The girl’s words echoed in my mind and the realization striking me like a bolt of lightning. Until this moment, I had assumed that the old man was my father. But hearing her speak with Alice shattered that assumption. If there’s one thing I understand now, it’s that our parents are gone, and this fairy-like girl is my sister.

A wave of conflicting emotions crashed over me, but before I could process any of it, footsteps echoed outside the door, pulling my attention. Strange. It had always been quiet in the corridor, yet now I could hear multiple heartbeats approaching.

Soon the door creaked open, revealing a figure that twisted my gut. It was the same woman I had seen the day I was born, grinning over my birthmother’s lifeless body.

I felt my sister’s small arms tighten around me as her body began to tremble. I could feel her heartbeat thundering with fear.

Without warning, the woman stormed forward, flashing out her hand, landing a hard slap across my sister’s cheek, making us both tumble to the ground. Somehow, I didn’t feel the impact because my sister had shielded me with her little body.

Rage boiled up within me. My tiny fists clenched as I looked up at the woman, feeling helpless yet burning with a fierce, unrelenting anger. Aster’s voice buzzed faintly in my mind, but I couldn’t focus on his words because of that woman's loud voice.

"How dare you leave your room without my permission!"

"You’re just like your mother—vile and dirty. I’ll make sure to properly tame you."

She extended her hand toward the maid who stood behind her—a woman I recognized instantly. She was the one who’d been feeding me. The maid smirked as she reached into her apron, pulling out a long and thick whip, the kind carved with small, sharp thorns.

My eyes widened at the sight of that old hag taking the whip with satisfaction. Before I could process her plan, she rushed towards us, lashing out the whip. My sister, in an instant, shifted herself to shield me, wrapping her small arms around me, forming a protection, and closed her eyes, bracing for what was coming.

But before the belt could strike, I saw Alice throwing herself over us, shielding us in her arms. My view was blocked, and I couldn’t see anything. But I hear each brutal crack of the whip against Alice’s body. Every blow made her flinch, her body jerking in the pain that was meant for us. My sister trembled beside me, and I could hear her silent sobs beneath Alice’s protective arms.

Rage bubbled up inside me, raw and fierce. How could anyone use such cruelty against another person? Against a defenseless child? My blood boiled with a helpless fury, but I was trapped, stuck in this tiny, powerless body, forced to swallow my anger as the woman’s punishment continued.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the woman stopped. She dropped the whip, letting it clatter to the floor, and took a step back, breathing harsh and ragged. With her withdrawal, Alice collapsed in front of us, exposing her back, which was covered in dark purple bruises; some spots are torn open, and blood is slowly trickling down her skin. My gaze shifted to my sister, whose face turned pale with panic, and I noticed her hands—small, trembling, and also bruised. My sister gently laid me on the ground and tried to support Alice with her little hands. Now that she wasn't shielding me, my view cleared, and the sight of that woman brushing her hands off as if dusting away something unpleasant made my blood boil. Her lips were curled in a grin, and she is looking down at us with her eyes full of disdain.

The fury inside me is blinding, fierce, and consuming. I wanted nothing more than to end that vile woman’s life, to tear her apart for every ounce of suffering she had caused. For now, though, all I could do was swallow the rage, bury it deep within, and wait. My time would come. And when it did, she would regret every last strike.

One day, no matter how long it took, I would make her pay a hundredfold for this cruelty.

As I was making my vow in that suffocating moment of rage, I caught sight of that vile woman turning to leave. I thought perhaps she was done, but her next words sent a chill down my spine.

“Throw them both in the prison,” she commanded with a sinister grin spreading across her face as she glanced back at my sister.

With her order, two knights behind her stepped forward. One of them, a hulking brute, held my sister brutally. While the other knights hold Alice and start dragging them. I watched helplessly getting them out of my sight.

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Seeing them getting dragged, she approaches me while looking down at me with disdain, as if I were nothing more than a pest beneath her feet. She twisted her lips in a grin and then turned to her other maid.

“Are you adding the potion to his milk regularly?”

The maid’s eyes flickered briefly in my direction before she nodded with her blank expression.

“Yes, my lady. As you ordered, I am personally adding it every day.”

The woman’s grin widened as she crouched down to lift me up in her arm and mock me with her mix of sweetness and venom.

"Isn't my grandson's sweet, Mary?

Grandson? Did she just call me her grandson? Confusion flooded my mind. What kind of ugly game is this?

Her hand slid through my hair, and she leaned close, whispering into my ear with a smug malice.

"Grow up quickly, my dear grandson. You need to play the perfect role of a mentally disabled grandson who is loved by his doting grandparents. The grandparents who cherish you no matter how idiotic you might be."

I could feel her mocking gaze assessing me, as if deciding how much use I might be to her in the future and she tossed me roughly into the cradle, turning to her maid with another command.

“Keep a close eye on Eveline and that maid.”

The maid, instead of obeying, threw a bomb with a stern expression.

“That girl is clever, my lady. It might be best to... deal with her before she grows up.”

Hearing her maid words, the woman let out a dark chuckle.

“That wench is a golden egg. Once she grows up, she will fetch us a fortune. Until then, we only need to put a leash on her. And this child will be the perfect leash to tame her.”

She left the room after leaving my heart pounding with a rage I’d never felt before. Hearing her plans of using us as tools made my blood boil. How could a grandparent be so cruel and ruthless?

I clenched my tiny fists until my nails dug into my palms as anger seethed in me like a storm, a rage so intense it felt like it would consume me. I wanted to scream to break free from this fragile body and make her pay for every hateful word and every ounce of suffering she’d inflicted on my sister. In the midst of my turmoil, Aster’s voice broke through my thoughts.

Calm down, kid. Right now, all that anger isn’t going to help.

I gritted my teeth, feeling a flash of irritation at Aster's dry tone.

“You think I don’t know that? But how am I supposed to just sit here when they're plotting to use me like some puppet? And after meeting Alice and my sister, after seeing how far they’re willing to go to protect me—I can’t just look out for myself anymore. I want to protect them too.”

Aster sighed and conveyed exasperation and resignation all at once.

Well, in that case, you’ll need to be smart about it. First things first: you need to grow up safely. Strength comes with time and patience.

A fresh wave of frustration surged in me, and I swung a fist through the air, as if I could hit the very walls holding me here.

"And how am I even supposed to grow stronger with only poisoned milk to live on? They’ll barely let me survive, let alone thrive. This filthy, rundown room isn’t exactly brimming with training facilities or resources."

Aster notices my growing stress and decides it’s time to reveal a little more.

Now, now, kid. Have you already forgotten? You’ve got a genius at your side. With me, you can grow stronger—even without the ‘luxuries’ they’d rather keep away from you.

I narrowed my eyes as I caught off guard by his easy tone.

"How? What could you possibly do in this sorry state?"

Phase Two of the modification process. It’ll unlock more skills and boost your physical capabilities. Plus, it’ll let me access more of my abilities, which means I can assist you, well, in creative ways.

My eyes lit up, and hope sparked in me.

"Great! Then let’s activate Phase Two right now."

Eager to blow up again? Remember how things ended for you last time?

I groaned, but there was still fire in my voice.

"What's the problem, then?"

Your body. It’s not ready. Phase Two needs a physically strong host—or at least, stronger than a literal newborn. Normally, the next phase activates around the age of five.

I could almost feel the weight of defeat pressing down on me.

"Five years? Are you telling me I have to wait five whole years? How am I supposed to survive in this nightmare for that long? There has to be another way."

Well, we can move things forward by working on that scrawny body of yours. If we train enough to match the strength of a typical five-year-old, we could initiate Phase Two early.

My eyes lit up, and I felt a new spark of energy—hope, maybe. There is a chance, however small, to push forward. My mind raced with possibilities, and a wide grin stretched across my face.

If they wanted a puppet, I would play the role well. Let them believe I was harmless, a helpless little doll under their control. But when the time comes, I will turn the table on them. They think they are the storytellers here? No. I will be the storyteller, and they’ll be the puppets in my show. They’ll pay for every bit of this—hundredfold.

“Buckle up, Aster. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

For a moment, Aster was silent. Then its voice returned, dripping with usual amusement.

Fine. But don’t expect me to enjoy it. The only thing worse than watching you grow up is watching you play the role of an avenging idiot.

“Oh, trust me, partner. When I’m done, they’ll remember my name.”