𝐃𝐎𝐋𝐋 ᴰʳᵃᵍᵒⁿ ᴿᵃʲᵃ

𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐲

It felt much colder than usual.

Black Swan Bay was a beautiful place. It was in the middle of a forest, close to the mountains, on top of cliffs. Everything veiled in white. The buildings looked old and cozy. Their brown color greatly contrasted the blue tones that dominated the scene, making everything look frozen. Next to them were the different playhouses and swings, along with some forgotten toys that slowly got buried under the snow. The air was always crisp and fresh. Soft laughter filled the air, like a breeze, with it snowflakes falling, twirling around in the air and clinging to everything they can. The sun illuminated the scenery, giving it a soft glow and making the snow sparkle. On that day, the cheering was even louder than usual. Sweet voices only got louder and louder. A clear excitement was heard, filling up every corner and crevice of the orphanage, becoming the soul of the place itself.

Yet inside the second largest building, not a single sound could be heard. Not even the crackling of the fireplace. She didn't feel like starting a fire, so she left it alone, as cold as everything else.

She wasn't crying, she never cried. She wasn't sad, sad wasn't the right word, she was only disappointed. She was crawled up in a ball, her back glued to the front of her desk with her head down. Her face was the same expression as always, a dull one, if not a little more pained. The excitement of the day before, even the annoying anxiety had gone away, leaving her empty.

Renata knew that she was there, Z too, but still, she didn't want them to see her. And she wanted to see no one. It was the perfect hiding spot. As she looked in front of her, she wished she could go to her bed. It looked comfortable and warm. Her room looked warm most of the time, when the fireplace was on, at least. It was rather messy, with posters everywhere, unfinished sketches and plans, three odd windows; one of them giving a nice view to the lighthouse while making the perfect spot for MC's strange plant, a prototype of a plane, multiple books scattered all over, some strange objects in odd spots like her guitar in a lone chair or one of the training robots she managed to get on the corner near her desk, where she started breaking him apart, trying to make something new with the pieces.

Still, she could hear them. Banging on the window above her. Yelling out words of comfort. Renata at least was. MC sighed. Now what? It was Christmas after all. She couldn't just mop around. Or maybe she could. Who would stop her? She was too embarrassed to step out. She had finished all of her duties the day before, in preparation for today. Even without Z's help, she found the firewood and even ran some small errands for Dr. Herzog. She had even packed her bags with all her clothes except for her uniform, her favorite books, and pictures of her friends, a few of herself.

She had been convinced that she would be chosen. That she would finally go to the capital. That she would be the strongest. She hadn't been cocky, but she was confident.

Anton was going to leave during the night. Maybe he would write a letter or two. But knowing him, he probably wouldn't. He had a breakthrough. Something MC never had. He became strong, just like that. In a second. Both of them worked hard, all of the orphans worked hard, but she was the one on the training fields after dark, the first one in the mornings. She didn't need to do the extra effort, still, she did it. And nothing came out of it. So she stayed in her room, ignoring the cold, and the two friends that she had.

There would always be next year, Dr. Herzong told her. And even if she never got chosen, she could just wait a few more years. When you turned 20, regardless of how strong you were, they would allow you to go to the capital. Only Amanda stayed for that long, though. She was the first-ever orphan that Black Swan took. That is why she was given an entire house to her own. It wasn't much of a house, only a really big room. Still, everyone wanted it. So, when she left, there was a huge competition on who would get it.