I couldn't stay in one spot forever. She was looking for me, and there was no way in hell I was going to be caught by her.
'What does she want from me?' That question plagued my mind for years. No matter how many times I asked, the answer seemed nowhere in sight. I couldn't understand why she treated me so differently from others. She even went as far as to call me her "apprentice."
I decided to escape—I needed to escape—by any means necessary. The world I once knew was not what I believed it to be. It was much grander than I could have ever anticipated.
My childhood was best described as being sheltered behind the protective walls of my grandparents' home. I wasn't allowed beyond the borders of our house, shielded from a reality that lurked just out of reach. They feared what might happen if I ventured out, if I discovered the truth they sought to keep hidden.
Looking back, I wish things had gone differently. But those days are over now. I made up my mind and became exactly what she wanted me to become. Countless times, I've learned that nothing happens without reason. I was a pawn in their game, manipulated and maneuvered. Now, it's my turn to take control. My turn to play the game.
My name is Xero Hyaku...
