"Who are you?"

Three words. One question.

Those were enough to shatter Melanie's heart to pieces. The stares that her parents were giving her were all foreign, the tint of love and compassion was replaced by blank slate. They look at her like she was never part of their lives, like everything about her was erased and forgotten.

Melanie staggered back. Her eyes widened in shock and her mouth gaped open. She was breathing heavily. Her ears were ringing, only the sound of her breath and her hammering heart could be heard. Tears started to blur her vision as she shook her head in denial. "T-this can't be. Y-you're waiting for me to come back, right? You promised!"

"We didn't promise anything to a cursed being," her mother countered, which made Melanie gasp. "You were never a part of us."

"N-no," stuttered Melanie. "This isn't true!"

She tried to reach out to her parents, but when the two noticed her attempt, they quickly turned away. The expression on their faces was full of disgust, like the mere thought of her laying her hands on them would make them impure or turn like her. Melanie called their names several times, but they did not even look back. Her knees buckled. She slumped on the floor and cried even though she knew that no matter how much she cries, her parents would never spare a glance at her anymore. Darkness soon engulfed her senses, giving her temporary respite.

Melanie fluttered her purple eyes open and gasped, as she was welcomed by a pair of sky-blue irises with red strikes. The pupils dilated and Melanie felt like she was being devoured by those intimidating orbs. She inhaled the milk and honey scent of the person hovering above her. Her gaze did not waver as she focused on suppressing her fear. Moments later, the person moved away, lips pouted, and looking disappointed.

"Shame," the person said. Melanie rose up to a sitting position and looked intently at the girl standing at the side of the bed. "You left me hungry. How I wish you didn't open those irritating purple eyes of yours."

"Uh..." Melanie paused, unsure of what to say. She took in her surroundings and then asked , "W-where am I?"

The floor consisted of black and white checkered tiles, and the walls were painted red. A huge chandelier hung from the ceiling and a small black table was right under it. There were three more beds in the room, each decorated to the owners' likings. One had stuffed toys, one had instruments, and the last one had shelves filled with dark-themed books.

Melanie looked baffled. The room had the dark aura that the outskirts were emitting, but at the same time, it was organized and luxurious. Never in her life could she have thought that such a place could exist outside the city of the Sanctified.

"Didn't Axel tell you about this place?"

Melanie's gaze flickered to her side where the girl was standing. She tilted her head and thought about what Axel told her before they arrived in the establishment, "As far as I can recall, I passed out midway. But Axel told me that wherever we are going, I will be safe."

The girl scoffed and fished out a lollipop from her pocket. She opened it without breaking eye contact with Melanie. She leaned slightly forward, her silver hair slipping from her shoulders. "Listen, if Axel really was not the person I know, I would believe that she brought you here for good reasons."

"W-what do you mean?" Melanie asked, looking crestfallen.

The girl smirked, "I mean to say that if she wanted you to be safe, she would never bring you here."

Melanie's eyes widened. She averted her gaze and looked down. Her grip on the blanket tightened and she pulled it towards her body. She bit her lower lip. She should not be surprised that Axel might not be the person she thought she was. Everyone on the outskirts was anything but trustworthy.

Back then in the City, the government never failed to remind them that the Damned race was separated from them for a reason. They were cursed, evil, and insane. They possessed superpowers that caused nothing but destruction to society. Aside from that, the origin of those creatures had not been discovered yet, that's why the Purifying Ceremony was conducted each year to keep the City clean.

Melanie sighed. She was a sanctified-born girl, and she did not know anything about surviving on the outskirts. She felt lost like a deer wandering aimlessly in the forest, not knowing that hunters were lurking around her and were just hiding behind the bush, waiting for the right time to kill. A part of her was telling her that she must find her way back to the City and reunite with her loving parents, but after the dream she had earlier, she did not have the courage anymore.

Maybe she really was cursed.

"Don't think too much. " The girl rolled her eyes. "Just don't tell anyone that you're one of that ninnyhammer race and you'll be fine. I guess."

"Hey, Ace."

Melanie and the girl standing beside the bed both looked towards the door when a cheeky-toned voice spoke up. It was Axel. She was sporting a lopsided smile as she leaned on the door, looking at Melanie and Ace. "Don't intimidate her. She might think that we're bad people."

Ace rolled her eyes. "Are we not?" she countered in a matter of fact tone.

Axel laughed and walked towards them. "Come on, don't be like that," she said then glanced at Melanie. She smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Melanie did not like that smile. It reminded her of the smile that Axel wore when she killed those hoodlums with a single swipe of her blade. She believed that the life of a human being was precious and sacred—it should not be treated cheaply. However, that belief might not be existing in the moral codes of the Damned race.

Were there even moral codes in the outskirts?

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Melanie shivered at the thought.

"I see, you're still not okay," said Axel. Melanie looked up and met her gaze. "Rest for a while longer."

Melanie mustered her courage and countered, "You told me I'll be safe here."

Axel darted a glance towards Ace and the girl just shrugged while chewing her lollipop. Axel sighed and returned her gaze to Melanie, "Well, this is the safest place here in the outskirts if you'd ask me. My opinion counts, right?"

"Y-yes," the purple-eyed replied reluctantly.

"Aw," said Axel then sat on the bed and settled beside Melanie. Their skins brushed against each other. "Look at me."

Melanie obliged; her gaze met those dark eyes. She felt warmth spread across her body. Axel smiled, this time a gentle one, and raised her hand. She gently cupped Melanie's face, "You will be okay. As long as I'm here, nothing bad will happen to you."

Melanie chewed her lower lip and nodded, "Okay."

Melanie heard somebody scoff and she glanced at Ace, who was looking at them with disgust. She did not say anything except expressing her disapproval. Melanie returned her gaze to Axel, and she slightly moved away, "Um," she was lost for words. Axel's gaze was inquisitive.

"Why are you exiled from the City?" asked Axel.

Melanie closed her eyes when everything came rushing back. "I..." she mumbled under her breath. Her tongue did not want to cooperate with her.

"It's okay," said Axel. "If you don't want to talk about it, I understand."

"No!" exclaimed Melanie. Axel looked at her amused, completely shocked by the former's outburst.

"I failed the Purifying Ceremony," she started, "but there's nothing special about me! I don't even have powers!"

"Yes, I can see that," Axel agreed. She blinked. "But what the heck is the Purifying Ceremony again?"

Melanie avoided wincing upon hearing Axel's statement. She then noticed Ace advanced towards them and stood behind her. She looked down and hit Axel's head with her fist. Melanie shrieked while Axel just laughed and touched the part where Ace had hit her.

"Purifying Ceremony speaks for its name. That ninnyhammer race does it in order to know if one of the Damned lives among them," she explained and looked at Melanie. "And I hate you."

"What?" Melanie and Axel said in unison.

Axel turned to look at Ace. "You hate her? Does that mean..." Axel trailed off.

Ace nodded. " Yes," she said drily, "I didn't know what she did but she managed to protect herself from me."

Melanie could not understand what the other girls were talking about. Protect herself from Ace? Was there even an instance that she needed to protect herself from that girl?

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked. Ace crossed her arms while Axel's gaze darted towards Melanie.

"I can feed on emotions," Ace explained, "and I can sense it if someone shuts them. " she added and sat beside Axel and flipped her silver hair. "And you? You had the nerve to shut them down in front of me the moment you opened your eyes."

Melanie gaped. "But what I did was, just simply toning down my fear!"

"Exactly," Ace replied. "Anyone cannot completely tone down their emotions."

Melanie remembered her time in the Purifying Ceremony. She also subdued her emotions that day. She could feel the pain, but she forced herself to not care. She shook her head. "This isn't true."

"Yes, it is," Ace argued mockingly. Axel nudged her elbow, as if signifying her to stop being sarcastic, but Ace just rolled her eyes.

Axel turned to Melanie. "Hey, we can confirm that."

Melanie looked up and wiped her tears. "How?"

Ace glared at Axel. "Seriously?"

Axel chuckled at her. "What? It's fun?"

"Whatever," sighed Ace and finally stood up. She went to the bed across from them and lay there, hugging a huge teddy bear.

Axel then turned to Melanie and grabbed her arm. She pulled her up and gently tugged her towards a closet, "Borrow some of Ace's clothes. I'll take you there."

"What?" asked Melanie, confused. She opened the closet, and she was welcomed with tons of clothes. Her eyebrows almost touched the hairline when she noticed that the clothes had name tags on them.

Ace, Chase, and Eli were the names she managed to read.

"Don't mind them. Just choose one and off we go!" said Axel. Melanie nodded and quickly rummaged through the closet. She grabbed one, pulled it out, and closed it.

"Hmm, conservative, " Axel commented while giving her a pair of white wedged shoes. "But I like it."

Melanie thought that the compliment was for her choice of clothes. "Thanks," she replied and took the shoes from Axel's hands.

Axel pointed to the beige door with a picture of genitalia, "There's the bathroom," she said then smirked. "Or if you want, you can just strip right in front of me."

Melanie's cheeks reddened and she shook her head. "I-I'll take the bathroom instead," she said and headed towards the place.

Axel's smirk grew wider. "Good girl," Axel said before Melanie could even close the door. Melanie took a deep breath when she was finally alone. "Axel is weird, " she thought.

She looked up and sighed in relief when she noticed how clean the restroom was. It was aberrantly white with no signs of use at all. Melanie shuddered and pushed away from the thought.

She walked towards the mirror and stood in front of it. She winced. Her creamy and fair complexion was covered with small cuts. She then lifted a few hair strands from behind her ears and saw the electric shock marks of the Purifying Ceremony on her temples.

She did not look good at all.

She took off the pajamas she was wearing, which she did not know where they came from, and put on the clothes that had a name tag of Eli that she acquired from Ace's closet. She looked at herself once again. She was wearing a neon pink cropped knit sweater and a high-waist baby blue flare skirt. She untangled her messy hair with the comb that she had found in the bathroom and tamed her curls.

After she was satisfied with her look, she finally emerged from the bathroom. She then looked around and found Axel wiping the blade of her sword on the bed with the guitar earlier.

"Man, what took you so long?" asked Axel and threw the rag to the trash can, "I was starting to think that the toilet might have devoured you or something."

"Sorry," Melanie apologized.

Axel stood up and returned her sword into the sheathe dangling on her waist. She walked towards Melanie and positioned herself behind her, "It's fine. Now, come with me, "she whispered.

Melanie was not even given a chance to ask where before Axel opened the door and pushed her first before leaving the room. Melanie was welcomed into a dark hallway.

"Oh," said Axel and snapped her fingers thrice. The hallway lit up with blue lights. "The dormitory is saving up energy, you know."

"So how can we confirm if I really have powers?" asked Melanie when they started walking in the halls.

Axel smirked and pulled her leather jacket around her body. "You'll find out soon."

Melanie's forehead wrinkled. She did not feel good about what Axel just said. "W-where are you taking me?"

"Where else?" she responded with a matter of tone. Her dark eyes widened, glinting with mirth. "To the Monsters Lair."

"What?!" Melanie cried, then she stopped on her tracks, "I am not going there!"

Axel slowly looked back. Melanie gasped upon the look on her face. It was blank and deadly. She felt that if only stares could kill, her head would no longer be attached to her body. She tried to take a step back, but the moment she moved, Axel disappeared in a flash and materialized in front of her. Axel grabbed her waist and raised her other hand. Melanie watched as that hand shaped into a thin and sharp point of skin. The sounds of flesh as they formed together echoed in the huge hallway. She gasped when Axel placed it on her neck and pricked it. Her body started to tremble.

"I hate it when people turn back on their words," muttered Axel. "Cowards."

Tears fell down from Melanie's eyes. She whimpered, "I-I'm sorry."

Axel tilted her head then smirked; her eyes cold. "Really?" she let go of her and moved away. "Sane and weak people don't last long here. If ever you bring your Sanctified ass out once more..."

Axel turned her hand back to normal without breaking eye contact. "I'll be the one to eliminate you."