First day at school

The next morning, Lysha woke Ariemil early.

"Come on, Oda! Today’s your first day at school!" she said with a bright smile.

Ariemil rubbed his eyes slowly and looked at her. "School... huh."

Lysha helped him get ready and packed lunch for both of them. On the way to school, Ariemil walked silently beside her, observing every student they passed. He felt their eyes on him—curious, distant, unfamiliar. His heart raced a little, but he kept a calm face.

When they entered the classroom, the teacher smiled. “Everyone, we have a new student today.”

Ariemil stood in front of the class. His voice was low but steady.

"My name is Ariemil Oda... nice to meet you."

Some students clapped politely. Others just stared. Whispers filled the room.

“Isn’t he the boy from that murder case?”

“I heard he lived in a haunted house...”

“He looks scary…”

Ariemil heard every word. His hands clenched slightly, but he didn’t show it. He just walked to his seat near the window—beside Lysha.

She leaned close and whispered, “Don’t listen to them. I’m here, okay?”

Ariemil gave a small nod.

Throughout the day, no one dared to speak to him except Lysha. During break time, he sat alone under the tree, watching other kids laugh, play, and talk. A small group of boys approached and one of them asked, “Hey… are the rumors true? Did you really see your dad kill people?”

Ariemil looked at them with emotionless eyes. “Do you want to know what it feels like… to see your family die in front of you?”

The boys froze. They walked away in fear.

Lysha later scolded him, “Oda! You scared them.”

“I didn’t ask them to come,” he replied calmly.

That evening, back at home, Lysha sighed. “You’re not trying to make friends, are you?”

“Friends…” Ariemil looked up at the ceiling. “Do they even exist for people like me?”

Lysha held his hand tightly. “They will. I’ll make sure of it.”

"And tomorrow, you have to make at least two or three friends, understand?" Ariemil just nodded.

A few minutes later, Ariemil asked, "Why do I have to make friends?"

Lysha replied, "Why do you ask?"

Ariemil answered, "Well... if I manage to make a friend, someday they will betray me—just like my parents did."

After hearing that, Lysha, filled with rage, slapped Ariemil across the face and grabbed his shirt, shouting, "ARE YOU SAYING THAT FRIENDSHIP ISN’T IMPORTANT?!"

Ariemil didn’t flinch or show any fear. With a blank expression, he stared at Lysha and said in a calm voice, "You know, humans don’t have loyalty. They always change. At first, they’re sweet and kind, making you want to get closer. But once they get what they want, they slowly grow bored and throw you away. They’ll forget about you... and find someone new. I saw my father do that. He even left my mother and only took me with him. My mother died from starvation... and I saw her die right in front of me."

Ariemil’s eyes were empty as he remembered how his mother died:

‘Mommy, why did Dad only take me? Why didn’t he take you too?’

His mother gently hugged him and replied, "Your life is too important to me... If you stayed with me, you would’ve starved, because we didn’t have enough food. But if you go with your dad, he can give you enough to eat, and you won’t have to suffer."

Ariemil asked, "But Mommy… how about you? You barely ate this month. You're always sick."

Then tears filled his eyes as he looked at her. She was about to speak, but her body weakened, and she started coughing up blood, "Uhuk!! Uhuk!! Uhuk!!" With Ariemil still in her arms... she died in front of him.

Ariemil cried desperately, "AARRGH!!! MOMMY!!! AARRRGHH!!!"

Then his father came and tried to take him away, but Ariemil refused. "No! Don’t leave my mom like that!" He struggled to escape his father’s grip, but his father knocked him unconscious. That... was the last time Ariemil ever saw his mother.

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