Loralai sat down in her seat and ignored all the stares directed at her. As usual, it was like that every morning. She's used to it though. Everybody thinks she's weird, but for her, she's pretty normal. A teenage girl living a pretty normal life. Loralai liked their world – the magic thing. She enjoyed seeing people using their own powers and abilities to good and useful things. And she likes doing that too, but can't. It was her story, but she can't tell. She doesn't know what's really happening in her surroundings. She just knows that she is alive, and feels her consciousness every morning up to the moment before she sleeps. The rest? She doesn't know.
She felt this weird feeling every time she wakes up. It's like hunger for something – not food or any material thing, she just knew she's hungry for something she can't really point out. And sometimes, even if she thinks she is normal, the thought of her being weird crosses her mind. Maybe, after the things that she's been thinking, she's really weird.
She sighed and focused her eyes and mind on their professor who just entered their classroom. After their professor's greeting, he immediately directed everything to their goal for the discussion. And the rest of the day went on. It was an exhausting day for Loralai. After her day at school, she just stood at the waiting shed in front of the school while waiting for her kind stepdad to arrive. Everyone around has their own cars, not everyone really, maybe the majority, and only her and her stepbrother are the students that are being serviced to school, back and forth.
Loralai sighed. Tomorrow will be a day full of shame and disappointment for her. Her professor told them that they will be having their powers evaluated. That's a norm for their school, or maybe their subject. The curriculum requires their powers to be checked from time to time. And every time, she has nothing to show. Not that she has really nothing, she just doesn't want to show it. She feels like if lets others know what she can do, something will change. She just feels it though, but still, she will do what she feels, because she thinks that it will be the best for her.
"You're early," she tilted her head and noticed her stepdad standing few meters away from her. "Did classes end in a blink?"
"No," Loralai responded, walking closer to her stepfather. "You are just late. Don't make excuses. Let's go."
Acheros shook her head, smiling, amused at how straightforward Loralai can be. "How is your day?"
"Just fine."
"What do you mean just fine?"
"I survived, that's it. Nothing special."
"How about your body?" Acheros asked, staring at Loralai's back with worried eyes as the latter walks towards their car.
"I might be lying if I say that my body is in good condition," Loralai answered without even looking at Acheros. "Not that it's in a bad state. My body aches sometimes, but that's the full extent of what I fell after a good beating."
Acheros felt somehow worried, especially when he is reminded that no one attends to Loralai every after Dayanara laid her hands on the woman. Acheros knew it's painful, and Loralai's body might hurt so much, but he doesn't know why, but it seems that something is stopping him from at least just giving Loralai a pain reliever. Something or someone whispers in his mind that she will be fine, that her body will be fine even if resting will be the only thing she gets.
"I'm worried," Acheros said for the first time, shocking Loralai a little bit. She didn't even expect that. It's almost a long time since she heard those words from someone. She felt that at that point, someone cares for her again. Just a simple 'how are you?' or 'I'm worried,' and she remembers her birth mother.
"You shouldn't," Loralai said after processing what Acheros said. "I don't want someone being worried about me when I know for a fact that it's not genuine."
"I am."
"Yeah, Like I'll believe that you are."
"Why not?" Acheros asked, confused at why Loralai thinks that he isn't genuine when he really is worried.
"The last person who said that to me now beats me every night," Loralai replied before sliding herself inside their car and comfortably sitting in the front seats.
Acheros was stopped in his tracks. He didn't expect Loralai's answer. The way she answered it isn't like she is mad about it or something, it's just that, she said it like it's nothing. Something like, 'no one cares for me, so what?' Acheros sighed after he realized that Loralai, at some point, lacks the love she needs from a family. Their family can't provide it, for sure. The love for their family only entertains three persons – Him, Dayanara, and Callum. Loralai could be closer to them, but the woman seems to dislike it. She seems to dislike receiving love from someone she doesn't really have a relationship with.
Acheros doesn't know Loralai's background, or who her mother is. Acheros, or maybe Dayanara too, don't know anything except for the woman's name, age, and birthday. He doesn't even know Loralai's favorite food. Loralai will eat whatever is served at the table, and will quickly leave after eating. It was like she is living there, and will suddenly disappear like she doesn't belong to the family. Maybe she's really like that. She always tries her best to exclude herself if there are family gatherings because all she thinks is that she is not a real family. That she is an outcast and doesn't really belong.
They sat there for few minutes before Callum rode the car. Acheros immediately drove home after asking if they are in their comfortable seats. Loralai, on the other hand, is sleeping comfortably making Acheros smile. She is storing energy for later, and she really needs it after a long, tiring day at school. They don't use their magic often, she's thankful for that, but it can be stressful when they are required to.