Kalena was a sweet, timid, and obedient child... except for when she wasn't.
The adults quickly grew frustrated with her "rebellious streak", suddenly having outbursts or neglecting chores... Kalena tried to tell them that she had no clue what they were talking about, she didn't do whatever it is she was being punished for. Irritated she would try to worm out of it, they became even more strict with her. Eventually she just accepted their demands without talking back.

    She was picking up debris in the yard for yet another "outburst" when she met him... A boy that looked about her age, with tousled hair and a nasty glare.

"Why are you picking up trash for those jerks?"

"Someone might trip on it if no one cleans it up."

"Nuh-uh, you're just doing it because they said so."

"..."

"You should just ditch the sticks and go play across the street. They hate your guys anyway."

"That's not true! They work really hard to earn food and put a roof over our head..."

"You think housing their kid is love? Ha, you're so naïve..."

    With such a sour first impression, Kalena wasn't too pleased to find out this boy was the culprit behind her "outbursts". He kept making more trouble for her, calling her a goody-two-shoes, ditching chores and acting out... What an absolute pest! That's what she thought at the time.

"I'm telling you, that's all we have!" Kalena's father stood at the doorway, his thick frame obscuring two emissaries from the church.

"All who live in the Holy City must pay their dues to the Church. It is more than fair for our protection."

"We don't even have enough to feed ourselves!"

"Surely you can spare several more pounds, yes?"

It was then that the meek, timid Kalena pushed her way forward...

"Haaah?! You heard the old man, we've got nothing left!"

"What did you just call me, you brat?" His bushy eyebrows furrowed, her father's voice was far less welcoming than she remembered. His piercing gaze would be enough to make her faint, but a voice that was a bit deeper than usual brushed it off like nothing.

"Oh come on, I'm on your side you moron!" Kalena rolled her eyes, before staring coldly at the sharks sent by the Church. "You take one-third of our crop. Bad harvest, less crop. Do the math."

    The man looked at her with a face of pure contempt, and the thin woman at his side began whispering something. A thin smile pulled at his lips, but it held no trace of kindness.

"Ah yes... Of course. Do excuse us then."

    ...Three days later, the emissaries returned saying they were taking Kalena to purge her of a demon. Her parents sneered that they could just keep her; she had been nothing but trouble for them.