Chapter 5

Eva Lemuria-6 years old

I was having such a deep sleep last night that I wish I could have kept sleeping. Sadly that wish did not happen and instead, I woke up to a real-life nightmare. I woke up to the feeling of falling. No, it wasn't the feeling of falling. I was falling. I was falling from the third-floor window. I don't even know how I got there. When I thought it was the end I realized I wasn't falling anymore so I opened my eyes that I had closed. I saw Shadow with a smile on his face looking at me.

“Good morning Princess. I told you I'd come to get you and I did come. Now it's time to start your training.” He told me this as he threw me over his shoulder again!

“Aren't you supposed to protect the royal family?! Didn't you just throw me out the window?! Also, couldn't I have gotten dressed first?! Wait what are these clothes?! When was I changed?! Who changed me?!” I can feel my blood boiling! This guy is the captain of the shadow guard and he just threw me out the window!

“Now now Princess you are getting worked up and we haven't even started yet. You really shouldn't waste your energy. Anyway looks like we are here.” He then set me down and I noticed that we are in the same training room I came to yesterday. It seems someone had come to clean it up yesterday because all the ash and dust is now gone. “Now then we are going to start with running a couple laps. Just keep going and I'll tell you to stop.” I stand there staring in his eyes with distrust before I begin running.

I don't know how long I ran, but that definitely wasn't the end of this hell. After running I did pushups. After that it was sit-ups then squats and more and more. It was hell. I don't even know how long I was pushed. I was never even given a set number of workouts to do. Shadow would always just tell me to keep going. I feel drenched in my sweat and I don't know hold long we've been going. This started right at the sun up, but now the sun is already going down.

“Well, Princess that was a good warm up, but we seem to have run out of time before we could get to the actual workout. Ok, you don’t have to glare at me like that. I need to test your physical levels and I have something good to tell you. You are completely average for a kid.” I raise my hand and begin to release mana from my mana heart to burn Shadow to the ground. “I thought you'd be happy to be like others. For someone who has so many differences, I thought you'd be excited to be average.”

What he said has completely shocked me that my mana dissipates before I could manifest the flames. I have always been bothered by my difference and it only increased when I awakened. I haven't even thought of things that could be considered normal for me. I try to think of this more so that I can be more normal, but that thought quickly disappears. I may be upset about my differences but this is not something that I can change. It will take a while but I'll slowly begin to accept myself for everything I am and everything I'll become.

“Then we will just have to change that. If there is something normal about me then we will just have to change it.” I will become strong not for anyone else, but so I could have something for myself. So that I can become strong physically and mentally.

“Well, then Princess we will just have to up the training then. For now Princess its time for you to go rest up. Also, don't worry about your wake up tomorrow. A maid will come to get you.” I'm genuinely relieved about that.

I wave goodbye and then make my way towards my room. Before I open my door I stop and realize how horrible I smell. I turn around and move towards the baths. We have a large bath that can fit multiple people if we wished, but I've almost always bathed alone. I go in and take off my clothes before walking in the baths. I sit in the water and relax. I close my eyes and think of the hell I've experienced today. I can't help but shiver at the thought of what's to come.

“If your cold, then come over here sweetheart.” I'm picked up from behind and placed on a naked lap. I look back and see its mother. I'm not sure what to say so I just look down and sit on her lap. “I heard you've started training today with Shadow. You must be tired Sweetheart.” She begins petting my head and I lower it even more. “Sweetheart if you don't want to train you just have to say so. If there's anything you need you just have to ask. Even if there's Lora in our family you're still my little Eva.”

“Mhm,” I just nod my head. Mother wraps her arms around me and squeezes me gently. I truly do feel warm but I've already felt myself growing distant from mother and father since my awakening. Too many things have changed for me and that included my view of people. Mother is constantly trying to convince me I'm normal and that its fine as long as I'm her little girl. At least father has allowed me to start some training so I can make myself better. I don't have to be normal if I'm better.

“Sweetheart it is ok to enjoy being young still. It has been so long since you last played. You used to love to run around the castle and play hide and seek. I know you've been having such a hard time lately. You've had such a lifeless look in your eyes. Don't think I haven't heard about how you're training started only after you blew up a training room. Sweetheart, it's ok to take things slow. You can come play with your little sister whenever you want. I think you two will get along great.” Mother is earnestly trying to convince me. If I was looking up I can only imagine what kind of face she's making towards me.

“Mhm. Maybe mother. I want to be serious in my training. I want to be strong.”

“Why do you have such an urge to be strong Eva?” Mother took a serious tone that is different from her usual gentle one when she asked me this.

“Because I'm already different and since I can't be normal I'll instead become different from everyone else in a different way than usual. I will choose the way I will be different. I will choose to be strong and then I'll be happy with what I'll become.” I hope mother can understand my determination. This is something I'll finish. I'll miss playing hide and seek but I think training will make me happier in the long run.

“Eva, you don't have to worry about what others think.” Mother

“This isn't about anyone else, but me! I want to be able to look at myself and see something that I want to be, not something I have no choice in!” I feel tears pouring from my eyes and mothers arms tightening around me.

“Sweetheart you're perfectly fine as you are. Please understand that you're a beautiful and amazing little girl. You're my little girl no matter what. Even if you are different from others or if you want to be a strong warrior. Please remember that. I'll come around to watch you train okay sweetheart and remember I want you to come to me when you're having a hard time instead of trying to be alone.” I nod my head to my mother.

The rest of the time mother washed my hair and cuddled me. She kept rubbing her face against mine and telling me to stay as cute as I am now forever. I don't really understand what she means and she's being really weird. Finally, I decide that I'm clean enough and leave the bath to go back to my room. I wasn't escaping or anything, I just felt clean enough.

Luna Lemuria

Ah, Eva ran away from me with such a cute red face, but it is good to see her acting childish like that. She's been having such a hard time lately and I can't stop worrying about her. Even while holding and taking care of Lora I can't stop worrying. One daughter does not replace another and I hope Eva understood that at least.

I can't help but remember when Eva was born. She was born completely still and she wasn't breathing at all. I was crying and I wanted nothing more than for her to spring to life and start crying. I didn't expect what would happen is that my wish would come true, but with some consequences. The room was covered in such an eerie air and then little Eva came back to life. Her hair had changed from a blonde to a black and her green eyes changed to the same black. It was something I've never seen before. Even though I was shocked I couldn't stop my happiness. No matter what happens I will keep my baby safe. Nothing will happen to her again.

I was able to keep that promise no matter how much trouble she caused for 5 years. Eva has always loved to play hide and seek so that is what I thought she was doing until guards told us she had climbed over the wall. I was outraged that I decided that this time I'm going to have to punish her. If only the problem had been that simple at the time. Instead, my daughter was carried back covered in almost nothing but a cloak. When I had heard what she had done I was outraged.

I can't understand why she would risk herself for a mana mutant, but then she told us why. I know she knows of them, but I guess we never went into enough details for her to understand. I would never have imagined this is how she's felt all this time and I've never even noticed that people have been looking at her differently. This is a big problem that I'm not even sure how to begin to fix. She's been suffering by herself all this time The worst part is that she has had a forceful awakening. In the past, some would forcefully awaken their children so that they can get a head start on they're training, but it also caused a constant mana leak and other problems. Overall it wasn't beneficial to children. But that wasn't what was really shocking, Eva's elements were both tinted in a darkness. It’s something that's never been seen before.

My thoughts go to everyone's reaction to her special elements. Her father and I are both surprised by this, but there is no fear in either of us. My husband was probably thinking of several reasons for this difference, but I was just trying to get Eva to talk to me. It seemed as though she was in shock. She then looked towards the doorway. I follow her line of sight only to see her brother standing there with a look as if he's seen a monster. I was going to call out to him, but he had run away. I knew that was going to become another problem that will take time to fix, but at that point, Eva started shutting me out and turned away.

Now that I think back to it that is the specific point that she started to block us out. I'm not sure what to do about this situation. Now that there's Lora I'm going to have to take care of her while helping my other two children. I remember Eva's face when I just had Lora. She had just stood in the corner of the room expressionlessly. She seemed as if she thought she didn't belong there and I must be right because she immediately began to walk towards the door to leave. I had to call her over to look at her baby sister, but she just looked conflicted the whole time before saying in a quite voice “Blonder hair and green eyes huh?” I'm not sure what she meant at first, but now I realize how she only felt more alienated. When I asked Eva if she wants to try holding Lora she doesn't respond before walking out ignoring my calls. I felt as if I was going to cry at that moment. George then asked me something that hurt me so bad, but I was glad at his point Eva didn't hear him.

“Mom why are you trying to have that thing here in the first place and now trying to call it back too?”George

“That is not a thing! That is your little sister! How could you say such a hurtful thing? Why have you been treating your sister like that? She's already not feeling well, but she also has her own older brother treating her like a monster!” “Waaaaaaawaaaaa!” Before I could continue little Lora started to cry so my husband took George out so I could feed Lora. After that, I went to sleep with her.

I have been taking care of her all day today and when I finally put her down for a nap I see Eva enter the bath. I wanted to talk to her, but I guess I didn't really know which direction this conversation would go. At least I hope she understood my intentions. I want her to be happy and if training and becoming stronger in her own way will make her happy I can only support it. I'm also glad I could get some cute and childish reactions out of her before she ran away.

From now on I think I'll take Lora out to watch her as she trains. I'm sure eventually Eva will succumb to Lora's cuteness and come to hold her. I want Lora to have both her older brother and older sister there for her when she needs them. I can also already tell Lora will love Eva like the rest of us no matter what.