[The night sky was accompanied by dozens of stars glittering from a distance. The nights came with a chilling wind that was cooling on the skin.
It was a rude contrast to the mornings that arrived with the strong brutal burning sun, mocking the Asahi people. Despite the fluctuating temperatures, not many people seemed to notice it. At least, not in the way Hina did.
It had been four days since her mother abandoned her. Alone and bruised; left to die right outside the gates of her father's house. It all seemed like a bad dream. An ominous unending nightmare.
At first, Hina just laid there on the warm ground. She had clutched onto the empty air, forcing down the screams that urged to escape her chapped lips as her hot tears strolled down her face. She could feel the warmness of her blood slowly flowing on her back, staining the new dress her mother had gifted her. She was in so much physical pain but it was nothing compared to the excruciating pain in her heart. Her mother had left her. Without looking back for even a second, almost as if it was something the woman had always wanted to do.
[What did I do so wrong?...]
She could not grasp why everyone looked at her with so much disgust. Mother had once told her that she was like a stubborn filthy stain on a white dress. The type that you would rub and rub over and over again, but rather than fading away it would just spread even more, ruining the white garment.
[Am I such a terrible child? To have been born when no one wanted me?].
Hina had tried to stand up, breaking the skin on her palm as she struggled to get up. She attempted to force her body to move against its will and run after the leaving carriage, but she couldn't. She was weak and in so much pain, breaking out in cold sweat. She simply couldn't do it. She had watched the carriage vanish from her sight as she admitted defeat. Today was supposed to be a good day but the turnout was such an irony. She was engulfed by haziness and slowly drifted off to unconsciousness.
"Wake up, child" a stern voice had called her out of her slumber.
"Wake up, child. You have to leave now" the voice called again, somewhat desperately.
Hina struggled to open her eyes. She woke up to a face she was no stranger to. It was the butler who had gotten her mother riled up earlier. His hard expression was slightly softened as he stared at Hina.
"Mister-where am I?" her voice cracked as she spoke.
She remembered fainting outside by the roadside, but now she was situated on a soft small bed in what she assumed was a maid's room. Her bloodstained aching back had been cleaned and treated while her new injuries were neatly dressed.
"What is your name, child?" He ignored her question, pushing through with his instead. He still looked scary to Hina.
"I-I'm Hina" she replied, fumbling with the hems of her dirty dress, frightened to meet him on eye level.
Hina quickly stole a glance around the small room. It was warm and pretty and the bed was clean. It was a palace in comparison to her dark cold room, where her bed was almost always damp and smelly from her mother's relentless routine of waking her up with dirty water.
"Hina... I am sorry I can not be of much help to you." He looked at her with such sad eyes. Hina wondered why looked so apologetic towards her.
"But you cannot be here even for another minute" he rubbed his temples gently as thin lines formed on his forehead.
"Your mother is a monster for doing such terrible things to you" he added, now looking away from her as if mumbling to himself.
She wanted to argue with him about his last words and tell him that he was wrong! Her mother was a good person! But she couldn't find the voice to utter it. Instead, she found herself on the verge of tears again.
"Take this and go" he suddenly handed her a small food wrap with some leftovers rolled in it.
"There is a guard outside the door, make sure to follow him quietly. I have already spoken to the guards to secretly let you out. This is the best I can do for you. I wish you farewell, Hina"
He stood up from his seat and helped her up, giving her a warm smile as he led her to the door.
"Thank you. Goodbye Mister..." she meekly said, holding the food wrap tight so as not to lose it.
Hina was a bit anxious but she fully discerned her situation. The mister had snuck her into the maids quarters to help treat her wounds and even went as far as to give her some food and sneak her back out, but that was the end of his generosity. Hina didn't understand why he helped her but she knew that she shouldn't cross the line. She had had a fleeting thought to beg him to allow her to stay as a maid. She would cook, clean, eat less and stay out of sight. For a moment, she really wanted to stay. She was afraid of the unknown outside, however she shook off the idea and left.
With her final goodbye said, Hina followed the uniformed guard. He ushered her through the maids quarters and out to a path that led to the back gate of the estates where Hina was let out. As the gates locked behind her, she was back out on the streets once again, with no clue on how to get back home. She walked aimlessly through the cold empty streets of the beautiful city, seeking warmth in the dark quiet alleys nobody seemed to pass through. She had covered herself with a random newspaper she found in a trash can, stuffing her mouth with the egg sandwiches that had been neatly wrapped for her. She had not realised the depth of her hunger until she cleared the sandwiches in the food wrap, unable to resist the hunger within her. It had been her first meal for the day and she soon reckoned that it would be her last for a while, as she didn't save any for later.]