" You are useless, do you know that? All your siblings are benders. My goodness, what kind of luck is this? Every time that I see you, I am filled with disappointment. Will I ever see the day when I can proudly call you my daughter?"
A little girl listened to her mother's hurtful words. Every day, this was her routine. Whenever she felt angry, she would vent it on her and blame her for everything that went wrong. No matter if it had anything to do with her, she was always to blame.
Then, the woman would apologize to her in the evening blaming it on her moods. This went on until the little girl was fourteen. For the first time in her life, she made a decision. Her mother used the same degrading words and made her feel useless again.
Eventually, all the pent-up feeling of pain and the grievances carried in her heart was bound to blow out of proportion. It happened on her fourteenth birthday.
Instead of the customary celebratory ambiance, each of her birthdays was used to curse at her for being useless.
" Tell me, girl, don't you feel ashamed staying under the same roof with the rest of your siblings? Look at them. Each of them is bound to be a great person in the future."
" Then, look at yourself. Aside from your good looks, there is nothing more to you. You are literally a waste of space and resources. Don't you know how expensive it is to feed you? My goodness. What did I give birth to?"
Those words pierced through her broken heart and shattered them into unmendable pieces. Throughout the years, her heart had accumulated a lot of cracks. This was the peak of the iceberg for her.
A tear slipped out of her eyes as she looked at her so-called mother. " Enough mother. Did I choose to be born like this? This was your fault. You contributed to my formation. Dad is a prominent figure. It's you who is ordinary. So, why are you blaming me for inheriting your ' golden' Gene's mother?"
The woman raised her hand and slapped her hard. " You don't have the right to talk to me like that girl. I gave birth to you. Show some respect!"
The teenager chuckled sarcastically!
" My mother? My mother? What kind of mother taunts her child for being different every day? What kind of mother calls her daughter worthless and useless? Tell me, woman. What kind of mother hurts her child and blames it on her bad moods every single time?
Well, just so you know. For as long as you are entitled to blaming your moods, I am entitled to feeling hurt by your words. I am not a piece of wood that can't feel or hear your insults. I am human. I bleed you know. In here.."
She trailed off as tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't her fault. She didn't choose it. She never had a say in any of it. Then why did her mother make her feel like trash every chance she got.? Anaya was tired of it all. She was emotionally drained.
" Mother, this would be the last time you will hear me address you as such. It's my birthday again. For as long as I can recall, you never gave me a single gift. But it's alright. You gave me life, that is the biggest gift you have ever given me.
Yet on this day, I shall gift you a present. One you would love and cherish for the rest of the coming days. Mother, this will mark my last day under the same roof as you. It doesn't matter if I have no finance or any other family. I will survive on my own. I would rather sleep on the streets where I would have peace of mind. This is my gift to you mother."
It was the last time Cassandra saw her daughter. Anaya opened her eyes and looked around. To this day, she couldn't forget the final words she exchanged with her mother. Oh no. She wasn't a mother. She was a monster disguised as a mother.
Ten years later, she felt happy and contented with how her life has turned to be. No-one stopped her from leaving home on that day. Before her father's demise, she was a pampered princess. His favorite little girl. He would comb and braid her hair, play house with her.
Sometimes, the well-respected general would play with dolls just to accompany her. He was the only person who never judged her. Perchance, it was because he knew her better than her mother ever would. She wasn't useless. In fact, she was more powerful than all her siblings.
Anaya couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the situation. She had three younger siblings. Each of them was currently a member of the B.s.s. Fortunately for her, she heeds her father's advice and kept her bending skills a secret.
Unlike Ava, Mark, and Elliot who can only bend one element each, she could bend three elements. This was not only rare but also considered a special attribute. The only other person with such a capability was agent 1.
She respect the agent even though she never got the chance to know her. Today was proving to be a dull day. It was her birthday after all. This was the first thing she would remember on every single birthday.
It not only reminded her of the cruelty she faced in a place she was supposed to be safe, but also a certain incident she has witnessed when she was eleven. She was the only surviving witness. A witness that no one knew about.
Being around her father while he was alive had made her mature faster than her peers. It wasn't that she enjoyed her mother's constant berating. She was trying to protect herself by hiding the truth.
Cassandra was one of those mothers who valued their reputation more than their children's happiness. If she had known about Anaya's ability, she would have exposed her to the Boss. That was the last thing little Anaya wanted to do.
She stood up from her bed and looked around her house. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Once inside, no one would believe that it was an ugly cave from the outside.
Ten years of being on her own have taught her to depend on herself and be responsible for her needs. The first year was the hardest. She didn't have any skills she could apply to start earning a living.
She had gone far off from her hometown to avoid her mother and siblings. This made her realize how hard it was to survive on her own. At some point, she almost went back to the place she considered hell.
Fortunately for her, she had strong willpower. Anaya met a kind old man who sheltered her for a few months. Within those months, she learned to be a sculptor under his tutelage. What she didn't know then, was that the old man was the most sort after genius in the human realm.
Her knowledge of the art world was limited before she encountered him. The old man found her likable and made her his disciple. With the strongest will to survive, she had gobbled up all the information he could give her.
From sculpting to painting, to cooking. He was a selfless man. He taught her each of the skills he had acquired throughout his life. By the time she was ready to face the world, a year had almost passed by.
She thanked the old man and parted ways with him. Three years later, after she became known as the new mysterious prodigy, she went in search of him. Alas, it was already too late. The old man had passed away and left all his wealth in her name.
As though he was already aware of his impending doom, he has made her meet his lawyer while she was still his apprentice. She hadn't paid much attention to it then. She only came to understand his reasons three years later.
She didn't know what to do with it at first. Nor had she expected such a turn of events. His death pained her a lot but she couldn't bring him back to life. In order to commemorate him, she had managed to build a museum in Nightingale state.
The biggest that has ever been seen. All his work was displayed and his achievements were stated. This was the best she could do for him. Not ready to stay among the humans, she found herself walking into the forest that lay at the border of the werewolf and human realm.
It wasn't the most suitable place to stay. Yet, sometimes, the most dangerous place was the safest. She found a cave and turned it into a cozy two-bedroom cave apartment. She had a kitchen, a spacious living room with a library, and two bedrooms. Using the natural water from the stream, she managed to make a water system for herself.
Living with the old man proved to be useful. All the books he had collected over the years came in handy when she needed them most. Now, as she looked around at the fireplace, she couldn't help but feel proud of how far she has come.
She was living in one of the best environments anyone would dream of. Every morning, she woke up to the natural alarm that was nature. During the day, there was no noise pollution from the vehicles nor humans.
She was accompanied by the chirping of birds, and the buzzing of bees. The silence was tranquil when the forest fell mum. The noise was peaceful and pleasant to listen to when they decided to make their presence known.
She stretched her limbs feeling lazy. She had some orders to deliver today. That meant that she would be visiting the town. This was her new way of earning. Ten years ago, she had nothing. Ten years later, she could be considered a tycoon. One who enjoyed the solitude that an empty cave offered.
She cleaned up and wore her signature mask. Many knew her by the code name N. Her true identity was only known to the head of state who was loyal to her. This was because the man was in love with her from the minute his gaze met hers.
Regretfully, she had no such feelings for him. Afraid of betrayal by humans, she refused to let him know where she stayed and avoided contact with him, choosing to stay in touch only when it was urgent. That too, through her lawyer.
She walked out closing the door behind her. At the exit of the cave, she rolled the heavy stone in place making it appear completely sealed. She was an earth bender after all.
Her abilities came in handy to make life easier for her. Anaya left thinking of the good memories she had with her father before he left this world. Those were her most cherished moments.
****
Kai looked at Ian on the other side of the table. " I have a mission for you. Since it might prove to be quite challenging, you have five months almost to gather as much information as you can and get back to me."
Ian looked worried before answering Kai. " I have a little concern. What about Lila? Who will keep an eye on her and take care of her? She is still weak you know!"
Kai raised a brow at Ian's words. He felt a pang of jealousy in his heart at the way Ian cared for his mate. " Ian, if I didn't know better, I would say that you are in love with her. Don't you think she can take care of herself? She ought to learn to survive here. "
He was testing his beta. Of course, he was there to take care of her. It was also the perfect opportunity for him to seduce her. Ian didn't have to know that though.
" Kai, I understand where you are coming from. But Sienna is dangerous. She has made an enemy out of her from the minute they met at the hospital. Once she realizes that I am not around, that woman will take advantage of it and try to harm her. I am afraid that you might not always be there to keep her safe."
The alpha knew as much. Yet, he didn't voice out his opinion. "It's alright. I can promise you that you will find her in one piece when you return. Just get me all the details that I need. Additionally, there have been mentions of activities at the border. Don't forget to check it out for me as well."
Ian nodded. He trusted Kai to keep his words and protect Lila. Little did he know that when he returns, things would no longer be the same way again. He bid Kai farewell and strode out of the room.