PREAMBUL; And Now... You're Dead. Again.

Kid, You Really Shouldn't Talk To Stranger

"Len?"

Halen turned, "Oh, Alesh."

Alesh entered Halen's room, "Umm ... I want to sleep."

Halen thought for a few moments, "Oh! You must be tired. Come, I'll take you to an empty room."

Alesh looks relieved. No matter how often she visited the orphanage, she obviously never stayed. At first, she thought she had to share a room with Halen, and to be honest Alesh hate that idea. She's afraid she'll troublesome her.

"Mother was always sure you would stay, you know." Halen opened one of the empty rooms, "she's always considering you as one of us."

Alesh smiled, "I am one of you."

"You have parents."

Alesh noticed the bitterness in Halen's voice. Her smile warmed, her hand landed on Halen's shoulder, "Len, life is a theatre stage and sometimes what you see is an appearance on stage. Besides, I have considered Mother as my mom, and all of you as my siblings."

Halen frowned. Since she's younger than Alesh, she's confused by Alesh's slightly convoluted sentences. Alesh winked briefly, took her bag that Halen had brought, then closed the door, "Goodnight."

"Night."

Alesh looked around. This room is a little dusty, but not that much to cause her allergic reaction. There was a fan that Alesh turned on that second, but she kept the window open so it wouldn't get stuffy.

Alesh lays on a bed, worried about her family, thinking about Lareu, as well as her words to Halen.

"Damn, I shouldn't have said that."

She tried to think about another thing, and it leads her to remembers what happened when she was surrounded by evil-Jlanxs. Stupid idiotic Draen. Has she been spied all this time? How could they know about her past? Previously her parents were outrageous. If she wasn't a Jlanx, some of her classmates would surely ask about the bruises on her face.

Forget it, Alesh insisted, it had already passed.

"Yeah," Alesh replied in agreement, "I'd better sleep."

Alesh lays for a few moments, turned her back from the light and began to close her eyes. These days are very tiring, it's like Alesh wants to sleep until next noon. The girl herself was sure she had asleep and ready to welcome her dreams — Probably about some magnificent things like fairies, unicorns, and a kind-hearted giant that lives in rainbow hills.

That until finally she woke up with a scream, "Candle...! Quickly look for the candle...!"

Through the shout, Alesh realized the orphanage is in a blackout. Her body suddenly ached, but she kept getting out of bed and walked slowly toward the door. The further she went, the more painful her body felt, as if someone had placed a giant barbell on her shoulder. Her feet felt like a mermaid who wanted legs and the wish was granted by the evil witch, ill for mercy.

CRRRAAACKK!

"OUCH!"

She fell down a second later. Her legs felt very stiff. She wanted to believe it's only because of fatigue, but this pain is too fierce.

Well screw it, her mind said as she forced herself to get up. Half-crawled towards a small table, using it as a pedestal to stand on.

Alesh's eyes had gotten used to the dark, she looked at the mirror that was on the table.

"Who are you?"

Her legs ached, the pain continued to spread to her neck. Alesh groaned with restraint, her eyes still glancing at the mirror that revealed a stranger.

Her breath rushed, reflexively glared at the mirror. The person has different eyes colour, the veins on her skin look so clear — It's purplish. She occasionally growled strangely, then returned to silence and stared sharply. She looks wild and hungry, Alesh felt sorry and wary for it.

"Did you come in through tthhe-hhe-the wwin-nndd-ddow-ooww?" Alesh asked, abruptly stuttering as her hands began to tremble for no reason. The stranger glared at her, then smirked softly. She turned toward the door, Alesh also turned toward the door. That seems to be the answer.

"Hhu-hungg-rr-ry?" Alesh asked again, "Iii-ii'lll ttt-taak-kk-ke yy-yyo-ouu."

Alesh trembled from toe to head, her neck also tense. But she still stumbled toward the door, delivering whoever it is to eat.

CRRRRAAAACCCKKK!

A sudden attack felt on Alesh's back. The attack somehow managed to paralyze her legs. Her entire body is stiff, her neck tensed. Alesh never screams in pain before, so when she does, theoretically it should be really loud. But nothing comes out. Alesh opened her mouth, she felt a terrific pain, her eyes wide open. It was like she was stabbed with a burning, sharp, metal. Then the fire spreads to her brain, continued to her chest, exploding her hearts. But still, there's nothing.

"Sstt-toop..." Alesh groaned, her body could feel various attacks again. It hurts so much, Alesh has never been this nauseous before. "Pll-lle – AAAAHHHHH!!"

"AAAAAAHHHH!!"

"AL! Don't scream that loud!"

"Lower the flashlight! Lower the flashlight!"

"Oh right, sorry."

Alesh still covered her eyes for the next five minutes, thinking how great her reflexes are. Whoever is that stranger seems to be gone. If her friends realized she's hurt for something else... Well let's just said, Alesh didn't want her friends to be more worried.

"Umm... Al, it's safe now."

She slowly opened her eyes and recognized several people who were standing in front of her door. Vasyl holding the flashlight, Grier stands beside him, and Eidlan was watching from behind. Alesh stood up slowly, her body was much better now, it didn't hurt at all.

"Why were you on the floor?"

"The flashlight made me reflexively fall."

Eidlan frowned in disbelief, he seemed to want to say something, but remained silent when he saw Alesh's pale face. Eidlan silently read her condition. There are bruises in her back, one on her right shoulder, one on the left waist, and there are another two on the left side.

He froze. Wondering should he talks about that or not. The thing is, Alesh would be furious if he asks. He doesn't want her to be mad at him.

While the twins turned around, chose to help Mother calm down some kids who were crying. Alesh turned to her room. There is no stranger. Maybe whoever that was went through the window. But Alesh still wondered who she was, why she was hurting her, also why her body suddenly hurt.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Alesh walked through Eidlan and helped Mother to calm down some of the orphans, while the twins moved to check the electricity. She could feel Eidlan's gaze behind her back, but for some reason, she didn't want to tell her friends what she had experienced. There is something inside her that tells her telling others about that stranger will be bad.

{....that's correct}