Alice Hoodclover

She cared not for her long messy blood-red hair. She cared not for the freckles that dotted from one cheek over to the other, she cared not for her smooth dry lips that kissed the rim of beer glasses. But she certainly had a burning passion for her silver eyes. Peering into her reflection only to see their perfect glow, her teeth would unknowingly grit, The palm of her hands would be left bloody after tightly clenching her fist. Despite her rage, her brother's voice echoed words that would always leave her a sulking mess.

She remembered his words, genuine and kind. She would always be great full for the days of sitting at the frame of the large glass window while the sun hid behind the distant trees amongst the fields giving the blue glow of the moon a chance to greet their quiet and hollow home. filled with only old antiques and little to no pictures of their family. It only reminded her of how lifeless her life was. Of course, it wasn't too much of a surprise, society was dull and gray, held by the strings of military ideals; Where her family, the Hoodclovers, were puppets. She would remember her father and how he defended these ideals more than he defended his own family.

He didn't live with them and his visits were rare; the times he would visit would only be invested into training her brother for years to come in military school. They shared the same silver eyes she continued to grow burning hate for. He was cold and brawling, as tall as the door frames of their home, which meant he always had darkness cast on his face displaying the perfect glow of his eyes as he stared down upon them.

She continued to question why he was so cold towards them but she could not draw her conclusion, especially at the young age of 9. Her brother would tell her that it was because he was a loathus. Her eyebrows would raise at the name. Her brother told her that it was the family that was the head of their nation, they were the ones to set those military ideals in their society, and that they were smarter than the average person. They've always been cold and calculated. She wondered if they were the reason why they were stuck at home and left in the quiet fields. In response, her brother said yes. He added that after The Great Catastrophe they once worked with another family called the loathers, but because of a dispute between the two families, they fought, with the loathuses coming out on top. She would ask what happened to the loathers, but her brother would tell her that he wasn't sure and that he didn't learn about that yet.

She never understood where he was getting all this information from, but she enjoyed the long chats and playing sessions with him in the echo-worthy hallways. Those days would become shorter with every click of the hour and minute hand of the old grandfather clock in their house. He would be stuck in his room studying or training with their father. She would realize how mature her brother was becoming; increasingly serious yet calming looking more like their father each day. She would soon be left to sulk at his departure to military school. He would latch his stopwatch around her wrist and wave at her goodbye, promising her that he would return soon, but of course, it was a lie only to reassure her. He would be gone for exactly 4 years.

The only person left to give her comfort would be her maid. She thought her beauty was immeasurable; her hair always tied into a bun, her black dress and apron speckless. She'd observed her as her soft gentle hands maintained their home, prepped her meals, and washed their clothes. Once in a while, she would wait for her to be done with her household chores and await her at the old piano in their home, of course, her maid was more than willing to play for her. Soon she became so drawn to the piano that she requested the maid to teach her, but the maid would always refuse as it was not the duty of a Hoodclover, resulting in her practically begging her maid to teach her how to play. One day her maid would finally give in and start teaching her after she was done with her given tasks. She was able to learn the basics in a short amount of time and soon she would be playing for herself so that she could pass the time.

Finally, the time had come for her brother's return. She greeted him with a warm embrace by the docks. They were both older. He was taller and the time spent in military school made him smarter and stronger. His return would be temporary as he was now a soldier who was expected to fulfill his duties. On the night of his return, he told his sister stories of his time away from home, her hands would get sweatier while listening which was understandable because it was now her turn to overcome the obstacles of military school. Because of the position he had already attained due to being an exceptional student of the academy, he was given access to classified information. He informed her of the military plan, how they seek power and revenge on the ones beyond the human world since the Great Catastrophe. How in a few years they would invade the other species. The stories they had been told as children about the other species, he believed them to be lies, a method to brainwash them. So he advised a plan to stop them and to her surprise, he offered her the chance to help. He assured her that for the past four years he made allies willing to fight with him. She was hesitant, but she believed her brother and agreed to help him.

After their agreement, she prepared herself for training. Her father began visiting again doing the same thing he did to her brother. He was brutal, She now understood why her brother returned home every afternoon covered in bruises and cuts when they were kids. Under the dim lamplight, She found herself stuck in her room studying the same books her brother did until the time finally came where she would board the ship to Agnar; A military school where the gifted hone their skills and shape themselves into war machines for the government. She was overwhelmed as she did not know how to function amongst her peers, she had never spoken to anyone other than her brother and Maid. But she would soon be befriended by another young lady that was of Willer blood; the Willers were builders/crafters who had helped to advance humans' technological resources. If it weren't for them the military wouldn't be capable of welding high-tech weapons. And while they are loyal to the loathuses, a majority finds their methods to be heartless, and the plan of invading the other species to be Unnecessary. Hence their friendship. She entrusted all information to her new friend, including information on her brother's plan to stop the humans.

As soon as she graduated as an exceptional soldier alongside her new friend, they began fighting in wars that were waged by those who opposed the loathuses. Such as families and soldiers who had gone rogue. If she was not spending time sharpening her blade for another battle, it would be spent with her brother and the small army of soldiers he had grown over the years. They had secret meetings where they further modified their plan of destroying the loathuses from the inside. They had found a hole in the government's supply system and stole resources so that they would be ready and armed for anything. But their plans would be foiled.

The loathuses we're not to be underestimated as they were intelligent individuals who knew exactly what was happening in every nook and cranny of the system they had created. The majority of her brother's army was restrained with only a few left to help them escape. Her brother was shot, his chest soaked with red. She screamed his name but he was paralyzed by the pain that struck him like lightning. Her brother's closest friend and second in command of their operation dragged her onto a boat they had secured. What was left of their army successfully escaped. She remembered her brother, laying in a pool of his blood. Towering over him was their father. His hand grasped tightly on the smoking silver barrel. She looked him in the eyes one more time. She knew what she had to do: exterminate the loathuses and stop the human's plan of invasion.

She cared not for her long messy blood-red hair. She cared not for the freckles that dotted from one cheek over to the other, she cared not for her smooth dry lips that kissed the rim of beer glasses. But she certainly had a burning passion for her silver eyes.