Arabella's POV

The minute hand of the clock pointing to number 12, telling the students of the class that the time with their lecturer have come to an end. Ara groans in relief mentally and eagerly packs up her things into her backpack as she slings it to her shoulder, leaving the other strap hanging in the air. She gets up and walks quickly out of the hall and to the cafeteria. She only have two classes for today and they are over, finally. Now she could enjoy her lunch meal without the need to worry about time.

There is only a week left before the final exam and after, she could graduate out of this stressful life and into the life of a free-all-the-time fresh graduate student. Her dream was to become a translator, if she could. She has already started to learn many languages since she was ten and already fluent in several languages like Russian, Italian, Japanese and of course English. She is in the process to learn French and many others. She chuckles to herself. With how wealthy they are now, she could have just relax enjoying her life if she want. But she doesn't want to let her brother carries the burden of making sure she and Alvaro eat everyday alone. He has done enough.

Remembering Alaric's tragic history, her eyes harden.

Seeing the too crowded state in the cafeteria, Ara changes her destination to a small cafe not too far from the cafeteria. The bell chimes as she pushes open the glass door to the cafe.

The delicious smell of pastries wafted in the air and her stomach gurgles as a reminder. She frowns as she pat her flat stomach hungrily. There are not many people in the cafe unlike the cafeteria, and she revel in that fact. Ara hums as she found herself a booth in the corner of the cafe.

"What can I get you, miss?"

She looks up to see a young waiter standing beside her table as he smiles charmingly at her. The waiter's smile wavers for a moment when Ara looks up from her phone, looking straight at the waiter with clear but smoky silver orbs.

"A slice of blueberry cheese cake and an ice americano." She orders simply.

The waiter blushes a little as he nods and looks down on his notepad, too weak to look straight in her big, cool eyes.

Ara looks down again to her phone right after she finishes her order. She opens the dark website every people like her use to look for 'jobs'. As she scrolls, a shadow suddenly looms over her, and she looks up in excitement, thinking that her foods have arrive. But to her disappointment, a blond around her age smiles down at her, his blue eyes staring at her face.

She raises her perfect eyebrow in question.

"Can I join you?" His masculine voice echoes in the air.

"No." She looks down back on her phone.

"Then, can I get your number? I think you are beautiful." He smiles charmingly.

Is this guy flirting with her? One of her eye slightly twitches in annoyance. Does this guy not understands that she is not interested? She looks up boredly as she twirls her fingers around the only locks of white streaks of her hair, purposely showing it in his peripheral vision.

Ara shakes her head.

"Thank you, but no."

The blond's face visibly falls when he saw the single white strands of hair among the gorgeous purple locks. Oh, she has a soulmate. The guy thinks he couldn't forces the hottie if she is not interested in him.

"Oh." He the walks away sadly to his group of friends.

"I told you she found her soulmate already!"

"What?! Why didn't you tell me sooner if you notices it already?! Ah! Gabriel!!"

Ara shakes her head as she smiles slightly. Childish.

But then her eyes flashes with mixed emotions, her finger that is twirling her white strand of hair slowed and eventually came to a stop. She untangles it from her finger as the waiter from earlier finally arrives with her food. Her eyes look blank, as if there is mist in it, making the whole orbs turn misty.

This white locks of hair are not Soulhair. She purposely dyed it white so that no one gonna approach her. She chuckles but it sounds bitter. People usually finds their soulmate after the 18th birthday. However, looking at her unique soulmark on the outside of her wrist makes her thinks that it is impossible.

Her mind flies to the event years ago.

"Are you sure this is the place, Rick?"

She eyes the big but gloomy house in front of her. There are high grasses in the lawn, covering the half bottom of the house. This house looks like those typical haunted house the protagonist stupidly enter.

Alaric turns his head to look at her standing beside him. "I know what I'm doing, Ara." He smiles in reassurance.

Ara rolls her eyes before glancing at the small body that latches himself to her since they arrive at this house.

She sighs. "We shouldn't have bring Alvaro along." The said kid was trembling in her arms, gripping to his sister's shirt desperately as if his life depends on it.

Alaric scratches his head sheepishly.

"Let's go, then. Better get this over with." After she finishes her words, she confidently walks towards the house, and eventually enters it.

The fragile woods creaks under the pressure of her feet, creating a haunting atmosphere in the old house.

Her baby brother's grip on her tighten. She pats his back soothingly with one hand while the other supporting his weight. She pushes the door open with her feet and the door creaking noisily.

She walks further into the house, followed by Alaric. Maybe because he suddenly realise that he is a man and an older brother, he steps forward to lead the way.

They pass a narrow hallway to a room with black door knob, like the man described. Alaric puts his hand on the knob before glancing at Ara in confirmation. As Ara nods, Alaric turned the knob.

Like the front door of the house, this wooden door too creaks in protest.

In front of them is another door and as Alaric opens it, their mouths hanging open in surprise. The interior of this room is like another modern room, unlike the rest of the house. There is no cobwebs and debris, and in the center of the room is a beautiful woman in modern exterior writing something at the mahogany table.

"Miss Venefica?"

The woman looks up from her work and smiles warmly at them. "Miss Arabella and Mister Alaric Russell?"

Alaric and Ara in sync look at each other in surprise, before Alaric nods as confirmation.

__________

"I have never seen anything like this." The woman, Miss Venefica, a famous expert in anything related to Soulmate, whispers in surprise and awe as she examines the single letter of 'S' on Ara's wrist, a soulmark she was born with.

This expert is so far the most experience doctor in this world, and she is already retired. That's why it is so difficult to find her, adding with the situation she has to face now. She has to hide.

"What does it mean, then?" Ara asks.

"Like I said, I have never saw anything like this throughout the years I became a Soulmate expert. Something is wrong with your soulmark."

Ara gritted her teeth, buries all her emotions deep inside until her eyes turn blank like usual.

"What do you mean with 'wrong'?" Alaric's voice harden in the end, as he too is battling with his own emotions.

"Wrong as in, not normal. I'm not actually sure, but in certain cases that I know, this kind of soulmark means an incomplete bond between the two individuals, resulting a failure of recognising your significant other. In your case, your soulmark is just a letter instead of a full name. The fuller your soulmate's name on your soulmark, the bigger chances to find him/her. But now your chances of meeting your soulmate are close to zero because your soulmate's name is not complete. "

She explains with a serious tone.

She then glances at Ara, and her eyes soften in pity. Ara's eyes turn cold like ice as she stares back at the doctor.

Alvaro who is on his sister's lap, sensing distress from her sister. He spontaneously turns to hug her sister.

" In other words, you might will find your soulmate. "

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