As far as the young girl could remember, hunger and poverty had ravaged the village of Melsa. Often, orphans and beggars wander the streets, struggling to survive and support their families. Yet despite how challenging it may be to live through each day, Ellen Acacia often recalled those days as she still had a home and a family to belong to. Her mind wandered back to when she walked along the stone-paved road, occasionally twirling around as she walked to meet her father who had finished work for the day. Although her beloved father was exhausted after gruelling work each day to provide for them, he nevertheless tried to spend time with her and her brother, Solace Akakios. The smooth midnight blue dress followed her movements as she danced to her heart's content, briefly touching her ankles as she continued walking down the road. Despite her eagerness to see her father again, she gently pranced along the road, letting her caramel brown hair swing gently from side to side. Perhaps had she known what lay ahead... would she have done things differently back then? Oh, how she misses those days. While wandering across the realm in the present time, Ellen Acacia often drifted into these thoughts as she reminisced about those good old days.

Even so, the young girl had already seen those orphans huddling in groups to scavenge for food, or sitting by the side of the road begging for a few coins, hoping to get a meal before sundown. Such struggles among the common population often went unnoticed, rotting away slowly over time. No matter how many times her fellow villagers sought help, their pleas were always met with inaction. As with every other desperate cry of those less fortunate, it would be swept under the rug. Due to these precarious situations, one would expect that the public would grow dissatisfied and their rage would boil over like wildfire. Nevertheless, there were no uprisings. Perhaps the common villagers were so focused on survival that they simply had to make ends meet with whatever energy and focus they had left. As long as people are separated and isolated in their own lives, no uprising can take place if no one is there to rally them around, that is a tactic used often by powerful rulers to quell any potential uprising. 

In her distant memory, Ellen Acacia recalls pulling her father's sleeve gently and gazing at him with bright iridescent eyes as she asked, "Why aren't people answering their calls for help, Father?" Hearing that, her father chuckled as he gently patted her head and replied, "That's just the way it is. Not everyone is going to help the less fortunate.. not when they have everything they need in life". In a moment, the young girl lowered her head, looking at her father with iridescent eyes that glistened like jewels. How could they be so selfish? Looking down on people below them won't solve anything... It's unfair to those who weren't born into the same circumstances as they were..." Once again, her father smiled warmly at her and replied, "My jewel, life is not always smooth sailing, but we can learn to ride the waves". A soft smile spread across the young girl's face as she cocked her head slightly. “I guess so, father... But what matters is that our family remains together, isn’t it? ” In her early years, she did not understand many things, but she smiled and nodded along as if she did. After all, children want their parents' acknowledgement, don't they? Throughout all those conversations with her father, she recalled his reassuring words... "No matter what happens, family will remain together until the end." Her younger self gazed at her beloved father softly and echoed. “Always till the end, promise? ” As always, her father answered, “Always, my jewel. Nothing can separate us, not even death”. Ellen Acacia now understood what her father meant when he said this... only regrets might remain should unexpected events arise in the future.  

Even with all the hardships, her father provided for her and her younger brother by working on the nearby farm. Maybe if the fates were merciful, they might be famished for once and avoid that horrible feeling of starvation. One harsh winter was all it took for her mother to pass away, after suffering from a strange illness, as the village doctor briefly mentioned this to her father after her passing. The illness itself had never been heard of by the village doctor... and after her mother passed, no music or laughter could be heard in the household, as if the symphony weaved within the household had faded with time. Regardless, sad birds still sing... albeit in a sombre tone, but they live long nonetheless. Having lost her mother, the three of them rarely spend time together. In the absence of their mother, her father worked long and hard to provide for them, while she looked after her brother. Though she was supposedly the youngest member of the Haynes family, the young girl often tended to her older brother, who seemed to be trapped in a maladaptive daydream since their mother passed away. It was often necessary for Ellen Acacia to follow him around the village to ensure he did not wander off and never return, as some strange rumours were floating around the village... of some evil lurking among those meadows. Thus, it was not uncommon for the young girl to take her brother's hand and walk him towards the back of the house, where their departed mother tended to the gardens while their father was away at work... Her brother would sit beside her, often laughing and smiling at her as she drew with the stick she had picked up from the ground. Like a fading memory seemingly out of her grasp, she vaguely remembered how her brother would gaze at her in awe each time the wooden stick she held transformed into a quill, bringing the illustrations to life.

As she watched him smile, it dawned on her that she would do anything to ensure his happiness. Since Solace Akakios is her brother, she has sworn to remain by his side until the end of time... perhaps even beyond that. Unbeknownst to her, her brother was thinking the same thing as he looked at her drawing on the ground. In retrospect, this was quite tragic as all families have secrets hidden for too long... until a point of no return has passed. Even though every day was exhausting, there was one thing she looked forward to... the time her father returned home. Because wasn't that the definition of home? Not where you come from, but where you are wanted. For the sake of her family, she was willing to do anything to ensure these simple, peaceful times lasted... even if that meant making a deal with the devil. Sadly, those simple days are long gone; times are now harder than ever...

Still, as the conflict between the neighbouring countries continued, numerous people entered the village and nearby towns in search of refuge. Hunger and poverty became more prevalent as people arrived... resources and jobs became more scarce. With time passing and the war intensifying, rumours spread like wildfire through the town, alleging someone was responsible for the land's curse, and because of this, no one offered help to the villagers. As Ellen Acacia realized now... Being raised by cold eyes has taught her not to cry, all she has to do is adjust to the changing environment. Some have even suggested that this may be the reason why the conflict between neighbouring countries continues since they wish to appease certain influential figures. Thus, as the saying goes... bitter are the wars that are fought between brothers, as the issues involved become more personal within the conflict itself. Initially, the rumours were not taken seriously. After all, how could they be cursed by a deity? 

For what purpose would they bother to interfere with mortal affairs? As Ellen Acacia now knows, the deity involved wasn't simply a rumour... but for what purpose did this happen? To this day, she has never known, as some secrets are better left untold since the truth can sometimes lead to destruction rather than relief. At the end of the day, they were nothing more than mere mortals living in a village trying to make ends meet. People still seek an answer, and no matter how hard she tried to maintain peace, her efforts were in vain. Had Ellen Acacia known what she does now… perhaps her mere existence would be scandalous. After all, stars are meant to burn brightly, she may have been the brightest yet most distant star. That led to that dreaded day... her worst fear came true, and with it, her world came crashing down.