Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on. - Criss Jami, Salome (In Every Inch In Every Mile)

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In this world, there are two types of beings – the Gifted and the Normals.

No one knows how the Gifted gained their powers – their Gifts. It has been an old, ancient belief that the Ancient Ones – the Ancient Gods gifted their chosen ones; their descendants, the Gifts they possessed. From there, those descendants passed down their abilities to their descendants, and so on.

But at some point in history; most probably after one too many wars waged by Eldario, the Gifted were soon feared for their powers, particularly as the vast majority of the Gifted were drafted into Eldario’s army to wipe out their enemies.

They were feared. Hated. Spat upon.

The fear and perhaps envy of the Normals spread like a disease. And soon, there is a fine line drawn among the citizens of Eldario. New laws were drafted; none of them were fair to the Gifted.

The Gifted were forced to declare their status and their abilities to the Hunter Council and the Eldario Sovereign Agency – the ESA; the country’s law enforcers. Those who declared soon found themselves out of a job and evicted from their homes. Families with the Gifted turned on them.

Out of desperation, the Gifted formed their own community. Several even retreated underground; doing whatever they could just to survive.

Come to think of it, all the troubles that we have faced and gone through; and even what we did are all due to the actions of our predecessors.

And I wonder, if things had been different, would we have done things differently?

~Extract from Diary of Laura O’Boyle

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~Zephys, eastern continent of Eldario; November 230~

“I said, unhand me!”

A small girl of about fifteen with dark hair and unusual pearl-white eyes was flailing about in the hold of one of the men; struggling to get free. Not too far away from her, with his face pressed against the gravelled ground was a boy of similar age and appearance, being pinned down by two other men.

“Silence, wretch!”

The sound of a slap echoed around the alleyway that they were in.

“You both are Gifted, aren’t you?” One of the men holding down the boy demanded, never releasing his hold. “Freaks!”

“Let go of me!” The boy growled as best as he could with half his face pinned to the ground.

“Shut up!” The man holding onto the girl finally loses his patience with all the struggle the two children are doing. He whipped out a dagger from his back pocket and held it close to the slender neck of the young girl who froze at feeling the metal on her skin. “One more word out of either of you and I’ll slit your throat!”

“Kailey—”

Whatever the boy was about to say was cut off when the knife in the man’s grasp was pulled out of his hand by an unseen force and went spiralling down the dark alley. The man himself found himself flung against the nearest wall hard and was held there by an unseen force.

Kailey found herself free and on her knees; but her eyes were wide; staring at the man who had just held her hostage with almost fascinated horror.

“What the…?”

“What’s going on?”

The men pinning the boy to the ground tried to reach for their guns only to find themselves unable to move a single muscle.

“What…?”

“I can’t move…!”

“Another Gifted?!”

And it was then that Kailey saw her.

A girl—maybe not much older than Kailey, walked towards them—looking as if she’d just melted out of the shadows. She had a coat on, with the hood over her head—concealing most of her face. The only thing that Kailey could tell about her was that she had dark hair—almost blending in together with her hood and the shadows concealing her face. Her footsteps barely made a sound on the gravelled road.

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“You won’t be able to move a single inch. So don’t even bother trying.” The girl spoke, hands shoved into her pockets. Her voice was nonchalant—like she was just taking a simple stroll. The girl’s gaze then shifted towards Kailey and her brother—or at least, Kailey assumed that she was looking at them. “You gentlemen are aware that setting on the Gifted in this town would do nothing but just get you a death sentence if any of the underground gangs here catches you at it?”

Kailey exchanged glances with Neil who had managed to wriggle out of the hold of the men who were rendered paralysed by the girl—another Gifted, Kailey silently mused to herself; even as both the siblings backed away into a corner; ducking behind a nearby trashcan.

And it is true what the unknown Gifted had said; Zephys is likely one of the few places in Eldario; if not the only one that is one of the few sanctuaries left for the Gifted. If only because Zephys is an underground-run town. The underground gangs make the rules and run the show here; with the largest and most influential being the street gang Blade.

“Blade exists no longer!” The man holding Kailey at the beginning sneered at the girl. “You freaks shouldn’t even be allowed to exist! All that you’re good for is to serve as weapons! What use is there for you anyway otherwise?”

The man let out a scream of pain even as his bones could almost be physically seen being twisted. Clearly, the girl didn’t appreciate the insult to the Gifted. The loud cracking of bones resounded around the alleyway. Kailey whimpered and clamped her hands over her ears, but she kept her eyes open.

And it was thanks to that that she saw another shadow appear behind the girl, holding what seemed to be some sort of weapon over his head.

“Behind you!” Neil shouted a warning.

The girl turned just in time to be struck by the new arrival and was sent spiralling across the ground.

“Boss!” The three pinned men to the walls cried out at the sight of the new arrival.

“I was wondering what is taking you morons so long to grab two stupid kids. And I see you get held up by yet another stupid kid?” The ‘Boss’ sneered, slamming the end of the steel baton that he had been using onto the ground.

“Hey!” Kailey called out to the girl with concern.

“…I’m all right.”

The girl coughed before getting slowly to her feet; the blow from earlier had knocked off her hood. And for the first time, all those present were able to see her face, and they froze.

Midnight black hair that reaches down to chin level framed the sides of a thin face with pale skin and high cheekbones. Coupled with her colouring and dark clothes, it only made her skin look even paler. But that is not what had caused all those present to freeze.

“What…?” The ‘Boss’ froze in terror. “What the hell are those eyes?!”

A pair of different coloured eyes glared back at the man, already with a trickle of blood running down the side of her face from the blow earlier. A right amber eye with a green left eye with red irises. It is wholly reminiscent of the look of the Devil.

Kailey and Neil only stared on, speechless.

“If you intend to kill me, you’ll have to try a little harder.” The girl murmured, but her voice was cold and tinged with anger.

‘Boss’ reached to his side where the bulge of a gun is vaguely visible. But he never managed to touch his gun. He froze in his tracks—suffering the same fate that had befallen his men earlier.

“She’s telepathic.” Neil realised. It’s one of the most coveted Gifts that the ESA and even the hunters have always been on the lookout for, he knew.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

With the simultaneous sounds of gun safeties being released, both Neil and Kailey then realised that guns were floating in front of each man—with the barrel being pointed at their heads.

The four men paled; knowing what was about to happen.

“N-No… Please… Have mercy…” One of the men who had held Neil down earlier pleaded, his eyes wide with horror. “W-We’re wrong… Please… Just let us go…”

“How many times have the Gifted unable to defend themselves begged you like this, and you never showed them any mercy?” The girl questioned coolly. “Besides, you mentioned something about Blade, didn’t you?” Her eyes flickered towards the first man that she’d flung against the wall. “It is true that Blade exists no longer. But it doesn’t mean their ideals and the rules and town that they’d created died with them.”

The boss’ eyes widened in realisation. “…You’re a survivor of Blade.”

The girl made no indication that she’d heard his words. “Send my regards to the Lord of the Netherworld,” she said coolly.

Kailey looked away even as four gunshots echoed around the alleyway before there were loud thuds. When she looked up again, it was to see the bodies of the four men that had threatened them lying motionless on the ground, blood pooling around their heads.

The girl is now looking at them.

Kailey finally found the strength in herself to scramble from behind the trashcan that she had been hiding behind to greet her saviour—though she approached warily. As did Neil behind her, eyeing the girl like she was a poisonous viper.

“T-Thank you.” Kailey was relieved to find that her voice is steady when she spoke.

“Why did you help us?” Neil asked curiously. “No one in this town did, even when they heard our screams.” He said almost sadly.

A flicker of what seemed like regret flashed across the eyes of the girl before she smoothed her expression. “…I couldn’t save my people,” she said at last. “My friends. My people. The ones who trusted me and put their lives in my hands. I couldn’t save them. I promised, and I failed. But I can at least save you.”

“Was it true what they said? That you’re a Blade survivor?” Neil asked carefully. “We’ve heard rumours about them and this town. That it’s the only place safe for the Gifted now. But by the time I came here with my sister,” He gestured towards Kailey, “we found out that Blade was set upon and destroyed barely two months ago.”

The girl shifted her eyes towards Neil, a small smile curling at the ends of her lips. “I wonder?”

Kailey bit on her lip, shifting on her feet. There has been an old saying since ancient times that the Gifted with unusual features are believed to be amongst those blessed, and thus, hold the strongest powers of all.

If that saying is true, then this girl…

“What will you do now?” Kailey asked suddenly, and two pairs of eyes turned onto her. “What are you going to do now?” She asked again.

The girl gave Kailey an odd look.

“I’m leaving this town,” she said at last. “There are too many memories here.” She smiled sadly. “I’m going to lay low for a while. If anyone found out that there are still survivors of Blade…” She trailed off slowly, shaking her head. “I’m thinking of travelling for a bit. See the world. Maybe I can then figure out what I want to do next.”

“Can we come?” Neil blurted out suddenly, much to Kailey’s surprise; especially as her brother doesn’t tend to trust easily. And then again, this girl was the first Gifted that they’d met. As a rule, most of the Gifted tend to hide their true selves, even amongst those of their kind. “We won’t drag you down or anything. We can defend ourselves. So can my twin sister. We’re Gifted.” He added hastily.

Said girl stared at the siblings for a long time before sighing. “You shouldn’t get too close to me. People have a habit of dying around me all the time,” she admitted. Kailey opened her mouth to protest, “And then again, it probably isn’t a good idea to leave you alone in Zephys. Eldario is a cruel place for the Gifted.”

“We won’t drag you down,” Neil said again.

“That’s not my concern.” The girl said, looking from one twin to the other. “There are…people after me. If you go with me, you’ll get dragged into my affairs.”

“We’re Gifted. People are going to be after us either way.” Kailey replied. “Whether it be hunters or even those from the ESA. In that case, wouldn’t it be safer to stick together?”

The girl stared at Kailey for a long time before her shoulders slumped. “I’ll probably regret this. But fine,” she said at last, and the twins grinned triumphantly. “I got a boat somewhere at the docks. If you’re going to come, we’re leaving Zephys tonight.”

“Thank you!” Kailey cried even as the girl turned on her heel to leave behind the alleyway and the four bodies; with the twins having to run to catch up to her. “I’m Kailey O’Fearghail. This is my older twin brother—”

“Neil O’Fearghail.” Neil introduced himself, falling in pace with the girl.

“Pleasure,” she said, pulling the hood over her head once more. “I’m Sera Kroix. Nice to meet you.”