1 PROLOGUE

The train jostled to a halt at a bustling station. Three children quickly got off from the dark compartment full of boxed goods. Awe shone on their unclean, soot-covered faces as they inspected their foreign surrounding with keen gazes.

The young boy's roaming sight stopped at a refreshment store. With greedy eyes, he stared at the various delicious looking food items displayed through the transparent glass screen. The two young girls followed his line of sight and shared his attraction towards the yummy morsels.

The youngest of the three moved forward, and the other two followed her. When they reached near the small food store, she gestured to the other two to distract the shop owner.

The girl and boy moved towards the front of the shop and acted out their part by 'accidentally' dropping the various bottles on the top of a table.

Their third member, meanwhile, entered the back of the store and stole a few packets of wafers and a bottle of water.

Stealthily she snuck out without making a noise and signaled to her partners in crime to get away.

The two saw her and finished helping the shop owner put up the bottles. Apologizing, they moved away, arousing no suspicions.

The three abscond far from the shop before the owner came to know of the daylight robbery.

Adrenaline pumped through their veins, heart thumping against their chests. They ran hard, throwing caution to worry and pushing their guilty conscience to the back of their minds. Fear of getting caught was the last of their worries, getting the food taken from them, however, was something they could not let happen.

Suddenly the older girl bumped into someone, causing her skinny figure to fall down heavily on the sleek platform.

Her two friends stopped to check upon her and helped her up.

"I am so sorry, child, " a middle-aged lady frantically apologized, and attempted to check if the girl suffered any injuries because of her hard fall.

The lady stared at the three teens before her, who looked to be only fourteen or fifteen. Dirty rags covered their scrawny figures, and even though their faces were grimy and hair unkempt, it did not hide their exquisite features from her sharp eyes.

Clearing her throat, she distracted herself away from the thoughts of their prettiness. "But, you shouldn't be running around in a busy place like this. Wh-"

She got cut off when a loud voice hollered from behind the three youngsters; "You wretched brats! Dare to steal from me! I'll catch you and teach you a good moral lesson. One you thoroughly lack!"

Quick-witted as she was, noticing the wafer packets and bottle of water in the hands of the younger girl who glared at her fiercely, she put two and two together and grasped handle of the situation.

Decisively, she firmly took hold of the girl's and boy's arms, making the girl who just got up from the floor to follow them helplessly. The two who struggled in her hold could have easily gotten out of it had it not been for their exhausted, injured bodies.

Taking them to the store owner, who was resting for a quick second, panting heavily, the lady made the three apologize for their misconduct and paid for the items they stole. Bidding the owner farewell with another apology from her own self, the lady then sternly turned to the three, who now looked at her quizzically, surprised and wary of her strange actions.

"You're alone, aren't you? There's no adult with you?" She asked, though she already had a good guess about the correct answer.

The three nodded hesitatingly, never uttering a word.

That day, the three found themselves registering as new members of the orphanage owned by the odd woman, Clarisse. Their various wounds and deep injuries were treated, though however many times they were questioned they didn't utter a word about how they received those.

They were given clean clothes, a shower each and a proper dinner. That night in a very long time they slept on proper beds under a solid roof.

As days passed, much to Clarisse's dismay, she could learn nothing more about the children than their names and a little about their distinct personalities.

Astrid was a cheeky little minx and the most loquacious out of the three. She was the first to relax and adapt to her new environment. As outgoing as she was, though, Astrid only ever approached someone according to her needs and benefit.

Farid was near the same age as Astrid, nearly sixteen years old. He acted as the bodyguard of the two girls. He was always with them, silent and brooding, with either a scowl or a frown on his face. The only time he ever shifted his expressions was when he was alone with his two friends.

The youngest of the three Valeria was even more perplexing, Clarisse noted. She was always laid-back and languid, as if nothing ever bothered her. A permanently frigid, indifferent expression always etched on her face. She had noticed the girl's protectiveness of her friends, and her incomprehensible nature was just too difficult to decipher.

She didn't speak as much as Astrid, nor was she the silent one like Farid. But whenever someone spoke to her she communicated perfectly, her impeccable eloquence shocking many, including Clarisse.

Maturity beyond her years shone in her eyes.

Whenever asked about their past. The three had similar responses- abandoned at a young age, they grew-up together on the streets with no memory of their parents or any relatives.

But Clarisse knew they were lying. There was this gnawing feeling at the back of her mind that told her these children had very difficult lives, and there were a lot of secrets they were withholding. She just couldn't figure out why. There were too many mysteries surrounding these three.

Because she came to care for them like her family, she let them be with little interrogation. It in any way led to nowhere.

She was glad, though, that they had each other to rely on, their tight-knit relation unbreakable. The trio absolutely hated anyone invading their space.

Almost a year had passed when one day Clarisse received a call from the public school informing her of Valerie's impetuous ill health.

Rushing to the hospital, Clarisse was not ready for the events that followed.