"I am not your mother and I wish I never gave birth to a monster like you!"
Those were the last words Keita heard before he left the place he once called home. He always believed the universe treated everyone fairly. But not all humans are equal. Otherwise Keita would not be stuck with such a cruel fate.
If there truly is a god, why are some of us born only to suffer?
He can still remember that day, as if the memory was etched into his bones.
The playground was deserted, bathed in the pale orange of a late afternoon. Rusted swings swayed slightly, groaning under their own weight against the cold wind. The slide glinted faintly, streaked with mud, its metal edges dull with age. Somewhere far off, a dog barked, but here, it was silent, save for the whispering wind and Keita's uneven breaths.
And then he saw her.
A frail girl yet so pretty one could mistake her for an angel that descended from the heavens, but as the world favors no one, beauty drifts without form–never holding one truth.
Pressed against the edge of the playground, her silver hair tangled with mud and twigs, caught the fading sunlight like strands of frost. Her wide eyes frozen with fear, while two shadows loomed over her laughing–not out of joy, but out of power, blocking her path as if she was prey caught between predators.
Keita didn't think. He just ran.
Not because he was fearless. The cold knuckles of fear gripped him. But because Sota Sentai, the hero from his favorite book, would have done the same. The voice of childhood legend whispered in his mind:
"Courage is the act of moving forward even when the world weighs you down."
So he skidded to a halt and threw his small frame barely a barrier, arms stretched wide between her and the shadows.
"L- Leave her alone!" His voice cracked, softer than he meant, but loud enough to capture their glare.
He was scared, towering over him were two boys larger and stronger than him.
Their expressions twisting into amusement.
"Look at this Rei," one snorted. "Another freak showed up to play hero… are you her boyfriend or something?"
"Isn't this funny?" The other added.
"The silver-haired girl and the creep with weird eyes. Perfect match, huh?"
One of them grabbed Keita's arm, yanking it roughly. Pain exploded along his forearm, and his knees buckled under the force. Blows rained against his small frame before he could even raise his arms in defense. Spots danced across his vision. Warmth trickled down his cheek. The world spun–blurring at the edges.
Thud.
"Why did I jump in?!" His mind screamed. "Mother will be furious again. I should've stayed home."
Somewhere behind, the girl whimpered, her fear so raw it left traces, a small puddle forming beneath her.
Silence settled over them, heavy and suffocating.
…
"They reek!" one of the boys muttered. "Ew she pissed herself! Let's go before her smell sticks to us"
And just like that they fled, leaving Keita sprawled on the ground, dignity bruised more than skin.
"Maybe… maybe I was the one saved in the end," he thought bitterly.
A soft poke nudged his shoulder.
"Are… are you okay?"
"I–I'm sorry…please don't be dead."
Blinking, he turned his head. The girl. Her eyes–silver, luminous–shone with worry. She crouched beside him, small hands hovering as if afraid to touch him. Though disheveled, her beauty was highlighted even with mud streaking across her cheek.
Coughing, he pushed himself upright, steadying his hands against the armrest of an old wooden bench.
"I–I'm fine," he managed, voice rough."Stuff like this… happens all the time."
It was no lie.
Mother said father's death was his fault and that he was born unlucky.
She never missed a chance to remind him.
He then shook the thought away.
"What's your name?" he asked gently. "And why are you out here?"
" If I wasn't here… they would've hurt you more."
Shrugging off the pain he straightened, brushing the mud from his knees. He led out his hand to her. Her fingers were small and cold, clutching him tightly as if afraid he'd disappear. A faint smell came from her body, embarrassment written on her face.
"I…I'm sorr-" she stammered.
"It's fine," he said quickly. "Which way is your house? I will help you get back."
She hesitated, gaze drifting towards the hill beyond the village. A castle sat there, grand and distant, its windows like watchful eyes.
"That's… where you live?" Keita breathed.
"You... you're the noble's daughter?"
She nodded once.
Still, he walked her toward the long stone pavement winding up the hill. Shadows stretched across the village, and the wind brought with it a tinged scent of smoke from cooking fires and faint iron from smithy. Keita took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. His body ached from the fight and his pride stung.
He glanced at the girl as she walked beside him, quiet, small, yet somehow radiating a fragile determination. Her fingers brushed against the strap bag, clutching it tightly. There was something almost defiant about the way she moved despite the fear still lingered in her posture.
"But why… why would anyone bully you?" he asked softly.
"You're–" he hesitated " –noble."
She said nothing. Looking at him, eyes wide, unblinking. The castle gates began to appear in their field of vision.
"This is as far as I can walk you," he said. "Any further than this and mother will be angry."
Her fingers tightened slightly in his, a quiet acknowledgement of the bond that had just formed, fragile but undeniable. Keita released her reluctant hands, watching as her steps slowly advanced towards the castle gate. Walking off into the distance, he looked over his shoulders one last time. Streaks of silver hair fluttered in the breeze as her gaze never left him, eyes filled with something he couldn't name.
"How unfair!"
"If such a beauty is despised"
"Then what am I?" he sighed.