After her horrible birthday night, Lealia was adopted by a family, but... they never acknowledged her as a member of their family to outsiders, even their son, Richard, always acted strangely towards her. She thought her life would go on like that until she left her adoptive family. But, Lealia gradually realized... the town where she was living, her classmates, even her adoptive family seemed to be abnormal. What should Lealia do? Who is she in the end?
Chapter 1 The Incident
"Run, Ellen... A A A!!!"
The agonized screams echoed alongside the raging flames that consumed everything in their path.
Hot!
It's so painful!
Ellen felt an unbearable pain and scorching heat enveloping her, trying to crush her small body completely.
"Ellen... be careful..."
A faint but lingering voice of a woman echoed in her ears.
Be careful? Be careful of what? Of whom?
"Where is she?"
Suddenly, a cold voice resonated. Ellen struggled to open her weary eyes to assess the situation, but her efforts were futile. The only things left to perceive this world were the voices of strangers and the overwhelming scent of burnt ash surrounding her.
"Find her."
Before falling into an endless unconsciousness, those words rang beside Ellen's ears. Was it her imagination, or why did she sense a tremor in that voice?
...Ah, it doesn't matter anymore. Because... she could feel her life slipping away. How unfortunate. Her fifteenth birthday cake... she hadn't even tasted it yet.
...
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Ellen didn't know how much time had passed when the sound of machines woke her. She instinctively wanted to open her eyes, but her heavy body and overwhelming exhaustion left her lying still, like a lifeless shell clinging to its last breath.
She was alive?
Then what about her family?
Her memories stopped at the moment she was lying on the floor, next to a woman screaming for her to run and a man desperately trying to hold the door shut.
Why did everything turn out this way?
Her mind spun in confusion. That day was supposed to be her birthday. Ellen and her family had just returned from watching a musical. She remembered walking into the house, still laughing and telling the woman how much she loved one of the final songs. The woman had laughed and playfully scolded her.
Everything was so normal and happy... Until the moment they stepped into the house. A flash of light erupted out of nowhere, followed by screams, crashing sounds... and chaos consumed everything.
Her family lay in pools of blood, and the home she had lived in for over a decade was swallowed by flames.
She didn't understand. Her family had always been kind and avoided conflicts, and she herself didn't even have a single enemy... What could they have possibly done to deserve such a cruel fate?
Ellen felt warm streams trickling down her face-it was her tears.
She was crying, mourning the destruction of her happiness, mourning her family whose fate was still unknown. For the first time in her life, Ellen felt lost, staring into the bleakness of her future.
Utter despair.
"..."
In the darkest and most painful moment of Ellen's life, a hand gently stroked her cheek. The tender hand wiped away her tears and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. For reasons she couldn't fathom, she sensed the pressure of this person's presence.
Who was this?
This breath, this warmth... though unfamiliar, carried an inexplicable sense of familiarity...
As confusion overwhelmed her, Ellen was once again consumed by unconsciousness, falling into a deep sleep.
...
Unbeknownst to her, the man stroking her cheek listened as her weak breaths became steady and soft. Clenching his teeth and fists, his voice, cold and low, broke the silence of the room.
"Who did this?"
One would assume there was no one else in the room except him and Ellen, but unexpectedly, another voice immediately answered his abrupt question, as though the speaker feared the consequences of even the slightest delay.
"Master, we haven't found them yet..."
"Useless!"
The figure hidden in the shadows quickly appeared beside him, trembling as they knelt and stammered, "Master, please forgive me! I will surely find it quickly!!!"
The cold man said nothing. His outstretched hand, poised to strike the incompetent subordinate, suddenly paused. A flicker of an old memory flashed in his mind. The death-filled eyes softened briefly before regaining composure. He withdrew his hand and stuffed it into his pocket, his voice low and devoid of warmth as he commanded, "Leave!"
The subordinate, overjoyed as if given a second chance at life, kowtowed repeatedly, exclaiming, "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" Then, they hurriedly disappeared, determined to redeem themselves. If not, considering the master's violent tendencies, death would surely not be far away.
The man paid no mind to the fleeting presence of his subordinate. His once-mad eyes softened when he turned toward the girl lying on the hospital bed. Gently, he approached, his imposing figure leaning carefully to kiss Ellen's forehead, as if she were the most precious treasure in his life.
"My dear, wait for me..."
...
Ellen sat on an old, somewhat shabby bus. She tilted her head, watching the scenery pass by her window. One ear was tuned to the powerful voice of Britney Spears soaring through her headphones, while the other occasionally caught fragments of conversations from what seemed to be her future schoolmates seated behind her. They discussed topics like who the school heartthrob was, who had just been rejected in a confession, and who was the top student at school. But then, Ellen froze when a certain name came up.
"Do you know anything about him? That weirdo!"
The girl beside her immediately raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "That weirdo? What about him?"
"I heard he beat up our prince charming, Rey! Today, he got a warning in front of the school!"
The girl's eyes widened in disbelief and anger. "What! How dare he???" she fumed, biting her finger in frustration and muttering, "Hmph, attacking Rey? And he only got a warning! That's so unfair!"
"Isn't that how it always is?" her friend scoffed. "After all, he's got a big shot for a dad!"
Hearing this, Ellen quietly put her other earbud back in. She had a sinking feeling that even before school started, the pressure was already mounting. It seemed her school life would be anything but peaceful.
After all, the "weirdo" they were talking about... was her foster brother!
...
Ellen looked at the blue sky slowly being swallowed by dark clouds. Memories of that day resurfaced-the day she woke up in a hospital bed, only to be informed that she was now an orphan and needed to cooperate with the investigation. She recalled sitting there, dazed, as the police delivered hopeless updates about their inquiries. The sounds around her felt like a static-filled radio, buzzing and grating on her ears. Pitying eyes avoided her gaze, fearful that she might cling to them for help.
She was fifteen-too old to be an innocent, carefree child, yet too young to face the world alone.
Strangers didn't rush to adopt her; they were, after all, strangers to her, just as she was to them. Besides, Ellen didn't want to integrate into another family. The nightmare of the tragedy that claimed her family was still etched deeply in her heart.
She couldn't bear the thought of anyone replacing them. Never!
But she hadn't expected that, amidst the chaotic crowds and cacophony, he would appear-quiet, yet steadfast.
A man with disheveled hair partially hiding his face, though it couldn't obscure the star-like brightness in his eyes as he looked at her.
He, seemingly odd and out of place, was the one who extended his hand and gently said to her, "Hello, would you like to come with me?"
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