At the Forest Mansion

Across the corridor, a girl looked despairingly at the clothes displayed before her, hating them all and wishing she didn't have to wear any of them and go to that horrible masquerade party. She had been to elite parties before and loathed every bit of it. The whole thing had been a total nonsense gathering, with all the elites treating each other nice and casual as if they were not plotting against themselves. ​​

"Young Miss, how about this gown. These is made from the famous designer abroad" Suggested by a personal stylist. Since earlier, the latter had eagerly and patiently been suggesting different kinds of clothing to the girl, but she seemed to have been unmoved from any of those he showed her.

"I'm tired. Can we continue some other time? I think I need a bath now" she said yawning and displaying off an uninterested and exhausted face.

"But Young miss, the ball is already tonight. You already need to choose from any of these" the stylist reminded the girl, but her expression still remained passive.

"Then just chose one for me" She said and went her way to the bathroom, leaving the stylist alone shaking his head. This young miss was truly a headache, but he was glad she decided to just give him the charge. That way he doesn't have to go through the same dilemma of actively convincing the girl to choose the dress she will be wearing at the ball—that one whole ordeal was a nightmare for him.

The girl went forward to the open bathroom just adjacent to the huge closet where the stylist was. She undressed herself and slid down into the foamy water in a tub. She knew one warm bath was waiting for her because she had a maidservant prepared it few minutes ago. She tossed her short hair upwards and tried to knot them into a bun, right after she bathed her skin lightly, taking careful notice not to touch the bruises that was scattered in her body.

She had many of those hidden under her clothes—bruises. Against her ghostly skin those were grotesque, but for her, they were a sign of pride. Unlike regular bruises a girl can have, hers was different. These bruises do not signify her weakness but rather her strength and a constant reminder of her ultimate goal.

Her mind right now was in shreds, full of so many things that had wearied her. That's why she needed a hot bath, because although she knew there were quite few things a hot bath won't cure, somehow it made one relaxed despite all the chaos in this world.

"You shouldn't be hard on them" A familiar voice broke up the silence that covered the big bathroom.

"I wasn't, that's why I asked him to just chose anything for me" The girl shot back nonchalantly.

Somehow, she was already expecting him to come and talked to her about her I-don't-care-about-anything demeanor and so her expectation did not fail her. Just in span of seconds, he appeared leaning against the bathroom wall just beside the open entrance, hands crossed and eyes digging at her.

Aware of his presence—probably the only presence that can shook her off, she lowered her body deeper to the bathtub making sure the foam was hiding every skin of her—so not to give him any chance of noticing her bruises.

"Listen" he continued, his voice was calm and steady and showed he can be as patient as he can be with her, and she knew it. "I know you don't like this stuff but sometimes you need to get them done."

She didn't respond to him nor turned to face him as he was on her back near the door. Instead, she searched for his eyes through the mirror in front of her that was reflecting the whole silhouette of the boy. There, she met his hazel eyes, reminding her of how cruel providence was with her for having no eyes like his.

Hazel eyes. She would die to have those kinds of eyes.

"Dannah" He called, and the sound of her name only made her feel worst. "Just do this for me, okay? Just this one and you can go"

"Will grandfather come?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well—"

"Oh, I know, I'm sorry for asking when I already know the answer" She cut him off as she thunked her head against the tub and ran her own fingers to her hair" Of course he won't come even if this whole thing is for the Lagdameo's elders"

"The ball is only exclusive for the elite youngbloods" Darryl reasoned.

"Even if its not, he will not surely come" She emphasized. She's no baby anymore and so his brother should stop sugarcoating everything to her.

"Dannah"

"Why would he come? He wouldn't want to see the eyes that haunts him every now and then" She continued "If only I have hazel eyes" She murmured to herself ignoring Darryl completely.

"I will never wish for you to have hazel eyes" His voice was firm and rigid trying to tell her off how unreasonable and covetous her words had been.

"Of course, you won't. You are my brother, my ever-loving brother" She whispered, and her voice was like a time of the year when spring transitioned into autumn. It was lonely, cold and dry.

"Your eyes are beautiful" Darryl sighed deep as he patiently watched the girl in the tub embracing her own self as if the warmth of the water beneath her was not enough to cover the coldness of her soul.

"But they looked exactly like grandma's and that is why grandfather hates me, aside from the fact that I'm useless because I'm a girl" She managed to utter in a brittle, crackling voice. If one didn't know her, they could tell by this time she was already crying. But Darryl knew this sister of his never cries. "And because grandfather hates me, dad hates me too and so was everyone around"

"That's not true" He convinced further. He didn't make a move to comfort her physically. He knew those kinds of gestures don't work for her.

"It is true. There's nothing more unfortunate in this world than having hated by a Lagdameo elder, worst it was grandfather" She answered again, the intensity of her voice showed how certain she was with this whole predicament.

"Just give grandfather some time"

"I have waited enough" The muscles within her cheek tightened more and tears were rounding at the corner of her eyes, but she was too proud to let them fall.

"He lost someone he loved the most" Darryl said for once hoping somehow the girl would understand and leaving her something to think upon "If you can learn to understand that, then probably you will also learn to deal with it"