Chapter 3: Chapter 1: The Beginning Arc

A slap hit my face, making me moan in pain, causing both sounds to roam freely through the room that led to a hall through an open door.

“Ugh...” I held back my tears, despite the pain tempting me otherwise. 

A young boy on the side made a displeased expression as he gazed towards me, complaining about it in his mind. ‘Fucking hell, man! Why does Josie keep beating her?’

A kick, then landed on my right leg, but I withstood it, not allowing myself to fall. I knew deep within my brain from experiences that showing weakness would only incentive this predator to abuse me further. I lowered my gaze, hiding my clear blue eyes from her obscene dark and deep ones, allowing my long white hair to cover half of my face.

“You’re such a piece of shit, you useless trash!” As soon as her insult ended, two feet appeared on the top side of my field of vision, making me raise my eyes in curiosity.

A fancy black outfit with equally colored pants led to a familiar face that my body knew very well.

“Hey Josie, that’s enough. The girl is already bleeding. You can’t damage the goods!” With an ugly expression, she snickered at me, scorning every inch of my pale skin and slim figure, disgusted at every trace of my white hair and the obvious consequences of possessing such colours.

“Understood chief.” She shook her head in front of me while clicking the tongue in disapproval. “It seems you get a short beating today.” 

We both knew that neither of us could go against that man’s word. He who knew magic and had a name, holding the element of fire in his control, deep within his greasiness and indulged self. We had enough knowledge about how capable he was of doing more than just bringing light in times of need during the night. Much shadier things indeed. 

“You better be grateful to Rival, you piece of shit.”

Without wanting to savor the fires of hell, who’d turn my skin into a crisp if I disobeyed his any request, I knelt. And thanked the man without wasting a second of his time, as he was a very busy one. Money and time roamed his mind, my body comprehended to a little extent how both swayed his heart. 

I hoped he wouldn’t punish me like that vile woman as my body felt exhausted from all the pain both caused me for the past years. There I stood, waiting for his approval with a smile, one I’d always show him whenever he spoke to one of us orphans. In a way, a tiny sense of gratefulness existed deep within my heart, for being taken care of for 12 years, ever since my parents abandoned me at the orphanage entrance. With a roof to live under, two baths per week, and one meal every day, life wasn’t far from hell. The exception was when Cerberus, the caretaker and keeper of these gates, would harm my body like today.

I knew Josie as the ravenous dog, the one who guarded the souls of the pure, the one who barked at the intruders, and the one who bit so strongly that a piece of one’s spirit was bound to be shredded. She, one of the lucky named ones, made sure the naive sheep didn’t leave the corral. The keeper of docile and infant, innocent lambs, our bodyguard, and tormentor.

“Come woman. We have to prepare the older goods. The next slave auction will happen soon.” The man pointed towards the exit, making a gesture with the head that didn’t go unnoticed by me.

“At once chief.” They moved out together through the front door, the only one the room had.

I let myself fall, allowing my body to take a brief break.

“Are you okay, white-haired girl?” The boy approached, checking on my condition.

In response, I looked at him with a smile filled with pain from the earlier beating, which was clearly more than just a slap and a kick. The accumulated bruises and scars throughout my ghastly body could justify that. The pearly white skin that reminded others of spirits wasn’t as clear and ghostly as one expected after such daily treatments.

“I-.“ After coughing and spitting blood, I took a breath and tried again. “I’m alright now...”

“Come on, try to get up. You need to eat something. If you starve, you’ll die.” He looked at me from above, completely unharmed and talking, as if getting up was the easiest of things. Not to forget that the pain greatly reduced any sort of willingness for an appetite.

“You’re a good friend, Esteban Rucal,” I made a cute smile.

This boy was my salvation at times, hope at others, and despair at many more. Often around me, ever since the old caretaker died six years ago, the one who took me in on a rainy night. Josie appeared in the orphanage around that same time to replace my favorite guardian and, coincidentally, so did this boy. Even without both, my life in this place wasn’t the best. Despite the kindness of the late senior woman, the children despised my appearance as they looked vastly different from me, both in skin and hair color. They went as far as nicknaming me of cursed, ghost, demon. Not favorable names one would call an innocent and friendly girl, such as myself, but there I lived among oppressors, a hound, and an evil mage.

“Shh, you know the rules!” The boy’s voice came along with a serious expression and a hint of tension, making his left eyebrow rise.

As much as I desired to call him by his full name, they taught us that in this world; they held a special meaning. Since ancient times, there was the absolute law of magic, no unnamed could use it, and not everyone received one. To acquire one, there were one of two ceremonies. The first would imply a ritual to the different gods where your innate affinity would show you which to adore and serve until the end of your days. Yet, the person, if talented, would be able to select which one if they had a preference. This was often the case, as each god ruled their own territories. So the people that lived there, mainly the skilled militia, would offer their devotion to the deity of such a kingdom.

The second, a bit more unconventional, mainly used by named and respected mages. It was practical when they found a successor to pass on all their knowledge, research, and expertise in their affinity. Along with this, their title, lands, and everything attached to them became a gift to their best pupil.

Mages could hand out names, but only to those brimming with mana. The majority was simply not born qualified, causing such elders to have a hard time finding an appropriate heir. Even if a magus were to get kids with his own seed, it still didn’t influence the odds of talent. This method proved through trial and error throughout many generations.

My thumb pointed towards the ceiling, knowing fully well the rules. A gentle smile showed on my lips while my eyes gazed faintly at him, a stare full of sincerity and sadness. “I know, but these laws don’t fit me. After all, I am one of the unnamed.”

I leaned my face, focusing on the almost dried-off blood that fell earlier. “Unless... white-haired girl or walking curse, can be a name.”

Disregarding my sadness, the boy replied with his own worries. “Even then, don’t mention my name easily. In here, I’m just another nameless child!”

“Sure...” I replied promptly, rolling my eyes discontent, calling him as every other sheep did. “Black-haired friend.”

“That’s good. It would cause a big ruckus if they knew about it.” We traded a glance with one another while Esteban extended his hand to pull me from the floor.

“Trying to act like a gentleman, are you?” Despite my muttering, I grabbed it without hesitation, to which he smiled faintly. I had to do this, especially after being tired of finding myself seated between two beds, shivering from pain. Once I got up, my eyes gazed at the small mirror on the side, opening my lips slowly as they hurt, breached in a few spots. A couple of darker red dots that didn’t match my mouth’s natural color remained to heal.

“Yes... if anyone knew, you would end up in an auction instantly.”

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He took two steps backward, gaining some distance from me as my words bothered him. This followed by his arm fully extending and pointing at me, snatching my attention. My light blue eyes struck his dark-toned index finger that belonged to his left hand. And then I gazed higher, following the figure all the way to his face that reminded me of black chocolate, something that I’d see the chief eat occasionally. After a good look at the boy’s face, I noticed how eager he was to talk.

“True, but man... it really makes me curious about how you’re always targeted by Josie.” He chuckled unintentionally, finding it hilarious to one extent and annoying to another.

Unknowingly to him, it hurt my heart, as it felt like I deserved it. But alas, this was nothing new, so I didn’t voice any complaint. Instead, I shrugged and retaliated with a justification, the typical one.

“From all the children, I’m the only one with this aspect. There’s only a boy that is closer to me, but even he is lightly tanned, and with the years passing, it has become darker. Not to forget the high-class fatties, come here for fresh meat, and my looks make me look old and rotten.”

Esteban shook his head in disagreement with my words. Despite everything, the fact was that no one bought me till now, making me the oldest in the entire orphanage.

“Perhaps someone will purchase you even then.” He focused his gaze on my eyes and then at my hair, that despite being long, only reached my shoulders.

The caretakers made sure to keep it as short as possible, enabling our faces to be seen clearly for the guests.

The boy’s right hand followed his eyes, patting my hair softly, momentarily.

I started muttering to myself, feeling discontent, “You really are dumb, thinking even for a second, that someone as hideous as me could possibly be worthy enough to be chosen...” I didn’t give enough vocal power to these words for him to hear, saving them deep within, feeling ugly inside, and unapproachable of such warmth.

His lips opened, and I noticed his hand that was close by, returning to where it belonged to him.

“Most likely someone eccentric will want to buy you for that uniqueness.”

I turned my face to the side once more, smiling faintly, a cold one, hiding it from his inopportune gaze. In a whispering tone, almost inaudible, my voice formed out of my small pink and hurt lips, “we’d end up splitting then...”

Without being able to hear my words, the boy gazed at the exit, turning his entire body, and then running towards it. Once his feet got there, he glanced back at me. “Come, they will stop serving food in no time!” As usual, he didn’t wait and went through the door, leaving me behind, vanishing out of my sight into the hall to the left.

“Hey! Wait for me!” I shouted, but not too loud. My feet then reached the door slowly as my legs ached.

As I arrived, my ears heard a conversation from the thin wooden walls to the right. As I gradually reached closer to the hall with my right cheek, a certain voice that alternated with a different one became clearer to me. A dialogue between the bully and Rival enclosed my ears. “Josie, you can no longer beat the girl.”

I covered my lips with one of my hands excited. “She can’t beat me anymore? Is this a dream?” I murmured, surprised, as hope filled my tattered heart enshrouded in thorns, bringing a small light to the captivated me who stood inside hell, guarded by Cerberus, by her.

“What? Why!?” the vile woman shouted with a slight tone of anger, one I was very familiar with and impossible to have my ears deceived.

“I’ve finally found someone willing to buy her...” With a lower tone, he completed excitedly, “a duke at that!”

“No way...” Her voice sounded annoyed, but at the same time, I felt a hint of jealousy in it, but above all, it contained a lot of anger.

From experience, I knew that wrath always dwelled inside that woman’s broken mind.

“Can you imagine how much we’re going to get from that trash?” He smacked the wall, allowing me to hear its bump and the vibration that came with it as my ear rested on one of them.

“Why would a duke want to buy something rotten like that!? It doesn’t make sense!” Josie’s tone became louder as the hellfire from within her heated severely. If she was a dragon, for sure a flame would’ve come out burning everything down to a crisp. Such was her fury, one born from the inaptitude of Rival, to find a buyer for me. Unlike the other children’s pure and innocent souls, while hidden, I heard sometimes how some clients told him that mine was black, dark, and cursed. At such times, I shed ugly tears, for the first days at least. 

“A duke... that’s one of the highest ranks in the kingdom,” I gripped both hands onto each other tightly as my heart beat faster than before, bringing a faint radiant smile to my face, falling for hope from my own words that matched theirs.

“Well...” The chief tone changed from excited to a very neutral one, “he wants to dissect and chop her body into pieces, to discover the reason her hair is innately white.”

My heart skipped a beat, two, three, and as if I had died at that moment, life suddenly returned to me, resurrecting me to reality, unfreezing my body, and filling it with despair. Like healing my wounded heart with salt, it resulted in enhanced pain, similar to the contained one from the agglomeration of the past six years. It felt no different from being in a frozen cave, completely naked, and feeling the ice burn my body from the evil mage flames. But unlike his fire, this pain reached bottomless places, some that I didn’t even know existed till this moment. Perhaps hell wasn’t a hot purgatory that incinerated all the sinful souls, but a cold one that sealed wicked things inside, along with my deep wounds.

A few moments later, the man walked through the door entrance, stopping there momentarily, taking a glance at me crying in the corner where I was hiding before, between two beds. ‘Don’t worry, child, the pain you’ll suffer from the duke compared to some beating will truly be nothing.’ A big smile full of greed appeared in his expression, one big enough to go from cheek to cheek. I noticed it, and my heart darkened once again, like many times before. I no longer knew how blackened it was, and to be impartial, not only could I not comprehend it, my mind also lacked the necessary ability to understand.

A different manly voice called out to him, reaching me a bit later. I tried my best to disregard it, but my ears didn’t.

“Chief? The wagon you requested is ready.”

The man turned his face to the left side where the other boy had run before and started walking towards the long hall that led to the exit. I knew of this based on his steps. My ears were sharp. They were used to the horrors that came when he approached my room.

“Thank you for the heads-up. Let us go, have a stop to do nearby.” 

“At once, chief.”

Rival closed the orphanage door upon leaving, locking it with a key from the outside, making the habitual mechanical turning sound. My room wasn’t too far from it, and the door was old and rusty, allowing me to get used to its sound. Sometimes a hopeful one and at others, a despairing melody where a hurtful symphony played.

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