The wind whispered through the trees surrounding the orphanage, an isolated and somber place on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Glaywen, where orphaned children lived under the supervision of adults more concerned with maintaining order than offering love.
It was there that Anna, just eight years old, had arrived after losing her parents.
No one at the orphanage knew much about her past, only that a dragon had destroyed her home, taking her family with it.
Her first day at the orphanage was the quietest for her.
Everything was a blur of confusion, unfamiliar faces, and distant voices.
Anna wasn't like the other children who cried or tried to adapt to their new reality. She just stared into the void, with the image of the dragon still fresh in her memory, her heart broken by loss and uncertainty.
A week later, when everything seemed to fall into a routine, something strange happened.
A heavy book fell from a high shelf just as Anna was passing beneath it.
However, before she could even feel the impact, something happened.
For a moment, everything stopped.
Anna saw the book falling, but her body reacted as if it already knew what was about to happen, moving to the side just in time to avoid it.
At first, she thought it was pure luck, but the incidents continued.
Every time something bad was about to happen, a strange sensation ran through her body, and time, somehow, rewound.
Soon, the other children began to notice her 'luck,' especially after she helped several of them avoid accidents.
Some admired her for it, while others murmured that Anna was too cautious, that she made up stories.
It didn't take long for a group to form around her—those who supported her and those who despised her.
As the years passed, Anna became friends with two boys who stood out from the others:
The first, Leo, was a brave boy always ready to get into trouble.
He was the one who provoked the adults into allowing Anna to play cards in the taverns, convinced that her 'luck' was more than just coincidences. His defiant attitude made everyone notice him, and though his daring often got him into trouble, he was loyal to his friends.
The second, Edrick, was more reserved, but his analytical mind made him indispensable to the group.
He was the one who found the first handful of coins lying on the orphanage grounds, convinced that with it, they could start betting seriously.
While Leo created distractions, Edrick always knew where to find an exit or how to avoid suspicion.
Together, the three formed a peculiar team, and with Anna winning every game thanks to her power, they soon began to amass small fortunes.
The three would sneak out of the orphanage at night, venturing into local taverns where people rarely noticed three children among the gamblers.
At first, the adults laughed at them, but when Anna started winning again and again, the looks changed from mockery to astonishment.
There wasn't a single game where she didn't know how to move, always rewinding time just enough to avoid fatal mistakes.
With the money they earned, they would return to the orphanage with food and toys for the other children.
But not everyone was grateful.
Some, envious or resentful, turned them in, arguing that it was dangerous for three children to be wandering the streets with so much money.
The consequence was immediate: they were forbidden to leave the orphanage, claiming it was for their own safety.
The tension among the children grew. Those who had received gifts from Anna, Leo, and Edrick defended their cause, while the others felt betrayed by their success.
Just when it seemed like a confrontation was inevitable, everything changed for Anna.
One morning, a luxurious carriage arrived at the orphanage. The caretakers whispered excitedly about the visit of the Blackwood family, an influential and wealthy family in the kingdom.
The news spread quickly.
Anna was to be adopted.
For many, it sounded like a dream come true.
However, something about Mr. Blackwood's overly wide smile and the coldness in Mrs. Blackwood's eyes made Leo and Edrick feel a deep distrust.
That night, as Anna packed her few belongings, Leo and Edrick sat with her in silence.
They didn't want to say goodbye, but they knew they couldn't stop the inevitable.
"Promise us we'll see each other again," Leo said, his voice breaking for the first time.
Edrick, in his usual silence, simply handed her a small coin, a symbol of their friendship.
Anna nodded, her heart torn between hope and sadness.
"I promise," she murmured before being taken to the carriage that awaited her.
As the carriage moved along the dark roads, its interior seemed luxurious and cozy, but the tension was palpable.
Damian, the eldest son of the Blackwoods, looked at her from the opposite side of the seat with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"So," he finally said, breaking the silence, "are you really as good at cards as they say? Because from now on, that will be your only job in this family. You better not mess up... or you could lose more than just a game."
Anna felt a chill run down her spine.
The shadows in the carriage seemed to close in around her, and for the first time since she discovered her ability, she wished she could rewind time. But for the first time…
Her ability didn't work.