I was hurt. I was hungry. I was sad.
But everything changed when a hooded figure appeared before my blurry eyes.
My face was smeared with dried blood and tears, making my skin feel tight and cracked.
“Are you okay, child?” a shrill, high-pitched voice interrupted my thoughts.
I couldn’t move. Not a single muscle responded. I was frozen, unable to think.
My surroundings were horrifying. Buildings were crushed into rubble. Debris drifted through the smoky air, and small fires flickered among the ruins of the village. Bodies lay scattered, with blood pooling around them.
My sister. Mom. Dad.
Hot tears filled my eyes as their faces flashed in my mind.
I wailed, my throat burning as I screamed into the empty air. Only echoes answered me as the sun dipped below the horizon.
My eyelids grew heavy.
“Darling… pull yourself together!” snapped the woman in the hood.
Her black hood was lined with white and flowed like an old-fashioned silk gown. Her white hair was tied neatly into a bun, and her round glasses magnified her sharp eyes.
“Come with me. And don’t even think about turning back.”
Her stern voice sent chills down my spine.
We walked for what felt like hours. Smoke filled my lungs as we passed broken stone, dust, and scattered debris.
By the time we reached our destination, it was midnight. The stars shone brightly, and the moon cast a soft glow over a small, peaceful house.
It felt strangely untouched by the destruction.
Floral patterns decorated the straw walls, and cotton curtains swayed gently.
As I stepped inside, a sense of safety washed over me.
“Keep following me,” the old woman whispered.
She led me through a sliding straw door into a dim corridor lined with rooms. Delicate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their glass bulbs flickering softly.
My dirty feet left faint marks on the polished wooden floor.
We entered a room that was entirely white. The walls, floor and bedsheets were all white, giving it a cold, sterile feeling. A white gown rested neatly on a pale blue couch.
She gestured toward the bed.
I lay down slowly.
“What is happening?” I asked quietly.
“Just sit. Wait.”
Soon, another woman entered, carrying a large white device shaped to fit over a head.
Before I could react, the old woman placed it on me.
A low whirring sound filled the room.
Then…
Nothing.
I remembered nothing but my name.
“Where am I?” I shrieked.
“Calm down,” the woman said sharply. “What is your name?”
“B–Bellatrix,” I stammered. “Why…”
I stepped forward, anger rising.
“What is your name? Answer me first.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“How dare you! I am Margaret, Lady of House Loyal.”
“House Loyal?”
“Around this city, there are many orphanages. Loyal, Respect, Perseverance, and Joy.”
“An orphanage? What do you…”
“No questions. Bedtime. Your room is to the left. Go.”
“But…”
“Out.”
I didn’t understand anything.
An orphanage? How?
I collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion pulling me into sleep.
The next morning, a loud bell jolted me awake.
My body trembled as I slowly stood.
I found a washroom and froze when I saw my reflection. My face was still stained with dried blood, and my hair was tangled with dust and grime.
I stepped into the bath, with every part of my skinny body shaking.
The water quickly turned murky with swirling dirt and blood.
After washing, I found clean clothes: Loose silk pants and a yellow patterned shirt.
The smell of food drifted through the air.
I followed it immediately.
The dining hall buzzed with chatter. Girls gathered around tables filled with food.
I grabbed a plate and quickly began eating rice balls and drank tea.
The warmth of the food spread through my body.
For the first time, I felt alive again.
Another bell rang, nearly making me fall off my seat.
I was left staggering after the girls as they raced out of the dining hall.
Then a sharp voice interrupted me.
“You need a timetable.”
A woman stood behind me, holding a broom. Her voice was scratchy, almost like a crow’s.
“What’s your name?” she asked sweetly.
“I’m Bellatrix.”
“I’m Meranda,” she said with a smile that didn’t feel kind. “I’ve decided to adopt you.”
My stomach dropped.
“You don’t have a choice.”
I straightened.
“I’m not for sale.”
She chuckled softly.
“Oh, but I already paid for you. 2,000 Yen should be enough, not to mention your unruly hair.”
A chill ran through me. I snatched a timetable and ran away from Meranda, as she bore her crimson red eyes into mine.
Later, as I wandered the halls, I felt something brush against my ankle.
I looked down.
A golden retriever puppy stared up at me, its tail wagging gently.
I smiled for the first time.
“Mochi…You look like a mochi.” I picked him up once, and he never left.
Days turned into weeks.
Training began.
Sword practice. Endurance drills. Combat lessons.
Each day was harder than the last.
A rude girl named Ella constantly treated me like her personal maid.
She always bragged about her pearly hair and long eye lashes.
She hit and kicked me every day if I politely refused to do something.
But something strange happened.
As the sun rose, I felt stronger, faster, and stronger.
I started to fight back and stood up to her aggressive behaviour.
“Bring it on, baka! I’ll strangle you to the ground!” (Baka means idiot in Japanese.)
As I walked around the orphanage, a dome-like building caught my attention, with butterflies soaring around the entrance.
Mochi and I made our way into the Garden.
A sudden burst of heat and humid air made us want to walk deeper into the calming paradise.
One night, after training, I met him.
Outside my window, fighting an odd creature.
It had 5 arms sticking out of its head and no legs; it was just floating.
As he slashed it, its body started to vaporize.
Out of curiosity, I hopped out of my window to see who the boy was.
“I’m Michio,” he said calmly. “Part of the Soul Fighting Core.”
His presence felt steady, calm yet powerful.
“Will you please train me?” I asked without hesitation.
He studied me for a moment.
“Fine. Tomorrow. At dawn.”
I quickly woke up, got dressed, and stuffed some nigiri in my mouth. As I headed out of my window, I tripped clumsily
In a heartbeat, Michio came to catch me before I hit the ground.
He looked at me with his usual dreamy look.
His eyes were a deep turquoise, warm and welcoming, making me want to stare into them forever.
He wore a simple black haori, with a light blue, misty pattern at the bottom.
My haori was green and gold, with carefully woven deer and bunnies.
(Haori is a piece of clothing that you wear on top of a T-shirt and pants, like a coat.)
Then we started to spar.
As we trained, he noticed something unusual.
“What do you absorb?” he asked.
I hesitated.
“Sunlight.”
He froze.
Then slowly, he bowed.
“M-My Lord, Sorry! Your family didn’t survive the attack.”
“What are you talking about?”
Memories rushed back.
Flashes and unfamiliar voices.
“Run, Bellatrix!”
My father’s voice.
“From now on… I am a stranger to you. Don’t make me have to do this, run!” He pulled out a red sword and pointed it at me.
I collapsed.
When I opened my eyes, Michio was holding me.
“My father tried to kill me…” I whispered.
“He was trying to save you,” Michio said gently.
Michio then explained. “So, my great-grandpa actually started this thing called the Soul Fighting Core not that long ago. Basically, we make sure to annihilate demons. Right now, we’re looking for this guy Myrone Vane—he’s the Demon King. If we finally take him out, every single demon will just… poof, disappear.”
He continued.
“In all of history, there was only one bloodline of slayers that could actually absorb sunlight to fight. Everyone else has to use stuff like wind to get their energy. Since your family was attacked, it had to be the Demon King who did it. It makes sense, right?”
Everything changed after that conversation.
I wasn’t just a girl anymore.
I was something more.
Later that day, while I was playing tug of war with Michi, a raven came with a letter. As I stood in the dim, evening glow of the Butterfly Garden, I snatched the torn paper from its talons.
Butterflies swarmed around the area, giving it a calming appearance.
When I opened the letter , the colour from my face left. It said:
“Ella,
How are you? How is the sun absorber? We need to attack the orphanage tonight. Tell mother( Lady Meranda) to come to the burrow with you at 6;30 pm asap. We need a battle plan.
From, father, Myrone Vane.
I prepared everything; evacuated the building, ate, and helped get ready for battle.
I put on my new Soul fighting core uniform and slipped on my haori on top of it.
I tied my hair back with a golden leaf hair pin and pulled on my newly forged sword.
Michio and two others were there to fight with me, Tarro and Naho.
Their company was nice.
They got their medical supplies ready for battle while Michio and I got ourselves ready.
We hid in an old cupboard and munched on riceballs to fuel our energy.
The battle was chaos.
Shadows moved and blades clashed.
Mochi leapt into action beside me.
I felt the sunlight within me, even in the darkness.
Power surged through my veins.
Then I saw him.
Myrone Vane.
The one who destroyed everything.
My stomach twisted into knots when I realized who was standing behind him- Ella, my bully stood there.
She was fixing her perfect pearly hair, twisting and pulling apart every knot.
Beside Ella, stood Meranda, My “future mother” , both of them snickering.
It all made sense now.
They were disguised as humans all along in search of me.
They wanted to adopt me then kill me or turn me into a demon to fight alongside with them.
Myrone stood there, and simply asked,
“Which one of you weaklings is the sun absorber? Tell me that, and some of your worthless lives can be saved.”
I quietly pointed at myself.
He cackled at the sight.
“You are nothing but a helpless nature breather, as useless as can be.” he sneered.
His hand tightened around my throat.
I couldn’t breathe.
Then…
A flash.
A strike, and freedom.
I rose again.
Stronger, angrier, and alive.
Meranda and Ella simply stood in the shadows as if they were helping.
As Myrone patted Ella on the head, she started to become more like a demon;
Growing fangs and claws, her muscle build became more powerful.
There was no time to waste.
Tarro and Naho ran off to fight Ella.
I had no choice but to fight Meranda.
Meranda’s tongue helplessly lolled out of her mouth playfully.
I ruthlessly slashed it straight out of her mouth.
She gagged as her tongue fell out of her mouth to the ground.
Then she started to vaporize.
By the time we finished off Meranda and Ella, Michio stood there trembling, with severe wounds, possibly fatal to him.
Tarro, Naho and I decided to join the main battle.
Myrone stood there, covered in blood.
But the blood wasn’t his- It was Michio’s!
We sprung into action as soon as we reached, distracting Myrone with helpless attacks to buy Naho some time to drag Michio to safety.
Once she did, the real battle started.
We used every ounce of our strength, until we were completely out of stamina.
Mochi pounced onto Myrone’s back, trying to be helpful.
Then suddenly I saw it; a clear slash to finish him off.
“I can’t do it! “My thoughts once screamed at me. Now, they scream, “ I can do it”. With one final strike, it ended.
Silence filled the air. Tarro came to me, his eyes glistening with tears.
“You did it!” I smiled back at him. “No. We did it.”
As I stood there, trembling, I realized something.
I once stood on rubble crying for my family back.
I became a warrior to fight for them.