It seems like just yesterday I was lounging at home, watching movies on the couch. Back then, I felt nothing, absolutely numb. I was on my way to the store for something sweet when I heard a gunshot. And just like that, I found myself in a stranger's arms. When I opened my eyes, there was a bright light—a torch in the hand of a woman, knocking at a door.

"It seems like she's dropping me off here," I thought to myself.

And I was right. She left me at the doorstep of an orphanage.

Reincarnated. That's what happened to me, now living as a girl with midnight-black hair and scarlet ruby eyes. This life was nothing like the one before. Here, there were dragons, fairies, elves, and mages. Oddly enough, I found it all quite interesting. I mean, why wouldn’t I? Especially since I had so much of this 'mana' that everyone seemed obsessed with.

As time passed, I learned more about this world and the people around me. The orphanage had five bullies and two victims, their endless torment always in motion. The bullies' names? Not important.Just a bunch of mindless nuisances.But one of the victims stood out she caught my eyes—a girl named Kristen. I wondered if her parents had chosen that name for her, probably inspired by her striking bright blue eyes.

The week dragged on, and I grew tired of the noise. My patience was running thin. In my past life, I was always waiting—waiting and waiting, endlessly patient with everyone. I couldn't get angry or sad. I had to be perfect, obedient, never fussing too much. But in this life? I was done hiding, done faking who I was.

Bully 1: "Come on, just take it!"

Bully 2: "Do what he says!"

Kristen: "No, I... I can't. It's gross... I don't want to..." she stammered, trembling.

As I walked toward them, I saw what they were trying to make her do—eat some moldy potatoes. I glanced at the adults. They were just watching.Silently. I had once thought they were unaware of what was happening, but now I knew better. They knew everything. They just didn't care enough to intervene.

"Is this entertaining to you?!" I shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Day after day, week after week,the same old crap!"

Bully 3: "Hey, what are you talking about? If you don’t want to get hurt, leave."

I laughed, giving him a smile." Leave?Hurt? You going to hurt me?... whos to say i wont just hurt you hmm... you pathetic worthless child only going aftet the weak... ".I stepped right into his face, glaring into his eyes." You would be unable to hurt me now get lost or else ".

They scurried off, and I made sure everyone knew I’d given them a chance—so no one could say I didn’t warn them if I had to 'accidentally' unalive them later.

Kristen: "Um... thank you for helping me," she mumbled, fidgeting with her hands.

"It's fine," I said. Then, with a smirk, I added, "Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we become friends, hmm?"

I wasn’t just asking for fun. Friends were useful. Gaining a little face didn’t hurt either.

Kristen's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Sure! I’m Kristen, and you are?"

"Lilith."

It seems like Kristen and I make a good pair. We’ve been friends ever since that day with her bullies, and two years have passed since then. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy spending time with her. In a few weeks, it’ll be her birthday, and I really want to celebrate it with her. Yet, if I’m being honest, I don’t know her all that well. I want to give her something or do something that shows I care, but I’m still figuring that part out.

Over the past few days, I’ve been following her around—undetected, of course. Using a little trick I discovered, I can manipulate my mana to erase my presence, making it impossible for anyone to notice me. It’s convenient when I want to avoid people or, like now, when I need to sneak around and gather information.

One thing I’ve learned in these two years is that when a child in the orphanage turns thirteen, they’re escorted out. I used to wonder what I’d do when my time came. I barely know anything about the world outside these walls. Then again, none of us really do. We’re all raised here until we hit a certain age, and then we’re tossed out into the real world without guidance.

Kristen is turning thirteen soon. She’s a few months older than me.

It was midnight when the clock struck twelve—a new day began. Today was her birthday, and I had everything prepared for her. Sneaking into her dorm room, I whispered, “Hey, wake up, Kiki.”

Kristen: “Hmm…” she murmured, slowly opening her eyes. “What is it, Lily?”

“Wake up, I’ve got a surprise for you.” I helped her get dressed, and we headed outside.

Kristen: “Where are we going, Lily?” she asked, curious.

“You’ll see,” I replied, taking her hand as we ran toward our destination.

As we neared the spot, I asked Kristen to cover her eyes. Leading her carefully, I finally told her to remove her hands. What she saw before her was a scene I had worked on just for her—glowing lights, like floating orbs in the sky, and crystal flowers that resembled her favorite blooms. I’d even conjured up a familiar using my mana, all to make this night special.

Kristen: “This is beautiful, Lily. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she gasped, eyes wide as she took in everything around her.

I smiled softly. “I’m glad you like it, Kiki.”

“Happy birthday to—” Before I could finish my sentence, an explosion rocked the air.

“What the hell?!” I shouted, looking at Kristen. In a panic, we raced back toward the orphanage, realizing that the explosion had come from there.

“What’s going on?” I muttered as we hurried closer, my heart pounding in my chest.

If I'm being honest, I should've realized this earlier. I'd overheard the adults whispering about a war between the East and West. Just to clarify, we live in the West. It must've been pure luck—maybe even a blessing from the Gods—that Kristen and I weren't in the building when the explosion went off. The blast had started in the area where our dorms were.

As we stood there, frozen in shock, we heard footsteps approaching. In the blink of an eye, i grabbed Kristen and pulled us both into the bushes, casting my undetection spell over us. Silently, we hid, listening closely as the armored men spoke.

Man 1: " So, what are we supposed to do with a bunch of kids?"

Man 2: " The commander said we're after a specific kid. We're supposed to bring them to the higher-ups. "

Man 1: "Damn, we've been to several orphanages and haven't found them yet."

Just then, another man arrived, joining the conversation.

Man 3: "Hey, you know what i heard? We're looking for a girl with bright blue eyes. Apparently, she's the Emperor's child."

Hearing them speak, it quickly became clear—they were after Kristen. And judging by her expression, she had figured it out too. From our hiding spot, we caught a glimpse of the others from the orphanage. They were tied up, beaten, and helpless. I could see it in Kristen's eyes—this hit her deeply.

Commander: " If you don't tell me where the child is, I'll kill all the children here," he said in a harsh commanding voice. He began counting down, and as the children screamed in terror, one of the adults who had cared for Kristen was dragged forward. The man cut off her left ear and was about to start on her fingers when Kristen bolted out from our hiding place.

In my shock, I ran aftet her.

Commander: " Hmm... what do we have here? The kid we've been looking for."

Kristen: "Let her go, and I'll go with you, " she said, her voice steady, even though her body trembled.

Commander: "Of course," he sneered, showing off a rotten-toothed grin. He grabbef Kristen and then turned to me, eyeing me with curiosity. "Hmm... and what do we have here? A girl with red eyes and black hair. You'd fetch a good price."

I wanted to fight back, but he quickly threatened Kristen, holding a knife to her throat. I couldn't risk it. Once he had her, he bound me and some of the other kids with magical chains snd tossed us into the bakc of a carriage.

Man 4: "Hey, kid, what's your name? I need to know so i can tag you."

I cursed myself silently. Instead of learning how to fight, I'd only bothered with spells that now felt useless.

Man 4: " HEY, KID! I asked you a question!"

"It's Lilith."