Thunder boomed in the sky and it shook the little girl to her core. Behind her was the mountain oozing fire. As the ground shook below her, familiar words flitted through the air.

" Filthy beasts!"

It echoed through the empty horizon. The girl stood as she looked at the saffron sky. On her right is a little boy who stood up to her waist.

" You don't deserve to be my child"

From whatever force it was, the girl seized the boy's hand and darted away. The sky turned plum red. They began running through asphalt roads surrounded by deep red streetlights. They came through a steep, narrow corridor surrounded by vile beasts laughing at her.

She turned to stop. The boy was out of her grasp now. She looked up to see a small ring of light amidst the dark sky. It was white then it turned orange.

Sunlight hit her directly in the face.

Sal opened her eyes.

She was expecting the darkness and stifling heat of the storeroom but instead she is stil resigned in her room on the upper storey of the house. It should not be different anyway. It was still the same, filthy room she had been for the past years. The walls have always been drab, white walls turning gray from the absence of sunshine.

The room is a prison enough.

It felt strange. She was not punished this time.

The room is starting to smell moldy. Something, the maids must have ignored. Strange patterns have also placed themselves on the wall. She traced a long line on her face where she was told a scar existed. Even Oleon turned away from her, the stranger, the ungrateful child.

" You don't deserve to be my child," she echoed.

The Signor has always been the one who kept order in the house. Everyday, men in coats would come to their mansion and she would peek from the small window to see them in the garden. They didn't even know she was there. She traced Oleon's name on the floor. He must have been ashamed of her too. The people in his school? They must have laughed at her letter. Ren's laughter was the only laugh she remembers. She picked up one sketch of her face. They were portraits of Sal's face Ren spent drawing. The details of her face were painted with such gentleness It was Ren who showed her what she looked like. He was her mirror.He wanted to hear him laugh again.