1 Chapter One

The wind is knocked out of the woman, and she bends over in pain. She looks up to see the menacing man tower over her with a fist still in his hand. Although he tries to look menacing, the fool only looks comical with his grotesque face and hideous snarl.

"This shall be the last time you mention those putrid gremlins" Mariaisabella nods at her husband's words. She then attempts to walk out of the office, her arm wrapping her stomach. It is then she allows her eyes to blur with tears.

Gremlins, he says. That is one of the many insults that Mariaisabella's husband, Stronzo has used to describe their daughters. The walk down the decorated hallways is one she is forced to make. The peach hue sheens through the ornate windows and lands on the sorrowful woman's face.

Mariaisabella looks ahead and continues her journey. Luckily, her little girls are off to bed. Tomorrow is a special occasion, so they are sleeping early.

The mother quietly opens the first door and peeks inside. She sees her eldest Mariaisabelle sleep so peacefully. It is as though she didn't experience a great loss. The mother doesn't say it out loud, but she is proud of her strong daughter. Mariaisabella closes the door and then keeps walking.

Before opening the next door, she leans her head to the door. The worried woman hears the sobs of her second oldest. With her remaining strength, she walks in with her head held high and a strong posture that has been engraved in her mind. There, she sees her daughter Maria sitting on the side of her bed.

"What is wrong, my little rose?" Mariaisabella asks. Maria looks up at her mother and, in response, continues to sob. The woman, knowing exactly why she is crying, goes over to her daughter and hugs her.

"You do not need him. Maria. You have your sisters and me," Maria continues sobbing. The caring woman cradles her daughter despite being in extreme discomfort. She does this until her daughter sleeps. Once her doleful daughter is dead asleep, Mariaisabella puts her to bed. Once she leaves with the door closed behind her, Mariaisabella desperately holds her aching stomach in an attempt to stop the pain.

However, the pain persists, and she knows that it isn't just the physical pain. With the aid of the walls, she slides across the floor until she reaches the last door.

Once Mariaisabella opens the door, she collapses. But with weak crawls, she finally reaches her youngest, Mary's bed.

"Did he hurt you too, Momma?" The girl asks. The mother, tired of lying, nods her head. Mary reaches over and holds her hand. Mariaisabella's heart breaks when she sees the bruises around the child's wrists.

"Can you tell me a story, Momma?"

Mariaisabella sighs as she hears her daughter asks for their story. It is the most common folklore, but Mary only wants to hear it from her mother. The blonde mother nods and gets ready.

"Six hundred years ago, a peasant fell in love with a beautiful enchantress.

And after the peasant saved her life, she reciprocated his feelings. Both would frolic in the dead of night and share poetic moments on bright days.

However, her aristocratic family found out about the peasant. In response, they forbade her from being with him again.

But their love prevailed. The peasant and enchantress would sneak off and go meet each other. They will profess their love in her rose garden every night. Unfortunately, she was arranged to marry another man, a much older man.

This fuelled the enchantress with a fiery rage. In this rage, she put a curse on everyone on earth. With the help of the peasant, the new witch gave sacrifices for the mark of invincibility. The sacrifice was her parents.

The curse had been set. Humanity will now bear a unique mark. The mark will only occur once you have had intercourse. However, if your partner died or slept with another, then the mark would be painfully removed.

The witch and her descendants would be protected. And they would be destined with their chosen one."

Mariaisabella stops and looks up. She then sees her daughter sleeping. The woman wipes Mary's brow before continuing.

"People should know the importance of love through the marks. Your fated partner should be someone who you should love, listen to, and hold dearly."

Mariaisabella chuckles as she feels her fading mark of durability ache. It is crazy to believe that losing the mark was the most painful experience in her life. With a final whisper, Mariaisabella collapses on her daughter's side and lets sleep take over.

"I just wish that it was that simple."