Chapter 1 - A day like no other

"You're just another pet for me to throw out. Don't think that just because you're standing in front of a god means that you can stick with me forever. I am something powerful, something new and you will never walk the same carpet I walk on one way or the other". My voice was harsh and cold like the wind on a winter day.

My eyes dull as time itself slowly drains my life away from the second. It has been two years since the accident. I haven't heard of anything from Azia since that day yet Eleena is always on my tail like a little dog waiting for its master to break down.

The orphanage threw me out just two weeks after the accident and no matter where I went people stared at me like I was the one who did it. But they are waiting.

They are all waiting to see the day when I crack. When I end up killing someone like the beast I was. Sixteen years for me to finally love my family yet it only took me 10 seconds to hate them. They told me to let go. Let go of everything I had. But I will never listen to anyone ever again.

They are all liars. They say they love you and the next they end up killing you. I learnt how to survive by myself for these two years but for some reason, I felt alone. I always feel as if I'm missing something, something that has been chaining me up all my life.

"Hey! You better wake up before father comes downstairs. He won't be happy to know you overslept again" Two hands grabbed my shoulders with force yanking me from the covers of my velvet bed. My eyes slowly opened murmuring the words I couldn't even get out of my mouth.

"What the hell are you even saying!? Look, all I need you to do is get your ass up from this bed and go take a shower" He took away the covers I held onto like a baby-making me feel uncomfortable and cold.

"Fine, fine! Just stop shaking me already. I am worried you're going to kill me soon with those gorilla arms of yours" I protested back at him as my legs felt stiff as if they were still asleep. My brother Aster sighed to himself looking at me up and down with disgust.

"First of all, you stink and second your hair looks like a baboon's ass so you better not go to your work looking like that" He walked to the bathroom located next to my room to put the warm water on. I always felt as if he was my maid, fixing this and making that.

Maybe I could even hire him one way or the other if he wasn't my brother. The sounds of the water dripping from the tap was calm like a riverbank and the sun reflected on my peach skin was shimmering like a diamond.

The windows were open with freedom while the wind rushed inside taking cover. My room was the only room in the whole manor that was decorated with my choice.

As the least favourite child, I could do whatever I wanted with my room. My parents only cared about my brothers and how perfect they would be in the future.

Yet all I knew about my future was that once I turned eighteen I would leave my home and find whatever work I can get. Sometimes I wonder why my brothers even still care about me. My mother on the other hand still cared about me a little.

From time to time she would come to my room late at night to talk to me about anything that could interest us.

My favourite part about meeting up with my mother late at night was that she used to tell me stories about the past and how it reflected on the future we have today. Sometimes having a family was a good thing, you wouldn't need to worry if you had food on your table or if you had a home to stay in.

Father, on the other hand, thinks that I'm not grateful for anything he does. He would always scold me for the usual 'ladies talk' or even act as if he was my mother at times. All I want now is to have a nice shower and forget about all of my family issues. I silently got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom.

As I stepped onto the cold tiled floors, Aster walked out of the bathroom without even saying a word to me. That is how he usually is, never talking to anyone unless he needs to. I closed the door behind me and undressed myself from head to toe.

The feeling of the cold air made my body shiver and the crystals that were inlaid on my mirror stood gracefully. Before I got into the warm bath I looked at myself in the mirror to see what I had looked like. My eyes were a shade of violet twinkling like the stars in the night sky, my hair was the colour of midnight black making me look like a raven and my skin was a natural colour of peach. I was so different from many people. My eyes terrified some people.

At times I see people glare at my face wondering if I came from another world. I wouldn't blame them, to be honest. I was like glass, I was elegant, natural and free. But there was nothing beautiful about me. As long as the heart is pure then that is what beauty truly is.

It's not the looks but what the eye sees in that person's heart. I reminded myself that I was going too far with what I was saying and immediately got into the bathtub before it got cold. I lay my head back to feel the sensation of the water. It made me calm and free of all torture. I then bathed myself and made sure I was clean.

Washing my hair and using skincare to lighten my face a little. As I was done I got out and put a towel over my body.

I knew I was running out of time and rushed to my bedroom to wear anything I could find in my closet. I rummaged through everything to finally find a white tube top, with black skinny jeans, a double rider jacket and White trainers.

My mother would hate to see me wear these types of clothes but none of my parents even dared to buy me the clothes I wanted. Sadly I had to work for them by having a part-time job in a bakery and a cafe. As the least favourite child. Before I got out of my bedroom I combed my wavy hair and grabbed my crossbody bag.

I walked towards the door and closed it gently rushing down to the main hall where my family would be. It is surprising to say but my family were really rich.

They owned so many hotels and factories around the world and even made a name for themselves. My full name is Valerie Die Heart. I know it's a weird name to have but my ancestors were to blame. Sometimes, my friend, Azia would make a whole joke about my name and even say that 'I give people heart attacks'.

Wasn't funny at all! I made sure that I didn't bump into any maids or servants while going down the stairs. The whole mansion was in a rush. People are getting ready for tonight's annual ceremony for the founding of my family. I hated it.

Even though I was part of a family that was an elite in the world, there was something that was missing. Like a key without its lock or a book without words in it. I could never be who I wanted to be. My brothers were like the stars of the show and me a lowlife that will soon be forgotten by everyone. I pushed all my thoughts away and pulled my phone out of my bag to text Eleena and Azia to meet up at the usual place.

I sprinted towards the two luminous doors until someone had grabbed my arm from behind. I stopped in my tracks to see Mary smiling at me. "Did you forget what today was?" She asked in a slightly high tone. "Of course, I didn't! Have you not seen everyone at the castle today or are you just blind?" I groaned in annoyance as she positively looked at me. Mary was a maid at the mansion who served the family as a high ranking maid.

In every palace, home, mansion or any type of household, maids and servants were given ranks depending on how useful they are and loyal. Low ranks would be considered as people who just joined or not be as good as a maid as they could be. High ranks on the other side would always be close with their masters and would always know everything about them as they could keep a secret. "Also have you seen Tanya around? That bitch keeps on stealing my makeup" I said angrily.

"No actually. Tanya hasn't been called for morning routines and I haven't seen her at breakfast as well" A worried expression plastered on her face. I placed a hand on her shoulder sighing quietly. "Don't worry. That son of a bitch must be out drinking again! So stop worrying about her" I explained to her but she looked more annoyed than sad after what I had said.

"Please young master. Saying such words is not polite and if your father had heard you, you would already have been sent to your room for the whole day". I tried to ignore her but she kept on lecturing me about how words can affect not only me but the people around me as well. "Okay I get it! No bad words for today.

Thanks for the lecture but I have to get going" I quickly walked out of there before she could drag me back for another lecture. As I finally reached the two doors I pushed them open to reveal my family sitting at the long rectangular table. It was too long and barely anyone dined with us as we were a small family.

"Valerie you are late yet again" My father growled in a low tone. "So what? Doesn't matter if I am here or not" I protested back at him.

"Valerie, don't speak like that to your father! He cares about you so don't say those words ever again" My mother sat near the corner of the table next to my father as he sat on the end. I hated how they were always lovey-dovey near each other.

"Fine I get it. You don't have to be so dramatic about it". I sat on one of the chairs and laid my head back to watch the ceiling for a moment. I had two brothers. One of them was called Sorin. He was the softie in the family, always kind and helpful and never dared to speak back at father.

And of course, my other brother Aster who was the devil of the family. Always playing pranks, saying rude words and having no manners at all.

They were complete opposites but always got along well with each other. "What got you so mad in the morning?" Aster grinned from ear to ear. "Nothing. So you don't need to worry". "Oh I am not worried about you. I was just asking you a question. I mean who can be worried about you when you are all day at the club partying until midnight" He chuckled like the Cheshire cat making my blood boil. "Then shut up and mind your own business".

"Valerie stop fighting with Aster again. Don't think your arguments are getting kind of old now" Sorin was sitting at the opposite table reading the news on his phone. "The only thing old here is Aster's feet since he never washes them" I looked back at Aster with a greedy smile. "That's enough you two. Can we all get along just for one moment, please!" My father, Gavril Die Heart, was the head of the family as every male was. I thought it was stupid to always have the male as the head of the house.

My mother was way smarter than him and of course wiser. Sometimes I wonder why she was never the head when she could take my father out in one blow. "Sure I guess" Aster said, sitting three chairs away from Sorin. The butlers soon came in with trays filled with delicious foods. Most of them would be thrown out or given to charities. So much food and they waste it on such little stomachs.

As each dish was brought up I felt my stomach growl. Once the last dish was served we all started eating. I rushed to grab the cheese, jam, toast and orange juice. I took the knife beside me and used the jam to put on the toast as I poured the orange juice into my glass. The cheese I ate plainly. The jam was scrumptious and the orange juice made me feel calm and relaxed.

I loved jam but most of all ice cream. I usually sneaked into the kitchen to get some at night but now I was craving it even more. As I took slow bites I checked my phone to see the time. It was already 8:30, if I didn't eat quickly I would end up being late to work again. I took big bites of the cheese and gulped down the orange juice as I grabbed my bag to speed out of the door. But my mother stopped me before I reached the door.

"Valerie, why don't you sit down with us? I know you're busy but maybe you can skip work just this time" Everyone was surprised to hear those words from mother. Not once has she ever stopped me from skipping breakfast but this time it felt different. "You sure mother? You know Valerie doesn't want to lose her job by being late again" Sorin tried to reason with my mother. But her expression was soft and kind as always. She didn't hesitate with her words and even smiled at me.

"Well then I'll let you go this time. Just remember to be back at 18:00" Her voice was much softer this time but I swore I heard a worried tone.

"Don't worry I will be there" I smiled back at her and left the mansion without saying another word. I lived in Gaillior city. It was one of the many cities that had a wide range of magic users. Unlike Crystal city which was the capital of the whole country. It was the place where only some were accepted. I had heard stories that once entering the city it's like a whole different fantasy world. Even though it's the capital, the buildings aren't like the skyscrapers in the city and everything looked like it came out of a book.

The reason being was because it was all filled with magic and having tall buildings now would only damage the streets and cause too many casualties. I walked on the pavement watching the sky as it hovered over the city.

The buildings were looming over me like giants and the lights were flashing on repeat. The smell of pastries and food glamoured my vision as the sounds of business people roared in my ears probably wanting to sell whatever junk they had. The city was lively at this time of day especially since many people were coming to the ceremony as well.

It was going to take a couple of minutes for me to reach the cafe. If I hadn't overslept then maybe I would have been earlier for Azia to not beat me up. I wished that my father would have given me a bigger allowance so I wouldn't have to wake up every morning for work.

In the city there were many types of people or should I say, creatures. There were Elves, Ogres, Shape-shifters, magic users, angels, vampires, mermaids, all kinds of weird fantasy no one would have imagined to even be real.

But of course, humans were always the worst ranked in society. They had no powers, no abilities unless they have been blessed by magic yet everyone just laughs at them to go back to their world. Yesterday while I was taking Azia back home from one of her drunk sessions I passed by an alleyway where vampires and demons were beating up a poor human boy who looked like a foreigner.

Of course, I ended up saving him but once my father found out about it he was furious and I even swore that I saw his cheeks shine bright red for a moment. All I need to know is that whenever I go out places I need to make sure my father isn't always spying on me with his servants. I took a left and walked towards a small cafe coloured in all shades of brown. It was one of the cafes that had won many awards for their best drinks thanks to me. That's why it was a big tourist attraction to go there and try one of their drinks.

My cousin Amira came here last year to try out one of the bomb drinks but after finishing the whole thing she ended up going to the toilet for a very long time. I opened the cafe door to hear a chime of bells ringing in my ears. I stepped inside and hung my bag on the peg as I stepped toward the counter. "You doing anything down there?" I asked, crossing my arms together.

"Wait for one-moment madame! I will be with you in a second!" Then their head banged under the desk as they shot up in a flash. "Oh, it's just you Valerie" The girl standing behind the desk said plainly. "What do you mean 'Oh it's just you Valerie'. You Should be happy I am here". The girl behind the desk took out a form and pen for me to sign. It was for the people who worked here to sign in for the day. "You were nearly one minute late.

Go to the back and put your apron on" She signalled with her hand pointing at the back door to the small kitchen. I scurried off opening the door to the kitchen.

The girl I was talking to was called Celine. I knew her for two years and to be honest she was the fashion queen of my life. She had cherry-red hair and scarlet coloured lips. Her skin was pale but her cheeks were rosy pink. She reminded me of a red rose in the snow even though they barely grow at a cold temperature.

I met her at a theatre when I was fifteen. We both like the colour red and our favourite band is the Mischievous Fires.

Also, she was the one who was able to get me this job so I am thankful for that. I grabbed the apron from the hanger and walked out of the kitchen to head to the cashier. My usual duty would be to welcome the customers or to be at cashier duty. Today I will probably be one of the waitresses which were not fun at all.

Last time a glass of water was sent straight at me at full speed splashing the liquid all over my clothes. Of course in the end I nearly beat the person half to death but my boss let me go just for this time. My temper was okay but at times I would go all out, raging my anger at people. "Make sure you're nice to the customers this time" Celine chuckled while fixing the new menu. "Ha ha, very funny Celine" I rolled my eyes and strolled to the bunch of people taking their orders.

"I would like to have a raspberry cake please" I looked to see a young lady probably around the age of twenty-four with pale skin and Snow White hair sashaying her hair at me. "Of course madam, anything else?" I tried to hold my expression but just seeing her made me feel sick to my stomach. "I don't need anything else now go get my drink" She demanded me as if I was some kind of slave. If I wasn't at work I would have strangled her neck already.

"Of course madam" I walked back to the kitchen to the chef. Our cafe was different from most in the city. We served desserts and drinks that were handmade by ourselves. "Hey Devon got a new order" I shouted trying not to bump into anyone. "What is it now?" He grumbled in a low tone of voice. "Got a woman. Young lady, bratty seems to be full of herself.

She wants the raspberry cake". "Oh god, not one of these types again" Devon slammed the knife on the counter looking at me. "Don't worry Devon. Just make sure it's extra sweet and even put some of those cute flakes that you have" I kissed him on the cheek and went back to the front of the cafe again. Devon was like a father to me.

He took care of me and even made sure I was safe when going back home. If it wasn't for him I would have had a hard time adjusting to the place. It has already been one hour and my legs were dying. It was a hot weather and I didn't even finish my shift yet.

Only two people complained about their food and it was more packed than usual. I took in deep breaths and told myself I could do it. The sky was shimmering like a lake and the wooden tables were carved with perfection. The smell of the kitchen had a pleasant aroma. But I knew that I liked winters more than summers. "You need a hand?" I turned around and saw my least favourite person in the whole world. "No thank you Seth, I am alright" I continued wiping the surface of the table. "You sure? You look like a tomato right now" He laughed quietly as I went red from embarrassment.

"I told you I am fine, didn't I? If you want to order something make it quick because I have work to do" My day was already getting worse by the second. Seth sat down on one of the tables and silently watched me as if he had nothing else to do. His gaze was haunting me and if he keeps on staring at me I might have to kick him out. For the next ten minutes, he was like a hawk watching my every move.

"What kind of drink is this!?" A middle-aged man yelled throwing his drink to the floor and breaking the glass. I rushed to the scene hoping no one got hurt. "Is there something wrong sir?" I asked gasping for breath. "Of course there is something wrong! You workers tried to poison me!" He screeched so loudly my ears felt as if they were about to pop. "I am sorry sir but none of our workers would ever try to poison you".

"That is a lie! Your just saying that to keep your reputation!" His anger boiled deep inside of him. "Sir please understand that we are not that type to do that sort of thing" But he brushed aside my words as if I didn't matter. "You dare talk back to a loyal customer! Once everyone hears about this your business will fall!" He cackled like a witch. Today was not my day.

I picked up the glass from the floor and laid it down on the table. "Sir if you do not calm down I will have to remove you from the premise" I said stepping in front of him.

"Oh, I will show you calming down!" He picked up the piece of glass and charged at me. I stood there frozen to the spot. "Fuck this day" I said in my head. Seth pounced from nowhere using magic to stop him in his tracks. "What the-" The middle-aged man couldn't move an inch. "If you think hurting a fellow citizen is right then I will have to report you to the police" He growled in frustration as magic glowed in the palm of his hand.

It was like the colour of the sunset. As the magic slowly drained away the man grabbed his suitcase and dashed to the door without saying another word. Everyone in the cafe cheered and clapped for Seth. "Such a show-off" I chuckled throwing the glass pieces in the trash. "Oh come on shouldn't you thank me for saving your life". "I would have if you stopped staring at me".

Seth may be an annoying person but in reality, he is a kind and caring boy. I looked at the time to see that my shift was over. "So are you finally free now?" He questions looking at me with his puppy dog eyes. "Yes, I am free now. Is there anything you want from me?" I took my apron off and headed back to the kitchen to hang my apron.

"I have to tell you some good and bad news" His voice went quieter on the last part. I stretched my arms and sat back on the chair looking at his sapphire eyes. "Let me guess. Your dad finally stopped your allowance so you can be independent for once in your life". But there was no response from him. Neither did he laugh or even smile. I guess my joke wasn't that good anymore. "So which news do you want first?" He queries sitting straight up.

"I don't know. Shoot me some good news I guess". He played with the palm of his hand rubbing his thumb over it. He always did that when he was nervous or worried about something. "Well, I went for some testing and found out that my level has now risen to seven" He said in a weary voice. "Oh my god, that is amazing! I can't believe you went this far up" I held onto his arm squeezing it tightly.

"But the thing is Valerie. I am leaving today to go to the capital. My father knows someone in one of the guilds and wants me to sign up for this year's competition" His words struck me like a dagger. Was he leaving the city? He never told me about leaving before and it was all too sudden. "Wait a minute you are telling me that all of a sudden you're leaving?" I slammed the table with both of my hands.

"Yes, I am. I know you are angry but can you please be happy for me just this one time! It has been my dream to be in one of the guilds and this is my chance" He looked at me with those pleading eyes as if he was begging me to let him go. I felt like there was a hole in my heart. I sighed deeply and ran my hand over my hair.

"I am not angry at you I am just surprised that is all. But if this is what you want then I can't say no to you" Before I could think things through he clasped my hands together and smiled brightly. "Thank you so much Valerie. I am so lucky to have a friend like you". The happier he was the more I wanted him to get out. "Okay, I get it. Now go back home" I demanded pointing at the door. He jumped from his chair and rushed towards the door.

"Come to the capital soon. You will have a blast there" Those were his last words to me as the door slammed shut ringing those annoying goddam bells. I groaned loudly and covered my head with my hands. Why does he tell me this all of a sudden? I mean if he left me a note then I wouldn't have been so confused. "Did he break up with you or something?" Devon went out of the kitchen and signalled one of his workers to cover for him.

"Nope. He is moving to the capital to join one of the guilds". He eyed me up and down, placing a carrot cake on the table.

"I told you that boy will end up going there one way or the other. Just eat this cake and you will feel much better in no time" He patted my head and headed back to the kitchen. "How much do I owe you for this cake?" I asked. "It's on the house" He bellowed. I sat there lost in thought with my hands digging into my face.

In this world, there are things called Evil Souls. Thousands of years ago there was a war called The Great War of Antaka where all creatures young and old fought to defeat the God of Death. But when the war finally ended the God of Deaths remains dug under the soil to form a curse on the land. Once a person dies they are seen to have a pure soul or evil soul.

Pure souls will enter heaven but the curse affected the Evil souls. Once an Evil soul has been formed it will enter the Earth and will do at nothing to destroy anything in its path. That is why guilds and knights were soon established to get rid of those souls. But being in a guild all depended on your power level. When you are born you are given mana.

Some can be powerful and some can be weak but if you end up training and learning to use that mana you can level up your powers to be in ranks. The highest power level is 1 and the weakest power level is 15. With ranks, it is slightly complicated. I dug my hands into my pockets and took out a piece of paper. There written were the power levels and ranks.

Power levels

-Level 1

-Level 2

-Level 3

-Level 4

-Level 5

-Level 6

-Level 7

-Level 8

-Level 9

-Level 10

-Level 11

-Level 12

-Level 13

-Level 14

-Level 15

Ranks

-Rank 1 (1-2)

-Rank 2 (3-5)

-Rank 4 (5-7)

-Rank 5 (8-10)

-Rank 6 (11-13)

-Rank 7 (14-15)

But this was the reason why my father never really loved me. When I was born I was taken to a doctor to find out what my mana level was. But when the results were in everyone was shocked to find out that I had no mana power at all. Which meant I was pretty much useless to everyone. I put the paper back in my pocket and picked up the fork stabbing it into my cake.

For the rest of my free shift, I ate the carrot cake slowly observing the people around me. I had nothing else to do and Azia still hasn't arrived after such a long time. Eleena on the other hand is always finishing up her artwork to send to the gallery. As time steadily went by the small tv on the wall changed to another channel.

"For today's news in the capital, the amazing Golden Lions saved the day once again defeating the evil souls that have attacked the south of the capital" The news reporter declared in excitement. The Golden Lions were the most powerful guild in all of history.

I wouldn't even be shocked if they ended up getting an award from the royal family themselves. "Seems to me like your enjoying that program aren't you?" I was startled to hear a voice from behind me. "Azia don't scare me like that!" I argued at her. "Oh come on it was just a joke, you will get over it" She protested and picked me up from the arm.

"Well, it took you one hour and fifty minutes just to get here". "I was in traffic! Those bastards won't stop honking at each other" Her voice was slightly higher and I knew immediately that she was lying to me. I raised an eyebrow and punched her on the arm. "Next time you better be early or I will make sure you don't see the light of day again" I was displeased with her but she was a good liar. "Yea I get it". I went to the desk and signed out. "Here is your paycheck" Celine handed me an envelope. "Thanks, Celine. Tell Devon that I won't be working tomorrow".

"Sure. Just don't end up spending all your money in one go" She chuckled at me. "Don't worry I won't". I took my bag and put my paycheck into it. Azia was waiting for me outside the cafe and I looked back to remember the scent of the cafe. I opened the door and stepped outside closing it gently. "So you ready?" Azia asked. "Ready than ever" I said.