5. The Cursed Kid

2004, The Kingdom of Rimore

The vehicle moved slowly and steadily down the road. Today was one of those days when the sun was shining brightly, not too blinding, but enough to give warmth in the cold February.

The car passed the gate to leave Vuyshire. The town she lived in for the first six years of her life. After Vuyshire, she did not know where fate would bring her.

Vuysire was located on the east side of Grouver. It was not a small town; the population was around eight thousand. Rice fields surrounded Vuysire as it was the source of money for the people, and there was a river that ran through the center of the town. The town was a peaceful place, and the people were friendly. There was a small market in the town and a few small businesses.

People in Vuysire was mainly human, so there was no need to watch over their back all the time. Unlike the other place, in Vuysire, the reason for death was mainly due to old age and sickness.

The scenery outside the car windows changed rapidly as they drove away from Vuysire. The small house and rice field all whizzed by in a blur. Her eyes were filled with sadness. She was leaving for good.

The soft touch on her head made her turn away from the scenery. She stared at the middle-aged woman who said her name was Deana Gonzales. The woman was beautiful despite her age. The wrinkles on her face were like a sign of her journey in life that she had lived long enough to witness many things.

"You don't have to be sad, Nevea. You will get a new family and make new friends in Chusire." Deana said while rubbing Nevea's white hair.

"I'm not sad," Nevea replied with a white lie. Of course, she was sad. Moving to a new place was like a nightmare for someone like her.

In the past three years she had moved from house to house in Vuysire. She started with no mother until she had three. However, moving town was different.

The reason for her continuous move was that the family who took her in believed she was cursed. They claimed that death surrounded her and that everywhere she went, people died. They even said her family left her in the orphanage because they knew she was bad luck.

Nevea did not believe it at first, but over the years, she had witnessed so many deaths in the home she stayed at, and eventually, she accepted it. A rumor about her being cursed was suddenly spread from mouth to mouth, making everyone wary of her as though she was a walking angel of death. She lost all her friends because of it, and she was abandoned. At that time, she had hoped that her family had killed her, instead leaving her in an orphanage.

Deana Gonzales was asked to take her from Vuysire without telling her about the rumor, and even the town council asked Nevea never to mention it. And Nevea did not have a plan to do it. If she did, no one would take her in. So it was better to stay silent for her survival.

Nevea was young, but she had learned that it was hard to live every day, especially as a kid with no parents like her. She had to behave well so people would look at her and feel pity, then they would take her.

"We will arrive after two hours so you can sleep first." Deana made her lean on the backseat and ensured that the kid was comfortable.

Nevea complied immediately. People love a kind and obedient kid. That was what her second mother said to her. So, Nevea would play her part without complaining.

After that, the car ride was silent except for the engine's sound. It was a long ride from Vuysire to Chusire, and Deana spent her time thinking about how to get a wealthy family to take Nevea.

A kid like Nevea was tempting for them. She was well-behaved and pretty with her round blue eyes that looked as deep as the ocean, her long silver hair, which was rare, and Nevea had a sweet smell that vampires love. It was like a magnet.

Deana knew she could get money from selling her and only needed to look for the wealthiest family. She smiled, imagining the pile of cash flow in her bank account.

After what felt like an eternity, the car finally pulled into the driveway, and the driver looked at Deana from the rear mirror. "We've arrived, Mrs. Gonzales."

Deana nodded her head to the driver, and she shook Nevea's body to wake her up. The little girl eventually woke up.

Nevea rubbed her eyes, adjusting the light that entered her vision.

"We have arrived."

Nevea heard Deana, and then she looked outside the windows. There she saw a big building. It was so tall that it seemed to touch the sky. Beside the building was a small garden where several kids were seen running around. On the entrance gate was a sign that stated The Mother's Grace.

It was a blessing for her that she could read at such a tender age. Nevea should really thank her second mother, although she was abusive toward her, at least she taught her to read and sometimes gave her preach about life.

She heard about The Mother's Grace from the town council before. He said it was the biggest orphanage in Rimore. Everything they provided would be better than in Vuyshire. Nevea was beyond happy. She thought her day to enjoy her life had finally arrived. Little did she know that she had entered the wolf's den.

They got out of the car with Deana holding Nevea's hand to lead her inside.

When Nevea finally stepped inside, she took everything in. After they passed the entrance door, she noticed the hall was huge, and many children were playing around dressed in the same clothes. The girls wore white dresses that reached their knees and braided their hair. On the contrary, the boys wore all black and were almost bald.

Suddenly, a girl taller than her approached Deana, and the girl curtsied to Deana and smiled in her direction. "Mrs. Gonzales." The girl said.

"Hello, Liza. You look pretty today." Diana praised Liza while stroking her hair, making the girl blush in response. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is Nevea, and Nevea, this is Liza." Deana said to both of them.

Liza immediately extended her hand for a handshake, and Nevea accepted it.

"Nevea."

"Liza Avery."

They said alternately, but a frown marred Liza's temple after hearing Nevea's name, and she asked. "Just Nevea?"

"Hmm." Nevea hummed in response.

Liza's reaction was almost identical to other people's when she introduced herself. Nevea did not know her last name, and since she moved from house to house, it was inconvenient always to change her name, so the family who took her in never gave her their last name.

Her parents only left a note that said her name was Nevea. They barely bothered to give her their last name. She assumed they did not want her to find them when she was old enough. They simply wanted to erase her existence.

Feeling the awkwardness kicking in, Deana chimed in and said, "Liza, you will be sharing a room with Nevea. So, help her with everything and accompany her for a tour around the area. Okay?"

"Okay, Mrs. Gonzales."

"Good, then I will leave you with Liza. I hope you love your new home, Nevea." Deana gave her the sincerest smile she could make to Nevea, which earned her a nod from the little girl. Then she left them alone.

After Deana left, Nevea stole a quick glance at Liza a few times. This was awkward. She did not know what to do. She clutched the rim of her worn-out t-shirt while waiting for Liza to free her from the painful silence.

"Let's go!" Liza exclaimed happily. She took Nevea's hand to walk with her.

They walked hand in hand while Liza explained everything about the orphanage to her. Liza showed her around, from the dining room on the south to the entrance and the classroom for everyday use in the opposite direction. The bedroom for girls was on the second floor, while the boys' room was on the third floor.

Liza opened the door to their room and proudly showed the decoration she had made to color the dull room. Liza made their bedroom colorful, as many drawings were pasted on the black wall.

"Welcome to our heaven." Liza opened her arms wider, presenting the room she was proud of.

"Wow," Nevea clapped. "Very colorful." She stated as she had no other comment besides that.

"You are disappointed." Liza's smile dropped.

"No, no, of course not. I love it so much." Nevea gave Liza her biggest smile, showing all her white teeth. Her second mother once told her to smile wider so people would think she liked what they did.

"Thank God. I thought you hated me for a second. Hahaha." Liza pulled Nevea for a hug while laughing. She loved having another girlfriend to play with.

Nevea laughed with Liza even though she did not find everything funny at all. The rule for survival, blend in as fast as possible. So, she did it.