It was an exciting day for Elianna. She had never been to the palace before but always wondered what it looked like inside whenever she traveled to the garrison with her father. However, today would be different. Her father was supposed to be at the palace today for his work; all the while, Elianna was excited to explore the castle with her mother. But before that, she decided to go on her morning run.

Elianna was completing her morning stretches in the driveway of her mansion. She would often alternate between running in the gym inside the mansion and running outside around the cul-de-sac. Her parents weren't fans of her running around outside when she was younger, but that changed when she turned nine. Her parents had decided she was old enough to make common sense decisions, and the neighborhood was generally safe. The only two rules were that Elianna was not to speak with strangers and she was not to leave the cul-de-sac.

Elianna reached down between her feet, stretching her legs well. Once she felt limber, she stood straight and walked to the end of her driveway. Once she passed the gates, Elianna began her morning run, going at a smooth and steady pace.

A blissful smile was plastered on Elianna's lips as she ran, enjoying the crisp morning air. The sun was just rising over the horizon, giving the clouds a beautiful red coloration. Elianna loved her morning runs; they gave her time to be alone, and she always felt good afterward. She especially loved running outside more than in the gym since she felt freer outside than confined within the gym walls.

Elianna's breathing was rhythmic, keeping her at a steady pace and matching her footsteps as she ran along the sidewalk. She made sure to run on the balls of her feet like her father taught her. He told her it was to reduce the impact on her joints, whatever that meant. She sometimes didn't understand half the things her father said.

The end of the cul-de-sac came in sight, and Elianna knew she was nearing the halfway mark. Living in the center house at the end of the cul-de-sac was beneficial since it helped Elianna keep track of how far she had run and how much farther she still had to go. Passing the last mansion on her right, Elianna stayed focused on the end of the road, with the community park coming into view out of her right peripheral vision.

"Elle?"

Elianna went wide-eyed at the sudden familiar voice and slowed her pace, coming to a stop. Her head whirled to her right, and a wave of surprise washed over her. Her gaze fell on Sarah, who was casually standing near the swings, looking at Elianna with shock. Elianna didn't expect to run into anyone during her run, not this early in the morning. She had gone on this run plenty of times in the cul-de-sac and never had contact with anyone before. Sure, she had seen her old friends out and about once in a while, but she hadn't had contact with them ever since that day they called her a freak.

Sarah stared at Elianna for a moment before a look of remorse crossed her face, and her gaze fell. "It's uh... It's been a while."

Elianna's eyes looked her up and down, still processing that Sarah was standing before her. After a moment of silence, with Sarah not looking at her, Elianna finally spoke. "Yeah. Four years."

Sarah slowly looked up, her gaze settling on Elianna. She noticed Elianna wasn't looking at her angrily but seemed a little confused. Sarah awkwardly cleared her throat, "How have you been?"

Elianna's brows furrowed, surprised and confused about why Sarah was talking with her, "Good. What brings you here?"

Sarah shrugged, "Tyler, Dylan, and I were going to meet early today at the park."

Elianna nodded slightly, "I see."

Elianna and Sarah fell silent, with an awkward breeze blowing between them. Sarah cleared her throat, wanting to break the silence, "So-"

"Well, look who it is."

Elianna's stomach dropped at the voice, and she looked to her right. Her gaze fell on Dylan, who was walking toward her, and Tyler was two steps behind him.

Dylan gave Elianna a not-so-friendly smile, "Been a while, Elle."

Elianna's eyes narrowed on Dylan, and she spoke in a cold and distant voice, "Only my friends call me Elle."

Dylan scoffed, "Friends? What friends? From what I hear, you do nothing but hang out at your dad's work and stay in your mansion. You're just a freak and a loser."

Elianna's hands balled into fists, her blood beginning to simmer, "I'm not a freak."

Tyler raised a brow, "Why are you even here?"

Elianna's cold eyes flicked to Tyler, "I live here too, obviously. I'm just going on my morning run."

Tyler crossed his arms, "Then why don't you run off before you blow up again."

Elianna rolled her eyes, "Really? That was four years ago, and everyone awakens."

"Not like that," Dylan argued. "When I awoke, a wave of mana just washed over me, forming a small barrier." He gestured to Elianna, "But you, you actually blew up. It was weird."

"Plus, my mom heard the rumors about you reaching two stars," Tyler said. "She said it's unheard of and freaky for someone to progress that fast at such a young age. She said she wouldn't be surprised if you blew up again like the freak you are."

Elianna shook her head and looked to the side. Her blood began to boil now, hearing Tyler and Dylan not only call her a freak again but denigrate her accomplishment of reaching two stars, which she felt proud of. "Yeah? Sounds to me like your mom is just stupid."

"Don't talk about my mom like that!" Tyler spat, looking at Elianna lividly.

Elianna's angered-filled gaze flicked to Tyler, "Then don't call me a freak."

Tyler just sneered, shaking his head at Elianna. Elianna's eyes flicked to Sarah, seeing she was just looking down, awkwardly holding her left arm with her right hand, not saying anything.

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Dylan scoffed, "But you are a freak. And you always will be."

Frustrated tears filled Elianna's eyes, and she looked away, "Whatever. Think whatever you want."

"Ah, look, the freak is going to cry," Dylan belittled.

"Shut up," Elianna whispered.

Dylan laughed, cupping his hand around his ear, "What was that? I couldn't hear y-"

"I said..." Elianna's body shook, emotions of anger and frustration building inside her. Warmth washed through her channels, her core thrumming with power. Elianna's closed her eyelids tightly, clenched her fists, and yelled. "SHUT UP!!"

A surge of mana erupted from Elianna, wrapping around her like a white flame dancing around her body. Dylan and Tyler stepped back, eyes wide, seeing Elianna's tear-filled eyes now glaring at them. Elianna's eyes darted to Sarah, seeing her standing there with a shocked expression. When Elianna looked back at Dylan and Tyler, she could see the fear in their eyes.

Tyler slowly shook his head, backing away another step, "You really are a freak."

Elianna's lips wobbled, feeling angry and frustrated. Having had enough, she whirled and ran across the street, tears falling from her eyes. She ran as fast as she could, heading back toward her family's mansion, with the mana around her dying out. She could feel the warmth inside her body subside, and the thrumming power of her mana core quieted down.

Elianna didn't know how fast she was running, but she felt relief when she entered the driveway of her mansion. She ran up the mansion steps and burst through the front doors, wanting to head upstairs and jump into bed.

"Lady Elianna?"

Elianna stopped and looked toward the voice, seeing Agustus approaching her with a concerned expression.

Agustus knelt before her, meeting Elianna's eyes, seeing she was obviously distraught, "Are you alright?"

Elianna's lips wobbled, and she shook her head. Augustus looked at her sympathetically. He held his arms out, and the dam Elianna had been holding broke. She burst into tears and walked into Augustus' arms, where he took her into a comforting hug.

Augustus patted Elianna's back comfortingly, shushing her reassuringly. "It's alright, My Lady. Just let it out."

Augustus stayed there, holding Elianna reassuringly, feeling his coat becoming wet with Elianna's tears. After a few moments, Elianna's body began to stop shaking, and her cries subsided. Augustus gingerly grabbed Elianna by her shoulders and pushed her off slightly. He looked into her eyes, seeing them downcast, red, and watery.

"My Lady," Augustus said gently. He took a napkin out of his jacket pocket and carefully wiped away Elianna's tears. "What happened?"

Elianna sniffled, "I ran into Tyler, Dylan, and Sarah."

Augustus' eyes narrowed, "What did they do?"

Elianna's lips trembled, "They called me a freak again, and I just got so upset."

Augustus was filled with anger, but he kept a calm mind. He smiled at Elianna, raising her chin so her glimmering, tear-filled eyes met his. "Don't you give them another thought. They are not worth the tears. You are a wonderful, special young lady, and they are just mean."

Elianna nodded and looked away, her gaze downcast.

Augustus eyed Elianna, seeing her dejected expression and mood. He hated seeing her like this but soon smiled warmly as an idea to cheer her up came to mind. "Tell you what, why don't you go upstairs to your room and get changed? I'll have the staff prepare pancakes for you."

Elianna's eyes flicked and met Augustus', and her lips curved into a small smile. "With chocolate chips?"

Augustus chuckled and nodded, "Of course."

Elianna smiled brightly, "Okay!" She gave Augustus a tight hug. "Thank you, Augustus."

Augustus smiled and patted Elianna on the back, "Of course."

They broke the hug, and Elianna dashed for the right staircase, heading upstairs. She ran to her room and got a lovely dark green dress out of her closet. She wanted to look good for when she and her parents went to the palace today. Augustus' words rang inside her head lifting her spirits, and she wouldn't let her old friends ruin her day. She was set on having a good time at the palace, and she would do just that.

Elianna laid her fresh clothes on the bed before she got undressed and bathed in her extravagantly large marble bathtub. Once washed up, she quickly got dressed and sat at her vanity, where she began combing her hair. She was mid-stroke with the comb when her eyes flicked to her door, hearing a knock.

"Come in!" Elianna said.

The door opened, and Elianna smiled through the mirror, seeing her mother peek her head in.

Katarina's eyes met her daughters through the mirror, and she returned her daughter's smile. She looked into the hallway and said, "She's decent. You can come in."

Katarina opened the door more and walked in, with Lucian walking in behind her. Lucian smiled at his daughter, "Good morning, Munchkin."

"Good morning," Elianna said, finishing the brush stroke.

Katarina looked at her daughter affectionately as she approached her and grabbed the brush. Elianna let go of the brush, allowing her mom to take over. She smiled brightly as Katarina began to brush her hair, loving it whenever she did so.

Taking a seat on the corner of Elianna's bed and watching his wife brush his daughter's hair, Lucian curiously asked, "Are you excited about today, Munchkin?"

Elianna's eyes flicked to her dad through the mirror, "Yeah."

Lucian nodded, "That's good." His eyes flicked to Katarina, and they shared a quick gaze.

Katarina cleared her throat and looked back at her daughter as she continued to brush her hair. "So, how was your run today?"

Elianna's smile faded, and her eyes fell to her desk, "It was fine."

Katarina nodded, "Oh? Did anything happen?"

Elianna shrugged, "I ran into Tyler, Dylan, and Sarah."

Katarina hummed, "Did anything happen with them?"

Elianna's eyes flicked to her mother, staring at her through the mirror, "Augustus told you. Didn't he?"

Katarina's eyes flicked up, meeting her daughter's gaze through the mirror. She smiled softly and nodded, "He did."

Elianna sighed and looked down, "Tyler and Dylan called me a freak again. I haven't seen them in so long, and they still think I'm a freak."

Katarina gave her daughter a consoling smile, "Don't listen to them, Sweetie. You're not a freak. You're just special."

"People tend to be afraid of things they don't understand," Lucian said. "Tyler and Dylan were just listening to their narrow-minded parents. Pay them no mind, Munchkin."

Elianna nodded and twiddled her thumbs, recollecting the encounter, "I just got so mad. I didn't mean to."

Lucian looked at Elianna, confused, "Didn't mean to what?"

Elianna shrugged, "I exploded with mana again."

"What do you mean?" Katarina inquired.

"I don't know. It was weird. I felt a lot of mana going through my channels, like when I push mana through my body, and my mana core felt strange. Then, mana just blew up and wrapped around me. It was like my mana guard, but there was a lot more mana, and it almost looked like white fire."

Silence fell in the room, and Elianna sat there, contemplating the event. But a moment later, she noticed her mother's hand had fallen still, with the comb mid-stroke. Elianna looked at her mother through the mirror, observing her mother looking at Lucian as they were sharing a gaze.

Elianna looked at her parents curiously, "Mom? Dad?"

Katarina's eyes darted to Elianna's, and she smiled reassuringly at her daughter through the mirror, "You just got upset, Sweetie. That's all." Katarina finished the last few strokes of brushing Elianna's hair and placed the brush on the vanity. "Now, come on. Breakfast should be ready."

Elianna nodded, and she and Lucian stood up. Elianna smiled excitedly, knowing the staff would be making pancakes. Lucian and Katarina smiled warmly at their daughter as they followed her out of her room, closing her door behind them.

Lucian and Katarina followed Elianna down the hallway, heading toward the grand staircase, when Katarina whispered to her husband. "Lucian."

"I know," Lucian whispered back.

"What should we do?" Katarina asked, looking at Lucian a little worriedly.

Lucian looked at his wife and smiled reassuringly, "What we've been doing—keeping an eye on her and showing her love and affection. Everything will be fine."

Katarina nodded, returning his smile, "Alright."

Lucian chuckled, "Now, let's go enjoy our breakfast and show Elianna a palace."