"Miss, how are you so pretty?"
I sighed. This was the twelfth time the boy, Mars he told me, called me pretty in the span of THREE MINUTES! I repeat, THREE MINUTES! I don't know if he's annoying or endearing anymore. Maybe both? I rubbed my forehead. There's no doubt he and Owen would get along.
Owen Solace is my brother. Adopted, but brother nonetheless. Better known as "Winter Killer", he is the best poison master I know. With his reputation, you would never guess he was the cheeky, flirty, and laid-back type.
"Miss?"
"Hm?"
"What is your name?"
I mentally facepalmed. Of course. Mars keeps calling me "Miss" because he doesn't know my name!
'Hm?'
When I looked at Mars, I knew something was wrong. He was holding his shoulder and visibly wincing in pain.
"What's wrong?"
As you may have noticed I asked "What's wrong?" instead of "Are you okay?". No offence, but why would you ask "Are you okay?" to someone who obviously isn't okay?
Oops, I got off track again.
Mars peered at me curiously. It took me a moment to realize he was staring at my eyes, his pine-green ones twinkling in childish awe. I blinked.
Children are so weird.
I sighed.
"Mars, we're stopping and you're sitting down."
"But, Miss-"
I threw him over my shoulder. If he didn't want to stop, fine. But I'm carrying him to my brother's house.
Oh, and…
"Camilla. Call me Camilla."
* * *
"So you're telling me you picked up a child after killing the people supervising him?"
"Huh… Yeah..?"
Owen was unimpressed.
"And now you want me to heal him after you got him shot?"
"Hey! I didn't-"
"You were the target so the blame is as good as yours."
I sighed, again.
"Listen, are you going to heal him or not?"
"Yeah, sure, just give me a few minutes!"
I rolled my wine-purple eyes and looked over to the pecan-brown-haired boy sitting on one of the couches I bought (Owen always acts as if he bought them).
"Why do you find me so pretty?"
He stared at me thoughtfully for a second.
"Your eyes are pretty. Back at campus, everyone had dull black eyes that looked void and emotionless"
I frowned. Campus? Dull and emotionless eyes? Something doesn't add up.
"Describe it to me."
Something akin to fear flashed in Mars' eyes.
"Please don't make me go back there!"
I was taken aback. Why was he afraid of that place?
"I won't, I promise."
For a moment, he hesitated. But it was only for a moment.
"In the beginning, everyone smiles, laughs, and moves around with joy, but then- but then It starts."
"What starts?"
Mars gazed at me with stormy green eyes, reminding me he was actually 14 years old instead of 5 when looking at his dull eyes devoid of their usual childish twinkle.
"The experiments. Miss Camilla, they experimented on us."
At that moment, I blacked out. At the same time, deep within me, I felt another part of me awaken, trembling with rage.