43 A Life Without Her 1

The group of children walked towards the gloomy building. Dust was everywhere. The whole building in itself was a wreck. People hadn't been present there in a long time except for Long Wei and Bambi. However, no matter how much time passed, Mallory never took a step out of her room. The only proof of her survival were the empty plates of food that had once been full outside her door.

As they walked forward, they could hear the floors creak and the soft wind tug at the windows curtains. Slowly they reached the source of all the glom and depressing atmosphere.

Little Ming gulped in nervousness as Long Wei reached out to knock. Listening to the silence spread he took the doorknob and shook it but it was locked as always. He sighed before looking up at Fan Daiyu in exasperation.

"You could just knock down the door…"

Little Ming looked up at the young man before receiving a fierce glare.

"She is a GIRL! I won't do that."

His words were always simple, brief, and direct. Other than Fan Daiyu, he didn't care about what other people thought of him. However, he had forgotten the fact that the little boy was none other than her little brother. He realized that as soon as he received a warning glance from the silver haired fairy in front of him. She pushed him to the side before swiftly lifting her slender white leg to kick the door open.

They all looked stunned as she slowly retracted her leg and stood up straight before barging into the silent room.

Little Ming regained his wits and ran after his sister leaving behind a blushing mess of a boy.

She had revealed more skin than he could bear to see. Although it was common to witness such a scene during fights, it wasn't frowned upon but it wasn't appropriate.

As a growing boy, Long Wei had witnessed young girls fawning for him and brothel servants throwing themselves onto Fan Ying. He had never felt anything seeing them shame themselves but she was a different matter. She made his blood run wild along with his heart. She was his everything. She gave him a storm down 'there', which he had never felt before. Now seeing even the tiniest glimpse of her body would make his heart wild.

He could feel his face and his blood burn. Before knowing what happened, he felt explosions. His hazel eyes brightened and glowed golden and his whole world seemed to darken. Just like that, he lost consciousness.

-Mallory Deirdre-

[Something seems different today… The sky looks brighter… But what is the point in it being so bright when it is nothing compared to the light she gave me… Years have passed and there is nothing… Maybe I should just go through with it…]

The young girl was about to enter the marriageable age within half a year but no one knew of her existence. Instead of being a young energetic girl, she was more like a lifeless puppet. The scar on her face had faded and although it could still be seen, it looked more like a design that accentuated her delicate features. She was beautiful but she was but a joyless doll. Her soulless eyes stared out the window as she sat huddled away from view. Her eyes would wander towards the rope hanging from her ceiling seemingly waiting for her with an open welcoming. She had done it herself in the mist of her suffering. The rope was tied to the bed of the empty room above hers. She drilled a hole through the floor and dropped the rope through. It was sturdy and ready at all times but before she could do anything, a bright smile would flash through her mind. It was a small smile but it had given her the world. The single reconciliation and dangling hope that prevented her from suicide was knowing that she could still be alive.

The small chance, wish, or dream was enough to give her hope to live on. However, it had already been more than a year. It had been several years and the light within her was fading. The memory of that smile was blurring.

Looking at her reflection, she could see her scar fading every day that passed. Now it was a mere shadow of what it used to be. She remembered what she had said that day.

"…Your scar can be your beauty. I love you with it but if one day in the future you tell me you hate it I will help you get rid of it."

Seeing it now, she seemed to miss it. It was a memory with her. It was like it was fading away taking along with it everything she missed about that small child.

She sighed looking away from the slightly opened window to see the dark empty refuge she used to call her room, her home, her secret treasure. It all seemed to be dust now that her presence had disappeared.

She wandered her room like every day, searching for traces or memories that still remained.

But… it had all already disappeared. She couldn't remember but she couldn't forget.

It was like a plague in her soul causing a storm of indecisiveness.

Slowly she returned to the dark corner where her bed stood and laid down to cry. Every day the routine would repeat. It was so bad that her tears had marked down their path down her face. Her red eyes were swollen and puffy and when she thought she could cry no more, the dry dessert in her eyes seemed to find their oasis. The waterfall of her tears seemed endless. She was beautiful but pitiful. Her disheveled state was horrifying but it was unavoidable when she was drowning in so much sorrow.

[I never thought you would have so much control of my life. I knew you were my purpose but I always underestimated how much hope you gave me and how much you meant to me.]

The young thirteen year old cried her heart out in silence before jumping from fright at the sound of a crash.

Someone had trespassed her holy ground. Only her young miss had ever been here.

[WHO DARES TO DESTROY MY SANCTUARY?!]

She stomped forward with a tear stricken face filled with uncontrolled rage as she glared at the blurry intruders through her tears.

"GET THE F*CK OUT OF HERE!"