Intermission: Lexi’s Past (2)

Regardless of my efforts to forget, the events of that day… I could never truly rid myself of them.

Having been caught in the act, the Nanny revealed her true colors to me. Her attitude becomes cold and callous. Her identity of being a normal Nanny was thrown completely away.

After getting caught by her, I was immediately locked in one of my bathrooms. The Nanny began to threaten me that if I don't behave or if ever tell my parents about her she will stop feeding me and I will starve to death.

Why the Nanny didn't try to kill me to silence me immediately right then and there, I had no clue at the time.

It wasn't until later I learned that this Nanny had a hidden track record of stealing valuable items from the families she received commissions from. She especially targets the rich and had been working like this for many years. Usually, the Nanny would not only steal items, she would replace them with matching imitations as to hide her tracks. She successfully pulled off this stunt many times and has never been caught before.

Judging from her previous modus operandi, it would seem that this time the Nanny became careless. Never would she have imagined a small child like myself would have discovered her mid-act having not decided to replace the stolen gems with imitations right away.

In her lack of composure from being caught, her first thoughts were to threaten me and lock me up. I imagined that having done this 'life of crime' for so long, she wanted to find a way to protect that 'life' at all cost. If she had killed me then, her current 'life' would have been over immediately. A child killed in her own home with no signs of a break-in happening. The most suspicious one would obviously be her, a stranger who has the keys to the house.

Killing me was taken off the table for her. But what would be the best silence me forever? Her answer? Threaten me until I remain obedient. To her, that was the only way. Despite the many possible ways that her plan could have backfired, she chose to do this as her only resort.

This is just my speculation based on hindsight, but I believe that was exactly how she worked.

If I had just known about this back then, I could have pretended to listen to her demands but, at the same time, find a chance to either call Mom or the police to save myself. But unfortunately, I was but a small child. I didn't have the cleverness nor the guts to do such things.

The only thing I could do was curl up on the bathroom floor in fear.

Since that day, the Nanny stopped going back to her home during the evenings and stayed as to keep watch over me so 'I don't do anything stupid' in her own words.

This lasted for two days. I was also starved for those two days. The only thing I could do to stave my hunger was to drink from the tub faucet.

I was weak from hunger. While only two days have passed, I was already experiencing dizziness and headaches. Unable to stand it any longer, I had tried to plead to the Nanny that I would surrender to her demands. However, I was unable to squeak a word due to fear. Having not heard my silent pleas for release, the Nanny continued to starve me all the while making threatening remarks to me behind the bathroom door.

Within her threatening remarks, I had unwittingly learned she was an unregistered Battle-Type System User. Her hand transformation had been but a part of her Skills.

In the past, when the Earth Union hasn't begun functioning properly yet, control of the 'Black Stele' was incomplete. As a result, there had been quite a number of people in the past who received a System of their own without the Union's knowledge. Just by looking, there hardly any differences between a System User and a non-User. Using this to their advantage, unregistered Users hide amongst the populace, doing their best to avoid being caught.

The Nanny was one such person. It was with her System that allowed her to commit her crimes in the first place.

Using her Skills as intimidation tactics, the Nanny often tried to threaten me face-to-face. I thought this was my chance. If I could appeal that I surrender to her, maybe I could escape this hell. Still unable to speak due to fear, I tried to nod in agreement to her many times in hopes she accepts it as an answer. But... it seems it was futile. Unless I were to say it with my own mouth, it seems the Nanny would not take any other answer.

The Nanny threatens starvation and harm to me if I don't follow her demands. The weak me, unable to speak, tried to surrender with gestures. Having not heard an acceptable response, the Nanny continues to threaten me with starvation and harm. A never-ending vicious cycle.

I wanted someone to save me. I wanted my parents to save me.

But I knew that was impossible. They never came back on short notice before. This time will obviously be no different.

It's already too much... I couldn't handle it any longer.

Whether it was from the starvation or from my frayed nerves, I finally reached critical mass and fainted for an indefinite time.

.

.

The next thing I knew, I found myself waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling. I then noticed I had an IV and a heart rate monitoring machine attached to my body. It seems I am now in the hospital.

Unsure what was going on I looked around the room. At my side, my Mom, who should have been gone still, was there.

Noticing I woke up, my Mom immediately grabbed me into her embrace while crying and apologizes to me profusely for leaving me alone.

At first I wasn't able to understand what was happening.

After a few moments of me processing this new information, tears begin to form in my eyes and I bawled my eyes out yelling 'Mom, Mom!' multiple times.

The two of us remained like this for a long time.

.

.

The next few days were hectic. I was health checked thoroughly at the hospital.

According to the doctor, despite my short-term starvation, there was no permanent physical damage done to me in any way and I would be able to leave the hospital after a few days. Being told this, Mom thanked the doctors profusely for their help.

As for the Nanny, Mom was able to tell all about what happened to her and me during the time I had lost consciousness.

This happens on the day prior to me being in the hospital. Mom had in the middle of work when she had noticed something was off after checking the home security cameras.

It was her break time so, as a habit, Mom went to check the home security app as always to make sure everything is okay.

At first she wasn't overly suspicious.

No matter which camera she looked, Mom was unable to find any sign of me anywhere. The only thing she saw was the Nanny she hired pacing back and forth in front of one of the bathroom doors.

Mom reasoned that I was probably in the bathroom and had the Nanny wait for me. Feeling that I was safe, Mom turned off her phone and returned to her work as usual.

However, despite checking the app at a different time later, the only thing Mom saw was only the Nanny pacing in front of the bathroom while I was nowhere to be seen.

Suspicious, Mom tried to call my phone and then the Nanny's phone. Both of us didn't answer.

Moms bad feelings continue to increase. Beginning to absolutely worry, Mom had told her manager she is going to leave early and turned around without letting the manager say anything to stop her.

Mom, not minding the fashion brand clothing she is currently wearing, immediately threw them off and changed to her own clothes. She left to go back home at once.

On the way back home, Mom contacted the police, explaining her worries. Luckily, the police acted quickly and was able to arrive at our home after asking our home address.

The police knocked on the door. At first, no one answered, but the officers were unperturbed.

Knowing that someone is inside from Mom's report, the police continued to ring the doorbell and knock on the door.

Unable to keep playing ghost, the Nanny was forced to open the door and answer the police.

The police explained to the Nanny that they received a tip from the owner of the house (Mom) that after checking the home security cameras she was unable to find her child. They told the Nanny that they received permission to search the house to see if there are any clues for my whereabouts. If she were to resist, they would immediately arrest her for obstruction of their duties.

Figuring it out that whether she either allows the police in or resist against them that she is already screwed, the Nanny immediately ran back into the house only to try escaping from the backyard.

If they were any normal police, her escape might have been a success due to her System. But unfortunately for her, none of the police that came were normal. All Battle-Type System Users, they immediately apprehended the Nanny due to her suspicious actions.

After arresting the Nanny, the police were able to find me collapsed on the bathroom floor. The immediately applied first aid and called the ambulance.

I was later carried to the hospital where everything after that is what I already know.

.

.

Having heard the story from Mom, my honest feelings at that time were 'Ah, really?'.

I couldn't help but feel as if she was talking about someone else rather than a rescue mission for me.

Due to my ordeal, I remained lethargic and apathetic to things for the longest time.

It took me a few weeks for me to 'return' mostly to how I was before.

It was at that time Dad finally returned back home.

When he had learned about what had happened to me, the face he made then was the angriest I had ever seen him.

He first wanted to go find the Nanny and beat her until nothing was left, but in the end, Mom stopped him saying that she is behind bars now and it's the law's job to punish her.

While not totally convinced, Dad forcefully calmed himself down and then began worrying about me.

To Dad's worry, I gave a brusque reply that I was okay.

It was at this time I noticed I became somewhat colder to Dad. Where I usually would welcome him in open arms, now I keep him at arm's length away.

At first, I didn't know what was wrong with me. However, I was able to figure it out eventually.

I had become somewhat phobic to anything related to Battle-Type System.

Having been threaten by the Nanny using her System, I developed a strong aversion to all things related to Battle-Type Systems.

If I had not been saved in time, it was possible I would have reached a level of phobia where I would be too afraid to leave my home or even my room. It was only the knowledge of how the police saved me and my Dad's loving presence that I wasn't absolutely terrified completely.

Ever since experiencing that hell, our family situation changed significantly.

Dad is still working as a Spec-Ops for the Earth Army but has received more permission to take time off to stay with his family. It helped that the Invader numbers as of late had reduced in recent years which allowed Dad to have this exception.

Mom had quit being a runway model. Using the incident of her leaving midway at work as an excuse, Mom turned in her resignation letter herself. At first, her agency tried their best to make her stay. Despite her recent screw-up, her history with them made it possible for them to treat that incident of her leaving as if never happened. But Mom stubbornly refused.

Learning the hard way of the dangers of leaving me alone, Mom decided to quit her current job for a more flexible one. The job she found was to become a freelance fashion writer, capitalizing her experience as a model to good use. With the ability to work from home, Mom became satisfied with her choice. While she occasionally had to leave home to work sometimes, it was at a shorter time frame than before.

I, on the other hand, became an extremely taciturn person. Originally not a shy child, I became a total introvert in my early teen years. Unable to fully trust anyone, I didn't have any new friends and lost my old ones a long time ago.

Worried about my future, both Mom and Dad tried many things to try to help me break from my new shell.

They tried and tried, but nothing was working for me.

I knew they were trying their best for me, so I felt extremely bad.

I myself knew staying like this won't do me any good. I had to learn to be sociable again if I want to live a normal life.

It wasn't until Mom thought of an interesting option that I finally came out of my shell.

'Do you want to be a Youtuber?'

Her plan was by getting me used to talking by making me talk to a camera to an anonymous audience first. I would to gradually get rid of my antisocial tendencies and, in the end, learn to talk to people normally that way.

With nothing to lose, I agreed to become a Youtuber.

I began to learn all my fashion techniques from Mom.

Once I did, I began to make my first set of videos which I set to be published daily.

It took me a long time to create videos I was fine with to be seen by the public. I wasn't used to talking at all so my first videos still all felt awkward

As expected, at first, nobody was interested in my videos.

However, as time went on, more and more people began to take notice of my videos. I have gotten better at speaking and my video editing skills improved noticeably.

When I first noticed I got 5,000 subscribers I was extremely surprised.

Gaining confidence, I began making more videos. I continued to improve myself step by step.

My subscriber count continued to grow and grow.

Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine my videos made for the sake of my rehabilitation into society again would reach so far.

The result of my 'rehab' was extremely positive. My originally introverted self is no more. I am now capable to navigate through any social group with confidence.

Both Mom and Dad were so proud of what I had become, it was as if they were the ones who changed.

I can't help but thank both Mom and Dad for the support they had given me to I could become the person I am now. I also did not forget to make a video to thank my subscribers for all their support.

Now that I had recovered, that was when I began to have thoughts about finding something I want to do for myself for my future as to not worry Mom and Dad about me any longer.

While being a Youtuber is fun and I enjoy it, it wasn't my idea at first.

I wanted to find something for myself.

That was when I heard about Raeparth's Academy. Filled with opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else, it became the perfect place for me to go. No, a place I felt like I 'needed' to go.

If it's here, I might be able to find something for myself.

My aversion for Battle-Types... it's still there, hidden but deadly. One might say going to a school where such people with Battle-Types can be found in droves might be the worst place for me to be as I am now. But I had this thought instead, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'. It's because it is filled with things I hate, I will try to use it as a place to temper myself.

As long as I can find something I want for myself, it would be worth it.

Fufu~ Who knows? Maybe I can find even 'love' there as well.

Just kidding.