In this world, there are people and animals. Animals are to coexist with people with some form of respect. They are the children of nature, here to be one with nature—to complete nature and give nature its name. People exist to be the harbingers of peace and order. They are the caretakers of nature. If I call myself a person, then I am responsible to be a person. But her.
"...Constantine..."
She was no person. To call her human would be an insult to the human race. No guardian of nature can stand before humanity with a wicked laughter as she played with us like food. She played with royalty. She played with Charlie's family. She played with families with no names. She played with groups numbering in the hundreds at a time, as well as individuals who just wanted to be alone. Whoever she was, she was the opposite of nature, for the Architect would not allow the birth of such a monster. I have seen her face.
"...Constantine..."
That is all I needed. I have sensed her very aura. Few get that opportunity. Few have seen her enter a warm home with warm, aged faces—with walls that moderately had memories of childbirth from one generation to another. My grandparents were too trusting to let her in to a house with a sleeping child who just happened to be there—who happened to close his eyes to a messy room, only to open them and see scratch marks on a broken door.
"...Constantine...!"
Wait, that was my door. Yes, I remember now. I remember seeing it yesterday and the night before that, and the night before that, AND THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT, and so on until the images could not be more vivid, only slightly more vivid than they are now.
"Constantine!" I was thrown off my bed.
Yes, I remember now. My grandparents still retained a bit of sanity. Even in their undead state, they needed me alert and to know that I was in danger...of them. They didn't even look like my grandparents any more. What she did to them made even their tears preserved after death. It was probably for the best, for I didn't hesitate to cut them down. It was only after the adrenaline had gone away and my mind cleared that I knew the situation.
My grandparents...protected me. They were smarter than I gave them credit and told her that they lived alone. At some point, they knew what they were up against and focused mana to conceal my presence. When I gave their bodies back to nature, I was rewarded with a vision. I saw the woman's face and how little remorse it had. I felt...her aura.
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Constantine gasped. His eyes shot open and found himself thrown off his bed. The stupor was dying off very rapidly. He rubbed his head.
"I told you to shake me more gently." Constantine tried to stand up but found someone keeping his body down. It was the weak hand of a child—a strong child, but a child nonetheless.
"I did, but I got this in return." Harileth pointed at a scratch mark beneath her eye.
Constantine went downcast. At this point, he was not sure if he hurt more allies than foes. He gently moved her hands away and moved in for a hug. "I'm sorry, little one. I'll go apologize to your father as well."
"Don't bother." Harlieth pushed the man away. "He won't listen."
"It's the thought that counts. Now-" Constantine got up. He cracked his neck and with a wave of his hand, the lights of his room shone brighter. "-Go wake the other children."
The girl complied and ran out the room. A wave of yawning and groaning children filled the orphanage. What was once a solemn stillness had turned into a ball of greetings, jokes, and complaining.
Though, there was one girl that Harileth woke more gently than the rest. The day she arrived—alone—at the orphanage, most of her clothes were burnt off and she told Constantine that her name was Stella. It was a wonder how someone from Guppy made it all the way to the orphanage, but Constantine let her keep her story. Now at nineteen, Stella was the oldest in the orphanage and would normally be sent to find shelter at one of the schools of nature, but it was unanimous within the orphanage that Stella stayed. Even the children knew that it was hard for someone not born in Famchou or its surrounding colonies to be adopted. Constantine could easily say that she was, but Stella insisted that people knew she was born in Guppy.
As Harileth shook the sleeping girl, Stella merely turned over toward the wall and grumbled. "Five more minutes, please."
"Wake up, it's morning."
"It's five minutes before five minutes," Stella dreamily muttered.
"Please. I got scratched again and it hurts."
Stella slowly turned over. Her eyes opened to reveal that one eye had lost its color. That side of her face still had burn marks, but the other eye was a fine blue. Underneath her blanket, Stella managed to free her arm and spat on it. Gently, she pulled Harileth's head closer and placed her hand on top of the cut as Harileth closed her eyes.
"Water Arcana: Closing."
Harileth squeezed the bed frame tight as blue light emanated faintly from the saliva. The wound was closed and the pain was gone.
"How do you feel?" Stella released the girl and pulled her arm back underneath the blanket.
"Like I have spit on my cheek." Harileth grinned.
Stella turned back to the wall. "That's what you get for asking too early. Now, I want five minutes."
Harileth laughed. Stella laughed back. It was good to see Stella in good spirits today. It made what came next much easier.
"Jack, can you help me out?" Harileth called over a few beds down.
A boy no taller than Harileth jumped from the top bunk. He ignored Harileth's pleas for no jumping and ran over, only to stop right in front of the bed where he saluted. "Junior five-minute counter reporting. One! Two! Three!"
"Alright, I get it!" Stella threw off her blanket, revealing a toy fish and burnt rags. She rubbed her eyes and reached for a cup and pitcher beside her bed. It was after she swallowed the water did Jack start again.
"Four! Five! S-hey!" Jack was now soaking wet, much to Harileth's amusement.
"It's how we greet people in Guppy." Stella rested the newly-emptied cup.
"No it's not!"
"Say that again after you've been to Guppy."
"Just you wait! I'm telling Constantine!"
"Yeah?" Constantine appeared instantly, scaring only the new members of the orphanage. He was already dressed in day attire. However, he was still brushing his teeth.
"Stella splashed water on me!"
"Can confirm," Harileth spoke unfazed.
"Shtega, ig thig tue?" Constantine made his way to the tongue.
"Yup."
Constantine disappeared for a moment. A faint spitting sound could be heard across the room. A moment later, Constantine appeared on the other side of the pair, much to the new members' shock. "Nice."
"What do you *mean* 'nice?'" Jack reared his head around.
"Listen, Jack. In this world, there are people who will do much worse to you if you provoke them. It's best to keep on their good side, or avoid them altogether. As for you, little one." Constantine turned his head toward Harileth who turned her head away, red hot in embarrassment. "There are also smart people who find a workaround the system. However, they need to be sharper to come up with better solutions to get out of trouble. Now come on, let's get breakfast."
As the two children ran off, Constantine exchanged a glance with Stella. She gave him a light, comforting smile before tidying up her bed. Constantine sighed. That girl was too aware for her age. No, it was more like he wished she was younger so that she could have an excuse to know less. He knew that she knew that he made a mistake: he brushed his teeth before breakfast.