Slap!
The sound rang across the room.
The tiny nine year old's eyes dulled as she stood quietly with her head turned to the side.
Without having to look up she could imagine her brother's eyes and the gaze with which they looked at her.
She was hurt enough to be tired of them but they still hurt deep in her heart.
Demetra gasped as she woke up.
She was drenched in sweat as she swiped her dark hair away from her face.
It's been eight years since that day. She had suffered from abuse more severe after that but that was the day she could still remember as her nightmare.
That was the day her parents died.
Her brother blamed her for their death, simply because she fell unconscious and couldn't heal them.
Even if she had been conscious, she would not have had enough strength to heal them with her small body in the absence of her familiar.
But her brother cared for none of that.
Demetra still remembered the days when her brother had been loving and cared for her as would a sibling.
But as she grew up his gaze turned hostile slowly and now she was banned to show her face in front of him.
Demetra wished she could have saved her parents for they were the only ones who cared for her.
But... She cannot turn back time.
She closed her eyes as she breathed out before climbing out of her bed.
Her room was in the attic but she preferred it for there would be no one disturbing her. She did not have any maids attending to her by her brother's orders but Demetra did not care.
She was used to the treatment since long ago and she liked the silence and peace.
Sunlight poured in through the small round window and the gentle rays hit the side of her face. Her dark green eyes shone gently resembling a rainforest seeing the dawn. Her dark straight hair cascaded behind her back and piled on the bed reminding one of a waterfall in the night of a full moon.
Demetra stood up, made her bed and picked her clothes up, which she had already prepared yesterday night.
Even today no one came to remind her to wake up or help her to get ready. Even though today will be the last day she would spend in this house.
Demetra shook her head in resignation as she let down the ladder and climbed out of the attic. She headed to the bathroom in the corner and filled the empty bucket with water from the tank. She cannot afford the luxury of a bath and she did not want to soak in cold water no matter how good her self healing abilities were.
After freshening up and washing and hanging her old clothes, Demetra picked up her luggage from the attic. She wore her black mask and pulled it up which snugly covered her neck and face until her nose bridge.
She then headed downstairs not caring that she was ignored by the workers or caring to get some food. She just wanted to leave that cold mansion.
She knew no one would bother opening the gates for her so she headed to the back garden and stopped when she reached the tall stone wall.
She then jumped over the mansion's wall and summoned her leopard. A black apparition emerged out of her body and formed a black panther that stood beside her awaiting her orders.
Demetra swiftly climbed over it. "Let's go Raghul". The panther took off immediately leaving only an afterimage.
.........
A gentle breeze blew through the window and slightly ruffled the young man's silver locks as he sat on the desk quietly reading a book.
Lindo and Aurora peeked at him from time to time while organizing the bookshelves.
"The Black Knight is coming today right?" Lindo whispered to Aurora as he put a book back onto the shelf.
Aurora picked up another book to give to him as she whispered back. "Yes, I don't know what he's feeling about it."
"Will he welcome the newbies this time? He usually avoids anything to do with the Black Knight."
"I don't know, why don't you go ask him?"
Lindo gave her a mortified look. "No! You ask him!"
"I don't want to bury my own grave"
"Then it's fine if I do?!" Lindo hissed back.
When Aurora was about to retort the sound of a throat clearing was heard from behind them.
Lindo and Aurora froze before they slowly turned around to look at the dark brown-haired young man standing with a stern face and arms folded.
" Uh...Archer?" Aurora stammered.
"You two do realize that no matter how low you whisper he can still hear you right?"
Lindo and Aurora stiffened even more.
They turned to look in the direction where the white knight sat previously but found the place empty.
Archer sighed. "Be glad that he hates to bother with useless things".
"Uh, we did not say anything bad so it's fine right?" Aurora smiled sheepishly but quickly turned solemn when Archer gave her a pointed look.
His eyes then turned sad as he gazed out of the window at the blooming cherry blossoms.
"Not everyone is as lucky as us"
Lindo and Aurora both lost their cheerfulness as they looked down.
The life of a knight is not as easy or glorifying as the mortals think.
The white knight was the perfect example.