯t understand. That was when we met our first human. This human had a look in their eyes we didn¡¯t like. They wanted power and only power. They didn¡¯t care what they had to do if it meant they would have the power.


    That human ended up getting consumed by the power we gave them and now they are with us. When this human joined us we ended up getting their memories as well. It was a sad story. Wanting power so they would be noticed by the one person who never gave them the time of the day.


    We don¡¯t hear a lot from that human, only when they have the urge to hurt someone. The next human we met was always wearing a black veil in front of their face. They always sounded like they were going to cry and it was confusing. This human just wanted to make the people who had caused their sufferings to suffer a fate worse than theirs.


    We gave them the ability to do that but at the cost of them losing themselves forever. The human didn¡¯t care and actually sounded happy when we consume them as well. We ended up with their memories as well and it was a tragic story. A love that couldn¡¯t happen no matter how hard the two lovers tried to fight against their fates.


    This human helped us understand a few human emotions. We like hearing from them the most since their voice always sounds so peaceful to us. The next human we met were two small beings that were called children. They looked alike but they were different ¡®genders¡¯. We didn¡¯t know what ¡®genders¡¯ were but humans are confusing so we don¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    These children asked us to help them protect their ¡®family¡¯. We didn¡¯t know what a ¡®family¡¯ is but it seemed like it was important to these children. We gave them our powers and they were grateful to us for help. They allow us to consume them even though they didn¡¯t end up falling to our power.


    We couldn¡¯t understand what they meant about us sounding so lonely. We sound normal and not strange at all. We felt conflicted as we consumed these two children. They didn¡¯t mind about leaving their ¡®family¡¯ behind and that confused us. Didn¡¯t they care for their ¡®family¡¯?


    When we got their memories we finally understood, they cared about ¡®family¡¯ but the ¡®family¡¯ they were with wasn''t good to them. The children knew their ¡®family¡¯ was bad but they didn¡¯t deserve the fate that was going to happen to them. We can¡¯t understand why they would help the people who had hurt them before? Humans are so confusing and we don¡¯t know if we could ever understand them.


    We met another human and they had wrinkles on their face. This human had a faraway look in their eyes and looked like they were just an empty shell. This human wanted help in escaping from the place they were in. They didn¡¯t want power or anything like that. They just wanted to leave the place they were in.


    We consume them and they became a part of us like the others. We end up getting the memories of them as well and it was a cruel one. This one ¡®family¡¯ forced them to get married to a man that they didn¡¯t love and didn¡¯t give them a choice to refuse. They were in a cage and not allowed to leave. They didn¡¯t care for the children they gave birth to and never once saw them as their children. they simply hated them all and never wanted to have them. This human did feel regret for not being able to feel a bit of love for any of their children.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The final human we met was also wrinkled but had a more cold look in their eyes. They wanted power to destroy a whole kingdom for betraying them and leaving him to rot for all the things they made him do. This human didn¡¯t care that if our power consumed him we would consume him and then become a part of us. This human didn¡¯t look guilty at all as they destroyed everything in their path.


    When we consume the human and end up seeing their memories it made us see that, yes they are a cruel person. Yes, they did many bad things without feeling any remorse. Yet they did all of this because they loved their kingdom so much and when their kingdom stabbed them in the back and left them to die alone that made everything they did, in the end, mean nothing.


    We didn¡¯t leave the dark space after that. We still give up our powers to people but we never did meet anyone else. We were just alone with all these humans with us. We learned many things from these humans yet it was never enough for us. We wanted to know more and see more.


    We always felt like we were just half of a being. We feel as if there is something else out there that is a part of us. Yet we aren¡¯t able to find that piece because we are trapped in this dark space, never allowed to leave unless permitted by someone else.


    So we stay in this dark space, alone for many years. We didn¡¯t know when we would get out of here or if we would see another human again. We were just here with nothing but our thoughts.


    When we finally got out of the space again and we met a child¡­ This child was such a lonely one. A child whose soul was in someone else''s body¡­ This child had so much darkness around her soul we were surprised that she was still normal.


    We were curious about this child and wanted to know more about her. The child looked so lonely and we didn¡¯t want to leave her alone. We decided to leave her a gift of our magic stone. Our magic stone would help her with her magic and it would help us find her anywhere if we felt like she was in danger.


    We would often spy on the girl in secret and saw how she lived. We noticed that she wasn¡¯t close with her ¡®family¡¯ and the cold look her ¡®family¡¯ gave her. We didn¡¯t understand why this ¡®family¡¯ hated her so much and we wanted to hurt them but we knew that would cause trouble for her.


    We saw the child had a guard up against many other humans and didn¡¯t allow anyone too close to her. Yet we knew that the child wished she could allow someone in without worrying that they would hurt her. We wanted to take away this fear of hers but didn¡¯t know how¡­


    This child is important to us. The humans we have in us also find her important. They want to always be with her and get rid of the things hurting her. Something about this child''s soul is so tempting and alluring that it''s hard to ignore her.


    We often worry about the child when her emotions get out of control. We could feel her anger and how much she wanted to destroy everything in her path. We wanted to comfort her but with what words? We never were good at understanding emotions.


    We wanted to protect the child so much¡­ We didn¡¯t want her to be near the ¡®family¡¯ who only caused her pain. We hated seeing them upset. We only want them to be happy. But how can we make them happy?


    We only seem to be good at making humans suffer and we don¡¯t want that. It is unfair that we are only a being of darkness¡­ We don¡¯t want to be seen as someone who only causes suffering. We also want to be seen as someone who brings joy to human lives.


    When our child was being hurt by a being who was like us but not a part of us. We felt so angry and wanted to destroy them. Why does harm come to our child? She never did anything wrong to anyone. Our child is the only light in our dark space.


    Our child was so hurt by the things that were told to her and we didn¡¯t know what to say to her. None of the humans in us couldn¡¯t help out either. We simply left her to be found by another human and watched as they helped her¡­


    We felt envious that someone else can help her while we could barely do anything. We can¡¯t close the gap between us. We are a being of darkness and she is a human. There is nothing about us that is alike and that is upsetting.


    We just want to be able to help for once¡­ We never ask to be like this. For once let us, be helpful and make us be able to protect this child. We don¡¯t want the child''s soul to be devoured by the darkness surrounding her. We¡­ We want to actually help this time. We want to be seen as a good thing for once and not a thing for destruction.

 Chapter Nineteen – Through Eli Eyes – In Between

    I am the only child of the rulers of Greenflower and it is a suffocating position. I am always being looked at by everyone and I am not allowed to show any type of weakness¡­ My parents do love and care for me but they don¡¯t truly understand what I go through. Being a prince isn¡¯t as perfect as everyone thinks it is. I am only seen as a perfect human being.


    When I started to wear female clothes everyone stopped looking at me and started whispering how horrible it was that my parents had a child like me. My parents were fine with what I was wearing, even my mom would help me get cute clothing so that I could look extra cute. This didn¡¯t help me make a lot of friends but I didn¡¯t really care about that. I was fine by myself and I didn¡¯t need anyone.


    The first meeting with Aurelia was actually one-sided. I saw her from behind a wall and she was crying by herself. She looked like she was pushed onto the ground pretty badly and was bleeding from her knee. She was trying hard to stop the bleeding on her knee and cry harder whenever she put pressure onto her knee.


    I could have helped her out but I didn¡¯t want to deal with that. I don¡¯t know how to deal with people who were crying so I just left her by herself. I pretend not to hear her painful and lonely cries. It wasn¡¯t anything that concerned me.


    When we formally met I noticed right away she fell in love with me at first sight. Even though I was dressed in female clothing she didn¡¯t care about that. She stuck to my side during the time we were alone together and didn¡¯t look away from me as I left with my parents.


    I knew my parents were curious about how I felt about her and that didn¡¯t sit well with me. But I lied and told them I liked her. If they were planning for me to marry her in the future I would be okay with it. She was someone who probably gave in easily if it meant she would get love in return. Pathetic.


    We ended up meeting with each other many times after that and got ¡®closer¡¯. She saw me as someone who she could trust. She would always tell me how much her father and brother dislike her. She would always wonder why nothing she did made either of them happy. I just listened to what she said with no care but gave her a false comforting smile whenever she would look at me with lonely eyes.


    She was someone who had a harder life than me and I felt pleased that there was someone else having a harder time than me. I would always draw her in with false sweet words and make her trust me with no doubt in her eyes.


    I felt pleased with this relationship and wanted it to last until I grew bored with this act of mine. She was someone who wanted love and I was giving it to her. I was someone who wanted to have some form of control in my life and she gave me that.


    This wasn¡¯t healthy, it was toxic as hell but I didn¡¯t want to stop at all. I was fine with this never changing but one day she totally changed¡­ She wasn¡¯t the same person looking for love and acceptance.


    When I saw her after learning she was in the hospital for a few days and greeted her with tears, I only saw the coldness in her eyes. It was like she was seeing through me and realizing I was a fake. I didn¡¯t like this at all. She wasn¡¯t allowed to get rid of me. Only I was allowed to decide that, not her.


    I may have gone a bit far with making sure she didn¡¯t leave my side but it worked and she still stayed by my side. But I can still see that she was looking at me with eyes that wanted to hurt me. I couldn¡¯t understand why this change had happened so quickly in her, she no longer looked at me with love in her eyes.


    This made me upset for a while and I tried to help make her view of me get better but it was like she knew I was only pretending to act kindly to her. She didn¡¯t trust me at all and only looked at me with doubtful eyes. I didn¡¯t like that and I wanted it to stop¡­


    I felt like I was being left behind in the world that only had the two of us in it. I felt so scared thinking I would be alone¡­ Even though I was using her to have some type of control in my life I didn¡¯t want to lose the only person who viewed me as a friend. I didn¡¯t want to be alone¡­ I don¡¯t want to be abandoned¡­


    Everything changed when it was her birthday, I went to it hoping to do something to make our relationship get closer. I didn¡¯t really bring a present with me since I realized I didn¡¯t know what she liked and that really didn¡¯t help with trying to fix our tense friendship.


    As I was trying to think about what I should do I ended up getting surrounded by a group of boys who were looking at me with the same eyes that all the adults surrounding my parents had. I felt really nervous and couldn¡¯t say anything as they started to mess with me. One of the boys told someone to get some water and I couldn¡¯t help but get even more nervous when I realized what they wanted to do to me.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    When one of the boys came back with water and poured it on me I just couldn¡¯t hold back my tears anymore. I wanted to leave, I wanted to scream, I wanted to kill them all. I was biting the inside of my cheek hard as I listened to all the boys laugh at me as I cried.


    I hate this and just want it to stop already. I didn¡¯t understand why I had to deal with this shit just because of how I dress¡­ It''s just too much for me to handle and I just want it to stop already!


    As I started to see the world in a gray state I felt light come back in when I heard the voice of Aurelia. She looked so mysterious as she walked up to the group of boys who were surrounding me. She was wearing all black and that should have given her a dark look but it made it seem like she was glowing.


    She grabs the wrist of the boy who poured the water on me and twists it. I let out a quiet gasp when he hit her in the face but she didn¡¯t seem to care about it. She forced the boy to get to his knees and slapped him across the face a couple of times. The boy ended up crying but she didn¡¯t stop.


    She managed to make all the other boys get nervous once they realize what could happen to their families if my parents learned that they did this to me. Even though she was looking at the boys with a cold look in her eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but find her so beautiful at the moment.


    When all the boys ran off in fear Aurelia dragged me to a room and told me to wait in there. When she came back with a towel and helped me dry off we were left in awkward silence. I didn¡¯t know what to say to my childhood friend who is so different from before. She is so far away now and I don¡¯t know how I should feel about that. I never realized how much I liked having her so close to me before.


    I didn¡¯t enjoy this and I was questioning if she was acting like this because she didn¡¯t like the way I was dressed. She would always praise what I wore before but now she barely even looks at me or says anything about the clothes I wear in her presence. I didn¡¯t want her to be like everyone else and find me strange because of what I wear¡­


    She told me that it didn¡¯t matter to her and that everyone who is bothered by me wearing these clothes is just jealous of me or is attracted to me. For some reason that caused tears to come to my eyes and I hid my face in her strong shoulder. I felt my heartbeat speed up when she grabbed my hand.


    Aah¡­ What a funny situation this is¡­ I can¡¯t believe I fell in love with Aurelia when she doesn¡¯t even like me anymore. Such a cruel fate¡­


    I hugged her when she told me I looked cute in my dress and didn¡¯t want to let go. It was only the two of us again¡­ Back in the world that was made for only us. I didn¡¯t want to lose this again.


    After realizing I was in love with Aurelia I was determined to make her fall back in love with me. I would always visit her and make her visit me so that we could get closer again. She looked confused about this change but didn¡¯t say anything to me.


    I always felt so nervous whenever she was looking at other boys who weren¡¯t me. I felt happy at how much she hated Colton and I didn¡¯t have to worry about her falling in love with him. I rather her hate everyone and only have me by her side. I want to be the only person she allows next to her.


    So it is understandable I would be pissed when I saw a new servant of hers that was looking at her with the same look Aurelia used to give me. I hated him and I hated that Aurelia didn¡¯t seem to mind him. I didn¡¯t even think that Aurelia realized this at all which scares me so much.


    I¡¯m so scared that Aurelia will fall in love with someone and leave me behind. I don¡¯t want her to do that at all. I know I was so cruel to her before with my false kindness and false friendship but I really don¡¯t want to lose her¡­


    This distance between us is slowly getting bigger and I am worried if I am not always by her side the distance will be so huge that I can barely reach her anymore. She is going to leave my side if I don¡¯t do something that will force her to always stand with me.


    It didn¡¯t help that I ended up getting a view of this distance¡­ Aurelia loves her family so much even though they hate her so much. The fact that her own brother she loves more than anything wanted to kill her really messed her up and showed me a side of her that I never saw before.


    It felt like I was seeing someone who could simply disappear since there was nothing left for here. No matter what I did or said, I know that I wouldn¡¯t be the one to bring her back to the place where I am. I wanted to go to her side but my parents took me back home.


    It isn¡¯t fair that I can¡¯t be with her, that I am so far away from her. I didn¡¯t care about this distance before but now it is something that haunts me constantly¡­ I hate that I wasn¡¯t there for her when she needed me.


    I am a bad person and I know that. I didn¡¯t want to be like this. I should have honestly helped her whenever she was sad and lonely. I shouldn¡¯t have just been looking at her as someone I could easily control with my words.


    I don¡¯t want to lose the one person who used to love me so much. I wanted to gain her trust back¡­ I wanted to keep her by my side. I feel like I may lose a piece of myself if our relationship reaches a point where nothing can fix it.


    If that happens¡­ I will be forced to lock her away in a place that only I know about. Even if she hates me for that it wouldn¡¯t matter to me. As long as I have Aurelia nothing really matters to me...

 Chapter Twenty – Well This Is Bad – Volume Two

    I was standing in front of a huge door, it was towering over me. The door looked ominous in front of me. I didn¡¯t feel safe as I stood in front of this door. I just knew there was something behind this door that I didn¡¯t want to see¡­


    I could feel my body move as I went to open up the door. Even though the door was so huge I managed to grab hold of the doorknob. The doorknob felt cold against my hot and sweaty palm. I was hoping that the door was locked but my heart sank when it opened without any problem.


    I push the door and it slowly opens up. I didn¡¯t move as the door continued to open up. I was frozen in that spot as I looked straight ahead. I didn¡¯t want to move forward but I wasn¡¯t in control of my body.


    I walked into the darkroom and kept walking until I saw a light. When I reached the light source I felt my heartbeat increase in speed. I saw a knocked-over chair and a¡­ body that was swinging above the ground.


    It was a woman''s body that was wearing a wedding dress¡­ Her head was hanging awkwardly due to the noose that was around her neck. I couldn¡¯t see her face as it was covered by her long hair. For some reason I started to cry as I looked up at this woman, I could feel my mouth open as I let out a sound but I couldn¡¯t hear what I was saying.


    Then the woman who was swinging on the noose stopped moving back and forth then her head straightened. She grabbed at the noose that was holding her up and untied herself from it. She gently got to the ground but still had the noose hanging from her neck. Her head kept awkwardly falling off to the side as she stood in front of me.


    I was frozen in fear as she started to walk toward me¡­ When she finally got in front of me, I was grabbed by both of my shoulders and I couldn¡¯t get out of her grip no matter how much I moved.


    Then the hair that was in front of her face slowly moved out of the way and I saw??


    ¡°Aurelia, are you still with me?¡± I was snapped out of my thoughts by a man''s voice. I blinked my eyes in confusion and looked at who called me. I didn¡¯t understand where I was for a second but remember as soon as I looked at the man who called me.


    I was currently at my mandated therapy appointment. I must have gotten lost in my thoughts again¡­ This kept happening for the past two years after my magic freak out. Dreams of my past kept showing up at night and even when I was awake I couldn¡¯t escape them. I felt like I really wasn¡¯t in my body anymore and my mind wasn¡¯t even a safe place for me.


    ¡°Are you having trouble processing your emotions right now?¡± The man was speaking to me in a gentle voice but it didn¡¯t do anything for me. He is just pretending to be gentle towards me¡­ I know he just wants me to trust him so he could figure out a way to prevent me from having another magical freakout.


    I knew how everyone else saw me, the girl whose magic is dangerous to everyone else if her emotions grow crazy. I was feared and hated¡­ I doubt they would care about my magical freak out if they were able to control it for their uses.


    ¡°...I know that you don¡¯t trust me even after seeing each other for two years but I honestly do want to help you. I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t speak to me.¡± The man looked a bit tired as he told me this. I didn¡¯t care if I was causing him stress, I just wanted him to give up and stop pretending he cared about me.


    The room I was in was silent as I looked at the clock that was about to reach the end of my appointment. I looked back at the upset man who was sitting in his big chair. He had placed his notepad on the table and I saw that he had nothing written down. I thought he would at least write something about my behavior but I guess it would be boring to write about me not saying anything to him. I looked back at the clock and realized in just a few seconds my appointment would come to an end.


    ¡°...I have been having bad dreams for the past two years after my magical freakout,¡± I said only that, and before he could even say anything to me a ringing echo throughout the room I was in. I got up from my seat and didn¡¯t look at him as I exited the room.


    I closed the door softly behind me and headed for the outside. As I was exiting the building I saw Erik and he saw me. It was just a few seconds of quietly looking at each other before I looked away from him¡­ His eyes still looked very much scared as he looked at me.


    When I was out of the building I saw my car was already there waiting for me. I picked up my pace as I headed to the car. When I got into it I saw my usual driver who smiled at me as soon as I got in. I could smell his cigarette in the car but it didn¡¯t bother me, it was actually comforting in some way.


    ¡°There you are, little miss! How was the appointment today?¡± He asked me the usual question whenever I finished my appointment.


    ¡°It was fine.¡± And I gave him the same answer, as always.


    He looked like he wanted to say more but only smiled at me. I looked out the window as he started the car up again and started to drive me home. He didn¡¯t say anything during the ride, only turned on the car radio but made sure not to make it too loud.


    As he did that I started to disappear into my head again. It is a habit that started up and I can¡¯t make it stop. It felt like the moment I realized I locked away the memories of my past life they have slowly been making their way back through my dreams and my thoughts. I know I have to remember them but at the same time, it scares me very much¡­


    What will happen the moment I remember the reason why I killed myself? Will it drive me to kill myself once more and hope that this time I won¡¯t be brought back? These thoughts often appear in my head and they are scary thoughts¡­


    I was brought out my thoughts once more as my door opened up and a hand was being held in front of me. I grab the hand gently and step out of the car. When I focused in front of me I saw the door to my house was open and Mae was standing right there. I felt a burst of happiness appear in my heart and I tried not to make it show on my face.


    I made my way toward Mae in a way that didn¡¯t seem like it was hurrying but still was moving fast. When I got in front of Mae, she hugged me close to her tightly before giving me space. During the two years, Mae had decided to cut her hair so that it was closer to her neck. She also started to wear glasses since her eyesight started to get a bit worse. But she is still very much warm as always.


    ¡°Aurelia, how was the appointment today?¡± Mae had one of her hands on my cheek as she looked me directly in the eyes. I didn¡¯t see any type of fear or nervousness in her eyes and that just made my heart get warm. She really is the same¡­


    ¡°It was fine.¡± Yet I still told her the same lie that I always tell her. I am still scared to let her in fully. What if she sees something she doesn''t like and slowly leaves my side? I don¡¯t want her to disappear from me¡­


    ¡°I see¡­ Well, dinner is currently being made so how about you go to your room? There is a letter to you about a party.¡± After kissing my forehead slowly, Mae turned herself as she headed off to the kitchen. I looked at her for a second longer before heading to my room.


    As I was walking to my room I could hear the voices of my servant calling out to me in happy voices. I greeted them back as I passed by them. They still treated me the same as always. It made my heart get a warm feeling as well but I didn¡¯t think too much about it.


    When I reached my room I noticed that my door was open a bit. I already knew the reason why and let out a sigh as I entered my room. I saw right away that Sybil was laying on my bed as he read a book. I could tell he was about to pass out as he struggled to read the book.


    ¡°Don¡¯t read any of my books if it bores you this much.¡± I grab the book out of his hands and walk over to my desk to place it back to the place it was originally located. I noticed that there was a letter on my desk which probably meant it was the party invitation Mae mentioned to me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so bored if the book you read wasn¡¯t so dull. Why do you have so many learning books? Get some actually fun books. It feels like you are more of a fifty years old than a thirteen-year-old with how much you enjoy reading boring books.¡± I felt Sybil put his arm around my shoulder as his face got close to mine. I wasn¡¯t bothered by this as I went to open up the letter.


    I quickly looked through the letter and got a quick understanding of what this party was about. This family probably wanted to get a close relationship with me so they don¡¯t have to worry about getting on my bad side if I ever have another magical freakout. They aren¡¯t the first family to do this.


    I was going to go like I always did with parties like this. It worked both ways after all. They would get a ¡°relationship¡± with me and I would get more people to work with me. It was nice especially if the family that invited me to the parties had children around my age. I needed a group of followers like the original Aurelia after all.


    ¡°Oh, another group of kiss asses wants to become your ¡®friend¡¯. I don¡¯t see why you even bother with people like them. You know they just want to use you.¡± I could feel Sybil''s tail moving behind him in an irritated manner. I knew he didn¡¯t like when people wanted to use me for their own goals. He felt like a dog protecting his master when he got like this.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°It works both ways. They get to think they are using me and before they know what is happening, they will realize that I am the one using them. Does that make me a kiss ass as well?¡± I turned around to look at Sybil and we were so close that our noses were touching. Sybil''s ears twitch a bit before putting more distance between us with a light blush on his face. I didn¡¯t see why that was embarrassing, we were basically siblings in each other''s eyes.


    ¡°W-Well if you are the one doing it then I am okay with it.¡± I only nodded at what he said before heading over to my closet to figure out what I should wear for this party. I had to look my best when meeting with new business partners.


    I spent my time in my room picking out my outfit with Sybil helping out. Well, helping out as best as he could. His sense of fashion really doesn''t match mine so he was more in the background. After I finally decided what I should wear for the party it was time for dinner and I headed out of my room.


    For some reason, as I thought about the party I kept getting a weird feeling. I felt really cautious about going, worried that something may happen to me during the party. But I decided to push it to the back of my mind until it was the party.


    During the few weeks before the party I was thinking about the weird feeling, just focus on doing my usual schedule. Go to my therapy sessions, study by myself for a while, probably get visited by Eli, ignore letters from annoying people, and sneak off to my mom''s hidden room.


    I would still get dreams during this time, always the same door, the same woman, never seeing her face¡­ I wanted to see her face so badly but at the same time, I felt afraid. I knew this woman and she knew me. My heart hurts whenever I see her and I really want to hug her tightly to me¡­ I don¡¯t want her to leave my side¡­


    When the day of the party arrived I was getting my hair done by Mae. My hair had increased during the years and I was deciding whether or not I should cut it like Mae. When I mentioned that to her it was a negative response from her. Since she like my hair so much I decided to keep it long just for her.


    ¡°I am sorry that Sybil won¡¯t be able to join you this time. His father wanted to take him somewhere and wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. He even tied him up and took Sybil to the place.¡± Mae let out a sigh as she shook her head at her husband''s actions. I never actually met her husband but he often gave me weird gifts from his trips.


    ¡°It''s fine, the party would be rather boring so it would be better if he doesn¡¯t come with me.¡± I didn¡¯t let it bother me, it would be like any party I would go to and it would end the same. Yet the feeling from before came back once more and it was stronger than before. I tried to calm myself by touching the magic stone around my neck. It grew warm at my touch and I felt better, for now.


    Mae finally finishes with my hair and finishes it off by putting a daisy hair clip in my hair. She braided my hair and put it into a bun. I always enjoy the different ways she would do my hair for me. I felt reluctant to learn how to style my hair myself if it means that she would never do my hair again.


    ¡°Okay, I am done. You always look so beautiful Aurelia. I just want to keep you here so that no nasty boy will steal you away.¡± Mae frowned as she thought about something that I doubt will happen to me. She always worries I would fall for a no good boy but I haven¡¯t really felt that for anyone. Love is too troublesome for me.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen anytime soon, Mae.¡± I got up from the seat I was sitting on and fixed my dress. I had a medium-length black poofy skirt with an empire waist and bell-shaped sleeves. I was wearing low-heeled lace-up black shoes. I put on a light sweater just in case it is a little windy.


    ¡°I am going to head out. It probably will just be for around two hours so don¡¯t start dinner until it is close to the time I am returning.¡± I started to head outside with Mae following behind me. My servants all gave me a quick bow as they watched me leave. Before I took a step outside I felt like I had to say something else to Mae before I leave.


    ¡°I love you, Mae. Make sure to take care of yourself and the house while I am away.¡± Giving her a quick small smile I turn and step out of the house. I was moving a bit quickly so I couldn¡¯t hear Mae say something. I still felt embarrassed when I told her stuff like that.


    When I got into my car it still smelled like the usual cigarette and I could only shake my head at my driver. He is old and he should be more careful with his health. I could see my driver awkwardly rub behind his neck at my disapproving stare. I was fine with him smoking once in a while but I rather it not be nonstop smoking.


    ¡°You look stunnin¡¯ little miss! I bet all the other gals at the party will be jealous of you. You better be sure to keep those boys at a distance! They will be droolin¡¯ after you at this party.¡± I really couldn¡¯t understand why my driver also thought that about me. I am the same as always, doubt that it will cause any change in how boys see me. I still have the same thoughts about them.


    ¡°I can keep them away just by staring at them so I am not worried at all.¡± I wasn¡¯t joking about that at all. Whenever I look anyone directly in the eyes they usually grow quiet and tend to wander off so I can no longer look at them.


    ¡°What a nice skill to have. I remember doing that when I was a young man, pretty sure I made someone piss their pants once. It was funny as hell!¡± I listened to my driver talk about different stories from his past as he drove me to the party. I enjoy learning more things about my driver but it kind of weird that I never learn his name. It would be too embarrassing to ask him now¡­


    After an hour of driving, I finally arrived at the place where the party was happening. The car slowly came to a stop and I spotted many other cars waiting outside the house as well. I took off my seatbelt and made sure my dress was still neat.


    ¡°You can come back in two hours so no need to stay here bored.¡± I gave my driver the okay to leave while I headed into the party. I have gotten used to staying all the way through a party now, even if I find it simply awful.


    I got a nod from my driver before I fully exited the car. I closed the door gently behind me and headed in. My driver didn¡¯t leave right away and only left when he saw me reach the entrance of the building. I stood outside the door a second and then head in with a completely blank expression on my face.


    When I reached the area where the party was happening all the party guests looked at me. I didn¡¯t pay them any mind as I headed toward the host of the party. I was met halfway by a woman with a polite smile on her face. I didn¡¯t bother to smile at her but instead gave a polite nod.


    ¡°Aurelia, it is so nice you made it here! My daughters are so excited to chat with you.¡± The woman then motioned to three girls behind her that were looking at me with nervous looks. I knew they were scared of me but I couldn¡¯t have a group of followers just following me out of fear. One day they would stop being afraid and turn on me.


    I walked up to them and I could see them get even closer to each other. When I was a good distance from them I smiled at them. I have been practicing my party smile during my spare time and I have gotten pretty good at it. The girls looked shocked at the smile but they didn¡¯t look that nervous anymore.


    The girls eventually stopped being cautious with me after a few minutes of just speaking together. They let down their guard and talked about random girls'' things that I didn¡¯t get. I felt pleased that I managed to get another group of girls to join my followers but I had to be careful not to scare them away.


    After half an hour into the party, I grew slightly irritated with being near this many people so I excuse myself and headed off to the bathroom. As I was walking to the bathroom I noticed there was a second pair of footsteps following me. It didn¡¯t help that they stopped whenever I stopped walking. Not wanting to deal with this anymore I turned around to look at the person who was following me.  To my surprise it was just a servant, they looked nervous as they got closer to me and handed me a letter. After the letter was in my hand they quickly left.


    I looked at the letter that was in my hand and looked to see what was written on it. I felt my interest grow quickly when it mentioned my mom. It was someone who knew my mom well and where she came from. They wanted to meet with me but I had to trust them even if the situation got weird. I couldn¡¯t understand what they meant by weird but I really did want to know more about Aurelia''s mom.


    So I changed my destination from the bathroom to the room mentioned in the letter. It took me a while to find it but when I got there I noticed that the door was slightly open already. I didn¡¯t trust that so I headed into the room cautiously. What I saw in the room surprised me, what was all the love interest doing in the same room together.


    ¡°Aurelia! I didn¡¯t know you were at this party as well!¡± Eli quickly ran up to me, holding up the front of the red dress he was in. It had a layered skirt with a corset about the waist and strap sleeves. It had a big bow behind him. His hair was in a high ponytail which just made him appear even cuter.


    ¡°I am surprised to learn that you are here also¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even notice that he was at the party with me as well. I didn¡¯t even know that any of the love interests were here. But I guess it makes sense seeing as they are princes.


    I looked at all the other love interests. There were different expressions on their faces as they looked at me. Colton was glaring at me like always, Merrill was looking at me with an excited look (which may or may not have sent a shiver up my back), and  Isaias still had that fake smile on his face but his eyes were not able to hide a sharp look in them. I really was not happy about being in a room with all of them at once.


    ¡°Did you get a letter as well?¡± Eli tilted his head towards me as he held up a letter to me. It wasn¡¯t like the letter I had but it was telling him to come to this room and talk with someone whose support would be helpful to his kingdom. I looked over to the other guys in the room and saw that they also had a letter in their hand.


    The feeling I had before came back and it was stronger now. Alarms were going off in my head and when I heard the door to the room opening I quickly went on my guard and didn¡¯t relax until I saw who it was. When I saw it was Erik I felt confused, I didn¡¯t even know he was here as well. I saw that he had a letter in his hand as well and the alarms went off once more.


    ¡°Why does everyone in this room have a letter telling them to come here¡­? This doesn¡¯t seem right at all.¡± I didn¡¯t like this at all and quickly went to the door that Erik closed when he came into the room. When I grabbed at the doorknob it wouldn¡¯t turn, it was locked.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you opening the door, dumbass?¡± Colton sounded annoyed when he came up behind me and moved me out of the way. He tried to open the door as well and got annoyed when it wouldn¡¯t open for him either.


    I was going to say something else but froze when I saw smoke coming from beneath the door. I quickly got away from the door and covered my mouth. I saw that everyone else copied me when I did that. The air was tense as the room was filled up with smoke and no one tried to move. Eli got really close to me as he shook with his hand covering his mouth.


    The first to pass out was Colton then he was followed by Merrill. I went over to them to make sure they were dead and found out they were only knocked out. The next person to pass out was Eli, who fell against me. I held him with the hand that wasn¡¯t covering my mouth and looked at the other two who were still awake.


    I could feel my vision getting hazy but I forced myself not to pass out. Isaias ended up passing out as well and it was just me with Erik. My vision was getting darker and it was harder to keep my eyes open. I could hear a thump and I realized that Erik passed out. I followed after him and fell to the ground, my hand still resting on Eli.


    I could hear the door to the room open and footsteps coming in but what happened next is something I don¡¯t know. I really should have trusted the bad feeling¡­


    ¡®Oh no¡­ Mae won¡¯t be able to give me dinner after all. I¡¯m sorry Mae¡­¡¯ That was the last thought I had before going into a deep sleep.

 Chapter Twenty-One – Meeting Mother Side Of The Family

    There is a table. I am sitting at the table. I feel numb. There is a slip of paper in front of me, a check with a lot of zeros. It feels like I am being mocked by these zeros. There is someone across from me but I do not wish to look at them.


    I can hear countless voices around me, insulting me, laughing at me. I am mad. I want to kill them all. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them. Kill them.


    WhY aM i FoRcE tO DeAl WiTh SuCh HuLiMaTiOn? I jUsT wAnTeD hIm To UnDeRsTaNd HoW mUcH pAiN hE cAuSe My MoThEr. GiVe BaCk My MoThEr¡­ YoU kIlL hEr WiTh ThAt FaLsE lOvE oF yOuRs!


    I miss my mommy¡­ Give her back¡­ Why did she leave me behind? Did she love this man more than she loved me? I don¡¯t ever want to fall in love. I hate love. It took my mommy away. Love is bad and I hate it.


    I jUsT wAnT tO kIlL tHe MaN wHo MaDe My LiFe A lIvInG hElL. I aM gOiNg To DrAg HiM tO hElL wItH mE. sOmEoNe WhO hAs ThE sAmE dNa As HiM iS oNlY sUiTeD fOr HeLl.


    I got onto the table I was sitting at and jumped at the man across from me. My hands wrapped around his neck. He had a scribble out face.


    I could feel myself smiling as I kept increasing the gripe around this man''s neck. The whispers around me were getting louder. I could no longer tell if they were real or fake. I started to laugh as I felt the neck in my hands slowly start to break.


    I could feel something wet going down my face as I laughed. The man in my hands started to laugh with me. Our laugh started to mix. The laughter continued until I felt his neck break in my hold.


    ¡­.It is quiet now


    I hear nothing¡­


    ¡­.I am nothing


    Who am I anymore¡­.


    ¡­.I am tired now


    Goodbye¡­


    I felt myself wake up and tears come out of my eyes. I went to move my body but realized I couldn¡¯t control it that well. I felt confused for a second before remembering¡­ I was kidnapped. I struggled to sit up since both my legs were tied together rather tightly and my arms weren¡¯t much help with them being behind me.


    I realized that my mouth was also covered so I couldn¡¯t speak. They must have done this so that no one could use their magic. Smart but so am I. I looked around the place I was in and saw that it was a cell. Looking through the iron bars of my cell I could see other people, probably the love interests and Erik.


    Okay, I knew what I had to do. I couldn¡¯t hear anyone near the cells so that meant that they either didn¡¯t think any of us would cause a problem (unlikely) or they were doing something else for a moment. Whatever it was I knew I had to act now.


    I closed my eyes and imagined the spell I wanted to use. I felt my shadow servant come from my shadow, they had changed over the two years and looked more like little butlers and maids. I use my thoughts to make them understand that I wanted them to untie my arms. They went to do that right away and I could feel the rope loosen. My arms were sore as I brought them in front of me but I didn¡¯t let it stop me from getting rid of the rope around my legs.


    I went to get rid of the thing around my mouth but realized there was a lock on it. So this meant I would have to only use the non-verbal ways to cast magic. This is something I would have to be smart with since I am not that proficient in it yet so my magic may get drained quickly if I don¡¯t act smart with it.


    I crawl over to the bars of the cell I was in and confirm that I did know who the people were in the cells. I focused on their shadow and had many of my servants come out of their shadow to untie them. I could see that everyone was waking up and quickly heading over to the bars of their cell.


    I looked at them all with serious but calm eyes and held up a finger telling them to wait. I then went to the darkest part of my cell and put my hands into the darkness. I wasn¡¯t going to dive into it, I didn¡¯t know where I was so that would end up causing me more problems. I needed to gather information by listening through the shadows.


    I could feel countless images go through my head as I searched through the shadows to see who had the keys to our cells. I landed on a man who was walking, I could hear keys coming from him. I decided to use a spell that I learned recently to gain control of his shadow. I force him to stop and to head over to the cells.


    After a few minutes, I could hear him approaching and I forced him to open my cell first. After I got out I caused his mind to shut down by using another spell of mind that can cause people to pass out. I took the keys off his body and I took what looked to be a small dagger from his body.


    I quickly went and opened everyone''s cells, making sure they would all remain quiet as I did so. The key that the man had didn¡¯t seem to have the key for the lock of the things covering our mouth so we had to deal with this for a bit longer.


    Eli quickly hugged at my arm and I could feel his tears. I couldn¡¯t deal with his acting like this right now so I forced him to let go of me and I tried to speak with my eyes. He seemed to get what I was and got rid of the tears that appeared in his eyes. I motion for everyone else to get behind me and I headed out of the area we were in.


    I would always stick to the areas that were the darkest so I could see where everyone else was in this place we were being held in. I noticed that a few men who look to be really skilled fighters quickly leave a room they were in with serious expressions. That didn¡¯t give me a good feeling and I started to worry that they knew we escaped.


    I needed to find who had the keys for the things covering our mouth but I really wanted to just leave this place we were in. I didn¡¯t know why these people kidnapped us but I rather not figure it out. I wonder if the person who sent me the note was also involved in this¡­ It seems like they knew this would happen.


    I must have been thinking too deeply because I ended up bumping into the back of an adult figure. They quickly turned around and froze when he saw us. I quickly pushed everyone back so we could have some distance between this person.


    ¡°Great! Now we also have to deal with the fact the brats escape their cells!¡± The man messed with his hair and glared at us. I could see that he was going for something at his side but I knew I couldn¡¯t let him get it, I had to act first.


    Holding the dagger in my hand I stabbed it in the man''s leg which caused him to let out a scream of pain. I then turned and looked at everyone, telling them with my eyes to hide quickly. I quickly went to hide as well, still holding the dagger that now had blood on it.


    I ended up hiding behind a crate and I could hear the man cursing loudly. My heart was beating wildly in my chest and I went to touch my magic stone. I felt a bit scared thinking it wouldn¡¯t be there but calm down once I felt the familiar warmth at my fingertips. I could feel it giving off nervous pulses and that made me feel a bit better.


    ¡°Fucking bitch stab me¡­ Where the fuck did she even get that dagger from? They should have just fucking killed her, we weren¡¯t even going after her! But the boss just had to keep her. Fucking creep probably wants to sell her or whatever that sick fuck like doing¡­¡± I was holding my breath as the man walked past the crate I was hiding behind. I tried not to think of what he was talking about, it would only cause me to worry.


    I could see the other love interest and Erik leave the room and I was going to move to join them but I noticed that Eli also decided to move. I felt my eyes widen as he tripped on the ground and made a rather loud noise. The man turned around and spotted Eli on the ground. He let out a snort as he started to head over to them. Eli looked so scared as he went to crawl away from the man.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡®Leave him. You don¡¯t need to save him at all. Who gives a damn about him? We have to look out for ourselves. It not our fault that he is so fucking clumsy. If he has to die for us to live I will be fine with that. Just close your eyes and pretend you can¡¯t see what is happening.¡¯ I could hear the voice urging me to turn my back on Eli. I wanted to do that so badly but he looked so scared¡­ I¡­ I am such an idiot¡­


    I quickly ran out from behind the crate I was hiding behind and stabbed the man in the back. He shouted out in surprise and quickly turned around to face me. I went to use a spell but the man quickly grabbed me by the neck and lifted me off the ground.


    ¡°You are just extra! I don¡¯t need to keep you alive! Fucking little bitch stabbing me again!¡± The man was squeezing my neck tightly and I tried to stab at him with the dagger in my hand but my vision was getting blurry and I couldn¡¯t get a direct hit. Eventually, the dagger fell out of my hand and to the ground.


    I could see through my hazy vision that Eli was hitting at the man who was choking me but was knocked to the ground from a hit by the man. I was struggling to get air into my lungs but I couldn¡¯t breathe. I tried to kick at the man but my legs didn¡¯t have force behind their kicks.


    ¡®I...I am going to die¡­ Damn it, why did all the other idiots leave. This is so bad. Eli needs to leave¡­ Shit¡­¡¯ I could feel myself getting weaker and my arms going limp at my side. I was just too tired and wanted to sleep¡­


    When I thought I would pass out I was dropped to the floor and I could feel myself be able to breathe once more. I could feel someone at my side holding me to them. Feeling wetness appear on me I knew it was Eli.


    My vision grew clear and I could see the man who was choking me out had a sword through his body. He looked confused at that and fell to the ground with that expression still on his face. I looked at the blood coming from him and looked back at the person who used the sword.


    It was a tall dark skin woman who had short wavy brown hair. Her light blue eyes gave her a kind appearance but I could see a bit of sharpness in them. She also had a small scar under her right eye that was curled into half of a heart shape. But what was really eye-catching about her is the fact she was wearing bright pink clothing. Also, the clothing she was wearing didn¡¯t seem like someone should wear if they are a fighter and don¡¯t want to worry about getting their nice clothes dirty.


    ¡°Oh. My. Gosh~ I can¡¯t believe that I actually found you! This is like the greatest thing that ever happened to me! I totally want to take a picture but I am totally worried my hair is a mess. Ugh, why didn¡¯t I bring my hand mirror with me?! I hope you know that I am usually more attractive and neat looking.¡± I felt a silence fill the room once I heard this woman speak¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting that to come out of her mouth¡­


    ¡°Oh no! Your neck is getting such a nasty bruise¡­ I should have killed this piece of shit more slowly and painfully, tch.¡± The woman stomp on the body of the man who was bleeding out before coming over to me. She put away the blood cover sword to her side and stood in front of me. I looked at her with cautious eyes that end up getting wide when she lifted me off the ground with ease.


    I moved around in her hold but she just pats my back like I was a child who needed to be comforted. Eli was next to the woman and looked at me with worried eyes but didn¡¯t make a move to get me from her arms. I don¡¯t blame him since she did stab the man through the back.


    ¡°Now, now~ It''s time for you to meet your grumpy uncle. The rest of your little companions are currently with him! Don¡¯t be scared by his face, he is actually going to be so happy to see you, Aurelia!¡± The woman pinched my cheek and held me closer to her chest. I don¡¯t know why but she smells familiar and for some reason, she kind of reminds me of my mother¡­


    Wait...Uncle?! I looked at the woman more closely and I realized she really did remind me of my mother but more feminine. Didn¡¯t Mae tell me my mother came from a faraway place?! Where am I and how did these kidnappers get me here without any trouble?


    I had countless thoughts going through my head after meeting someone who is from my mother''s family. I felt a nervous feeling building up in my stomach and I didn¡¯t want to meet them. What if they hate me as well¡­ I don¡¯t think I could handle the people who raise my mother hating me as well¡­


    I was brought out of my thoughts after feeling a cold breeze come across my body. I realized I was still in my dress but didn¡¯t have my sweater anymore. I looked around to see that I was outside and everything was covered with snow, which was strange since it should be spring right now¡­


    I looked ahead of me and I saw that countless people were standing around a pile of dead bodies. I could see the love interests and Erik off to the side as well cover with blankets and holding a drink that may be hot chocolate. I also noticed that they no longer had their mouth cover so that meant these people had the keys to the lock for the thing covering my mouth.


    The woman walks over to them and pushes Eli toward them. Eli looked at the woman and me with a reluctant look but he couldn¡¯t say anything since his mouth was still covered. I guess the woman was going to have someone take off the thing on his mouth as well.


    I thought she would put me down but she kept holding me and headed over to a tent that was set up. When she got into the tent there was a table in it and she placed me down in one of the chairs. She went to grab something from behind me and I could feel the thing covering my mouth come off. She then placed hot chocolate in front of me and sat from across me with a warm look in her eyes.


    ¡°Wow~ You look just like my big sissy! I mean if she was more gloomy and serious. But that does add to your cuteness. I have such a cute looking niece~ I wanna kiss you all over your face. I am so mad that my sissy didn¡¯t make us see you, hmph! But she was pretty mad when she left so I guess it was not that surprising¡­¡± The woman''s smile grew a bit sad and her eyes got a faraway look in them for a second before they got bright once again.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say to this woman who was claiming she was my aunt¡­ She did remind me of my mother but it could be for a different reason. I looked down at the drink in front of me but didn¡¯t drink it since I was still cautious about this woman.


    ¡°You are a cautious person, aren¡¯t you? I totally get where you''re coming from! A beautiful mysterious woman who came from nowhere is calling your mother her older sister! Is she lying to me and planning to poison me?! I must not allow myself to be killed off so easily!¡± The woman leaned back in the chair she was in with a hand against her forehead in a dramatic pose. I really didn¡¯t know if she was pretending to act like this or if her personality was seriously like this.


    ¡°Quit acting like a child. It''s gross for someone nearing her thirties to do that¡­¡± A cold voice called out to the woman and a man with light brown skin came into the tent as well. He looked to be tall as well but the woman still had a bit more height than him. He had curly short brown hair that had an undercut. His sharp green eyes looked at the woman in annoyance. I could see that he had a really muscular looking body. He had a scar coming from his right ear and going all the way down to his jaw. There was a bit of stubble on his face as well.


    The man looked at me and I grew tense. It felt like he was staring at me for hours but it was just a few minutes. I tried not to flinch when the man walked over to me and dropped down to one knee. I looked at him with cautious eyes as one of his hands reached for my face.


    ¡°...You really do look like a younger version of Gia. But her eyes weren''t as dull as yours. I bet she would be upset to see that¡­¡± The man rubbed a finger under my eyes as he looked at me with gentle eyes. I didn¡¯t know how to react to a total stranger looking at me with such warmth in their eyes.


    ¡°...Did one of you write that note to me?¡± I finally spoke up and could hear that my voice sounded a bit rough. I went to clear my voice in a way that wouldn''t be seen as rude.


    ¡°Oh, OH! Me, ME! I wrote that note for you! I want to draw a heart on it but my grumpy younger brother wouldn¡¯t allow me! Saying that it would make it seem like it was a joke. How would it be a joke to make the note look a bit cuter?¡± The woman crossed her arms as she pouted. I didn¡¯t know how to react to a grown woman acting like such a child.


    ¡°Ignore her. I am happy we are finally able to meet Aurelia. I am your uncle, Everette Dallarose, your mother''s younger brother. It is nice to meet you.¡± Still, on one knee, Everette gave me a bow that gave him an elegant feeling.


    ¡°Me next~ It is nice to meet you, Aurelia! I am your cute and forever young aunty, Drucilla Dallasrose or you can call me Cilla or big sister!¡± Drucilla raises a peace sign to her face as she winks at me.


    ¡°I am so happy we can finally meet you, Aurelia! I wanted to see you sooner but couldn¡¯t because ¡°it wasn¡¯t the right time¡± and ¡°quit whining or else I will lock you up and you will never see your niece!¡± They were being so cruel to me even though I just wanted to meet you so badly. Why are they so mean to your cute aunty? They must be jealous of how cute I am¡­¡± Drucilla closed her eyes as she had her hand to her cheek with fake tears appearing in her eyes.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t treat you like that if you actually listen to us for once.¡±  Everette looked at Drucilla with an annoyed expression but it went away when he looked at me once again.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t¡­ my brother here¡­¡± I forced myself to call Erik my brother and tried not to react to the dull pain that appeared in my chest when I did it. This always happens now whenever I refer to him in that way¡­


    ¡°He isn¡¯t important right now. We will tell him later but you are the one we need. You are the only one who could do what needs to be done.¡± Everette looked at me with serious eyes and Drucilla''s eyes were also serious. I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, what did they need me for?


    ¡°Since she probably didn¡¯t have time or made an effort to tell you about her family background I will tell you. Your mother came from a family of royalties who were tasked to protect something. It would be bad if something happened to that thing. Your mother had the ability to take care of that thing but since she is dead you are the one who must handle this thing before it gets to a point where nothing could stop it.¡± Everette told me this seriously but this only added more questions than answers.


    My mother was royalty? Why does her family have to protect something? What is this something? Why am I the only one who could stop it now? What did the kidnapping have to do with this? Where am I? How is Mae currently?

 Chapter Twenty-Two – The Regrets Of A Family

    It was a rather awkward situation I was in currently, sitting in a room with all the love interest and Erik. Eli was by my side and holding my arm tightly while looking up at me with worried eyes. Erik kept looking at me as well but would always look away when he realized I notice him looking. He wanted to say something to me but he was scared, he will always be scared.


    ¡°OMG! Why the fuck is the air in this room so awkward? It reminds me of that time where my parents caught me naked with an innocent maiden from a really important family. Well¡­ She wasn¡¯t innocent anymore after what we did¡­ Hehehe¡­¡± Drucilla was also in the room with us and she didn¡¯t really help at all with getting rid of the awkwardness¡­ Why did she bring up something like that?


    ¡°Sometimes you really need to stop and think to yourself, should I be saying this? It will help you out so much.¡± Everett entered the room pushing in a cart that was filled with drinks and sweets. He shot Drucilla a firm stare before he went to place a drink in front of me with a cake. He gave me a small smile when I picked up the drink he served me, it was hot chocolate.


    ¡°Also what did I tell you so many times, clean your sword after you use it! You are no longer a child who is using it for the first time. Do you know how hard it is to clean scabbard? You can¡¯t keep replacing it.¡± Everett looked at Drucilla with an annoyed glare as he sat down next to her on the couch she was on and she just flipped him off with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Why are we still here? Shouldn¡¯t someone be coming to take us home soon?¡± Erik didn¡¯t try to be polite to the two adults in the room. He was untrusting to them and I really don¡¯t blame him, they still didn¡¯t tell him that they were family.


    ¡°Wow, this brat really looks like sissy husband. The eyes are kind of like her but that is where it stops. I really dislike that! He should look more like her than that stoic dick.¡± Drucilla looked annoyed as she looked at Erik and Everett let out a hum in agreement. I could see that Erik was confused about what they were saying and look at me for a second before quickly looking away.


    ¡°We should introduce ourselves to you guys. We are from the Dallarose family. I am Everette and that idiot over there is my older sister Drucilla. We are the aunt and uncle of Aurelia and Erik. Due to reason, we can¡¯t allow you guys to go back home since the people who kidnapped you are still very much alive.¡± I could feel Eli put his face into my arm when he heard that the people who kidnapped us were still lurking outside.


    ¡°Why should we trust your words and how do we know you aren¡¯t just lying by saying you are related to the she-demon!¡± Colton looked annoyed and he was glaring at me quite harshly. Even though I helped him escape he still couldn¡¯t let go of his childish hatred. He is so annoying and so short.


    ¡°We can prove what we are saying is very much true. We have secret messages from this group of people planning out this kidnapping. We also know that they are working for someone who is also causing trouble for us as well. And we have many pictures of Aurelia and Erik''s mother when she was growing up.¡± Everett didn¡¯t look concerned at what Colton said and calmly spoke with an indifferent expression.


    ¡°Now, now~ It is time for the little princes and Erik to head off to their room now! Me and my cute little stone face brother have to talk to Aurelia about something that is only for her ears.¡± Drucilla got up from her seat and clapped her hands in front of her with a smile on her face. She looked at the males in the room and waited for them to get up as well.


    Eli looked reluctant to leave my side but after I gave him a nod he decided to get up and head over to Drucilla. The other princes followed his lead with cautious expressions. The only person left sitting was Erik who didn¡¯t look like he wanted to get up at all.


    ¡°Why do you only have to speak to Aurelia? I am also my mother child so what you are going to say to her can be said in front of me as well.¡± Erik didn¡¯t look pleased with being told to leave with the other males and he was frowning at both Drucilla and Everette.


    ¡°I can understand where you are coming from but you are not the one who can help us with the problem we have. Your sister is the only one suited for this. We will be sure to give you guys a summary after we are done with Aurelia.¡± Everett gave Erik a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile and for some reason, the room felt like it got a bit colder. Erik looked nervous and avoided looking at Everette.


    Erik finally decided to get up and head over to the rest of the male. He looked really reluctant to leave but he didn¡¯t get to say anything when Drucilla open the door to show there were already servants waiting outside the room. Drucilla pushes the group of males toward the servant and each one of them were taken in a different direction.


    Drucilla then closed and locked the door once they were all gone. She then headed back to the couch she was sitting at and sat in a way that didn¡¯t seem okay for someone who was currently wearing a dress. What if she accidentally shows off her underwear¡­


    ¡°Sit up and close your legs, you are wearing a dress right now. Why do you still act like this after so many years? At least our older sister didn¡¯t do that when she wore a dress and she used to rip open her shirt to show off her growing muscles¡­¡± Everett let out a deep sigh and rub at his forehead as he said this. He seems to be more of an older sibling from what I am currently seeing.


    ¡°It''s fine, it''s fine~ I got short under this dress! They are flower patterns and pink!¡± Drucilla showed under her dress and I could see that she was wearing shorts. I could also see that her legs were really firm and had small scars on them.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°There is a child! Put down your fucking dress and let start talking about what the situation is or you can just leave.¡± Everett glare at Drucilla in a way I think a parent would do to their child. I am mostly guessing since Myles always gave me that look even when I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Drucilla put down her dress with a pout on her face and crossed her arms with a huff.


    ¡°Excuse my elder sister for her improper behavior, she isn¡¯t always like this. And excuse my language and temper as well, my sister always brings this out in me. I know you must be curious as to why we need your help and only your help.¡± I was impressed with how quickly Everette can switch from an angry younger brother to a calm looking gentleman who probably never gets mad at anyone.


    ¡°We know about the figure.¡± I felt myself grow cold and I dropped my eyes to the drink that was in my hands, it was getting colder¡­ I wanted to touch the magic stone at my neck but I felt too nervous that would attract their attention to it.


    ¡°No need to get so nervous~ It''s totally fine! You''re not the first person to come in contact with that figure. No need to look like we are going to lock you away. We are nice people, well I am and my cute younger brother is more like a villain.¡± Drucilla pinched Everett''s cheek and pouted at him when her hand got slapped by him.


    ¡°Not many people know this but there are beings that are the source of magic. These beings are the reason why people are even able to use them. Most people don¡¯t know who these beings are but the people who do meet them often get powerful magical abilities. The being who gives you the ability to use your magic is really powerful but also dangerous. Their magic often consumes the people who use it. This isn¡¯t true for the other people who can use dark magic since they haven¡¯t met with the figure. The figure only appears with people who fit their requirements.¡± At Everett''s words, I do remember the figure telling me to be careful with using their magic¡­


    ¡°We need the help of that figure and you to solve a problem that has been with our family for many, many years. You see we used to be rather horrible, greedy, sadistic, and cold-hearted rulers in the past. We never thought much of people outside of our family and those who were able to marry into our family were often bullied for a few years until they could prove their worth in our eyes. There was a relative of ours that was considered the worst in our whole family. They would not show mercy to anyone and would often force people to serve them even if they didn¡¯t want to. They would kill people''s families in front of them if they were mad with the way they were being looked at.¡± I tried not to show anything on my face but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how my mother came from a family with this history, it was so horrible¡­


    ¡°One day they kill a family that shouldn¡¯t have been killed. You see this family was actually fake and was a test for them to see if they wouldn¡¯t kill them off as well. After this family was killed a being created from all the hate, despair, and disgust of the people that were killed by them appeared in this land. This being went and started killing off many people from our family and left the cruel ruler for last. The land didn¡¯t get better after the being did this, in fact, the being went to kill random people as well. The emotions they were created from didn¡¯t help them see the difference between good people and bad people, they were the same in the being''s eyes.¡± Everett''s expression didn¡¯t look okay as he spoke about this and Drucilla wasn¡¯t smiling either.


    ¡°Then the younger sibling of this cruel ruler who was actually someone who wasn¡¯t like our family at all managed to seal away the being. They couldn¡¯t get rid of it but they found a way to calm down the emotions of the being. Then they went to change the ways of our family and how we rule. Even if we were different from the past the being still had hatred toward us and our land. I don¡¯t blame them for hating us, we were not good rulers at all.¡± Everett and Drucilla looked guilty after Everette finally finished speaking.


    ¡°...How am I supposed to help with this problem?¡± I still couldn¡¯t understand how I was the only person who could fix this problem of theirs, it felt like someone who could use light magic would be better suited for this situation.


    ¡°I know you must be thinking someone with light magic would be better suited for this but that isn¡¯t true at all. We did have countless, powerful light magic users help us but they all failed. It was only Gia who realized the only way to get rid of this being made from dark emotions is to have someone with powerful dark magic. She said it was like having someone who went through a similar experience help someone out from a dark place.¡± Everett had a sad smile on his face as he spoke about my mother.


    ¡°Aurelia, we need your help fixing the past mistake of our family. We know this isn¡¯t fair to ask you this and we will understand if you refuse. But if you agree we promise to help you get strong enough to face the being that was created because of us.¡± Everett bowed his head deeply towards me and I didn¡¯t know how to react to someone doing this to me.


    ¡°My little brother is right, we will understand if you don¡¯t want to help us it won¡¯t be any problem. If I was in your situation and relatives I never met before asked me this I wouldn¡¯t agree at all. But I promise on my sister''s grave that no harm will come to you if you agree to help us.¡± Drucilla also bowed her head deeply towards me. I was sitting down on the couch with a cold hot chocolate in my hands and two adults were bowing their heads towards me as they asked for my help.


    ¡°I...If I can be useful I guess I can help you out¡­¡± I had an uncomfortable feeling in my chest and tried not to pay attention to it as it kept getting more and more painful.


    ¡°Yay~ I love you so much, Aurelia! I have such a cute niece and I won¡¯t let anything lay their nasty hands on you.¡± Drucilla quickly raised her head and went to my side then put me toward her in a hug. I felt uncomfortable as she hugged me but it quickly went away when she rubbed at my back in a comforting way. I didn¡¯t know if I should hug her back so I just continued to hold onto the cup in my hands and increase my grip on it.


    ¡°Drucilla, don¡¯t just hug her out of nowhere. You are still a stranger in her eyes, work your way up to a hugging relationship.¡± After Everett raised his head from the bow he looked at Drucilla with an annoyed gaze. Drucilla didn¡¯t say anything to him and just kept on hugging me while humming to herself.


    I tried not to acknowledge the fact I felt so happy that my mother brother and sister didn¡¯t hate me. I didn¡¯t also pay attention to the fact I tried to get closer to my aunt as she continued to hold onto me.


    At least this time my mother''s family didn¡¯t hate me¡­ I couldn¡¯t handle it a second time...

 Chapter Twenty-Three – Paper Airplane

    I was sitting on the ground of the balcony connected to the room I was in, the door still wide open behind me. I was looking up at the night sky, it was filled with many stars that seemed to shine brighter due to the reflection from the barrier surrounding this place. I thought back to what Drucilla said to me when I asked her about it¡­.


    ¡°Well, you see¡­ In the past, we really didn¡¯t want to have any connection with anyone other than ourselves so we made a barrier that only we could open. No one was allowed in and no one was allowed to leave either. We didn¡¯t believe anyone on the outside was good enough for us. Of course that changed after the events that made that being but we still keep the barrier up.¡± Drucilla was looking out the window that was in the hallway. She had an unreadable look in her eyes as she looked at the barrier that seemed to stretch and cover everywhere.


    ¡°Why is the barrier up if you no longer believe in what you used to think in the past?¡± It was strange that they still had up that barrier. I would assume it would be taken down after they started to change from their past.


    ¡°We did it so no one could try to gain control of the being. If someone did that it could result in many more innocent people getting killed. You see this kingdom of ours still has many enemies, we have no allies. We didn¡¯t put anyone in our eyes so that made many people hate us and wish for the destruction of our home. We could never know which one of these enemies will try to gain control of the being that was made by us.¡± Drucilla let out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair.


    ¡°Unlike in the past, we do allow people to leave this place if they want to and do allow people to come in after we made sure that they are not going to do anything harmful to our home. We allow those kidnappers to come into our home and made them think they could actually make a hole in our barrier but that is impossible. Only people who have our blood can get rid of the barrier. But we don''t know how to fully get rid of it since it is rather high-level of magic that is always changing whenever someone tries to get rid of it.¡± Drucilla looked at the barrier with a longing look on her face. ¡°...But I do wonder what it would be like once the barrier is finally gone¡­¡±


    I looked at the barrier for a bit longer and I had the urge to throw something at it. I got up from the ground and headed into the room assigned to me. I looked through the desk in the room and found paper. I folded up the paper on the desk and headed out once I made the paper airplane.


    Even though I knew it would be impossible for me to even get close enough to the barrier I got myself ready to throw the plane in the air so it could fly. Once the plane left my hand it flew for a good minute before it started to fall straight down. I didn¡¯t care when this happened since I knew it wouldn¡¯t even get close to the barrier.


    I went to turn around and head back into my room but stopped when something hit the back of my head. Turning around quickly I saw the paper airplane that I threw back on the ground. I walked over to it with cautious movement and picked it up. I noticed there was something written on the inside of the plane so I opened it.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± There was neat writing on the paper that also had a drawing of a fox tilting its head in a questioning manner. I walked over and looked over the balcony. I made eye contact with a person who was standing beneath my room.


    I couldn¡¯t see their appearance clearly since they were wearing a cloak on their body, I couldn¡¯t even make out their gender either. I could tell that they may be around my age or maybe older. The only thing I could make out was their silver eyes¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but get drawn to them.


    ¡°I should be asking you that.¡± I wrote that on the airplane and threw it in their direction. The stranger jumped up into the air and caught the plane before it fell to the ground. The stranger tilts their head before quickly writing something on the paper before sending it back to me.


    ¡°A cautious one, I see. You can call me Fox.¡± I raised an eyebrow at the winking fox that was added to the paper. That was obviously a fake name but I doubt that a stranger in the middle of the night would tell another stranger their name.


    ¡°Well, Fox, my name is Princess then. What is a fox like you doing under my room this late at night?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but give a fake name as well. For some reason, I wanted to mess around with this stranger who had those beautiful silver eyes. When the stranger, Fox, read the airplane after I threw it in their direction their shoulder shook in what I assume was laughter.


    ¡°Well¡­ What is a princess like you doing outside on her balcony late at night? What if a bad man tries to steal you away?¡± The stranger drew a fox holding a flower this time on the paper and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle at this. I should be feeling nervous but I felt rather relaxed near them.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I can take care of myself. They should be more worried about me and whether or not I will harm them.¡± I knew what I wrote may seem a bit threatening but I was being honest. I am more dangerous than anyone with how I can¡¯t fully control my magic or emotions.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think you are dangerous but maybe I am just being biased. Let''s talk again soon, Princess. I have a feeling we will get along quite well~¡± After the stranger sent the plane back to me they disappeared. I couldn¡¯t figure out which direction they went in so I just went back into my room with the paper airplane in my hand.


    After I placed it on the desk that was located in the room I went to lay down in the bed. It felt soft but I couldn¡¯t relax¡­ It wasn¡¯t the bed that Mae would sit in occasionally as she told me stuff about my mom or the bed that Sybil would just lay in as he waited for me to come to my room. This place felt unfamiliar and my heart clenched at that.


    I forced myself to ignore that as I closed my eyes and slowed down my breathing. After a few minutes of that, I manage to fall into a deep sleep. I felt like I was floating as I sunk into darkness and when I opened my eyes again I was sitting next to someone.  I realize that I was dreaming right away and it was another memory from my former life.


    ¡°Hey ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~! Guess what I made for you?¡± A male was sitting next to me¡­ I couldn¡¯t see anything but a smile on his face. This should have scared me but that smile made my heart feel at peace. I look at the male and notice that their arms were behind their back.


    ¡°A paper airplane! Wait, I want to see if I can make it fly towards you.¡± The male got up and moved away from me. I wanted to grab at his arm to stop him from leaving me, I can¡¯t let him go again¡­


    The male was only a few feet away from me but it felt too far from me. I went to close the distance between us but whenever I tried to get closer to him the distance kept increasing. He didn¡¯t look concerned as I kept trying to run towards him.


    Even as I reached a hand out to him and I tried to say something to him, anything! He lifted his arm and threw the paper airplane in his hand toward me. He then disappeared from my sight, only the paper airplane left flying in my direction. Countless paper airplanes were moving from behind me and in front of me but I was only focused on the one flying in my direction.


    I dropped to my knees and I could feel something falling from my eyes. My heart felt like it was being crushed in someone''s hand and it was hard to breathe. The paper airplane drifted slowly in front of me and I picked it up with shaky hands. It was hard to hear myself think as the paper airplanes increase in speed and the wind grew louder.


    ¡°Hey¡­ I love you ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~¡­ I really love you so much¡± I felt the world getting small around me as I kept reading the note left on the paper airplane. I felt like my heart was getting ripped into pieces. I could feel my head getting fuzzy as countless images were appearing in my head.  I kept seeing the male with a smile and he kept getting further and further from me. Until finally I saw him holding another person''s hand with his back towards me...


    ¡°I...I love you¡­ I love you¡­ I LOVE YOU! I do honestly love you¡­ I love you! P-Please don¡¯t leave me¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I do love you¡­ So, please¡­ Don¡¯t fall in love with someone else¡­¡± A voice that sounded like mine but wasn¡¯t coming from my mouth surrounded me as I kept holding onto the unfolded paper airplane. It felt like my heart was trying to destroy itself as I kept seeing the male holding someone else hand and looking at them with a smile on his face.


    It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ IT HURTS¡­ IT HURTS¡­ IT HURTS¡­ IT HURTS¡­ IT HURTS¡­ IT HURTS¡­ ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS??!


    I don¡¯t want to remember this pain¡­ I don¡¯t want to remember this at all¡­ Anything but this! I am begging you don¡¯t make me remember this horrible pain! Don¡¯t make me remember him! He is the only person I don¡¯t want to remember!


    I have to wake up¡­ I have to wake up¡­ I have to wake up¡­ I¡­ HAVE¡­ TO¡­ WAKE¡­ UP! Before I remember him¡­ I can¡¯t remember him! I don¡¯t want to remember him! STO??!


    ¡°STOP!¡± I woke up quickly and I was covered in sweat. I was shaking and I couldn¡¯t understand where I was. I don¡¯t know where I am¡­ Where Mae? I need Mae! Please get me, Mae!


    ¡°Mae! Where are you, Mae! Mae! Help Mae! MAE!¡± I quickly got out of the bed I was in and tried to walk towards the door but quickly fell to the ground. I kept trying to get up on my weak legs but kept falling halfway up.


    ¡°Mae¡­ Where are you... I am scared¡­ Mae¡­ Help me¡­¡± I sound so pathetic calling out so weakly for Mae like a child but I didn¡¯t care at the moment. I felt so scared¡­ I felt like I almost remembered something horrible. I don¡¯t want to remember it¡­


    I couldn¡¯t help but start crying on the ground. It was more like I was screaming out in pain. Everything hurt and I don¡¯t know why¡­ I don¡¯t like this at all. Nothing feels right at all. I could hear footsteps but I was too busy screaming out in pain.


    Someone was trying to speak to me but it wasn¡¯t Mae at all. I needed her and only her! My body felt so hot and cold at the same time. I don¡¯t feel so good¡­ I end up puking on the ground I was on before blacking out.


    I had a dream where I was back in my room getting woken up by Mae with breakfast. Her hand felt so cool against my forehead¡­ Mae always made me feel so safe. I miss my home so much¡­

 Chapter Twenty-Four – Valentine Special – A Memory Of A Coward

    I am sitting away hidden in a corner and sitting on the ground having a smoke. This is my second cigarette but I really don¡¯t care at the moment, I need to calm down for a bit. I could hear the laughter of other students walking past the place I am currently hidden. It sounds like they are probably happy¡­ Unlike me¡­


    Today is Valentine''s day and I am currently suffering. I hate this day with a passion¡­ I hate the fact it is a day where people just show off their love for their lover¡­ I hate that I want someone to do something for me¡­ Such a childish wish of mine, I know better than that.


    ¡°¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~! What are you doing here smoking again? This is seriously bad for you¡­¡± I was taken out of my thoughts by a familiar male voice. Looking up from my feet I could see a familiar warm smile and my heart tighten like it always does. He looked at the cigarette in my hand with a concerned smile on his face but he still came over to sit with me.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see me smoke then go away. I am not forcing you to be here, you know?¡± I hate the fact I act so harsh near him. I don¡¯t want to be like this but I am scared to let down my guard and get hurt. I can¡¯t keep getting hurt.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I hang out with my favorite person? Sure I don¡¯t agree with your smoking habit but I like hanging out with you too much!¡± I tried not to blush when he put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. I couldn¡¯t help but smell the cologne currently on him¡­ He smells so nice¡­


    ¡°Stop touching me. I don¡¯t want you to smell like cigarette smoke and get in trouble with the teachers¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be close to him for too long or else he will realize my feelings for him¡­ I don¡¯t want these feelings of mine to be noticed, it will force me to acknowledge them and that scares me.


    ¡°¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~! I knew you care about me! You are just the best friend ever. I don¡¯t care if I end up smelling like cigarette smoke. I mean I can just cover it up with my cologne.¡± I tried not to let out a weird noise when he pulled me close to him again. My heart was beating so fast and it feels like I am going to die¡­


    ¡°...Quit holding me so close.¡± I felt so relieved that my voice didn¡¯t sound shaky at all but I could feel the hand holding my cigarette shaking a bit and I hope that he wouldn¡¯t notice how he was making me react to his close contact.


    ¡°Noooo! You never let me hug you like this¡­ Don¡¯t you like me, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~?¡± He placed his head on my shoulder and looked up at me with those eyes that always take my breath away. I felt a strong urge to kiss him but I forced myself to ignore that feeling of mine.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a child so quit acting like one already.¡± I pushed his face away with my hand that wasn¡¯t holding my cigarette and I felt something wet touch the palm of my hand which caused me to quickly bring it back to my side.


    I could see that his tongue was peeking out of his mouth and he had a teasing look in his eyes that just made me want to run away in embarrassment. I hate how he would do stuff like this and expect that it does nothing to my heart¡­ But I can¡¯t pretend I don¡¯t enjoy this.


    I am a weirdo. Someone like me shouldn¡¯t be allowed to feel this. If he knew my thoughts he would think I am some freak. I don¡¯t want him to dislike me¡­


    ¡°I should punch you for licking me, asshole.¡± I hid what I was currently feeling behind a glare. I always do this when I don¡¯t want anyone to see my true feelings¡­ Such a childish way to handle things, I know.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Hey, did anyone give you chocolate today?¡± I didn¡¯t understand why he asked me this, he knows how people view me in this school so why would anyone give me any chocolates. He must want to tease me or something like that.


    ¡°Yeah, I got so many chocolates because everyone just loves me.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to hide the sarcasm in my voice. If I felt hurt by this I didn¡¯t even pay attention to it. I don¡¯t care if I am hated, I don¡¯t care.


    ¡°...¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~, do you want to be my valentine then?¡± While I was lost in my dark thoughts my vision was blocked by something close up to my face. I went to grab what he was shoving in my face and I felt my heart beating too fast for me to handle.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It was chocolate. It wasn¡¯t homemade or anything like that. It was something that you could just buy at a store for cheap. But it felt so warm in my hand. I could feel my eyes getting warm but I quickly forced myself to hold back this feeling of mine.


    ¡°...Who wants to be your valentine?¡± Even though I said that I wouldn¡¯t give him back the chocolate he gave me. I didn¡¯t want it to leave my sight, I am scared that if it leaves my sight then it would disappear forever.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I am just going to be selfish and just make you be my valentine.¡± He pulled me into a hug and I didn¡¯t bother to stop him. I was still looking at the chocolate in my hand and I could feel that my lip wanted to smile but I was forcing myself to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Ah! Shit!¡± The moment was broken between us when the cigarette I forgot I was still holding in my other hand burned me and I dropped it to the ground due to the pain. I quickly got out of his hug and started to blow at my finger that was burned. This is so embarrassing¡­


    ¡°Give me your hand ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~.¡± Even though he was asking me that he just went ahead and grabbed my finger that got burned. Before I could ask him what he was going to do, I felt my whole body freeze when he kissed my finger.


    He was making eye contact with me as he did this and after a while, he put my finger down. He slowly put his hand on the side of my face and he slowly went to close the distance between us. I didn¡¯t know what to do and it felt like I was going dumb at the moment. His eyes were closed but I didn¡¯t want to close my eyes at all.


    When our lips were just about to touch¡­ The school bell rang and I quickly moved away from him. I was breathing quickly and keeping my eyes on him. He had his hand up still in the air where my face used to be and his lips looked ready to kiss just the air.


    ¡°...Do you want to skip school early or whatever.¡± After a few moments of silence, he quickly tried to pretend he was natural and like nothing had just almost happened between us. His smile on his face was a bit unnatural but he still was trying to be normal.


    ¡°...Let me get my school bag then we can meet in the usual place to leave school.¡± I also pretend that everything was okay with me and the fact I wasn¡¯t screaming on the inside. I quickly got off the ground and walked over to the place where the chocolate was just laying on the ground.


    I tried not to react when I realized that he was waiting for me so we could walk together. I could hear the distant voices of other students heading to class but I felt like I was walking on clouds currently. My heart felt so light and I wanted to smile like an idiot.


    ...This valentine wasn¡¯t that bad but I kind of regret not giving him the chocolates I was up late making for him last night. But at least we will be spending time together and skipping the rest of school.


    I sat up in my bed and let out a long yawn. I could hear a groan coming from next to me and a mumble of words I couldn¡¯t understand. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that before getting out of the bed. The floor was cold but I felt too lazy to find any slippers.


    As I left the bedroom I picked up my pack of cigarettes and my lighter then headed for the kitchen. When I got into the kitchen I opened the window and lit up my cigarette before I started to smoke it. I let out a cloud of smoke and pretended that it was a cloud of anxious feelings.


    ¡®Wow, didn¡¯t think I would have any more dreams from my past life but at least it wasn¡¯t anything that bad. It could even be seen as a good memory, I guess.¡¯ I let out a hum to myself as I remember the dream I had about my past life. I guess it wasn¡¯t surprising it was about valentine''s day since today is valentine''s day.


    ¡®Past me wouldn¡¯t believe that I am actually with someone that I love and care about¡­ I don¡¯t believe it myself either.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but smile to myself when I thought about this. I really am living a nice life¡­


    ¡°Aureliaaaaa¡­. Why are you up so early with the window open? Come back to beddddd!¡± I was brought out my thoughts when I heard a familiar voice call out to me in a whining voice and I was wrapped in a blanket with a head resting on my shoulder.


    I laughed softly at their tone and put out my cigarette and turned around to hug them in my arms. They quickly snuggle themself deeper in my arms and let out a pleased sigh. I kissed their forehead and kissed them on their lip when they lifted their head with their lip ready to get kissed.


    ¡°Fine, fine. But we can¡¯t sleep for too long. I want to do something nice for you after all.¡± I lifted them into my arms in a princess carry and walked back to the bedroom. They only let out a sleepy reply as they moved in closer in my arms.


    When we got back to the bedroom I placed them gently on the bed and went to cuddle into them. I couldn¡¯t get rid of the smile on my face. I felt too happy that it felt unreal at the moment. I really don¡¯t want to wake up if this is a dream. After all this time I will be able to give chocolate to the person I love...

 Chapter Twenty-Five – Rivals, Friends, or Something?

    I really don¡¯t know how to feel about getting a fever after arriving in a new place. It wasn¡¯t even a fever that would leave after two days or something like that. I was sick for basically half a month and I can¡¯t remember most of the things that happened when I was sick. For some reason, I kept remembering the person with the beautiful eyes and for some reason a male with a nice smile.


    Whenever I tried to figure out who the male with the nice smile was, my head would get a painful headache and it felt like my heart was breaking. For some reason, I knew that I didn¡¯t want to remember this male¡­ It just felt like something I am too scared to face¡­


    It is embarrassing to remember that I kept calling out for Mae during the time I was sick. I even kept mistaking Drucilla for her and holding onto her hand. I don¡¯t know how to feel about her pretending to be Mae and comforting me as she would¡­ She didn¡¯t leave my side once when I was sick and that made me feel something only Mae would bring out in me.


    I finally can get up from the bed I was stuck in for half a month but still felt a bit out of it. I was given a week to get used to feeling better after such a harsh fever that appeared out of nowhere. During that time I decided to learn more about my mom''s family and their history by looking through the library in the house I was currently in.


    It seems like I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking that since I ended up running into Colton who also didn¡¯t look happy to see me either. I decided to just ignore him as I looked through the library for history books about this place. Even though I was fine with just reading in silence, Colton didn¡¯t seem like he could handle it at all.


    ¡°I see you finally decided to stop being sick and laying in bed like a useless baby.¡± Colton was looking at me with a smug look and I really wanted to break his glasses since it just added to his shitty personality. I just gave him a bored look before looking back at the book I was reading.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t ignore someone when they are talking to you! Just because your mother is from an important family doesn¡¯t mean anything! You are still just a¡­! Um??!¡± Colton seemed to be struggling with coming up with something to insult me with and I really couldn¡¯t forget how different we were in age, mentally.


    ¡°If you keep acting like this¡­ I may end up thinking you actually have a crush on me. Which is something I wouldn¡¯t enjoy since you are rather short and I don¡¯t go for short people.¡± I walked over to Colton and towered over him. I never thought I would see a day where someone''s face got so red so quickly.


    ¡°Why the hell would I like someone like you! You are so unladylike! It''s disgusting! You are more of a man than a woman! Go to hell! I hate you! You are only smug because you think you''re smarter than me! Keep acting smug so when I finally defeat you it will hurt even more! Ugly! Stupid!¡± Colton quickly put space between us and went to the other side of this library but he didn¡¯t take his eyes off me once as he kept throwing childish insults at me.


    I just shook my head at him as I went back to where all the books I collected were and started to read once more. Once I started to read I noticed something right away¡­ The books from under the rule bad side of my mom''s family were rather biased, not a single bad word was spoken about the people who control the land.


    They kept referring to themselves in the third person and calling themselves chosen by gods. They saw everyone under their rule lucky to even be near them. They didn¡¯t think highly of the people outside of their country. They only saw themselves as the center of the world. It was rather embarrassing reading this¡­


    I guess it was also helpful to read through the eyes of the people who didn¡¯t see what they were doing was wrong. I could understand where all they made their mistakes and how they thought it was a good choice at the moment. They were only thinking of themselves and not about the people they were ruling over.


    When I looked up from all the books I was reading I realized that it was dark. I must have done that thing again where I read for too long. Usually, someone would remind me to stop reading and come eat dinner but¡­ Mae or Sybil isn¡¯t here¡­ I¡¯m only here by myself.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I ignored that painful feeling in my heart and went to put away the books I finished reading then picked up the other books I wanted to finish reading by tonight. It was a rather huge pile but I could handle it if I just walk slowly and carefully. But before I could react, half of the books from the pile were taken.


    ¡°You must be really stupid. Who would carry such a huge pile, especially someone who was sick for half a month? Since I am nice and all, I will help you out. You are welcome.¡± Colton looked rather pleased with himself as he spoke but to me, it just looked like a smug little child waiting to be praised.


    ¡°...Good boy.¡± I stiffly patted him on the head and I quickly moved my hand out of the way when Colton went to hit me with an embarrassed look on his face. His glasses were a bit awkward on his face so I went to fix it for him but this only ended with me getting a slap on my hand.


    ¡°QUIT TOUCHING ME!... Ahem¡­ Let''s head back already, I want to take a bath.¡± Colton started to walk away with half my books in his arms. I really didn¡¯t understand why he was doing this at all, I thought we were rivals or something like that?


    ¡®I guess being short kind of effects your personality¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but think this to myself as I went to pick up the other half of the books then went to follow after Colton who was still in my line of sight. He just let out a huff when he noticed me walking closer then started to walk away but I kind of noticed that he didn¡¯t walk too quickly away from me.


    ¡°Hm¡­ You would be cuter if you were more honest with your feelings.¡± When I said that I got a headache that only lasted for a second. For some reason me saying that sounds so familiar¡­ It gave me a bittersweet feeling¡­


    ¡°I am not Eli! I don¡¯t want to be cute at all! Also, quit looking down at me when you talk to me!¡± Colton was getting so red that his silver hair was really sticking out. I was concerned he was going to turn red forever due to how red he was getting.


    ¡°That right, you¡¯re not Eli. Eli is really cute and he likes being called cute. I don¡¯t know what you want people to see you as but I hope it works out for you or whatever.¡± I really didn¡¯t care much for Colton''s random outburst, he was helping me out for now so I was going to be somewhat polite to him.


    ¡°...I-want-to-say-sorry-for-what-I-said-when-we-first-met! Just because I was...jealous¡­ doesn¡¯t mean I should act like that¡­ I don¡¯t want you to forgive me! Just know I am sorry, okay?!¡± Colton looked so awkward as he apologized to me and I felt a bit surprised he remembered what happened when we first met. I mean I only remember it because of the rage I felt.


    ¡°...I kind of take it back. You can be cute as well. I am shocked.¡± I couldn¡¯t help a small smile that appeared on my face when I said this but it quickly disappeared when I noticed that Colton was looking at my face too seriously.


    Colton looked like he wanted to say something but he only opened and closed his mouth like a fish in the water. The rest of the walk back to my room was quiet but I kept feeling Colton looking at me but he would always look away when he noticed me staring back.


    When we finally reached my room I went to turn away and take the books that Colton was holding. But I almost fell to the ground when Colton quickly shoved the books he was holding into my arms.


    ¡°...Y-Your smile is nice!¡± Colton only said that before he quickly ran away like he was being chased by someone who was trying to kill him. I was left there feeling confused about what just happened.


    ¡°...Thank you?¡± Even though he couldn¡¯t hear me I still thanked him. I was totally confused about what happened but I only put it at the back of my mind and headed into my room with the many books in my arm.


    I took a rather quick bath before heading to my bed and started to read through the books. I don¡¯t think it was a good idea for me to do that since none of the things I was reading was sticking into my head and I felt my eyes getting heavy. I don¡¯t remember falling asleep.


    I don''t remember my dream well... That is a lie, I think. I have a feeling I do remember it but I am forcing myself to forget. This feels different from different dreams about my past... I don''t understand why I am trying so hard not to remember something. I don''t want to remember but at the same time, I do want to remember so badly.


    There was someone I care about so deeply but I don''t want to remember them. I am scared to figure out the reason for this. I want to remember the boy with a beautiful smile but I am scared about what will happen when I do remember him. I am acting like such a child and it is pathetic. Is it worse knowing or not knowing?


    I don''t know the answer to this question and it doesn''t matter since once I wake up... I will forget about him once again. I am such a coward. I always was and always will be one. No matter where I go.

 Chapter Twenty-Six – Training, Loss, And Pain

    I was breathing heavily as I hid away in a hole in a tree and I could hear the scream of Eli as he was caught. I was covered in sweat and I felt so dirty. My hair wasn¡¯t doing perfect either seeing as I am pretty sure there were leaves and twigs currently in it.


    ¡°Let see¡­ My precious babies manage to catch one of you. I wonder who they will catch next~?¡± Drucilla sounded way too cheerful as her voice echoed in the forest we were currently in. I really didn¡¯t understand why the first day of training was us basically running and hiding away from her pack of wolves, it didn¡¯t make sense!


    How did I go from reading books in the library about my mom''s home country with Colton to hiding away from a bunch of wolves and my weird aunt? This doesn¡¯t make sense at all! Shouldn¡¯t we just slowly do stuff to increase our skills, not some survival stuff!


    ¡®Ugh! I think there is a bug in my shirt or is it snow? I don¡¯t know but it feels so gross!¡¯ I shiver as something goes down my back and I quickly reach inside of my shirt. I felt a bit better knowing it was just snow that was melting down my back and not some gross bug.


    I really tried to understand how this even happened in the first place¡­ I was in the library reading some books with Colton. We slowly got closer (he would deny that if I told him this to his face.) and could maybe be seen as people who could probably get along in some situations. Eli was with me as well and he was very close to falling asleep.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he wasn¡¯t fully on me with his whole body as I was trying to read a book. He wouldn¡¯t move at all no matter how much I nudge at him and I could really just lift him with my weak arms.


    ¡°Hey, girly boy! If you aren¡¯t here to read then leave! It is insulting to see someone just sleep instead of reading!¡± Colton slammed the book he was reading onto the table and glared at Eli who blinks away the sleep in his eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave¡­ Aurelia is here and I am so scared of being in a place I don¡¯t really know. Aurelia¡­ Can¡¯t I stay here with you? I promise not to do anything to bother you¡­¡± Eli was looking at me with big watery eyes and a pout. I didn¡¯t know if he was doing it on purpose but his cuteness levels seem to increase by a lot at the moment. It made it hard to think clearly for a second.


    ¡°HEY! STOP DOING THAT!¡± Colton''s loud voice snapped me out of the daze I was in and for some reason, it seemed like Eli just clicked his tongue. I looked over to Colton whose face was red as he glared at Eli from behind his glasses.


    ¡°What am I doing? I am just being myself. Aurelia, I am not doing anything bad am I?¡± Eli put his head on my shoulder as he looked up at me with those watery eyes again and I could feel all the common sense slowly leaving my head the longer I looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, you she-man! Quit getting all heart eyes towards that girly boy! Are you so simple that you will fall victim to someone whose appearance is slightly above average?!¡± I felt something hit my head and I looked toward Colton who looked like he was going to pass out from how red he was turning.


    ¡°Aurelia is not a she-man! And even if she was it wouldn¡¯t matter! She is perfect no matter what! Unlike you with that sharp tongue of yours! And you wonder why you don¡¯t have any friends¡­¡± I don¡¯t know why but it felt like Eli was taunting Colton as he spoke to him with a harsh tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have friends because I don¡¯t want to be friends with dumbasses! Why would someone as smart as me waste my time with someone who can¡¯t even understand what I am saying?!¡± Colton crossed his arms over his chest as he looked away with a huff from Eli but I couldn¡¯t help but notice he was looking at me every few seconds. He looked like he wanted me to say something.


    ¡°Oh really? I see, then I am mistaken then. I guess it understandable that someone who isn¡¯t as bright as everyone else would avoid having friends to hide that fact from everyone.¡± Eli had a cute smile on his face but it just felt so cold coming from him.


    ¡°Say that again! I dare you!¡± Colton slammed his hands on the table once again and he was glaring so hard at Eli I was worried his glasses would melt from how harsh his glaring was. I was just left watching this happen as I still held a book I was reading in my hands.


    ¡®...Weren¡¯t we supposed to be reading?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t understand how this even happened. I just wanted to read up on the history of this country and now I am looking at these two argue with each other for no good reason. It is really hard being mentally older than people¡­


    ¡°Hello~ Your cute and forever young auntie is here, Aury!¡± The door to the library slammed open and Drucilla walked in with a huge smile on her face. She didn¡¯t even care about the fact she was being so loud in the library. Does anyone care about being quiet in a library anymore? Wait¡­


    ¡°Who is Aury?¡± I felt really confused about who Drucilla was talking to. It couldn¡¯t be me, right? Why would she call me Aury? That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­.


    ¡°It''s obviously your nickname, Aury! My cute niece needs a cute nickname afterall~ Do you love it? Of course you do!¡± Drucilla came over to me and started to pinch at my cheek with a smile on her face. I wasn¡¯t used to getting this much attention from someone other than Mae, it was weird¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a cute nickname, I am not a child.¡± I tap at the hand that was grabbing my cheek and when it let go of my cheek I then rub at my sore cheek with a frown on my face.


    ¡°I am so worried about how serious you are. What if you get all dull like my baby brother. That would be so horrible¡­¡± Drucilla took out a handkerchief and pat at her dry eyes, pretending that she was tearing up. She stopped pretending when she saw I wasn¡¯t falling for her trick.


    ¡°Ahem, I came here for a reason. It is time for your training to begin! I know you are excited like me! Now time for you little cuties to change your clothes and meet me outside in the back. Bye-bye~!¡± Before Drucilla left she kissed me all over my face and booped my nose. I felt my face getting hot but I just ignored the feeling as I closed the book I didn¡¯t even get to finish.


    ¡°I am going to change my clothes and meet you guys outside.¡± I simply told Eli and Colton this before I left the library. Before I could get too far I felt someone grab my arm and when I looked at my arm I was being smiled at by Eli who started to rub his head onto my arm.


    ¡°Can you please walk me to my room? I feel so nervous just going by myself, you know? Can you keep me safe, Aury?¡± Eli was talking to me in a cute voice and even called me by my new nickname. I really wanted to reject him but for some reason, I felt unable to do it when I looked into Eli''s eyes.


    ¡°I can take you to your room! We can see Aurelia later after we changed our clothes, okay?¡± Before I could react, Colton grabbed Eli off of me and started to drag them to their room. Eli looked to be struggling to escape Colton''s hold as he looked at me with his puppy eyes.


    I just wave at him before heading to my room to change into clothes that would be suitable for training. When I reached my room and headed into it I noticed there were clothes on my bed. I walked over to see what they look like and it wasn¡¯t something that I dislike.


    It was a loose black top that came along with a pair of loose trousers. I could see that there were knee-high leather boots that seem to be suited for running around. I changed into those clothes and put on those boots. I finally put my hair up into a high ponytail then finally headed out of my room.


    I walked to the back of the house and noticed that Erik was there first. He was wearing something similar to what I was wearing but had a blue top instead of a black one. He noticed me right away and the air grew tense between us.


    We just silently looked at each other, not saying anything to each other. What could I even say to him? We know nothing about each other, we were basically strangers even though we were siblings. There was a distance between us that seemed to grow every single day¡­


    I stopped looking at him and placed a hand on my magic stone around my neck. I felt a calming pulse coming from it and it made me forget about Erik who I was stuck with for an unknown amount of time.


    ¡°Aury~ You look so cool! I mean you always look cool but this time you look so perfect. You should totally wear your hair in a ponytail more often¡­¡± I was hugged suddenly from behind and when I looked behind me I saw a smiling Eli who also had his hair in a ponytail. He was wearing a cuter version of what I was wearing with a red top.


    ¡°Quit hugging her! What are you? A baby or something, dumbass.¡± Colton walked over with his usual frown on his face but he wasn¡¯t wearing his glasses. I assume he was wearing contact since it wouldn¡¯t be smart if he did anything with his glasses and it ends up breaking. He was wearing a white top and gloves. He looked a bit cold but was trying very hard to not show it but he couldn¡¯t hide his occasional shiver.


    ¡°You just wish you could do this, dumbass¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hear what Eli whispered but it caused Colton to get red in the face fast and he looked ready to attack Eli. I could feel a headache appearing from their ongoing fight, I mean Eli wasn¡¯t this bad with Sybil¡­


    ¡°My goddess! You are looking stunning as always. I love how nice and soft your neck looks, Aurelia~¡± I could feel Merrill blow on my neck and I quickly turn around while covering my neck. I could feel goosebumps appearing on my skin and it didn¡¯t help with the way Merrill was smiling at me. He was wearing a brown top that showed off his stomach. For some reason, it looked like it was cut...


    ¡°So disgusting¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t hide the disgust on my face or my voice as I looked at Merrill. I kind of wish I didn¡¯t say anything since he got an excited look on his face and started to breathe heavily. He looked ready to grab at me and I got ready to kick him in the dick if he got even closer to me.


    ¡°Now, now~ Let not start anything. We have to get along with each other. So let''s be friends, okay?¡± Isaias showed up with his usual practice smile and I tried very hard not to roll my eyes at him. His top was blue just like Erik but he looked a bit more prince-like than Erik.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Shove it, faker.¡± I didn¡¯t hide my dislike for Isaias and I could feel his cold eyes on me. I really don¡¯t like a pretender like him at all. It just doesn¡¯t give me good memories¡­ I hate people like him, I hate them¡­


    ¡°You guys are finally here! Now it is time for us to start our first day of fighting! This is going to be so fun~¡± Drucilla appeared as well and I relaxed my hands that were in fists. I could feel something sticky on my palms but I just rub it on my trouser with an indifferent expression. Drucilla was wearing a crop top and a skirt that had tights under it. She had her hair in a ponytail as well but she topped it off with a big ribbon.


    ¡°Ahem! Now for our first day of training, I am going to have you work on your stamina. You must be able to push yourself, like me! So there is a forest near this house that is used for training purposes. It was something created with magic so there may be some surprises in there for you so be careful!¡± Drucilla wink at us as she pointed at a forest that was nearby the house.


    It had many trees and some of them were covered in snow. I could see some birds flying from the forest and a bunny that hopped through the forest. I didn¡¯t know if there were more animals in there or something like that. I was also kind of curious about the surprise that would be in the forest.


    ¡°Also¡­ You may want to start running soon. My precious babies are going to be here real soon and you don¡¯t want to get caught by them.¡± Drucilla had a mischievous smile on her face and I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. I wanted to question her but she whistled before I could open my mouth.


    As soon as she did this I could hear something coming from somewhere in the house. I looked at the house with a raised eyebrow that quickly became both of my eyebrows once I saw a bunch of wolves running toward us.


    ¡°What are you still doing here? Move those legs of yours! The moment my babies catch you then you are done for today. Let''s see how long you guys will last!¡± Drucilla was smirking at us and I really was questioning if she was a bit of a sadist¡­


    Everyone started to run straight for the forest as the wolves behind us started to get closer to us. I didn¡¯t look behind me since I knew it would mess up my running if I checked to see how close they were to me. As soon as I entered the forest I had to jump over a tree branch that was in front of me and struggle not to fall flat on my face.


    The forest we were in was even more huge now that we were in it. As I was quickly looking around the forest I realized that everyone else ran in different directions. I knew I had to get moving before the wolves caught up to me. I ran past a bunch of trees and I ended up tripping one time when I didn¡¯t notice a rock that appeared in my path.


    I wipe at my face and spit out some dirt that got in my mouth. As I went to get up I could hear something from behind me. I quickly looked around me and crawled over to a hole in a tree. I went in it and tried not to make a noise when my hair got caught in the bark of the tree. I pulled really hard and I am pretty sure some of my hair came out.


    Now I am back to where I was in the beginning and I felt tired already. The wolves have already passed by my hiding place but I still waited a few minutes before going out of the hole I was in. As soon as I was out of the tree I heard the scream of Colton as he was caught as well.


    ¡°Now I got two of you! This is rather quick, don¡¯t you guys think? I thought this would be harder.¡± Drucilla sounded so disappointed as her voice echoed throughout the forest. I really was hating her at the moment but I kept on moving so I would get captured as well.


    My senses were completely heightened and I was on edge as I kept moving quickly past the countless trees and hiding quickly when I was sure I heard something coming near me. It had been a while and the only other person who got caught was Merrill so there were only three of us left at the moment.


    As I was resting against a tree, trying to catch my breath, I heard something quickly approaching me. I looked around me and saw a bush so I quickly jumped into it. I could feel myself getting cut up by the thorns in the bush but I didn¡¯t try to make a noise as the noise went past me.


    When they were finally far enough I went to get out of the bush I was in but I quickly realized a problem¡­ My hair was stuck and I couldn¡¯t get out. I mean I could but I really didn¡¯t want to pull out my hair so painfully.


    ¡®Okay, don¡¯t panic¡­ It''s fine. I can get out if I don¡¯t struggle too much. I will be fine.¡¯ I forced myself to calm down and I tried to move my arms to help me get my hair out but I realized I couldn¡¯t move it too much either. I was basically trapped.


    Even though I told myself not to panic I could feel my heartbeat increasing. I was stuck here and no one would find me. Who would find me? No one will come here for me. They don¡¯t care at all. They never cared about me. It wasn¡¯t my fault who my father was so why am I getting hated for it?


    I just want us to be family and get along with each other. Why do they hate me so much? Please someone help me! I am scared! Mommy! Please help me! I don¡¯t like this! Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me.


    I don¡¯t want to die! Someone help me! I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me. I¡¯m sorry for being born so please help me.


    ¡°Aurelia! There you are. Are you stuck in there? Geez¡­ Your hair is really stuck in there, isn¡¯t it? I may have to cut it.¡± I was snapped out of the daze I was in when I heard Drucilla''s voice. I could feel my eyes getting hot but I quickly forced myself not to cry.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but it seems like I may have to cut your hair. Please forgive me for this.¡± I could feel the bush I was in getting moved and I could feel my hair getting cut. After a few minutes, my hair suddenly felt lighter and I was pulled out of the bush. I was being held in Drucilla''s strong arms and she was rubbing my back in a comforting way.


    ¡°...Put me down¡­ Please¡­¡± Even though I said that I was holding onto Drucilla tightly. She just gave me a hum as she ran her fingers through my hair, getting all the leaves and twigs out of my new short hair. She was walking out of the forest as she hums a random song and I could feel my eyes getting heavy. I tugged at her shirt when I realized we were getting closer to the entrance of the forest.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I will put you down so I don¡¯t embarrass you in front of your little friends.¡± Drucilla put me down and pat my head. I gave her a frown and went to walk out of the forest. I realize I was the last one out. I didn¡¯t know if I should be proud or embarrassed for the reason why I was the last one out.


    ¡°Aury! There you ar??¡­ Your hair is short¡­?¡± Eli quickly noticed me and smiled at me but it quickly disappeared when he noticed my hair was short instead of long. I felt a bit awkward and messed with my new short hair.


    ¡°You look so¡­ pretty¡­¡± Eli was looking at me with a weird look in his eyes and he wouldn¡¯t stop looking at my hair. I am pretty sure it was dirty and all that but he still thinks it looks pretty? He is so weird¡­


    ¡°Yeah right. Her hair is a mess and shit! Sure short hair suits her but it doesn¡¯t hide the fact her hair is a mess currently.¡± Colton had his usual frown on his face but he couldn¡¯t stop looking at my short hair.


    ¡°...I¡¯m going to head inside and take a shower,¡± I said that before I quickly headed inside the house before anyone else could say anything about my new hair length. I didn¡¯t feel nervous or anything like that. I just felt really dirty and wanted to sleep.


    I got into the house and walked the usual path to my room. Once I got to my room and headed in I went straight to the bathroom and took a shower. After my shower, I looked in the mirror at my new short hair¡­ It was a bit uneven since I still had long bangs but it was okay. I would probably have to fix it up¡­. with scissors¡­


    I really didn¡¯t want to think about that so I just changed into my sleeping clothes and went to bed. I knew the person with the pretty eyes wouldn¡¯t visit me today due to them telling me that yesterday so I was just going to sleep early. I also didn¡¯t know how they would feel about me having shorter hair.


    With all these emotions going through me it took me a while to fall asleep. But I finally managed to drift off¡­


    I am being surrounded by my cousins again. They are going to mess with me again and no one will care. No one ever cares what happens to me¡­ I am too scared to look at them and see their mocking smiles.


    ¡°Hey, let''s play hairstylist today! We are the workers and you are our client ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~.¡± I didn¡¯t like the sound of that and went to run away from them but I was quickly grabbed by my cousins and held in place by them. I was forced onto my knees as one of my cousins walked over with such big and sharp scissors.


    ¡°S-Stop it, please¡­ I don¡¯t want to play this game! Don¡¯t cut my hair¡­ Please don¡¯t cut my hair!¡± I was crying now and screaming but one of my cousins just covered my mouth and I could hear all of them laughing at me. I wanted to run away when I saw how close the scissors were getting to me.


    ¡°Now let see¡­ How can we make you look better? Who am I kidding? Nothing can fix that.¡± My cousin holding the scissors laughed before grabbing at one of my pigtails. They cut at it and I could only watch as my hair fell to the ground. They went to grab my other pigtail and cut it as well but I couldn¡¯t help but move my head.


    Then I felt pain¡­


    A burning sensation coming from my right ear¡­


    Why are my cousins screaming?


    It hurts¡­ Why does it hurt? It really hurts so much¡­


    I don¡¯t like this pain¡­ Mommy¡­ Please make this pain go away¡­


    What did I do wrong? I am sorry¡­ I just want you to like me¡­


    Please stop being mean to me¡­.


    It hurts¡­


    My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ My heart hurts¡­ IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HUR??!


    ¡°It hurts¡­¡± I woke up a bit dazed but I couldn¡¯t help saying that. I sat up in my bed with an empty feeling in my heart. I rubbed at my face and let out a heavy sigh¡­ Wait, why am I still in pain?


    I quickly touch my right ear but it is normal. I am feeling confused about where the pain is coming from until I feel a peeing sensation from between my legs¡­ A familiar sensation¡­ I pulled back the covers of my bed and got out of my bed. The sensation between my legs got heavy and I saw a red spot on my bed.


    ...I got my first period and killer cramps¡­ This sucks so much, I hate it with a passion.


    ¡®I have to change my sheets and take a shower¡­ Great¡­¡¯ I cover my face with both my hands and groan loudly as the pain from my period increases. This is such a great thing to deal with after a fucking dream like that. Damn it¡­

 Chapter Twenty-Seven – A Desire That Stills Remains

    I was pretty irritated for a few days since the pain from my cramps just wanted to screw me over. Drucilla gave me something for my period so it wouldn¡¯t get in my way as I was training. It did help me not notice I was bleeding from below but it didn¡¯t help me ignore that pain that would appear out of nowhere.


    This didn¡¯t really help me out when I was cutting my bangs with shaky hands since I didn¡¯t trust myself with the scissors I was using. When I went to cut both of my long bangs a painful cramp appeared out of nowhere and it caused me to cut bangs a bit awkwardly. When I went to fix it another cramp appeared out of nowhere and my bangs became rather short. I decided it was time for me to stop before I stop having bangs.


    I mean my hair won¡¯t get in the way of training but it feels so weird to have short hair again. It makes my heart hurt for some reason I don¡¯t want to remember.


    It''s because he loved your short hair so much¡­ He could see your face so clearly and he loved that.


    I felt a painful headache appear when a random thought went through my head. It made me want to puke for some reason and cry out. There someone¡­ Someone who was important to me but for some reason, I don¡¯t want to remember them. Why?


    I decided to just ignore this feeling and go to sleep on my bed. Tomorrow Everette was going to make us have a practice fight against each other with training weapons. I don¡¯t know how it will go but I hope it isn¡¯t going to fuck me up due to my stupid period¡­


    I fell asleep without any type of dream but it was even scarier since I could hear the voices appear once again. I couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying to me but I was too scared to even figure it out. I felt like I was curled up into a ball and I was being looked at by them.


    They keep whispering and I just knew they were judging me. It is not my fault¡­ I am sorry. I just couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. I was alone and I couldn¡¯t handle it. No one wanted me and it was so lonely by myself. Stop being angry at me¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯m sorry for being a useless person.


    ¡°Quit making excuses. It pathetic ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~.¡±


    I sat up in my bed and I was breathing heavily. I was covered in sweat and I was trying so hard not to cry. It wasn¡¯t helping when I felt the sensation of my period and the sharp pain of my cramps. Everything was too much and I wanted it to stop already, please¡­


    ¡®I got to take a morning shower again. I really don¡¯t enjoy this but I hate feeling sticky as well. I really hope this won¡¯t be a long period since it is my first one.¡¯ I got out of my bed with a tired sigh and headed to the bathroom to take a warm bath. Drucilla gave me some stuff to use in a bath that would help me out with my period cramps.


    I sat in the bath for an hour before getting out and drying myself off. I carefully take care of my hair and put some hair products in so that it was extra curly. I always did like curly hair¡­ My mommy hair was so curly and felt so soft.


    I was finally done getting ready in the bathroom and put on my training clothes. I headed out of my room and went to the training room that Everette told me about yesterday. I was walking quietly by myself but for some reason, it felt like someone was going to grab me from behind.


    I react quickly and move out of the way. I saw Merrill fall on the ground and I couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the sight of him. He was looking at me with such a gross look in his eyes. I dislike how obsessed he was with me for such a weird reason.


    ¡°Aury~ You are so cool! You knew I was going to grab you from behind and quickly moved out of the way. I love that about you. Can you please step on me since I am on the ground? It would be a wasted opportunity after all.¡± Merrill was looking at my legs with heated eyes and I felt the strong urge to just kick him in the face but I just knew that would be something he would enjoy.


    ¡°Get up and don¡¯t call me that either¡­ It''s gross and too close.¡± I was forcing myself to not hit Merrill with all my willpower. I don¡¯t know why but I just wanted to hit him all the time even though I know he would be into that.


    ¡°You are so cold¡­ I just love that Aury! Keep insulting me and looking at me with those beautiful cold eyes of yours. Making me fall deeper in love with you¡­¡± Merrill got up from the ground and took one of my hands into both of his. I could feel his hot breath on my hand and I felt myself shivering.


    I didn¡¯t say anything and just backhand slap Merrill in the face with the hand he wasn¡¯t grabbing. When he released the hand he was grabbing I slapped him again. Both of his cheeks were red and had my handprints on them. Merrill froze after getting slapped and I looked at him with cautious eyes. When it seemed like he wasn¡¯t going to do anything after two minutes I started to walk away once more.


    ¡°DO IT HARDER AURY! Call me scum and look at me with those cold-looking eyes of yours.¡± Merrill grabbed at my back tightly and I almost tripped to the ground. I really didn¡¯t want to look behind me since I could hear heavy breathing. He was rubbing his face into my back so hard I was worried he would just break it.


    ¡°Stop it, seriously! Get off of me! This is too much for me, dammit!¡± I was struggling to push Merrill off of me but he just wouldn¡¯t move. I was cursing my weak arms and the fact my period was acting up at the moment as well. I knew hitting him wouldn¡¯t help me a lot since that was something he was into.


    ¡°Now, now. Let stop playing around and head to the training room.¡± Merrill was pulled off of me and I tried not to roll my eyes when I saw it was Isaias with his usual fake smile on his face. He was holding Merrill in his gripe with no trouble. I tried not to feel anything as I realized that he was probably way stronger than me¡­


    ¡°How about you shove it, pretender. Stand out of my way and don¡¯t flash that fake smile at me.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but snap at Isaias, I just couldn¡¯t feel comfortable around him, I kept seeing people that just made me feel so angry¡­ It''s like I wasn¡¯t able to tell the difference between them at all due to how much his actions remind me of them.


    ¡°Hey, how about we just get along? We are going to be living with each other for an undetermined amount of time.¡± Isaias had his usual smile still on but I could just feel the coldness behind that smile. I was holding back from pushing him to the ground and running away from him, he wasn¡¯t them and I wasn¡¯t like myself in the past anymore.


    ¡°I rather choke on my own tongue after I bite it off, you bitch.¡± I coldly said that to him before walking past him quickly and heading to the room where my uncle was waiting. I tried to ignore the fact that I was walking a bit faster than usual and that my hands were shaking a bit.


    ¡®He isn¡¯t them¡­ I am not there¡­ I am Aurelia¡­ Everything is fine¡­¡¯ I repeated that on my way to the place Everette was waiting at and the words kept getting louder in my head. I was basically screaming it over and over again in my head when I finally reached the place where the training was taking place today.


    ¡°There you are, Aurelia. Your hair looks a bit different today, did you finally cut your bangs?¡± Everett gave me a gentle smile as he stood in the center of the training room. I awkwardly messed with my bangs and didn¡¯t make eye contact with him.


    ¡°Aury~ There you are! I miss you so much. You are looking so cute with your new bangs. I can see your face more clearly.¡± I was hugged tightly at my side and I knew right away it was Eli. He was looking at me with his usual sparkly cute eyes. But for some reason, I saw a different face appear for a few seconds and I felt my heart stop beating for a second.


    ¡°Can you let go of me¡­ I am not feeling so good right now.¡± I didn¡¯t want him to touch me for some reason. I felt like something wasn¡¯t alright with me at all. I couldn¡¯t understand where this feeling was coming from.


    ¡®I wonder when you will finally remember him? It''s pathetic how hard you are trying to forget him.¡¯This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I felt a cold sweat appear on my back as the voice came back. I felt like curling up onto the ground and the pain from my cramps was making it hard to focus on what was happening around me. I force myself to calm down and my thoughts finally settle down.


    ¡°Yeah, quit touching her like that weirdo. Such a pathetic look on you.¡± Colton showed up as well and he had his usual glare on his face. I noticed he was looking at my face and when I made eye contact with him, Colton just looked away with a red face.


    I noticed that Erik was there as well but he didn¡¯t say anything to me. I could feel him staring at me but he wouldn¡¯t say anything to me. He was scared of me and he was cold toward me as well. I just wanted him to stop¡­ I just wanted¡­


    ¡°Today I am having you spar with each other. Most of you guys will be fighting with weapons and one of you guys will be fighting hand to hand combat. I want to see your fighting level and then figure out how I will train you.¡± Everett stood in the center of the training room with a serious expression on his face. I could see some weapons hanging around the room and I could see that they were made of wood.


    ¡°I already picked out who your sparring partner is for today. Merrill and Isaias will be fighting with each other hand to hand. Colton and Eli will be fighting with a staff. Finally, Aurelia and Erik will be fighting with each other with practice swords.¡± Everett pointed to different areas in the training room and motion for us to move towards the area with our fighting partners.


    I didn¡¯t look at Erik as we walked to the area where the practice swords were waiting for us. He didn¡¯t say anything to me and I didn¡¯t bother to say anything to him either. I grab one of the training swords and turn it around in my hand. It looked rather simple and there was a family crest on the hilt.


    I copy the way that Drucilla held her sword and adjusted it so it felt a bit more natural in my hands. I pointed the training sword directly at Erik and the air felt cold between us. We circle each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. It seems like Erik didn¡¯t want to wait anymore and went to attack me.


    He looked like he was going to swing down at me and when I went to block that with my sword, I was quickly hit in the stomach with the sword. It seemed like he was pretending that he was going to swing down at me¡­ I held back the pained grunt that tried to escape my mouth and went to land a hit on Erik.


    He manages to block many of my attacks but I end up noticing something in the way he fights with a sword. He seemed to mostly focus on protecting his dominant hand and didn¡¯t care to protect the side that wasn¡¯t his dominant hand.


    I decided to use that against him and kept attacking him on the side he wasn¡¯t focusing on protecting that much. When he went to protect that side I quickly attacked his dominant side. I kept this fighting pattern up and it looked like I was going to manage to defeat him.


    Before I could understand what happened, I was lying flat on the ground and my back hurt. I went to sit up but I was quickly pushed back on the ground and my nose hurt. The training sword in my hand was gone and I went to touch my aching nose. When I looked at my hand I noticed blood was on my finger.


    I looked up at Erik whose eyes were cold and holding the training sword up to my face. I could see some red on the wooden sword. I wasn¡¯t really paying attention to that, I was too focused on Erik''s cold eyes. Those familiar eyes of hatred, hating me¡­ It felt like everything went quiet and I could only hear my heartbeat.


    ¡°Who are they to hate you? Always putting up with their bullshit, their unnecessary hatred for something you couldn¡¯t control. What pathetic people, yet why do you¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t let the voice continue and I tackled Erik to the ground. I raised a fist and started to punch him in the face over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER!


    I stopped when I saw the same look on his face when this feeling first appeared. He looked so scared of me and he had tears in his eyes. Yet the fear in his eyes slowly became confused and for some reason, black droplets were appearing on his face. I heard myself sniffling and I realized¡­ I was crying.


    ¡°I am not an idiot¡­ I know how you feel about me. I know the old man and you don¡¯t care for me. You hate me and don¡¯t even try to hide that. You see me as something troublesome. I know you are afraid of me as well, Erik.¡± My voice was a bit shaky and it would crack sometimes but I kept on saying what was in my heart.


    ¡°You loved her so much and I love her as well. She was my mom and she isn¡¯t here¡­ You blame me for her death and I blame myself for her death. I allow you guys to take your anger out on me because I felt like I deserve it. I hated myself as well. I thought that¡­ that maybe if you guys took out all your anger and hatred on me one day¡­ You guys would love me like I love you.¡± I felt something in my heart get light and heavy at the same time. It felt like something I kept hidden in me was finally able to come out.


    ¡°There is a limit¡­ No matter how much I wish for you to love me like I love you I can¡¯t deal with the way you treat me. Now the love I felt for you guys is just bitter hatred and cold indifference. That makes me feel so¡­¡± Lonely¡­ I wanted to say that but I stopped myself. I got off of Erik who I stopped looking at the moment I decided to let out my hidden feelings. I wanted to go somewhere private. I didn¡¯t look at anyone in the training room as I left.


    I wasn¡¯t looking up at all as I wandered around with no location in mind. When I finally looked up once again, I realized I was outside. When I looked behind me I could see the house was still close by and I could see the balcony of my room. I turn my back on the house again and walk toward a big tree.


    When I got closer to it I noticed there was something written on it. There were names carved in the tree with what I assume must be a knife. The names were familiar to me since it was my aunt, uncle, and mom names. I guess this must be their trees or something like that¡­


    I put my back to the tree and slowly sank to the ground. I pull my knees up close to me and rest my chin on them. I didn¡¯t react for a while until I could feel my body start to shake and I finally couldn¡¯t hold back my sobs anymore. I closed my eyes and started to cry loudly, letting out all the feeling that was kept in my heart.


    I am standing alone in a field of flowers, for some reason I seem a bit closer to the ground. In the distance, I could see someone familiar. It was my mommy and her back was towards me, why wasn¡¯t she looking my way?


    I started to walk at first but then I couldn¡¯t help but start to run towards her. It seems like no matter how much I try to get closer to her the distance between didn¡¯t go away. I ended up tripping over my feet and fell to the ground hard. I felt myself crushing some flowers under me but I didn¡¯t care about that.


    I pushed myself up to my knees and I could see that my mommy was walking away from me. She was going to leave me behind again. I don¡¯t want her to leave me behind. The world is so empty without her by my side. I reach out my hand toward her and I notice how small my hand was, like a child¡­


    ¡°Mommy, my mommy. You are the light in this darkness I can''t escape. Your beauty outshines even an angel from heaven itself. You deserve only the best and nothing that dim your light.¡± I couldn''t close the distance between us so I tried to speak to her, hoping my words could close the distance between us. I realize my voice sounds like a young child as well...


    ¡°I give you all my love yet you still crave the love of a man who only causes your heart to break. I wonder who you see when you look me in the face? Your precious child or the man who threw you aside? You shouldn''t crave the love of someone who will never give it to you.¡± I felt like there was something bitter in my mouth when I mentioned that man, the man who took my mommy away from me. The man who is the source of all my pain. The man who only knows how to hurt my mommy.


    ¡°But I shouldn''t say anything about who love you shouldn''t hope for. It seems like I was cursed to hope for a love that would never be granted to me. What a sad life for a loveless mommy and a loveless child. No wonder our fate met the same end.¡± My voice that sounds like it belongs to a child slowly changed into one suited for someone much younger and I was no longer closer to the ground.


    I was still on my knees but I was bigger. But the distance between my mommy was still the same. She wasn¡¯t looking my way, I just want her to look at me. Please just look at me and not that man. I am right here¡­


    I started to notice my mommy start to walk away and the distance between us was slowly increasing once more. I didn¡¯t want that at all. I quickly got back to my feet and started to run after her once again.


    I didn¡¯t want her to leave me behind again. I can¡¯t stand being alone in a world without her. Everyone is so cold towards me and I just want someone to love me as she did. I want my mommy to come back to me.


    ¡°Mommy! Please don¡¯t leave me behind again! I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore! Mommy, what is so special about that man?! He is nothing but trouble! He only knows how to hurt you and he doesn¡¯t love you! Even though he was the one who told you how much he loved you he still picked someone else over you!¡± I was screaming this at my mommy whose back was still facing me. I was forcing myself to run even faster so I could reach her, I just wanted to grab her!


    ¡°MOMMY! PLEASE DON¡¯T LEAVE ME BEHIND AGAIN! MOMMY!¡± The flowers surrounding us were slowly disappearing and it was becoming dark. I didn¡¯t care about that, I just want to get to my mommy so badly.


    When it was getting dark and almost all the flowers were gone, she finally looked at me. Her grey eyes were swollen from all the crying, she was always crying and that made me sad. Her light brown hair was messy but it just made her look so beautiful. The freckles on her dark skin stood out more due to the tears covering them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t follow me, I am sorry. Please don¡¯t follow after me¡­ I don¡¯t want you to come to the place I am. I just want you to be happy¡­ Please be happy¡­ Please¡­¡± My mommy had such a sad smile on her face and I just wanted to hug her. I don¡¯t like it when she is sad like this. I tried to reach out for her once more but she only shook her head at me.


    She then turned around once again and walked away into the darkness. All the flowers were gone and I was alone again. I was alone and there was no longer anything left for me in this dark, cold world.


    ¡°...Please come back¡± I dropped back to my knees and kept looking in the place my mommy went without me once again. I was alone and there was no one here anymore. I wrapped my arms around myself and let out a scream that surrounds me in this dark place¡­


    I blink my eyes slowly, I must have fallen asleep. I was going to close my eyes again but didn¡¯t when I realized I was in my bed. How was I in my bed when I was outside? Did someone find me and bring me to my room? I sat up in my bed and realized I wasn¡¯t under my blanket and that I was still wearing my training clothes.


    I was going to get off my bed to change out of my clothes and probably take a bath but I noticed something else on the bed with me. It was a paper airplane and I noticed a fox was drawing on it. I grab the plane and open it up.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t fall asleep outside like that. What if someone steals you away? Be a bit more careful princess. Also, you should put a cold towel on your eyes, it''s pretty swollen after all that crying you did.¡± I tried not to blush when I realized that fox ended up seeing and hearing me cry. They must have taken me to my room but how they did it without anyone noticing them is something I couldn¡¯t figure out.


    They couldn¡¯t have come through my balcony, I always remember to lock the door. I could only let out a heavy sigh at something else I would have to figure out. I refold the paper airplane and placed it back on my bed. I let out a quiet yawn as I got off my bed and started to head toward the bathroom. Before I could go inside I noticed something else in my room, a bunch of flowers that weren¡¯t there before resting on the desk in my room.


    When I walked over to the flowers I could see a notecard on it with a drawing of a fox and a drawing of me with a frown on my face and a crown. There were azaleas and irises made into a flower crown resting on my desk. I felt my heart warm up when I remembered the meaning behind these flowers.


    ¡°...So lame.¡± Even though I said that I felt a smile on my face as I sat at my desk and looked at the flower crown for a bit longer.

 Chapter Twenty-Eight – Love Is Confusing And Painful

    It has been a while since the moment happened between me and Erik. We are at a standstill with each other, it''s was not hate and it is was not love either. He doesn¡¯t look at me with scared eyes anymore but I can¡¯t understand the look in his eyes anymore when I catch him looking at me.


    I don¡¯t want to understand it, I don¡¯t care about how he thinks about me anymore. That a lie, you care. Why do you care still? So pathetic, you make me feel sick. Fucking useless piece of shit¡­


    I am also dealing with the angry voice more often. The other two often show up but for some reason, the angry voice keeps showing up more often. It is often hard to tell the difference between my thoughts and their voice. What if one day I am no longer able to tell the difference anymore¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about it.


    Life in this house usually went from getting training from Drucilla or Everette. We would either be fighting against each other, learning how to use different weapons, learning how to identify plants and what they can do, and recently getting paired up to spend a few days in the forest.


    Drucilla told us it would be helpful and give us a good experience if we ever one day have to survive outside for a while. I got paired up with Eli first then Colton and now I am finally getting paired up with Merrill. I was not looking forward to this but at least I didn¡¯t have to deal with Erik or Isaias, yet.


    I was waiting outside of the entrance of the forest for Merrill to appear so we could go inside of the forest together. I had a bag filled with enough clothes for a week in a forest and supplies that will be helpful if anything happens during our time in the forest.


    ¡°Aury! I am here~ I hope I didn¡¯t make you wait too long.¡± Merrill skipped his way over to me and gave me a huge smile when he finally got in front of me. I just rolled my eyes and turned to go inside of the forest.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to spend a week in the forest with you. It''s going to be so fun with just us alone together. I wonder what situation we will get into¡­¡± I didn¡¯t like the smile that was on Merrill''s face and I felt the urge to just kick him in the butt but I knew he wouldn¡¯t hate that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything suspicious or else I will¡­.¡± I was trying to think of what I could do to Merrill if he ever did something I dislike. He didn¡¯t hate being hurt so I couldn¡¯t figure out what I could do to him.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t do anything.¡± I gave up figuring out what to say to him and decided to ignore him as we walked into the forest to find a good place to set up our tent. As we were walking, Merrill kept talking about whatever. He usually talks about how beautiful I looked and how he was curious if there was a good place where we could look up at the stars.


    ¡°My mom really loves stars¡­ She knows a lot about them and has a lot of books on them as well.¡± I notice for some reason Merrill''s expression grew a bit strange once he spoke about his mother. It seems¡­ really familiar to me.


    ¡°Ah! This is a perfect space for us! The trees over here can clearly show us the sky so that means we will be able to see the stars!¡± Merrill''s expression went back to normal once he spotted a place for us to set up our tent.


    I decided not to bring up his weird expression when he talked about his mother, it wasn¡¯t my place to ask him that. I just follow behind him to the place he wanted to set up our tent and started to set up my tent.


    I was used to putting up a tent now but I could see that he was struggling. After I finished with my tent and realized he was still having a hard time, I let out a sigh and went over to help him with his tent. I made sure his tent wouldn¡¯t be able to fall on him while he was sleeping or it wouldn¡¯t get blown away while he was sleeping.


    ¡°Wow, thank you for helping me out Aury! You are such a good person.¡± Merrill went to put an arm around my shoulder but stopped in place once he saw the cold look I shot at him. He let out a chuckle as he pulled back his arm to his side.


    ¡°We should probably check out the area near our resting area. We should separate so it will be quicker. We will come back to this area when the sun is setting to eat. I have some food that can be cooked over a fire.¡± I took out the food that I packed away in my bag and they were in another bag. I went to a tree that was nearby and climbed it with the bag of food in my hold still.


    I got to the branch of the tree and tied the food to it and then climbed down it. I looked up at the food that was in the tree and was satisfied to see the food was somewhere far enough that an animal couldn¡¯t get it but easy for me to get it down from the tree.


    ¡°You looked so cool climbing that tree and tying our food on the branch! I couldn¡¯t do that since I have never climbed a tree before. You are so good at everything, Aury!¡±  Merrill looked at me with bright eyes as he clapped his hands. I really didn¡¯t see what I did as something special, it was just common sense and another could have done it.


    ¡°I am heading off to the right, you can head to the left. Don¡¯t go too far if you are sure that you will get lost in the forest. And remember to come back to this area when the sun is about to set, okay?¡± I looked at Merrill seriously as I said this and after he gave me a nod of understanding, I went off to the right to see what was nearby.


    I found a bush filled with berries that were okay to eat but rather sour. It could get sweet if it was boiled with water so I got a few of them. After I did that I walked a bit farther and found a stream of water. This looked like a good place that we could get water from to drink. I also noticed there was fish in the water as well and realized we could also use this as a food source.


    The food I brought with me would only last for at most three days so we would have to search for our own food soon after. After I was done with this I noticed the sun was setting and went to go back to the area with our tents.


    When I got back I noticed that Merrill was back already and he was starting a fire. Once he got it started he put his hand to the ground and rock surrounded the fire. It became like a fireplace and I realize this would make it a bit easier for us to start a fire later on.


    ¡°You are back! I started a fire, didn¡¯t I do a good job?¡± Merrill gave me a smug smile as he looked at me but I couldn¡¯t help but notice he was waiting for me to give him some sort of reply. Did he want me to praise him or something like that?


    ¡°You did a good job at making a fire. It also was smart to build around the fire, it will be easier to just keep this area for us to start the fire in.¡± I didn¡¯t see the point of not telling him that he did a good job. He was helpful so he should know that.


    ¡°...Oh, I see.¡± Merrill''s smug smile on his face disappeared and emotions I couldn¡¯t read appear on his face. He was quiet now so I just went to get the food from the tree and went to cook it using the fire that was built.


    I shared out the cooked food and ate quietly. Merrill seemed to be lost in thought and it didn¡¯t really bother me too much. He went back to his usual self after he finished eating and I just assume he was acting like that because he was really hungry.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to him and he told me he was going to sleep first. I just nodded my head at that and went to mush up the berries that I had on me. The berries were actually rather useful with helping out medically speaking as well. If someone were to cut themselves pretty badly or twist or break a bone it would help out with the pain and healing. I put the mashed berries in a container that I placed in my bag.


    As I headed to my tent so I could sleep I heard whimpering coming from Merrill''s tent. At first, I thought it was just noises from the forest but it got louder. I went over to his tent to check if he was alright but I started to hear him speak, it sounded like he was sleep talking.


    ¡°...Mom¡­ I am sorry¡­ I will¡­ be a good boy¡­¡± Merrill sounded like he was in pain but after a while, he stopped talking. I waited a few minutes before heading to my tent to sleep.


    ¡®Hm, a complicated relationship with his mother. I see he isn¡¯t just a weirdo who likes getting hurt¡­¡¯ That was the last thought I had before I went to sleep. I didn¡¯t have a good dream at all. I was being choked by another version of myself who was looking at me coldly. The only thing they said was I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU!


    Even though she was saying that she was crying as well. I didn¡¯t feel like fighting against her at all and just closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to look at her crying¡­ I didn¡¯t want to find out the reason why she was crying.


    I woke up with my throat hurting but I didn¡¯t pay that much attention to it. I got out of my tent and I saw that Merrill was already up. He looked at me with a smile on his face but it quickly disappears and I realize he was looking at my neck.


    ¡°Your neck looked bruised, how did that happen?¡± Merrill rubs at his own neck as he tells me this and I reach a hand up to touch my neck. I tried not to flinch once I realized that my neck hurt to touch.


    ¡°..Must have slept weird or something like that.¡± I tried not to think about the fact I was choked in my dream and yet when I woke up my neck was bruised¡­ This didn¡¯t make sense at all. Was it not a dream¡­?


    ¡°Oh¡­ Well, I am going to head off to wash myself off and see if I find anything else in the forest today¡± Merrill didn¡¯t believe what I told him but he just headed over in the direction he went yesterday.


    I went to my bag and took out the container filled with the berries I mushed yesterday. I rub some on my neck before putting the container back in my bag. I also touch out some new clothes and grab a bucket from my bag so I could use it to pour water on myself.


    I went to the place where I saw the stream from yesterday and made sure to find a private place so I could clean myself off. I couldn¡¯t help but shiver as I cleaned myself in the cold weather. After I was done and put on my new clothes I went to look at my neck in the stream.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I saw a pretty bad bruise covering my neck and I could make out some handprints. When I put my hand over them it matches them perfectly. I didn¡¯t like the fact it seemed like I probably choked myself in my sleep.


    ¡°How do you know it was you? You ever thought that maybe¡­ I could just take control of this body of yours and hurt you? I hate you so much ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~. One day I will kill you.¡± My reflection in the stream changed from its indifferent expression to an angry one. Also, there was a gaping hole in my chest as well. My reflection reaches out to grab me but I end up tripping and falling on my butt.


    ¡®Damn it¡­ Why does something keep happening? I have to deal with the fact the voices can take over my body now?¡¯  I tried to calm down my heart as I tried to ignore what happened to me.


    I sat on the ground for a bit longer before getting up and heading back to my area where the tents were. Merrill was there first like yesterday and he was starting the fire like yesterday. I went to get the food like yesterday and we ate together.


    It was like this for a few days. We would check out the area near our tent and bring back anything we found that would be useful to us. I would still deal with the nightmare and the occasional bruise that would appear on my body due to the angry voice that would take over my body when I was sleeping and hurt me in different ways.


    It had been four days since we were in the forest and it was only three more days until we had to exit the forest. I just came back to the area with our tents and I realized that Merrill wasn¡¯t here which was strange, he usually came back before me. I didn¡¯t pay that much attention to it and went to start a fire.


    I only started to think something had happened when it was dark and Merrill was still not back. I went in the direction he usually went in and tried to find him. I used my magic to help me out with finding out where he could be, I couldn¡¯t really use his shadow to find him since it was dark outside. I just use my magic to help me be able to see in the dark without any trouble.


    After walking around for a while I finally found Merrill and he wasn¡¯t looking okay at all. I quickly went over to him and he weakly looked at me. I sat next to him and I noticed he had a bite mark on his arm, it looked like it belonged to a snake.


    ¡°Okay, I need you to tell me this. The snake eyes, were they round or elliptical pupils?¡± I asked him this right away, I needed to know if it was a poisonous snake or not.


    ¡°T...The pupil¡­ was round¡­¡± Merrill told me this and I realize he wasn¡¯t bitten by a poisonous snake. I needed to know where the snake that bit him came from before I was able to determine what snake bit him.


    ¡°Did the snake that bit you come from the water?¡± I asked him this and he nodded his head. I knew what snake bit him right away, it was a watersnake. It wasn¡¯t poisonous but if it was a cottonmouth snake then he wouldn¡¯t be in a good place.


    I needed to take him back to where our tents were so I carefully picked him up in a princess carry. I made sure not to touch the arm that was bitten and started to head back to where our resting area was. I got back to the area quickly and I placed him on the ground in front of the fire but not too close.


    After I placed him down I went to look in the forest for some honey, I am pretty sure I saw it before. From what I read in a book honey was often used in the past to help draw out infection. When I found it I went back to where Merrill was and rubbed some honey near his snake bite. He flinched but didn¡¯t try to push me away.


    When I look at him more closely I notice that he would flinch in pain whenever he moved his left leg as well. I realize he must have been bitten when he was cleaning himself off. I realize I had to take off his pants¡­


    ¡°I need to take off your pants to rub honey on the other bite wound so don¡¯t struggle,¡± I told him this and carefully went to take off his pants, making sure not to move his left leg too much. I could see he was bleeding and the bite wound was swelling as well.


    I carefully clean the blood from the wound and rub honey on it. After I was done I got some bandages from my bag and wrapped them around his arm and leg, I made sure to make it tight and go as high as I could. Then I added a split on his leg and made a sling for his arm.


    ¡°This should be good but we may have to leave the forest a bit early since you were bitten by a snake after all. It wasn¡¯t poisonous but it still needed to be checked out by someone other than me. We will leave in the morning.¡± I told Merrill this as I went to put his pants back on, I knew I would have to cut the left side of the pant so it wouldn¡¯t feel uncomfortable for him.


    As I was doing this I noticed some scars on his legs. They were pretty bad-looking scars, I didn¡¯t notice them at first since I was busy taking care of his snake bite but I am surprised I didn¡¯t see it right away since it was rather hard to miss.


    It looked like someone dug something deep into his leg over and over again. Some were in areas he could reach himself but others were in places only someone else could do to him. He must have noticed I was looking because he tried to cover his scars but stop when he felt pain shot through his leg.


    ¡°I know these scars look bad but it happened to me for a good reason¡­ I wasn¡¯t a good boy so my mom taught me a lesson. She did it to me because she cared about me. That is the way she shows her love for me.¡± Merrill smiled at me but it looked like it was forced. He looked like he wanted to cover the scars on his leg from me to see it but he couldn¡¯t move without hurting himself.


    I didn¡¯t say anything and went to continue to put his pants back on. After I did that I cut the left side of his pants so it wouldn¡¯t be uncomfortable for it. I sat next to Merrill when I was done with putting his pants on him. It was quiet for a while before Merrill spoke up again.


    ¡°You must be thinking my mom is cruel or something like that? She isn¡¯t¡­ She just shows her love differently than other people. I don¡¯t hate her for what she does to me. The only time my mom touches me or looks at me is when she hurts me¡­ It''s like she is finally looking at me instead of looking at my father.¡± Merrill sounds like he wanted to cry as he told me this and I still didn¡¯t say anything to him.


    ¡°...That doesn''t seem like love to me.¡± I finally spoke up after a long time of silence between us. Merrill looked at me with an expression he never had before, he was angry at me.


    ¡°What do you know about parent love?! Your father hates you so don¡¯t fucking tell me whether or not what my mom does to me is love or not! You don¡¯t know anything about love!¡± Merrill looked away from me as he said this and I saw that his shoulders were shaking.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t know love at all. It is confusing and painful in my eyes. Because of the love, my old man had for my mom he hates me so much for causing her death. I don¡¯t know what type of love a parent should give to their child but I know that what your mom does to you isn¡¯t love. You must know that as well, I doubt you are that stupid.¡± I fell backward onto the ground and looked up at the sky, there were a bunch of stars tonight.


    ¡°I wonder if the main reason you act so weird with me is because of the way I treated you¡­ I am sorry for being so cruel to you. I am sorry for hitting. I am sorry for making you think what I did to you was a way of showing love. Someone like me can''t show anyone love.¡± I can''t show love to anyone. I doubt I could ever fall in love, I didn¡¯t fall in love in my past life. Liar, how dare you forget about him. I hate you for forgetting about the only person who gave a shit about us.


    ¡°...What do you think love is, Aurelia?¡± I could feel Merrill lay on the ground next to me as he asked me this question. I didn¡¯t understand what he asked me at first because the angry voice in my head was talking at the moment but I thought for a moment once I realized what he said.


    ¡°Who knows. It only seems to cause pain to people. I don¡¯t understand why anyone would do that to themselves. Love is confusing and people who fall in love are strange. Yet¡­ I do wish I could understand the feeling of falling in love as well¡­¡± I do wonder what it would be like to fall in love. You did fall in love, he was the only person for you and yet you pushed him away. I wonder how I would react. You run away from him once you realize you love him, you always run away from things you don¡¯t want to deal with, coward.


    ¡°...I wonder if I could try falling in love with you¡­ Maybe I will finally understand¡­ what love is... A love that isn¡¯t filled with¡­ pain¡­¡± Merrill''s words got more difficult to understand before I heard him start to breathe softly. I pretend to not hear what he just told me, he just said that because he was tired. Excuses, liar, coward. I hate you.


    I slowly closed my eyes as I lay next to Merrill who was breathing softly next to me. I fell asleep listening to the angry voice in my head insulting me and telling me how much she hated me.


    I was sitting in the corner of the school that was hidden away from everyone. I didn¡¯t want to deal with anyone currently so I decided to skip class today. I was having a smoke as I waited for the school bell to ring, telling me it was the end of school.


    ¡°There you are! Why did you skip class again, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~? I know you get good grades but you should still go to your class every day.¡± He showed up to bother me again as I was having my smoke. I only gave him a look before going back to smoking.


    ¡°You could at least say something to me, ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~! I skip class to look for you, my parents will be so mad at me for doing this again.¡± He sat next to me and he couldn¡¯t help but cough as he waved away the smoke from my cigarette.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to skip class, dumbass. What I do is none of your business so quit doing this already.¡± I tried not to let him know how fast my heart was beating as I realized how close he was sitting next to me.


    ¡°...Hey, you do know why I always seek you out. Why do you pretend not to know ¨~¨~¨~¨~¨~?¡± Before I could understand what was happening I was pushed to the ground and I was looking up at him. He had a pout on his face and I couldn¡¯t help but think how cute he looked.


    ¡°...Get off of me before I kick you in the dick,¡± I spoke harshly to him but I could never hit him. I never want to lay a hand on him at all if I had a choice in the matter.


    ¡°Then do it, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± He told me this as he took my cigarette from my hand and put it out for me. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of him and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.


    ¡°...I really do love you, you know that? No matter what everyone says about you, I can¡¯t stop this feeling.¡± His face was getting closer to mine and I could feel my hands start to shake. I could just push him off, it wouldn¡¯t be that hard at all.


    But I didn¡¯t do that and I only closed my eyes¡­ I felt his lips touch mine and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a pleased sigh. I put one of my hands on his neck and pulled him closer to me. I could feel one of his hands touch my right ear and I couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the tingling feeling that appeared because of his touch.


    ¡°...I love you so much, Alina. I never felt this way about anyone else in my whole life. I love you and only you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he told me this between our kisses. He loves me¡­


    ¡°Alina¡­ Alina¡­ Alina¡­¡±  Oh¡­ I love how my name sounds when it comes from him. It always sounds so pleasant and filled with love. I love it when he says my name¡­ Please keep saying my name like that.


    I woke up with a start and I realized I was sweating. My face felt hot and I could feel my heart beating so fast. I touched my lips with a shaky hand but I knew it was just a dream. Disgusting¡­ The way you remember your name is in such an embarrassing way. You ran away from him yet you want to hear him call out your name so badly, Alina. How pathetic.


    I tried not to remember how it felt to get kissed in that dream of mine. For some reason no matter how hard I tried to remember, I didn¡¯t know who was kissing me in that dream. It was someone I knew yet I couldn¡¯t remember them at all.


    My heart felt so warm and so painful at the same time. It was a confusing feeling. Why¡­ Why do I want to kiss that person in my dream so badly? Why does it feel like we kissed before many times? Why do I miss them so much?


    I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep so I only pulled my knees up close to myself and waited for the sun to come up. I didn¡¯t want to sleep again and dream about getting kissed like that again. I don¡¯t want to hear them call my name like that again¡­ It hurts too much¡­

 Chapter Twenty-Nine – The Shadows Of My Past

    I felt like Merrill became even strange after our time in the forest together. We had to leave early since he was bitten by a snake, but he became clingy. It was like he was another Eli and for some reason, that seemed to upset Eli a lot.


    But I was too focus on other stuff to really try to understand why he was upset with that. It feels like my past life keeps merging with my current life. I would see things from my past life but they would quickly disappear once I look at them again. It feels like I am in a nightmare that is slowly becoming a part of my reality. I feel like I am going crazy but I don¡¯t know what to do.


    I am scared¡­ What if I can¡¯t tell the difference between my past life and this life. I know I have to remember my past fully to get over it but I don¡¯t want to feel the pain again. It feels like I am slowly getting surrounded by darkness that I can¡¯t escape from.


    It would be so fucked up if you are only in a coma and you really didn¡¯t die. How much pain would you be in if you realize that you didn¡¯t escape from that shitty life of yours? Would you kill yourself again? What a fucking coward you are, Alina.


    I dislike this voice with a passion, always bringing up things I don¡¯t want to think about. I am never free from them. All my dreams are just filled with them mocking me and all my choices. I hate them and they hate me¡­


    I was in a daze as I sat outside of the house and was holding a daisy in my hand. It didn¡¯t have any flower petals on it anymore. This was the tenth flower that I destroyed and there was a pile slowly getting bigger next to me. I couldn¡¯t focus on any of the books I was reading in the library and I didn¡¯t want to train either. I also was hiding away from everyone, I just wanted to be alone.


    I felt irritated and I didn¡¯t know how to get rid of this stupid feeling. Feeling my emotions getting out of control again I found another daisy to rip the petals off of. I pretend it was my emotions that I was ripping on this daisy. I didn¡¯t know if it was helping me¡­


    ¡®I wish I could have a smoke¡­¡¯ I could feel my hands shaking and that familiar feeling when I wanted to smoke appear again in my body. I dropped the daisy without any petals to the ground and I held out my left arm before I dug my nails into it.


    I didn¡¯t stop until I was sure blood was going to come out of my arm. I felt like I was tearing my skin apart but I only saw small cuts appearing on my arm. I was in pain so that meant I was awake¡­ But what if I am being lied to by my head. What if I am really not in pain? I need to know. I have to know. Let me know the answer to my question.


    I spotted a rock nearby and I had a thought appear in my head. I should smash that on my hand and see if it will wake me up¡­ If it means I am risking breaking my hand to see if I am really awake I don¡¯t care. I wanted to be in pain so I can know that I am actually here. I need to feel... something, anything...


    ¡°What are you doing here, Aurelia? Everyone has been wondering where you are.¡± I was brought out of my thoughts and the darkness I didn¡¯t notice before slowly disappeared from me. I couldn¡¯t help but frown when I saw who was bothering me, Isaias.


    ¡°...Go away. I want to be alone.¡± I slowly released my nails from my arm and I could feel a dull pain coming from it. I didn¡¯t know if I was bleeding badly or not. I didn¡¯t care. I grabbed another daisy and went to pull the petals off of it. Some blood appears on the new daisy in my hand but I didn''t care too much.


    ¡°You really like destroying daisies. You must really hate them or something.¡± Isaias didn¡¯t take my advice and leave. He just sat his ass down on the ground next to me and watched as I ripped the petals off the daisy in my hand. I felt annoyed that I wasn''t alone anymore and my thoughts were getting too much. I needed to smoke so badly...


    I didn¡¯t say anything to him and just focused on taking all the petals off and putting them in the pile with the rest. If I just pretend he isn¡¯t here then he will leave me alone. Bastard, all of them. They think so little of you but start crying the moment you fight back. Why should you lower your head and apologize? Make them hurt, make them cry, make them question why they are alive.


    ¡°I have thought about the reason why you hate me. I notice something interesting whenever you look at me when you think I am not looking. It feels like you aren¡¯t looking at me, it feels like you are looking at someone else.¡± I could feel myself twitch as he mentioned that and I tried to ignore it as I went to get another daisy from the ground and start to pull at the petals once again.


    ¡°I saw the look before and I often have that look as well. I wonder if you are seeing your father whenever you look at me. I would understand since I heard about the way he treats you after all. But there is nothing about me that should remind you of him.¡± Isaias kept talking and I was starting to hear static coming from my ears. The daisy in my hand started to look different¡­This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I wonder if it''s your brother you are seeing whenever you look at me. But that wouldn¡¯t make sense either since he is here as well so you couldn¡¯t mistake me for him. I wonder who you are seeing when you look at me with those hate-filled eyes. I wonder who you hate that much with a passion.¡± I could barely hear Isaias anymore and it felt like I was in a static TV. My head felt heavy and light at the same time. It felt like¡­ What did it feel like?


    I shouldn¡¯t listen to him and keep pulling at the daisies in front of me. Wait a minute¡­ When did the daisies become the head of people? I am just ripping their heads off and listening to them scream. Who are they again? I don''t remember, I don''t care. I hate them. All of them are pieces of shit.


    My hands are covered in their blood but it doesn¡¯t make me feel better. Why don¡¯t I feel better? I should feel better. This isn¡¯t fair. How come I am the monster for making them pay for all the pain they gave me? Am I really the bad one? Mommy tells me if I am a good person... Am I really a waste of space who shouldn''t have been born?


    No matter how much I keep hurting them it doesn¡¯t make me feel better. What is happening? I just want to feel better. Everything is wrong and I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want to deal with this feeling anymore. I wish I wasn''t able to feel anything. Just make everything go numb... I like it when I am numb.


    ¡°A...Aurelia¡­ Can...Can¡¯t...Breath¡­¡± How did this happen? When did I put my hands around Isaias'' neck? What is that black ink dropping on his face? Is¡­ Is that my tears? Why am I crying? I don''t understand why I am like this... Is this really me? Who am I again? I am Alina... Wrong... It Aurelia...


    I don¡¯t know anymore. My head is weird. I have to leave. Where should I go? I don¡¯t know. I will find somewhere. I take my hands from Isaias''s neck and get off of him. I could hear him calling out to me but I didn''t stop to listen to what he wanted to say, I needed to go away. I walked back into the house and went to my room. I don¡¯t remember much as I was heading back to my room, it was like a dream.


    I could feel a warmth coming from my neck and I touched the magic stone I always kept with me. I put my hand on it for a while before taking it off and throwing it on the bed. I felt my body become even colder once I did that but I didn¡¯t move to get it back. No matter how badly I wanted to grab it off the bed, I won''t pick it up...


    I headed into the bathroom and turned on the light. I face myself in the mirror and I realize I couldn¡¯t make out what I look like. My face was scribbled out¡­ What did I look like before? Did I have black hair¡­ No, that was Alina. What color was my hair? Were my eyes black? No, that was Alina. My right ear should look like a piece of it is missing... No that isn''t right, I am not Alina.


    I say that but the person in the mirror keeps changing and getting even more scribble... I don''t know what is real or fake anymore. I don''t know what I really look like anymore. Do I really look different or am I just the same? Did anything really change about me or am I just imagining it?


    Who am I again? I am Aurelia¡­ No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia... No, I am Alina... No, I am Aurelia¡­


    I couldn¡¯t take the endless thoughts in my head anymore so I punched at the mirror in front of me until it cracked. I could see two people in the mirror but are they truly me? Who am I anymore? This is too much for me to handle¡­ I feel so sick. I could feel my hand that punch the mirror twitching and I felt a dull sensation of pain.


    I looked at my hand and realize I was bleeding badly and there was a glass shard in it. It was deep in my hand and I grab at it. I twisted it around in my hand for a second so it could make the cut even bigger. After it felt like I couldn''t handle the pain anymore I finally took out the glass from my hand. There was a long cut that was bleeding on my hand and I think I could see my bone. I decided to wash my hand and headed out of the bathroom before I did anything else to myself.


    I walked in a daze toward the balcony of my room and looked down toward the ground. I got on the handrail and jumped. I fell to the ground but I only felt a dull sense of pain. I slowly started to walk in a random direction away from the house. I could feel that I was bleeding from my hand again but I didn''t bother to deal with it.


    I could hear the voice of the figure calling out to me but I was too deep in my thoughts to make out what they were saying to me. I just wanted to get away from everything for a while. I needed to be alone. I could feel a dull pain going through my body but I didn''t care to stop and see what was going on with my body.


    I could feel a huge amount of darkness surrounding me as my thoughts became even harder to understand. I felt myself being consumed by the darkness but I didn¡¯t mind it at all. I just needed to be alone so I could understand my thoughts. I will go to sleep for a while and hopefully wake up somewhere else¡­


    I just wanted to be somewhere far away right now... My eyes were getting blurry and it felt like it was hard to keep walking. The area surrounding me was completely dark and I could feel my legs getting weak. I couldn''t make out anything in front of me anymore and I felt light-headed. I couldn''t walk anymore and I fell down, I could feel the dull pain slowly disappearing. I close my eyes and I slowly sank into the darkness.

 Chapter Thirty – Mother’s Day Special – The Day To Show My Love

    I am humming to myself as I stand on a stepping stool. My hands are so sticky but I am almost done with the sandwich for my mommy. It took me forever but I finally managed to cut them into heart shapes! There were a few close calls with the knife but I didn¡¯t get hurt at all! Mommy will be so proud of me.


    I placed my heart-shaped sandwiches on the plate alongside the heart-shaped pancakes! I thought for a second before deciding to put my weirdly shaped waffle on the plate as well. It took me so long to make it and I am proud it came out so well unlike the other ones that weren¡¯t cooked all the way.


    To finish it off I decided to add the rolled omelet that I added a smiley face to. I couldn¡¯t keep the smile off my face when I was done with everything for my mommy. I couldn¡¯t help but picture her expression when she saw all the things I made for her. I slowly got off the stepping stool while holding the plate in my hands and walked toward the table. It was just a short walk to the table but it felt like forever with the plate filled with food.


    I finally reached the table and used the stepping stool that I pushed near the table to put the plate on the table. I quickly went to get mommy''s coffee cup and place it next to her food. I know mommy likes her coffee to be really sweet so I made sure to put a lot of sugar in it and added whip cream at the top of it. To finish it all off I placed a flower in the middle of the table, it wasn¡¯t a real one but I made it so it should be good enough!


    I puffed my chest out as I looked at the table with everything I put on it. I was going to get mommy from her room but I realized I needed to clean myself up, I had to look my best for her! I made sure to quietly head back to my room and head into my bathroom to clean myself. I changed my clothes so I would look cute for mommy.


    Mommy liked it when I wore my white frilly dress that had a flower pattern on it, she said it makes me look like a fairy! I finish it off by putting on my flower headband on my head. Now I was ready to get mommy for her breakfast.


    I walked over to mommy''s room that was just across mine and went to knock on it but I stopped myself. She was crying again¡­ I hesitated for a second but decided to open her door slowly. Mommy was on her bed curled up into a ball and I could see a book open next to her, it was probably pictures of that man¡­


    ¡°...Mommy! I made breakfast for you!¡± I made my voice sound extra cheerful and got on her bed. Mommy quickly closed the book and wiped at her face before looking at me. Mommy''s eyes were puffy and red but she still looked so pretty.


    ¡°O-Oh¡­ You made breakfast for me? That''s so nice, Alina.¡± Mommy sat up in her bed and gave me a warm hug. I let out a pleased sigh as I was surrounded by her warmth and her smell, the smell of my mommy. I didn¡¯t want to leave her hug at all¡­


    ¡°Yep, now come on before the food gets cold! I worked super super super hard on it for you!¡± I forced myself to get out of her embrace and got off her bed. I stopped at her door and waited for her to get off the bed. Mommy got off her bed, stopping for a second to touch the closed book.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    When mommy was with me at the open door I motioned for her to hold my hand and gave a big smile when I felt her familiar warmth in my hand. I led her to the table while humming a random song, I felt even happier when mommy joined me in the random song.


    ¡°Take a seat mommy! I have to get something from my room so I will be gone for a quick second!¡± When I made sure mommy was sitting down, I ran back to my room making sure to slow down when mommy told me to.


    I went inside of my room and got the card that I kept hidden in my room until today. I quickly grabbed it and walked out of my room with it behind my back. I slowly walked over to mommy and gave a wide smile to her once she noticed me.


    ¡°Before you eat¡­ Please read this card first¡­¡± I quickly held the card I made for mommy out to her and avoided looking her in the eyes. My face felt hot as I grew embarrassed all of a sudden. When I felt mommy take the card out of my hands I quickly brought both my hands close to me and messed around with fingers.


    ¡°...I know that I won¡¯t help you fully get over the sadness you feel. But I want you to know that in my eyes you are the best mommy in the whole world! I really love you and I hope you always know that!¡± My face felt super hot as I told mommy this and I got nervous when mommy didn¡¯t say anything for a long time.


    I decided to look at mommy but I felt myself getting lifted off the ground and held closely by mommy. I could feel my shoulder getting wet as mommy started to cry again. I didn¡¯t know why she was crying. Didn¡¯t she like the card I made for her?


    I know I am not the best at drawing yet but I think I did a good job at drawing us together in the card. Did she not like the message I wrote on the card? I felt anxious as I tried to understand what I did wrong.


    ¡°Thank you for being born¡­ Thank you so much¡­¡± Mommy was only saying that to me and I don¡¯t know why but I started to tear up as well. I tried really hard not to cry but the tears ended up coming out of my eyes. I held onto mommy tightly and hoped she could feel all the love I have for her. I love her so much¡­ Please know that mommy¡­ Please¡­


    I woke up in a daze on the desk in my room and I could feel my eyes were wet. I couldn¡¯t remember what made me feel this way but my heart couldn¡¯t help but squeeze tightly in my chest. I wiped away the tears on my face and looked out the window in my room, the sun was slowly rising. I could hear birds outside and see a few flying.


    Today was mother¡¯s day and I decided to wake up early so I could make something for Mae before she had the chance. This was something I had planned for a while and I must have fallen asleep at my desk as I was making the card for Mae. I looked at my desk and felt pleased that the card was finished.


    I got up from my seat and stretched out my body. I had maybe an hour to make something for Mae in the kitchen. I won¡¯t be able to make too much but I could be able to cook at least one thing. I opened the door to my room slowly and looked out into the still-dark hallway.


    I couldn¡¯t help but get a familiar feeling in my chest as I sneaked to the kitchen so I could make breakfast for Mae. I couldn¡¯t help humming to myself softly as I continued to sneak around in the quiet house. This was a nice feeling in my chest that I hope would last for a bit longer...

 Chapter Thirty-One – The Whole Truth

    ¡®Please don¡¯t! Give me back my child! Kill me instead! I am begging you!¡¯ I could hear a voice of a woman calling out all around me. She was crying and it just made me feel so uncomfortable, I didn¡¯t like hearing that at all. Crying reminded me of my mommy¡­


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die! Please don¡¯t kill me! Why are you doing this?!¡¯ I am hearing a different voice this time, it sounds like a man who seems very fearful. I wonder who he is calling out to?


    ¡®I hate you! I hate all of you! I will make everyone pay for this! Do you think I am a monster? I will show you a REAL MONSTER!¡¯ I can¡¯t tell if the person speaking is a man or a woman. It feels like a bunch of people''s voices getting mixed. I can¡¯t escape from them at all no matter how hard I cover my ears.


    Then I was awake, on the ground. Great. I slowly sat up from the ground and rubbed at the pounding head. I really can¡¯t remember what happened but I am pretty sure I had a moment, again. I got off the ground and dust myself off. I was a bit confused that I wasn¡¯t in that much pain anymore, I did fuck up my arm and punched the mirror.


    Then I noticed something that made me pause¡­ I saw myself curled up into a ball on the ground. Countless thoughts went through my head until I finally walked toward my body. I got on my knees and went to touch myself but I felt confused that I couldn¡¯t do that.


    It was like I was hitting a wall every time I tried to touch my body. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t touch my body at all. What is happening?! I could feel my breathing getting faster and my heartbeat increasing to a dangerous level.


    ¡°You should calm down, Princess. I really don¡¯t want you to pass out on me.¡± I flinched when I heard an unfamiliar voice coming from behind me. It didn¡¯t sound male or female, it was more like it was in between. I turned around and felt confused at the new person who was walking closer to me.


    ¡°W-Who are you and what is happening? D-Did you do this to me! Put me back in my body! Tell me what is happening!¡± It was getting hard to breathe and I wanted to curl up into a ball. I didn¡¯t feel okay at all and I felt so scared.


    ¡°It''s rather sad. You really don¡¯t know me? It''s me, Fox. Your buddy! I even made you a flower crown and that was so hard to make.¡± The person got even closer and I realized they were wearing the usual cloak that Fox would wear whenever they would visit me to talk.


    ¡°F-Fox? You did this?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what was happening or why they were doing this to me. I thought we were friends¡­ I mean are we friends or was that me thinking we were close¡­ I keep doing that. Why do I keep doing that? I am such a fucking idiot!


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, it''s rather depressing. It wasn¡¯t me who did this but I know who did. It is basically the person who made me. The monster.¡± Fox told me this like it wasn¡¯t that important and it was information that everyone knew. I could only feel more questions forming in my head. It was hard to focus with the whispering voices that were slowly increasing in volume and the pain that was slowly appearing in my head.


    ¡°I should probably explain more. So you see the monster in this kingdom made me because it wanted to experience parenthood. I don¡¯t really know how I was made but I know they must have done something with magic or whatever. But anyway I am here and you are like this because of them.¡± Fox was waving around their hands as they lazily explain what was happening.


    ¡°I want to know why I am like this! Not how you were born!¡± I was getting annoyed with how they weren¡¯t focusing on the fact I wasn¡¯t in my BODY! I looked over at my body after I heard it let out a really loud groan, and I noticed that the wound on my arm was surrounded by dark markings. It was starting to bubble and I had to force myself not to puke from how gross it looked.


    ¡°They took you out of your body and now they are going to try to consume your soul. They want you to join everyone else. Your body is slowly going to die from the illness unless you figure out how to get back into your body.¡± When I heard that I felt like my world went quiet for a few minutes. I looked back at my body and I noticed that the dark markings slowly spreading from my wound. It looks like some were up to my neck already and my body let out another pained groan.


    ¡°What..? Why!? How is this happening?!¡± I tried to touch my body once again but I was stopped by the wall keeping me from getting inside of my body. My unconscious body let out a pained groan and twisted uncomfortably on the ground. It seems like the markings on my body was getting worse the more distress I was getting. I started to really panic when I notice that my body spit out some black thing from my mouth.


    ¡°You took off your magic stone and now you aren¡¯t being protected anymore. This should have affected you way sooner but well you were being protected. This normally goes slower but seeing as you were here for a while and protected most of your stay here... It basically likes putting something white in the middle of a huge mess. It happening quickly.¡± Fox came up to my side and sat down next to me as they looked at my twitching body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand! Nothing you are saying is making sense! What is happening to me?! Tell me what is going on!¡± I was pulling at my hair as I could feel my breathing getting out of control and I could hear the ringing in my ears. I tried to calm down when I realize my body was curling up even more and letting out pained whimpers.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I thought you knew? Don¡¯t you know what happens to people who use dark magic in this country? They all end up being consumed by the monster. They become one with them. It is common knowledge. It is also very common for people with dark magic to have rather¡­ negative personalities as well.¡± Fox was speaking calmly to me as I was freaking out about the new information I was getting.


    ¡°W-Why do they end up getting consumed by the monster? Why does it only happen to people with dark magic? I don¡¯t understand at all¡­¡± I could hear the whispers getting louder and my vision was getting hazy. I could feel my legs getting weak and I just wanted to curl up into a ball.


    ¡°The monster is the souls of all the dark magic users who were killed by the past ruler of the country. They had a dream one day about losing all their power because of someone with dark magic so they decided to kill anyone with dark magic who lived in their kingdom. But that wasn¡¯t enough for them. They were nervous about losing their throne so they decided to send their knights out of the kingdom to kill anyone who had dark magic.¡± Fox''s voice was slowly disappearing in the background as I started to see images in my head of people being killed in different ways.


    They were all screaming and begging for mercy. Families were being murdered and no one was safe, even if they were a young child. They were all just being killed over and over. I can feel their fear¡­ Their sadness¡­ Their hatred¡­ I couldn''t hold it in anymore and I puke. Nothing came out of me, mostly just dry heaving. But my physical body pukes out a bunch of dark matter that was bubbling and I could have sworn to see eyes in it.


    ¡°It was rather horrible as it was happening. After they killed all the dark magic users they decided to seal up their kingdom so no one could come in or get out. But you see a single dark magic user was left and hated the ruler of this kingdom so much. So they created a curse and put it on them. They then went to the kingdom and told the ruler that they were a dark magic-user. They weren¡¯t scared nor were they worried, it was what they wanted. As soon as they were killed that was when the monster was created. The souls of all the dark magic users who were killed became the monster. After that, for some reason, not a lot of dark magic users were being born into this world. And whenever a dark magic user came into this country, they would get sick and have their soul taken away to join the other dark magic users who were inside of the monster.¡± I could feel something tugging at me in a direction and I could hear someone calling out for me. I was trying so hard to focus on Fox''s voice, it was the only thing keeping me here at the moment. I was still dry heaving and it was getting hard to breathe.


    ¡°It''s kind of sad. The first person I ever became friends with had the blood of the person who caused all this suffering. I should hate you, I was created from the souls of the people that were killed after all. But¡­ I really don¡¯t hate you. I can¡¯t hate you. I wonder why?¡± I could feel something cold touch my face and I couldn¡¯t help but flinch. I realized that Fox was touching my cheek and they felt so cold. They were looking at me with sad eyes. I didn''t know what to say and everything was getting so hard to focus on.


    ¡°W-What is going to happen to me? Am I going to die? I d-¡± I wanted to say I don¡¯t want to die but I stopped myself. I don¡¯t want to die? Is that true? I don¡¯t want to die? I looked at my body that was still curled up into a ball and letting out pained noise. I looked at Fox who was still touching my cheek. Their eyes still were so warm¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to die¡­ I really don¡¯t want you to become like anyone else. But I really don¡¯t have a choice in the matter anymore¡­ Do I?¡± Fox let out a laugh and took their hand off my cheek. They got up from the ground and started to walk away from me.


    ¡°Wait! Where are you going? Don¡¯t go¡­¡± I called after Fox and they stopped walking for a second but didn¡¯t look back at me. I had a feeling if I didn¡¯t stop them, I wouldn¡¯t see them again. I kept on seeing the back of someone else appearing the further they got away from me. It felt like I was seeing something get replay back to me.


    ¡°It was nice being your friend¡­ I don¡¯t blame you for what happened in the past. You weren¡¯t even alive back then. You aren¡¯t even from this world either. You really did nothing wrong¡­ You did nothing wrong at all.¡± That was the last thing Fox said to me before they were consumed by darkness and vanished.


    The darkness didn¡¯t disappear with Fox, it stayed behind. It didn''t move any closer to me and I was just in the same spot trying to understand what was happening to me. As I was getting lost in my thought I could hear someone else approaching me. I noticed that it was Eli and he was walking toward my body with a concerned look on his face.


    "...Aurelia? What wrong? Are you okay?" Eli moved closer to my body, he didn''t notice me sitting next to my physical body. He put a hand on my body and quickly took it off once I let out a pained cry. He notices the markings on my body and then tears started to appear in his eyes.


    "Aurelia? This isn''t funny... What is happening? Wake up... You have to wake up!" Eli put his hands back on me and gently move my body so I would wake up. My eyes didn''t open and the marking on my body just slowly increase on my body. Eli stops moving my body and quickly ran back towards the house. I tried to stand in front of him to see if he would notice me but he just went through my body.


    I was just standing there, not knowing what to do when I realize something concerning. The darkness that was left behind after Fox disappears was slowly getting closer to me. When I moved back I notice it also move a bit closer to me. I had a bad feeling and I started to move away from the darkness but it started to follow me. I was just walking but I couldn''t help but start to run once I realize I was being followed by the darkness.


    I don¡¯t know how long I was running but I couldn¡¯t see my body anymore and I didn¡¯t know where I was. There were trees everywhere and I didn¡¯t know what to do at all. That was when I noticed that there was nothing but darkness in front of me and when I looked behind me I saw darkness slowly coming towards me. I had nowhere to run.


    I slowly dropped to the ground and looked blankly at my hands¡­ I can¡¯t escape at all. I am going to¡­ What is going to happen to me? I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care anymore. I guess this is how my story ends... I am going to die without anyone caring about what happened to me.


    ¡®Who am I kidding? The villainess will never get a good ending¡­ No matter what. Someone like me can¡¯t have one. It will always end the same for me. Always going to have a bad ending. Even if¡­ Even if I wanted a different one this time¡­ I wanted things to be different¡­¡¯


    I wanted things to be different¡­ I wanted to change this time¡­ Wait¡­ This isn¡¯t the first time I''ve died? Oh¡­ I remember now. I have always been Aurelia and she was always me. Alina was a new timeline for me. That makes sense¡­ I can¡¯t believe I realized that so late¡­ I just wanted... I...


    In the end, I guess I am just going to die alone again. Nothing has changed. Just an endless cycle of my death. I wish it was a different one. I really did try. It wasn''t good enough. Nothing I do is good enough for anyone... I am so scared of the dark... I don''t want to... I don''t want to die... It is so lonely...

 Chapter Thirty-Two – Let Try Once Again

    I am Aurelia Giliam, I am hated by my family and I crave to feel any type of love. I am stuck in an endless cycle of trying to get the love of people who I know will never give me it. I am bitter, I am angry. I hate this.


    I am Alina. I don¡¯t have a last name. My mommy family doesn¡¯t want me to have their surname and I hate saying my father''s last name as well. I felt love from my mommy, that love of her was so warm and so pure. I wanted to experience that love again so I kept my heart open¡­ Until I reached a point where my heart was broken to a point I couldn¡¯t fix it anymore. I met a boy with a kind smile and love for me but¡­ I pushed him away. I lost him. I lost my mommy. It hurts so much. I am so lonely.


    My role in this world was the villainess, I was made to suffer so other people could fall in love. Even if I try to change my fate it wouldn¡¯t end well for me. I would only suffer and die in the end. I hate this world I was in. I hated the people who were happy because of my suffering.


    I wanted to be loved so badly by the family who loved my mommy so much. I did everything in my power to make them love me but they only saw my father. The man who caused my mommy to kill herself. The scum threw away my mommy love without a care in the world. I was just a reminder of why my mommy isn¡¯t here anymore.


    The only person who I thought understood me didn¡¯t care about me as I care about him. I felt something in me break once I realized I was alone in the world where I was made to suffer. I hate that I wasn¡¯t allowed to be happy. I hate how the one person who I thought would understand me¡­ looked at me with such cold eyes. I hate him. I hate this world. I hate this crushing feeling in my heart.


    I gave up on love once I realized my mommy family would never love me. When I gave up on love someone finally fell in love with me. He was perfect, he saw me. I wanted to love him back so badly but I was scared. I was so scared he would end up hating me as well. I kept pushing him away until¡­ I finally lost him to someone else. Even though I kept telling myself it was for my own good. I think that was the day I finally died. The one person who loved me is gone and I am alone again.


    I hate this world I was born in. I hate this world I was born in. Even when I managed to experience a new life where I wasn¡¯t Aurelia I still managed to suffer in the end. Maybe it isn¡¯t the world''s fault, maybe it is my fault. I hate myself so much. I don¡¯t want to remember this pain anymore. Just let me forget this pain and suffering like the coward I am. No matter how much I want to feel love¡­ I will only suffer in the end¡­


    I am in a void of darkness, it feels like a place. It is like a home I am coming back to. A lonely home. I am laying flat on my back and I can hear the voice of someone who is so familiar but at the same time completely unfamiliar to me. I could feel myself being grabbed by countless hands as they held me down. They don''t have to do that, I don''t feel like moving.


    I feel a weight suddenly appear on my chest and I see a young girl looking at me with cold eyes. Her appearance is hard to make out, she looks one way but suddenly looks like something else. It is like she is switching between the way she wants to look but can''t settle on an appearance that she likes. Her skin is brown but she looks rather sickly and her skin doesn''t look like it sees the sun that much. Her hair is black and short. It isn''t a neat type of short hair, it is like someone just cut at the hair with no care at all.


    We try to change our fate. Yet we always fail. Why do we always fail? Is it our fault? Is this a punishment for a crime we did? Force to suffer endlessly. Never getting a happy ending.


    Her mouth doesn''t move as she speaks, it is unsettling but I don''t care much about it. I don''t care much about anything at the moment. I could feel the hands holding me down on the ground increase their hold on my body. It hurts but I just ignore the pain my body is suddenly feeling at the moment. The young girl slowly brings her face closer to mine and I am just staring at those cold eyes. I feel like I am just looking into an endless void.


    Why do we even try? What''s the point? This is a pointless cycle we are in. It feels so exhausting. We should just stop. No more suffering. No more loneliness. Let''s end it finally.


    I feel myself getting lost in these cold eyes of hers. It feels like I am slowly becoming an empty shell, my emotions are finally leaving me. I just wanted to lose myself in this strange sensation. It feels comforting in a weird, scary way. I just want everything to finally stop. I don''t want to deal with this anymore. I feel tired, I feel weak.


    But... I wonder why I don''t want to give in? Why do I still want to keep trying? I am acting so stupid, foolish, stubborn. This is the easy way out for me yet... I still want to... I want to... I want to keep trying. Again and again and again and again and again...


    ¡°I wonder why I''m trying? It is confusing, it is frustrating, it is pointless.¡± I finally spoke up, my voice echo throughout this dark space I started to pull against the hands that were holding me down on the ground. I didn''t break eye contact with the young girl who was sitting on my chest. I could feel the nails of the hands holding onto me dig into my body but I didn''t stop trying to escape from them.


    ¡°Whenever I hope for something it always ends up going bad for me. No matter how much I try to tell myself it will work out next time, it never does¡­¡± In the girls'' eyes, I can see all the moments in my life where everything just went wrong for me. It was just failure after failure. I hated it so much and just wanted to give up. Life was pointless to me. I had nothing.


    ¡°Maybe I should give up. It would be easier. I lived so many lives where I ended up getting killed. My other life ended with me killing myself in the end. I wonder what the point of trying anymore¡­¡± I was slowly moving my body up into a sitting position. The hands holding me were trying so hard to pull me back down but I wouldn''t let them. It felt like they would dislocate my bones from how hard they were pulling at me but I didn''t care.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°But¡­ I think I am stupid for saying this¡­ I want to keep going. I don¡¯t want to give in. Some people care about me. I am not unlovable. I don¡¯t want to lose this feeling. Even if¡­ Even if it ends with me getting another bad ending¡­ At least I didn¡¯t give up. I don¡¯t want to give up anymore. When I gave up I lost the only person who ever loved me. I want to keep trying, even if it is foolish. It would be so much easier to give up but I am being so stubborn.¡± I managed to get only one of my arms free and I started to pull at the hands holding my other arm. I was still looking into the young girl''s eyes. She was now just sitting in front of me but I couldn''t make out her current expression.


    ¡°I am sorry for not giving up. Can we please keep trying until we reach an ending where we can be happy? To be loved? Let us not give up yet. I don¡¯t want to.¡± I finally managed to get both my arms free and feel the soreness in my arms, but I just ignored it. I slowly reached out towards the girl and hugged her. I hug me.


    This is foolish. You are just extending our suffering. Why can¡¯t you just let it stop? It''s too much¡­ Just make it stop¡­


    ¡°...I love you, Aurelia. I love you, Alina. I love me. Even if no one will love me¡­ I will start loving myself. Why should I find someone to love me? I still have myself. I don¡¯t need to look for people to love me. I just need to start loving myself.¡± As I was saying this the dark space I was in started to get some light. It was like a sun was coming up in this darkness. I didn''t let go of myself. I wouldn''t let go. I just wanted someone to hold me so tight during the times where everything was so hard... I wanted someone to make me feel so safe. I just needed someone to... I...


    The me who was so lonely. The me who hated the world. The me who wanted love so much. The me who was just a child who just wanted a family so badly. The me who grew up too fast.


    I just needed this¡­ I caused all this pain¡­ I hurt myself so badly¡­ I was just like the people who caused my pain as well. I didn¡¯t like that at all. I want to be better, I really want to be better. I don''t want to feel like this anymore.


    ¡°I am sorry but¡­ Maybe this time will be better for us? Because this time I will actually learn to love myself. Learn to accept the fact I don¡¯t need to seek out love from other people who clearly don¡¯t love me. Learn that I am someone important.¡± I was still hugging her, I was hugging the child who needed this hug so badly. I could feel small arms slowly wrap around me and hold me tight. I could feel wetness appearing on my chest but I didn''t mind, I just kept her close to me.


    ¡°You are so dumb¡­ Who are we kidding? This trait of ours isn¡¯t that bad. It''s so good that it''s back. Maybe things will be different this time¡­¡± I could feel her disappearing from my arms but the tightness of her arms around me didn''t go away. Even after she was finally gone I could still feel her hugging me. I was alone but it still felt like someone was hugging me.


    I am going to be okay. I love... I love myself. I am someone who deserves love. I deserve happiness as well. I am not just a villainess in someone''s story, I am just a person who wants to be happy as well.


    The dark space I was in now had a bright light shining everywhere, and flowers appeared around me. They were daisies, white, yellow, and orange daisies. It felt like they were all speaking to me, cheering me on.


    I slowly unwrapped my arms from myself and stood up. I can feel myself standing straighter and a heavyweight disappears off my shoulders. I felt... I didn''t know how to explain it but it was a good feeling. A feeling I wanted for a long time...

 Chapter Thirty-Three – A Long Overdue Apologize

    I didn¡¯t know how I was going to get back to where my body was. I was in a space I didn¡¯t know how I got into so it was hard leaving this space. Even though it was bright and covered in daisies, I couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.


    I am pretty sure this was a place that was supposed to consume me in all my negative emotions but I managed to kind of handle them. There is still some stuff I need to deal with but not right now.


    ¡®The creature that is made up of the souls of all the dead dark magic users probably have my body close to them. It would make sense since they are trying to make me join the other souls as well¡­¡¯ I was struggling to figure out how I could get out of this place I was in when I felt something hit the back of my head.


    I turned around quickly, worried that there was something else in this place with me. But it was rather shocking when I just saw a paper airplane on the ground. I didn¡¯t think it was a good idea but I picked it up.


    ¡®Help me fly so you can find your way out of this place - Fox¡¯ When I opened up the plane I saw this message for me. It didn¡¯t make sense that Fox was trying to help me out, I shouldn¡¯t trust them but¡­ I wanted to. This didn¡¯t make sense at all and it was probably dumb as hell. But I was always doing dumb shit so why does it matter if I keep making more mistakes?


    I folded the paper back into a plane and threw it in front of me. As soon as this happened the airplane started to fly in a direction like it was heading toward something. It was rather strange as this airplane led me somewhere and I was wondering if someone was controlling it as well since it would often do tricks as it guided me.


    As I kept walking through the space I was in, the daisies that were full of life started to slowly wilt. The bright light in the place was slowly getting darker and it felt difficult to keep walking. I could hear whispers slowly growing louder as I kept walking.


    ¡°This is your fault.¡±


    I wonder why? Father never bothered to tell me why it was my fault? I wonder if he didn¡¯t have an answer and just wanted to blame someone for what happened to mommy. I wonder why I always felt the need to apologize for her death? I just wanted him to stop looking at me with such cold eyes. I wanted him to love me like he loved my brother.


    ¡°Why were you born?¡±


    I often wonder about that as well. I would love to think I was born out of love at first. I wonder where that love went after? Mommy always loved me but I wonder if there was something about me that no one else could love? Wait¡­ That is a lie¡­ There were people who could love me, who loved the fact I was born. It was only the people who hated me that wished I wasn¡¯t born. They were the ones I wanted to please so badly. I couldn¡¯t see anyone else.


    ¡°If you were to die, I wonder if anyone would miss you?¡±


    These thoughts would always consume me during the night. I could never escape them at all. Aurelia, Alina¡­ No matter who I was, these thoughts followed me. I couldn¡¯t see the point of life when I was hated so much. Death was always at the edge of my mind. Aurelia could never do it, she was too scared of being forgotten. Alina didn¡¯t give a damn, there was nothing left for her anymore.


    ¡°Love is given to people who earned it, not people who want it and beg for it like a child.¡±


    I wonder why I was told this? How does one earn love? That seems rather harsh to tell a child. Was it just an excuse for them to be cruel to me? No one wants to see themselves as bad people. They want to blame someone else. But I couldn¡¯t realize that, I could only blame myself for not being loveable. I was just focusing on the wrong people, people did love me. I was just scared of noticing them¡­ What if I did something that made them hate me. It would crush me.


    The whispers were getting louder and I kept on questioning so many things that happened to me. Was it my fault I was like this? Could I have done better? Maybe I did something to be treated the way I was¡­


    But¡­ How come there were people who cared about me as well? Was it something they saw in me that was perfect to them? I wasn¡¯t someone that seemed unlovable? I want to hope¡­ That deep down, there is something about me that people can love.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Stop it¡­ Stop it¡­ Stop it stopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopitstopit! Give in already! Quit being so fucking difficult!¡± The whispers stopped but were replaced by a bunch of angry voices. The airplane in front of me shook because of it but didn¡¯t crash to the ground.


    It seemed like I was getting closer to the creature since my thoughts were getting so¡­ negative. I wonder if that is how all the other dark magic users felt as well, did they give in because of these thoughts of theirs?


    I wonder if these are their thoughts? Are these my thoughts? I wonder when my thoughts became so negative? How did all the cruel words of people who hated me become my own? When was the last time my thoughts were truly my thoughts?


    I wasn¡¯t always like this. I don¡¯t want to keep being like this. I want to change so badly. I want to be better and treat myself kinder! I don¡¯t need to focus on these negative thoughts anymore, they aren¡¯t mine!


    I could feel a warmth spread throughout my chest and it seemed like the area around me was getting brighter as well. It was like the light was coming from me¡­ It was strange but I didn¡¯t hate it at all. It was a rather nice feeling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer! Stay away! Why won¡¯t you stop?! It''s all your fault! Leave us alone! We hate you! Stop it! We didn¡¯t want this!¡± I could hear different voices crying out to me and it was getting so loud that it was hard to think straight. But I didn¡¯t stop following the airplane in front of me.


    After a while, the paper airplane disappeared and I knew I was finally near the creature. I could see a humanoid figure curl up into a ball. They were rocking themselves but stopped when they realized they weren¡¯t alone anymore.


    ¡°We told you to stay away from us! Why are you here?! You are such an idiot! Go away! LEAVE US ALONE!¡± When the creature raised its voice, I could feel myself being pushed back by some invisible force but I kept on moving forward.


    The closer I got the more the creature tried to force me back. When I was finally close enough to them, I dropped to my knees and grabbed the creature''s humanoid form by their shoulders. I couldn¡¯t see any type of expression on their face, it was completely blank. It only had two big black holes for eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± That was all I said to the creature and even though I couldn¡¯t make out any expression on their face, I couldn¡¯t help but figure out they were shocked. The creature then started to struggle in my hold.


    ¡°You think saying sorry will make all your family mistakes disappear?! So dumb! Idiotic! Pathetic! I don¡¯t want an apology! I just want you guys to die!¡± The creature was hitting me but they didn¡¯t break out of my hold. I ignore them hitting me and put my forehead against theirs.


    ¡°I am sorry. I can¡¯t change what happened in the past but I can say sorry. I want to make things right so I am apologizing. It''s not a lot but I do want to make things better.¡± My eyes were open as I looked into the two black holes that were the creature''s eyes. It felt like I was looking at a bunch of people but I wasn¡¯t feeling nervous or scared. I just knew they were angry, sad, scared, and alone.


    ¡°How about you come outside? This place you are currently in is rather depressing. I want to show you a world that isn¡¯t just filled with cruelty. We can learn this together.¡± I took my forehead from the creature and stood up. I held out a hand to the creature and waited for them to take it.


    This was a bad idea, I knew that. The creature could just attack me or something like that but I wanted to give them a chance. The creature was looking at my hand for a long time and they slowly raised a hand before placing it in mine.


    I pulled at their hand and lifted them. They were rather short and had a child-like humanoid form. The creature''s hand was trembling in my hand and I squeezed it in a comforting way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you. I can¡¯t trust you¡­ But¡­ maybe it would be nice to change up my environment¡­ If my mindset doesn¡¯t change at all then I will come back here.¡± The creature told me this but I wasn¡¯t nervous about that at all. I gave them a smile before pulling them into my arms.


    ¡°If you still have all that hatred inside of you, then I will join you in this place. It would be better than just being alone with your thoughts. Let''s try to find something good in this world. It will be a journey for both me and you.¡± I was rubbing the creature back and I could feel them raising their arms to hug me back but stopped themselves.


    Slowly they disappear from my arms and into me. I could feel so many different emotions appearing in me. Instead of reacting badly to this change, I slowly comforted all the new people who were now in my body.


    The dark space I was in finally started to get brighter and I felt like I could finally leave this place. I felt a bit nervous going back to my body but I knew I couldn¡¯t avoid it forever. I want things to be better this time.


    I couldn''t keep avoiding problems because I am scared of the end results. I don''t want to end up stuck in a place that is filled only with my bitter emotions and regrets. I don''t want to end up like this creature who can only see the bad. I want to help them move past what my mom''s family did to them in the past.

 Chapter Thirty-Four – Sometimes You Can Only Cry – Volume Two Ending

    Do you know how it feels to wake up from a deep sleep? Like a sleep that seems like it wasn¡¯t that long but your body is stiff and you are thirsty. And you just need to brush your teeth because it is not a good feeling at the moment.


    I was currently dealing with that and it was strange. My body felt well rested but at the same time, it felt super sore. I was having a hard time understanding what time it was, where I am, or the meaning of everything in the world. I could feel something wet on my face and I just knew it was drool, gross.


    Before I could even handle that, I felt myself getting tackled. I was not expecting it and I could feel all the air leaving my lungs. I was confused and still half asleep. Someone was talking but all I could hear was just a bunch of mumbles. I could hear them but the words didn¡¯t make sense at all.


    ¡°Aury¡­ Aury¡­ Aury! You are awake¡­ I thought¡­ Aurelia!¡± I could feel the arms that were wrapped around me get tighter and I could feel myself struggling to get some form of air back in my lungs. Eli had such a strong grip even though he looks so fragile and all that. I wish he would learn how to control his strength¡­


    Wait, Eli? It took a while but everything in my head decided that now was a good time to start working. I realized I was on a bed, a soft bed. I could feel myself sinking in it due to how soft this bed is. I also realize I am super hungry, like really hungry. I could eat a whole feast by myself due to how hungry I am.


    ¡°I am hungry and thirsty¡­¡± That was the first thing I said, not asking how long I was sleeping or what was going on. I just wanted something to drink and eat. Maybe I was trying to process everything I dealt with. I don¡¯t know. It is confusing. I am not good at figuring myself out.


    I think other people were in the room but I was too busy dealing with a crying Eli. He wouldn¡¯t let go of me at all and he would dig his nails into me whenever I tried to separate from him. So I just let him hold me for as long as he wanted. It was nice, I think, to get a hug like this¡­ I wish Mae was hugging me.


    For some reason, my body felt rather weird, like half of it. It didn¡¯t make sense but I was too hungry and thirsty to care much about it. I couldn¡¯t understand anything Eli was saying because it was just a mixture of sobs and wet coughs. It was good that snot wasn¡¯t coming out of his nose but I didn¡¯t want to be this close to him at the moment.


    ¡°Don''t leave me behind! I am sorry for being a bad friend before! I will do better, just don¡¯t ever leave me! I thought you were goooone! Don¡¯t die! You are not allowed to die!¡± I didn¡¯t know how to tell Eli I can¡¯t control when I will die but I had a feeling it was better to talk about that when he is calmer. Also, it was starting to hurt with how hard he was hugging me and his nails were digging into my skin at the moment. He doesn¡¯t want to let me go¡­


    I wonder if I was the old me would I be happy with this situation? The person who I loved was crying over me. I don¡¯t feel that same warm feeling in my heart and it is a bit sad¡­ I just rub my cheek on Eli''s head, hoping to calm him down. Even if those feelings of mine are gone¡­ He was still someone important to me.


    ¡°It''s fine¡­ Everything is fine. I won¡¯t tell you to stop crying, crying is a way to let out your emotions. I will be here as long as you need it.¡± I was rubbing at his back like you would do to a younger child. Mae would often do that to me as well whenever my emotions were out of control.


    After rubbing Eli back for a while, his grip on me slowly loosen but he didn¡¯t say anything to me yet. I was going to say something again when I heard soft snoring coming from my arms¡­. I don¡¯t know how to react to the fact he fell asleep in my arms. And now he is putting his whole weight on my body...This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t get that much sleep¡­ It was usually for an hour or two before he woke up to make sure you were okay. Thought he would collapse due to the way he was dealing with the situation.¡± Drucilla, who also seemed to be in the room, spoke up. She didn¡¯t look¡­ she looked bad. It''s like she didn¡¯t sleep for a month with those bags under her eyes and her hair¡­ I just felt so sorry for her hair.


    ¡°You look¡­ rough¡­¡± I didn¡¯t want to just tell her how fucked she looked. I mean I had a feeling she knew but it was rather bad. I felt bad knowing it was somewhat my fault for her looking like this. I caused some problems while I was gone¡­ Was I gone or¡­ I can¡¯t understand it. I just felt like I was dreaming for a long time and my head was getting used to being somewhat normal again.


    ¡°I look like shit, I know. If I knew you were going to wake up today I would have gotten dressed up, fixed up my hair, and wore my best clothes but¡­ Here I am, a hot mess.¡± Drucilla had a sarcastic smile on her face as she gestured to her body. Her voice sounded like she was crying for a long time or maybe she hasn¡¯t used her voice a lot.


    She was worried about me¡­ Someone who was related to me cared that much for me. I wonder how many times I wished my father would give me any type of attention. I didn¡¯t care what it was, I just wanted him to look at me. I didn¡¯t want to be ignored¡­ That hurt way more.


    ¡°I guess I was asleep for a while¡­ My body feels like it hasn''t been moving for a good amount of time.¡± I was absentmindedly running my fingers through Eli''s hair as he slept in my arms. He let out a pleased sound before snuggling even closer to me.


    ¡°It''s been a month¡­ I thought it was a year but maybe I was just too stressed. Everett was telling me to calm down but how could I?! You weren¡¯t moving and¡­ it seemed like you were¡­ I just didn¡¯t want to deal with it¡­ I can¡¯t handle it¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ I??¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react when she started to cry. My body tensed up and I wanted to run out of the room but I had a feeling my legs would only fall to the ground.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t cry.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but hold Eli tighter in my arms due to how tense I was getting. This reminds me of the time when my mommy would cry and wouldn¡¯t stop no matter what I did for her. Older women who cry always make me freeze up¡­ I can never relax¡­


    Drucilla just ignored me and got up from the seat she was sitting on then hugged me close to her body. She didn¡¯t make a sound as she cried into my shoulder but her hold on me was so tight that it was hard to breathe¡­ I don¡¯t know if that was because my heart was getting tight in my chest.


    ¡°If you want to cry, you can cry. It looks rather ugly looking holding it back like that. I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone, it''s our little secret¡­¡± I could taste blood in my mouth as I tried not to lean on Drucilla''s hand that was rubbing my cheek. There were a lot of emotions going through me and I couldn¡¯t understand most of them.


    I lived through many lives, I died many times. I suffered through many things as Aurelia and Alina. I don¡¯t know how this happened to me in the first place. I wonder if it''s because someone hates me? Most people hate me¡­ Or did someone feel sorry for me¡­ I don¡¯t understand.


    How many times did I die? How many times did I suffer? Wanted someone to love me, wanted someone to care about me. I hate all those people who hurt me and I want to hurt them but¡­ Would that fix anything? Would it get rid of everything that happened to me?


    There were so many questions, not enough answers. My head was trying to figure out what to do next but I kept meeting a dead end. I was scared about going through suffering again but I want to believe things will be better for me.  Even though I was in a child''s body, my adult mind didn¡¯t allow me to feel calm at all.


    So¡­ I did what I would only do when I was sure no one could see me, judge me. I cried. I was crying over nothing and everything. I was crying over all the memories that are in my head. I am crying over so many things. I wasn¡¯t fine. I wasn¡¯t okay.


    My life was put in a role of a villainess so I could help people get their happiness. I wasn¡¯t allowed to get a good ending¡­ My good ending was someone else bad ending. It wasn¡¯t fair and I hated it so much¡­


    I don¡¯t want to be the villain of someone''s story, I just want to live a life I wasn¡¯t able to before. I just want things to end differently for me. I don¡¯t care if I am seen as selfish or horrible, I went through way too many things to just let this happen to me once again.


    Things were different and people cared about me¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose this at all¡­ Please don¡¯t take this away from me. Just because I am the villainess doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t deserve a happy ending. Just give me this one thing...