At least I'm Alive

Black Bear

Kai's point of view

I see mother and Abela hug in the garden, not wanting to disturb them, I go back to my room.

At first, I thought she was just some kid who was trying to run away from someone.

During the festival, she hid behind mother and father, and she was shivering in fear.

And when mother took her home, I felt angry. How can she let some kid just go inside our house?

I wanted to object. But how can I go against mother if father already agreed?

As I walk through the hallway deep in thought, someone spoke.

"Hey! Where you heading?" Keith said.

Oh? I notice I already walked passed
My room.

Me and Keith enter together, and he was probably gonna ask something.

"Brother, what happened?" He asks.

"Why are you asking?" I say while removing my coat.

"Obviously I'm not the only one who notices that she's very timid. What exactly happened?!" He exclaimed

I quietly look at him, and he sat on the bed getting ready to listen.

"Dad told me to come with him to the Hardy residence to save Abela. I complained at first, but I went in the end. When we went there, everything seemed normal. Too normal." I pause.

Keith looking invested in the story, I continue..

"It seemed suspicious on how it was too nice of a home for a kid to cry for help. That time, the Earl was home, and he showed us around. Father became impatient, and asked where the second daughter's room was. But the Earl became flustered, and when he took a break, dad threatened a maid to tell us everything."

"So?! What happened?" He said leaning forward.

"Apparently, the Hardy family gave birth to the second child by accident. They value money, and since they had another child, they didn't want their expenses to grow, so they treated her like...trash. Abela stayed at the dirty attic, and got whipped. She was fed days old leftovers, and only got to eat once a week."

Keith grew silent.

I understand, I also hated hearing that.

No one should be treated this way, mostly people who are not at fault.

"So, dad also became cold to the Earl, and offered a huge amount of money to adopt Abela. The Earl quickly agreed, and we thought we were gonna leave in peace but he said something that made father snap.

"Goodluck with that brat, we lost alot of money because of her, and since you want that child and we gained money it's a win-win."

Then father went on ahead and punched him."

I go to Keith and place my hand on his head to calm him down, just like what dad did when I reacted like this.

"By the way, Abela has a weird presence..." I suddenly remember.

Keith jolts up and says "Right?! It's an unexplainable feeling!"

Weird...we'll just have to investigate.

Back to Abela's point of view

After a nice chat with mother, she walked me back to my room to rest.

It was turning dark, and it was almost time for dinner..

Though it feels weird to eat with people. People who let me eat with them.

I was only able to eat properly in my past life thanks to dad.

I approach the mirror and stare at myself.

I slowly touch my face...then hold my arm...

"You're okay now"

Huh? That voice again...?!

The voice that told me to run during that festival...

"...who's there?!" I say while looking around..

No one answers.

Am I hearing things? I swear I heard something.

Someone knocks on the door

"Young miss, it's time for dinner." A maid said outside.

I rush to the door and reach for the doorknob

The door opens and I nod at the maid who was standing outside.

We walk together to the dining room.

And once we arrived, everyone was there except for father.

Mother smiles at me, and taps on the cushioned chair beside her.

I walk towards it and I get helped up to sit.

Being this small is very inconvenient, were chairs always this tall?

"Sorry I'm late." father arrives and sits in the middle.

We start to eat, and father asks me something

"Abela, while you were staying at the Hardy residence, when you were bored how did you entertain yourself?"

I reply "Rather than entertain, I just read books and looked out the window I guess." I say it like it's not a big deal

Because it isn't.

After chatting for awhile, they suddenly go quiet.

I felt a shiver down my spine, but no one was being scary or anything.

I feel this weird presence, but it doesn't feel bad. It feels safe.

"Vincent is back." Kai says casually while eating his food.

"You're right." Father says looking around.

And a few seconds later, a person popped out of nowhere beside father.

A man with long jet black hair that was tied to the back, and he was wearing a butler's uniform.

I flinch as that man said "I'm back master!" He says gently but happily.

Everyone smiles at him and he greets them, but when our eyes met, he grew silent.

He walked towards me and started sniffing me.

"Hm..what a nice familiar scent. Who is this lovely child master?" He asks.

"My daughter." He said not making eye contact and eating again.

"Oh? I've only been gone for 4 months but Lady Frida wasn't pregnant that time. And this kid has black hair while everyone has blonde and white." He says while looking at me.

"I'll explain to you the details later, but from now on she's a child of this family." Father said.

The butler grew silent and kneeled infront of me "very well then," he grabbed my hand and gently kissed it.
"Hello Young miss, my name is Vincent, the Ortiz's head butler and Master Edward's Black bear." He smiled as he stood up.

Black bear...? What?

Keith chuckles "Abela looks so confused"

"I'm the spirit animal black bear." He casually says.

Spirit animal..? BLACK BEAR?!