“The 7 Kings of Hell created the Mark of Sins on a mere whim. It's a mere passing idea. One that would torment the chosen humans until the end of their life.”

“The chosen humans were recognized as prophets sent by God when the mark first appeared. A leader who would guide humanity. But that hope would soon shatter.”

“Upon realizing that those chosen humans were sent by the 7 Kings of Hell, society scorned and despised them. The once ‘heroes’ were shunned. As a result of that, those chosen humans felt betrayed and almost all of them chose to serve the kings out of pure hatred for humanity.”

“Thus, those chosen humans were called ‘The Reviled’”

“Some of The Reviled chose to travel the world and live as wanderers, while the others chose to govern their respective areas according to the one they served.”

“Nonetheless, wherever they went, they were ignored and rejected. The Reviled were cursed with loneliness and were ‘blessed’ with a strong magic capacity and efficient output.”

“That's why I don’t want you to tell anyone. I don't want you to suffer”

“Why did you tell her back then?”

………

After I told Teacher Lin about what had happened, she calmed me down and reassured me that she wouldn't tell anyone about it.

At first, she didn't believe me and thought I was just joking—a prank by a kid. After I showed her the mark on my back, she was immediately convinced about its authenticity.

After a little bit of explanation, she told me to go back in and told me to never tell anyone about this issue.

I didn't even have the chance to say brother already knows about this…

I lay on my bed, trying to fall asleep. Second, minutes and hours passed by. I stared blankly at the ceiling. Unconsciously, I glanced toward my brother's bed.

I could barely see his silhouette because of the darkness. He was facing the other direction. I was glad that he didn't sense me going out.

All of a sudden, I remembered his warnings.

“Don’t tell anyone, Luna”

“I don’t want you to suffer, Luna”

“You must not tell anyone!”

I’m sorry for breaking your trust. You’ll forgive me, right?

….

The light of morning dawn shone towards the dorm. The sounds of bells and chimes echo throughout the whole orphanage.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Another normal morning, another normal day. But everything felt so different. The world felt different.

I’m tired. I want to sleep more. I’m starting to sound like Brother. I wonder if he is still sleeping.

I hopped off my bed and went to his. I was surprised because I couldn't find a trace of him anywhere. Thinking he went to eat breakfast without me, I went to the hallway of the orphanage, quickly making my way to the dining table.

After a few seconds of walking, I smelled a nice aroma. I quickly ran to the dining table. Upon reaching there, I saw Teacher Lin and the other kids who woke up early getting ready for breakfast.

I sat in my seat and searched for my brother.

He's not here…

While I was caught up in my train of thought, Teacher Lin approached me with a kind smile.

“Good news, Luna You are getting adopted!”

I was surprised by the unexpected and sudden news. I felt so happy. The last few days were quite torturous. Finally, something is happening. Suddenly, I realized something odd.

“Teacher Lin, Brother is getting adopted together with me right? We’re twins so we should stay together. I don’t want to be separated from him…”

Teacher Lin stayed quiet for a while. I felt uncomfortable. Her face changed vaguely. Her expression looked slightly annoyed and displeased. She looks terrifying.

Something is wrong. She never looked at me like that.

“Teacher Lin, I’m hungry. Can we eat now?”

I changed the topic out of fear. It was the first time I felt horrified by Teacher Lin. As soon as I changed the topic, she wore the same warm and kind smile she had before.

After that event, everybody congratulated me for getting adopted. Handling a crowd of people wasn't my forte. My brother would usually handle all of this while he held my hand, assuring me and soothing me.

I’m scared. I want Brother to be right beside me.

“Thank you, everyone. Thank you. Hahaha..”

After a little conversation with everybody, I asked Teacher Lin when I would get adopted.

“You are getting adopted today! Aren't you happy?”

Today… So soon. Brother, where are you?

“I’m so happy.” I tried to cover up my feelings. It was the first time I lied to her. It felt weird. She felt so distant from me all of a sudden. It was as if she changed overnight.

Everything felt so weird. It's unsettling. I felt lightheaded. I felt dizzy. It overwhelmed me. My fears and concerns are overwhelming me.

Brother help me. Someone, please help me. God, please help me! Anybody!

“Go to the garden”

A voice suddenly echoed in my head. It made me feel calm and relaxed. It was a familiar voice. It was my brother's voice.

Without any explanation, I ran towards the garden. There was no reason why I trust that voice. There was also no reason why I didn't trust that voice. The voice belongs to my brother. I just want to see him.

After a while, I reached the garden. I quickly scan my surroundings for any sign of my brother. After that, I sat down on the grass trying to catch my breath.

The sound of footsteps can be heard, running towards me. I didn't need to see to know who was running towards me. It was Teacher Lin. Nonetheless, I still turn around, facing the orphanage building.

All of a sudden, I saw a figure looking directly at me from the building. I couldn't discern who it was but the figure was around my height. All I could make out was he had platinum-blond hair.

Brother? No. My brother and I have black hair. Who is that?

Out of the blue, I heard the sound of fire crackling in the building. I looked through the window to see what was happening.

What? What is happening?

Before I could determine anything, an explosion suddenly happened and I was blasted by it. I was thrown outside of the orphanage area onto the street.

Before I could faint, I saw the orphanage caught up in flames. A loud sound of people screaming. Sounds of children crying and wailing. The orphanage was destroyed entirely. Everything was engulfed by the mighty and horrifying flame. All of the memories, things. And people.

The scene was terrifying.

Brother…

Is he okay…

Where is he?

Brother…

My vision was getting blurrier and blurrier. For a few seconds before I fainted, I saw the same figure I saw before. The figure seems to utter something. Before I could make it out, my vision darkened.

“I’m sorry”