Casian stared emptily at the window, his left hand holding the picture of his late wife, his right hand pouring the kettle.

His daughter’s hum past his void mind. She suddenly gasped.

“Daddy! You’re spilling the coffee again!”

Casian jolted back to consciousness and flickered his hands, moving the spilled coffee onto the sink in one swift move.

“I’m going back to the office. Call me if you need anything.”

“But daddy, you were just there!”

“I need to go,  Mira .”

The 14 year old’s face fell.

She tidied her crayons and peeked through the blinds as her dad’s car drove away. He’s always working, and now that he managed to spend some time home, he’s always lost in thought.

 Mira  tiptoed to the sink. How does he do it?

She sprinkled some water to the floor.

Flicker.

The water stayed in the floor.

Flicker.

Nothing.

She pouted and blew the water puddles in frustration before wiping them off. If she’s half, why could she only grow a flower, a flower that only live for 1 second at that??

The doorbell rang.

 Mira  peeked through the camera. She grinned.

“Dad told me not to answer the door to anyone!”

“You just did, idiot!”

The smell of sea salt wafted in as soon as she opened the door. The two girls stared at each other for a second and squealed.d

“Am I really included in your dad’s do not open list?”

“Well, my dad approves of you, but he’s worried that an entity or another someone disguise as you and knock the door.”

“Ooh, what if I’m an entity right now disguising as Thalassia, out to get you?”

“Yea right, you can’t even dodge this pillow!”

“AGHH! LIKE YOU COULD!”

Thalassia transferred into her school at third grade. Her fae family came from the Southern Sea, giving her bright ocean eyes, tanned skin, and glimmering long beach hair.

“Where’s lunch? Dad packed you a lot of food like usual, right?”

“… Did you came here purposedly at lunchtime?”

“Of course! My parents are getting even stricter now with healthy eating that I beg the noodle shop next shop for a bowl each day.”

“Can’t you just buy?”

“They’re afraid to get whacked by my parents.”

“Oh. Your parents seem to care a lot about you though, unlike my dad.”

“Aw come on, his concern makes sense, you know. Especially with the growing tension right now.”

“Growing tension?”

“You may not really feel the cold war, but we felt it in the coastlines and borders. I think it’s fair for your dad to worry about the 10 year war to reoccur anytime.”

“But aren’t the territorial division done?”

“40 years ago, yeah, but with two remaining factions with rivalling ideologies sitting side by side, everyone’s anxious that one might start invading the other. Especially after the Allevttes moved from East to South.”

“Huh, why did you move from South to East, then?”

“I liked it better here. My family too. The South was more… old money-“

“But don’t they have corruption here too-?”

“Segregated too – sort of. I suppose that doesn’t put my family much to a disadvantage but – eh, vibes I guess. Also, the East still have powerful entities like your Dad.”

“Right, whose daughter could only grow a flower for 1 second.”

“Are you sure you’re not adopted?”

 Mira  flattened her lips.

“Just kidding!” Thalassia laughed.

“I think there’s another thing my dad had been stressing – the Southern General, Lucian?”

“Waitt, yess! The tension’s ever high partly because his marriage to the heiress of Allevtte, and since one had the power of life force and the other the power to manipulate all non-living elements, if they have a child, the Eastern faction will be cooked for good.”

Thalassia thought for a while.

“Hmm, want to know a juicy info I overheard?”

“What is it??”

“The government’s training children spies – children as old as us – to infiltrate the South. Not sure if you dad knows about it or not – OH NO YOU DON’T! You’re not thinking about it, are you?”

“Hey, didn’t I tell you not to read my mind?”

“First, you know I’m not very good at controlling it, second, anyone can read your mind with those facial expressions!”

Thalassia almost tripped. She stared at the framed picture with a torn silhouette of a lady.

“You still can’t remember your mom,  Mira ?”

“No,” Mira shook her head.