Everything is pitch black, I hear voices talking in the back. Where am I? I was laying in something soft and comfortable. Not in the forest, but more in a…bed. I opened my eyes and my prediction was accurate - I was in a wooden cabin. As I tried to stand up, my body immediately resisted and it became impossible to get up.

‘Stay in bed, get some rest, dear.’ a female voice said.

'Oh, is she awake?’ a male voice asked. 

I didn’t pay any attention to them and put all my remaining energy together to at least sit myself up on the edge of the bed. As I looked to my right, I saw three people sitting on a table eating breakfast. The boy from earlier was there. The woman and man must have been his parents.

‘You passed out and almost fell into the water. I saved you.’ 

‘You almost freezed to death. It was pretty close.’ the woman said. During the whole time, I didn’t say one word as I was still disorientated - I couldn’t grasp where I was. 

‘Tell us, how did that happen?’ the man asked. I put up my head and turned to him. As I saw him sitting there, I felt disgusted. Why would he ask me that? Does he know who I am? 

As I looked down and saw my hair, I realized why they didn’t recognize me. Our family has blonde hair which is a very rare feature in this population. Most of the common people have black hair and dark eyes. Seeing a blonde girl with pale skin on the streets would be a miracle. 

My heart dropped as I saw my hair. Nothing I saw hinted at my old self. It was pitch black. How did that happen? Am I dreaming? I felt like a stranger in my own body. 

‘Where are you from?’ the man then asked after he got no answer before. My blood boiled as he dared to ask such nonsense. I was sure they would see that I was from royal status, but my dark hair put me on a level with them. Again, no answer from me.

I looked at the boy sitting there, eating.

‘Hey, Brat. Why the hell did you do that?’

‘Do what?’

‘Why did you save me?! Did I ask for it?!’

‘I thought that was the right thing to do, I didn’t want you to die there.’ he replied with a shaky voice. 

‘He just wanted the best for you. Because of my son, you survived. You should be a little more thankful.’ his father said. 

I stood up, finally. I approached him, went close to his face. 

‘But I didn’t ask for it. How many times do I have to say that, does your peasant brain understand what I am saying?’ I whispered to him.

‘Enough, Leave my house! Why just tried to help a girl in danger and you treat us like shit! Get lost!’. He really didn’t need to say that twice. I took my robe laying under the bed. As I looked down, I saw how dirty I was. My legs were brown from the dirt, my feet had deep cuts. I left the cabin. It was on a small hill near a farm. 

I could see the next city from here. That was my next destination. I never got to experience what it was like outside the castle, but now I had time. So I decided to head to Hozano. It was the third largest city in the Kingdom but due to its coast it was an important location for trade with its big port. 

It took me about two hours to walk the scapes until I reached the city‘s gates. People, transportation wagons coming in and out of the city. I never was at such a busy place in my life. All those people around me made me feel worthless. Like I was just another soul out of many. 

‘Oh my dear. Where are your parents?‘ I heard a voice talking to me out of a wagon. It was big and made out of expensive wood - I could see the quality of it since I saw many of those in my past life. 

A middle aged woman stuck her head out. She wore a hat and a nice robe. 

‘Here. At least take those shoes.‘ as she gave me a pair of sandals. Did she think I was poor? But I didn‘t care about what she thought, I was happy to get something for my feet. Every step inflicted a burning pain. At least that would have an end.

The city was busy. noises of people screaming, trade ships arriving. It was a contrast to what I experienced in my past - the quiet, peaceful life at the castle. Ever since I entered the city, I sensed something. I went behind the corner and took a quick look. A tall man in a dark robe wandered towards the corner, but luckily he didn’t see me. He was the one, I just had a feeling. I started walking away at a faster tempo. Whoever that man was, I was sure he wanted something from me. 

I just went straight forward, not looking back. Another small passage on the right was my chance to leave him behind. I took a quick turn and suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. My heart dropped. I quickly turned around and what I saw shocked me. A tall figure with black armor was the one who put his big hand on me. I know that armor. He is one of the royal hunters, kind of a personal assassin for the royal family. Him being here must mean only one thing. 

I looked around to see if some of the other people would help me. My hopes were crushed. No one seemed to notice or care. They all went on with themselves like something like is normal. 

‘Let me go! Let me go! What do you want?!’

‘The princess sent me.’

‘Well, then go back and tell her to keep her eyes open because I will come for my revenge!’. 

He didn't take me seriously for one second. What would a slim, weak girl like me do? He put his hand down to take something out of his pocket. I used that small time span and quickly ran deeper into the alley but I realized that my life will have an end now. It was a blind alley. No way to escape. The houses on the left and right were too high to try and climb away. I made peace with my life already when I almost died on that hill but visiting the city gave me a new view.

All that didn’t matter as I saw the assassin slowly approaching me. He knew I couldn’t escape so he took his time. He had a big, black knife strapped on him.

‘Just make it quick, I’m tired.’ I said. I had no energy to defend myself in any way. As I looked at him for one last time, I saw blue essence appearing behind him and as I looked closer, there was someone. 

That person wore a cape so I couldn’t see his face, but compared to the assassin his body seemed like that of a small boy. He stretched out his arms which revealed his two daggers he held. They were surrounded by this blue essence. I never saw something like that. 

‘Hey’ he quickly said. The assassin noticed him. 

‘Leave her alone.’

‘Or what?’

‘Then… I’ll have to kill you.’ The assassin laughed. He couldn’t believe that this ‘little boy’ called him out. He left me and approached him.

‘Listen, boy. I have a job to complete. Go back to your mothe-’. a quick dash from him and suddenly the assassin stopped talking. He just went through him. After a few seconds his upper body slid away. He cut him in half in a matter of seconds.