My Good Friend Aleksander.

Shadow Ⅵ| Year 8: "What are you?"

Zoya couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Large, fathomless blue eyes stared up at her, the dark lashes that surrounded them fluttering as they blinked widely, the small, pretty face they were placed in tilting upward as what looked to be a toddler stood before her.

But that was not what haunted her; the aura, the presence, the soft tuffs of black hair on top of a face that somewhat resembled Alina's was what haunted her. Her breath ran ragged, her blue eyes staring with shock and accusation at the innocent child who knew not why this pretty woman stared at her with such intensity.

"What are you?"

The words were sharp, cruel, apathetic; it was as if she wasn't even a human anymore, but rather an impudent bug that dared to walk and talk as she, to breath the same air she, a human, did. 

Illya's eyes widened at the harsh curiosity of her tone, at how the pretty woman was coldly speaking to her despite them never meeting prior to this chance encounter.

She trembled at the rage the woman showcased; had she done something wrong? 

Why were people always so angry at her when they saw her black hair—was it a curse, a bad omen that made people fear her? 

Was she somehow a sinner for having black hair?

Illya slowly stepped back, her young face beginning to scrunch up with fear as the woman's gaze reminded her of her father, the man who hated her for no discernable reason. The intensity of her blue eyes overlapped with her fathers cold ones, and with her own blue eyes widening, she turned, running from the scary woman.

Zoya blinked at how fast the child who could only be at most one years of age was running, and realizing that she had scared her, she jogged after her, running through the foliage of the forest while calling, "W-wait, what—who are you?! Where are you going?!"

The child did not listen, merely continuing to run through the underbrush and the trees till she reached the sunny clearing where her home stood. There, she saw her beautiful, hard-working, warm mother, pulling out weeds from the garden with her lovely face scrunched up and lined with dirt.

"Mama!" she cried out, her small voice reaching Alina as she worked in the vegetable garden, "Mama! Skawy wohman! Meen!"

Alina turned at the sound of her daughters distress and opened her arms to receive the child that barrelled into her arms, hugging Illya to her as her expression morphed into concern when she noticed the scratches on daughters hands and feet, and the tears in her pretty blue eyes. 

"Scary woman? Mean? Illya, you met a stranger?! Where, did you lead them here? Illya, go inside; I'll get the gun and—"

"Starkov?!"

Alina's eyes snapped up to look at the intruder, eyes narrowing before realization glowed within her lovely brown eyes. 

She stood, holding her daughter and cradling her gently, a confused expression on her face as she replied incredulously, "Z-Zoya? What are you... were you the one that scared Illya?! Oh, then I really should get the rifle if that's the case—"

Zoya scoffed, "Please, between my Squalling and my experience, the bullet wouldn't even hit me! Besides, if I were to die to something like a rifle, I doubt I'd be here now to receive your little... threat. Anyway, that's your daughter huh? Why does she have..."

She trailed off, the look of warning from Alina clear that that wasn't to be discussed out in the open, let alone in the yard. 

Alina adjusted the hold on her baby, a smile decorating her pretty face as she "cheerfully" said, "It's been ages since we've talked now, hasn't it? Let's go inside; I'll crack open some kvas and Illya will be able to play around with her toys while we "catch up". You up for that?"