The Stray Souls ["The Diary Keeper" Sequel; "The Dark Legacies" Series]

Chapter 21: Behind closed door

"Let's talk about Grace Coleman this time. I think you'll find it interesting."

"I find anything interesting."

"Especially when it comes to Grace. She's quite an extraordinary person, to be honest."

"Tell me everything you know about her."

"First of all, give me an answer to the following question, Lia. How do you imagine her childhood?"

I tried to picture Mrs. Coleman at my age, then in early adolescence and even in primary school. But now my imagination was working poorly - it was quite challenging to imagine Grace as a child. However, Mr. Everglenn posed the right question. Unfortunately or fortunately, our childhood largely shapes who we are. We all came from there, no matter what anyone says.

"I understand where you're leading," I said after a short pause. "Grace had a difficult childhood, like Harper. Am I right?"

"You're a perceptive girl, Liandra."

"But any circumstances aren't an excuse for violence. Isn't that right?"

He seemed to ponder. Perhaps I shouldn't have touched on such a topic. Most likely, he thought about Emberlynn, his daughter who died unexpectedly. Yet, I sometimes forget that he was her father many years ago.

"Grace was born here, in Ravenwood," Michael began his story. "Her parents put all their efforts into making the girl happy. And for the first ten years of her life, they definitely succeeded. Until they passed away."

"And who raised her after that?"

"Due to the lack of any close relatives, she was placed in an orphanage."

"Not a very pleasant turn of events."

"I won't deny that."

"Why did Grace's parents die?"

"Remember those thugs  that Amos, your notorious relative, used to hang out with? Well, at that time, that gang was called the "Raven Outcasts" and instilled terror in all the town residents and surrounding villages. Those were frightening times... The police couldn't do anything about them because they were afraid of them themselves. But the most interesting part is that Tom and Nora, Grace's parents, were also on good terms with those hoodlums."

"How everyone is connected here..."

"Tom and Nora were involved in secret governmental projects together with "Raven Outcasts". Their clandestine activity led to their sudden demise, staged to look like a car accident.

The truth behind their sudden tragic end remained concealed, camouflaged by the shadows of secrecy and manipulation. Despite suspicions surrounding the circumstances of their deaths, Grace, being just a child at the time, lacked the means to prove the true nature of the incident.

So, the girl became an orphan. Her life in an orphanage was not easy. The place was not welcoming, and she often felt lonely. The other children were distant, and the caregivers didn't pay much attention to her. The rooms were plain, and there was a constant feeling of sadness in the air.

One of the most challenging aspects for Grace was the lack of enough food. Meals were scarce and not nutritious. She often went to bed with a rumbling stomach, wishing for more to eat. It was a constant struggle to find something satisfying to fill her appetite.

In the challenging circumstances of the orphanage, hoping for a good future seemed almost impossible for the young girl. The odds were against her, and the hardships were overwhelming. However, amidst the difficulties, Grace made a promise to herself. She vowed that no matter what life threw at her, she would always find a way to be happy.

This promise became a guiding light for Grace. Despite the gloomy surroundings and the uncertainties that loomed over her, she held onto the belief that happiness was within her control."

"And what did she do after turning eighteen years old?"

"Grace was an exceptional student at school, consistently demonstrating a passion for learning and dedication to her studies. Her academic achievements set her apart from her classmates, earning her the admiration of teachers.

When Grace won a scholarship for free education at Oxford, her classmates couldn't hide their envy. The news spread like wildfire through the school, and whispers of jealousy echoed in the hallways. Some struggled to conceal their resentment, while others couldn't help but express their disbelief at Grace's extraordinary accomplishment. The idea of free education at such a prestigious institution fueled the jealousy among her peers.

Despite the challenges posed by the jealousy around her, Grace remained focused on her goals and continued to excel academically. Her journey from a challenging childhood in the orphanage to earning a scholarship at Oxford was just incredible.

But she still felt empty inside. No success will overshadow a profound loss and replace the close ones.

Grace realized at a very young age that life is unfair. Being a good girl was a poor solution to her situation. And she changed, changed a lot. She grew up intelligent, beautiful, well-mannered... but mentally scarred. Traumatized people sometimes become cruel to prevent fate from causing them more pain."

I silently agreed with him. Cruelty sometimes becomes a shield for those people who paid a high price for their kindness. And then they change to sow their hatred on others. Because they were treated unfairly. They weren't loved when they needed it the most. And they fight for justice as fervently as no one else. Evil begets evil; it cannot be the cause of good.

"What did Grace study at Oxford?"

"Political Sciences. She was very ambitious."

"She still has high demands on life now..."

"You're thinking in the right direction, Liandra. Grace tried to enter politics from an early youth, but the main obstacle was always a lack of useful connections. She had enough money since her parents were quite well-off, and after coming of age, she inherited a substantial fortune. However, she lacked close relationships, and magic couldn't fulfill all her desires or make her most cherished dream come true."

"So, Mrs. Coleman never really worked anywhere?"

"Work is a very relative thing." Michael Everglenn sighed heavily. "Grace never laboured honestly because she never saw honesty in her entire life. It was too mundane, too boring for her, as if she became a loser in a serious game. So, after university, she returned to Ravenwood and created her fraudulent scheme. I don't know the details, but in short, she made people sign certain documents under hypnosis. Then, these people owed her a considerable amount of money, but none of them remembered signing anything like that. Difficulties changed her, changed her a lot."

"And not for the better," I added.

Undoubtedly, difficult times make a human strong. However, sometimes they take away all of their humanity.